South Arabia GSM

[svboot]

Now in my 70s and with all this BLM stuff going on It gives me grave concern. I am an Aden veteran, served there 1966/67. Did 3 tours upcountry. As you know Aden Protectorate was a British Colony, the British having been there since 1839 until November 1967.
I can see the writing on the wall that those who served there could be vilified and some daft idiot will cow tow and say we have to hand the medals back as it was part of the Imperial British past.
Queen Victoria’s statue used to be in Steamer Point near the Rock Hotel.
History is history.
Am I reading it wrong?

 

[pcar964]

History is history.

Nails it. It cannot be changed, destroying statues doesn't change it. Accept, live and let live, and move on

 

[par avion]

Now in my 70s and with all this BLM stuff going on It gives me grave concern. I am an Aden veteran, served there 1966/67. Did 3 tours upcountry. As you know Aden Protectorate was a British Colony, the British having been there since 1839 until November 1967.
I can see the writing on the wall that those who served there could be vilified and some daft idiot will cow tow and say we have to hand the medals back as it was part of the Imperial British past.
Queen Victoria’s statue used to be in Steamer Point near the Rock Hotel.
History is history.
Am I reading it wrong?

If you look on the old films of the British veterans of Aden posted on YouTube, a lot are by local Aden people saying that the British time was a golden era in their history and they wish the British were back. Doesn't quite fit in with the leftie woke brigade though.

 

[BuckFelize]

Not just Aden. There's quiet a few places that regret the day the flag came down. Revisionists? **** 'em!

 

[Bodenplatte]

An elderly Pakistani Wakeel (Warrant Officer) that I worked with, Elyas Beg Mirza, used to say to me, "British Days, Best Days."

 

[par avion]

An elderly Pakistani Wakeel (Warrant Officer) that I worked with, Elyas Beg Mirza, used to say to me, "British Days, Best Days."

He wasn't far wrong was he.

 

[Dalef65]

Am I reading it wrong?

Yes I think you are to an extent.
Specifically, nobody is going to be telling you to hand your medals back.

 

[brucev]

Now in my 70s and with all this BLM stuff going on It gives me grave concern. I am an Aden veteran, served there 1966/67. Did 3 tours upcountry. As you know Aden Protectorate was a British Colony, the British having been there since 1839 until November 1967.
I can see the writing on the wall that those who served there could be vilified and some daft idiot will cow tow and say we have to hand the medals back as it was part of the Imperial British past.
Queen Victoria’s statue used to be in Steamer Point near the Rock Hotel.
History is history.
Am I reading it wrong?

served there 1965/67. Aden , waddyayne, bahane and dhala, proud to have served there.

 

[Dan Gleebles]

served there 1965/67. Aden , waddyayne, bahane and dhala, proud to have served there.

We were there as pads brats from '63 - '65, but my old man didn't have a GSM for it.

He had the GSM for Malaysia, but only that single bar.

Would that be a common situation?

 

[brucev]

There was just one GSM but he should have got a bar for South Arabia if it was the same ribbon. Contact the war office and they should help.

 

[rickshaw-major]

Now in my 70s and with all this BLM stuff going on It gives me grave concern. I am an Aden veteran, served there 1966/67. Did 3 tours upcountry. As you know Aden Protectorate was a British Colony, the British having been there since 1839 until November 1967.
I can see the writing on the wall that those who served there could be vilified and some daft idiot will cow tow and say we have to hand the medals back as it was part of the Imperial British past.
Queen Victoria’s statue used to be in Steamer Point near the Rock Hotel.
History is history.
Am I reading it wrong?

Show them this. The woke tuats will die of mass heart attacks and the snowflakes will have a mass melting. And you can show it to the SNP mongs as well.

 

[retread2]

We were there as pads brats from '63 - '65, but my old man didn't have a GSM for it.

He had the GSM for Malaysia, but only that single bar.

Would that be a common situation?

Dan - I was a pad brat there at the same time, where did you live?

Your old man might be eligible for the Malaysian medal as well, I think the PJM. There will be something on it in the medals forum I'm sure.

E2A: here you go - https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/t...the-period-of-pjm-should-be-backdated.301079/

 

[BuckFelize]

We were there as pads brats from '63 - '65, but my old man didn't have a GSM for it.

He had the GSM for Malaysia, but only that single bar.

Would that be a common situation?

Given that timeframe I would've thought he'd have qualified for the GSM62 with a South Arabia clasp (Aug 64 - Nov 67) and maybe a Radfan depending on who he was with and what he was doing.

The clasp for Malaya concerned the previous GSM18, though there was a Malay Peninsula clasp available for the later medal. His presence in Aden would have precluded him from that though.

 

[Dan Gleebles]

Dan - I was a pad brat there at the same time, where did you live?

Your old man might be eligible for the Malaysian medal as well, I think the PJM. There will be something on it in the medals forum I'm sure.

E2A: here you go - https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/t...the-period-of-pjm-should-be-backdated.301079/

We lived in the flats at Steamer Point, although I've no memory of it, only phots of us swimming in the sea nearby behind shark nets, and of my older siblings going off to junior school.

 

[Dan Gleebles]

Given that timeframe I would've thought he'd have qualified for the GSM62 with a South Arabia clasp (Aug 64 - Nov 67) and maybe a Radfan depending on who he was with and what he was doing.

The clasp for Malaya concerned the previous GSM18, though there was a Malay Peninsula clasp available for the later medal. His presence in Aden would have precluded him from that though.

Much obliged, thanks.

 

[Stanchion]

Given that timeframe I would've thought he'd have qualified for the GSM62 with a South Arabia clasp (Aug 64 - Nov 67) and maybe a Radfan depending on who he was with and what he was doing.

Yes, he would qualify for both as all service pers serving in both colony and protectorate qualified for Radfan clasp if there during the dates of the operation; and also, the qualifying dates of the clasps had no gap between them

 

[Bus Pass 01]

Show them this. The woke tuats will die of mass heart attacks and the snowflakes will have a mass melting. And you can show it to the SNP mongs as well.

Magic, will have them reaching for their joss sticks!

Some more -

 

[retread2]

We lived in the flats at Steamer Point, although I've no memory of it, only phots of us swimming in the sea nearby behind shark nets, and of my older siblings going off to junior school.

We lived in Ma'alla. I did my last year of primary school at Steamer Point and my first year of Secondary at RAF Khormaksar. Had a great time and got into all sorts of mischief.

Better let this thread get back to gongs though.

 

[pimpernel]

Now in my 70s and with all this BLM stuff going on It gives me grave concern. I am an Aden veteran, served there 1966/67. Did 3 tours upcountry. As you know Aden Protectorate was a British Colony, the British having been there since 1839 until November 1967.
I can see the writing on the wall that those who served there could be vilified and some daft idiot will cow tow and say we have to hand the medals back as it was part of the Imperial British past.
Queen Victoria’s statue used to be in Steamer Point near the Rock Hotel.
History is history.
Am I reading it wrong?

You are, so don't worry about it.
Like you my dad was an Aden veteran 66-67 and if they come for his medals I will take a swing at them. Grandad has the GSM Malaya bar (1950) like wise and a few others with interesting colonial war bars!
As to our awful Imperial past, Aden as you well know was a cluster till we took it in hand back in the 1890s, sadly our political masters announced in 1966 we were giving it up and quelle surprise Flossy and the others all kicked off.
Sadly I have a great uncle buried in Ma'alla cemetery, another of those nasty Imperialists he died in 1926.