I arrived in Aden in Mid March 1964 at RAF Khormaksar, it was midnight and still very, very hot 84º F. I joined the  Station Police crew and we carried out routine policing and discipline duties throughout the camp area.

Sgt Speakman, VC KOSB was also on the station at the HQMEC Public Relations Dept (Pte Speakman won his VC during the Korean War in 1951/52 fighting off a large number of Chinese machine gunners over many hours). We were called upon to assist with local taxi drivers when Speakman did not have enough cash to pay them after a night in town!! He was billeted in the Sgts. Mess and worked out of the offices on Barrack Hill Steamer Point. He received his VC from the new Queen, Queen Elizabeth II; her first investiture of such a medal.

In mid April 1964 the RADFAN campaign started and we were dispatched to various parts of the protectorate to provide armed protection for RAF Installations. I was posted to RAF SALT PANS, a RX aerial site just north of Khormaksar near to the Army camp of CHAMPION LINES. The area was snow white with salt in the sand and the land divided into large acre areas with high sided walls around the edges. Sea water was pumped in using ancient windmills and as the water evaporated in the 52ºC heat salt was left in the bottom which was collected and sold. If you fell on the sand it felt like rough sandpaper, cut into your skin, but you healed very quickly due to the amount of salt that had entered the wound whilst being injured.

During my time there a Hawker Hunter aircraft from Khormaksar crash landed on the aerial farm after the pilot had ejected safely. The camp staff provided secure guarding once the ADEN Cannon shells had ceased exploding!!!

After a short spell here I was sent, volunteered if I recall correctly, to the sister site up country near to Sheik Othman and next to the Federal Capital, Al Ittihad. It was called RAF HISWA (Al Hiswah) and was the TX aerial site consisting of some 200 250’ aerials out in the bondu. The signals centre was staffed by 24 signal techies, aerials maintained by 4 aerial riggers and the police protection team were four RAF Policemen (I was the JNCOic) - I recall my colleagues as Tom Crawford, Jeff Parker, Norman Bland, plus four/six RAF CHOWKIDARS- local national auxiliary staff to carry out the gate guards and provide look out facilities for the duty staff.