To detail the life of a man such as Antonin Besse would require several books - such was the extent of his activities. Why there has not been a movie yet made of his life surprises me. What follows is necessarily a very superficial narrative of his story which can barely do credit to the magnitude of his achievements.

Antonin was born 26 June 1877 in Carcassonne, France. The family moved to Montpellier where his father died. Antonin was 7, living with his mother and 6 siblings. His school achievements were unspectacular and this perhaps reinforced his motivation to volunteer for military service at just 18.

On his discharge from the army at age 22 he borrowed money from his brother-in-law to pay for traveling expenses, tropical clothing and a trunk to enable him to take up an appointment working for Bardey & Co. in Aden on a three-year contract. This is the same company Arthur Rimbaud had worked for almost 20 years earlier, and young Antonin's wage was to be no more than Rimbaud's had been. Antonin boarded a steamer at Marseilles on April 16 1899 bound for Aden. 

Antonin worked hard at Bardey's, often rising at 4.30am and working through till 6pm. He learned everything there was to learn about coffee and the coffee trade and became quite an authority. He didn't get on well with Bardey and at the end of his 3-year contract, despite a draconian clause ostensibly preventing him setting up his own business in competition, he nevertheless established himself in Hodeida early in 1902 using capital from a further loan advanced by his brother-in-law. Later in the year he was back in France where he successfully negotiated a substantial loan from a French bank which enabled him to set up business in Aden, pay off his brother-in-law, and to bring his brother Emile to Aden to help run the Hodeida business.

By 1904 Antonin found himself struggling to meet the payments to the bank. Represented by his brother-in-law, a lawyer, the debt was settled with an early reduced payment.

Whilst back in France early in 1907 he met Mlle. Marguerite Hortense Eulailie Godefroid, by chance, on a train. They corresponded for almost a year and were married April 1 1908. Marguerite was from a wealthy aristocratic family and brought a considerable fortune to the marriage which she readily invested in the business, whilst as an adept business partner she maintained the books. Turnover increased 750% in the first year and by the outbreak of war it had increased 2500%.

The marriage to Margeurite ended in divorce but Antonin met Florence Hilda Crowther, who was to become his second wife, and soulmate, for the rest of his life. They were married in 1922 and had 5 children, Peter, Tony, Ariane, Joy and Monna. Hilda was his rock and was possibly the only person in his life who could live up to his high, yet noble,  ideals, and whom he never seems to have criticised.

The Union Club at Steamer Point. Note the semi-circle for turning gharries.

In 1914 Besse built his new HQ in Aidrus Road, Crater which was to remain the centre of operations until his death in 1951. On the ground floor were warehouses and storerooms, the second floor was for offices and staff accommodation whilst the penthouse comprised his expansive, stylish office and living accommodation. The dark stone building with a central courtyard was located just down the road from the Aidrus Mosque. At one time AB had to sell the property to help repay pressing debts. However, he leased it back and it remained his headquarters for the rest of his life.

1934 saw the acquisition of a run-down soap factory in Crater which was relocated the following year to Maalla, with new plant. In 1937 more new plant was added to produce coconut oil. The factory's by-products then created a further opportunity to set up a glycerine factory and this opened in 1938. Besse was clearly an entrepreneur extraordinaire; a master of the art.

Besse was active in the dhow-building industry and was the first to put diesel motors into dhows in 1936. Years earlier in 1917 he had met another merchant, Henry de Monfried, in Djibouti and they partnered to build a dhow, Besse providing the capital and de Monfried to come to Aden and provide the construction expertise. However, the government held unfounded suspicions that de Monfried intended to use the vessel for illegal arms trading, and it was commandeered.

A motorised dhow in Aden harbour 1952. British oil tanker "Gretafield" behind

Besse operated a fleet of up to 14 dhows, mostly motorised, which afforded him an advantage in that he could operate them in all seasons. This was particularly helpful in 1941 when he was able to win over competitors by importing sheep from Berbera in the monsoon season. In addition to the dhow fleet Besse eventually operated 4 ships, up to 30 lighters, 5 tugs and a floating dock.

Besse's Floating Dock