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The
Duke of Connaught....part II
Fortunately the Renown sailed at
1500, one hour before the unveiling. The next photograph
shows the unveiling ceremony. Soldiers from the Indian
Army battalion in Aden are providing another guard of
honour, as well as lining the route. Incidentally, a
ceremonial tent was called a shamiana. The final
photograph of the visit shows the crescent decorated in
the standard way, with palm fronds.
As with all visitors to Aden at that
time, a visit to the Tanks in Crater was a part of his
official programme. Whilst there he was entertained to
tea on the floor of the large tank by the officers of
the King’s Own Scottish Borderers! The Duke had been
asked if he would like this to have been ‘an informal at
home’, his reply being that he would prefer to meet only
the officers and regimental ladies. After being
entertained at the Tanks the royal cavalcade returned
via the Isthmus as the Prinz Regente was not due to sail
until 8pm, the Duke’s departure being classed as
‘private’, without any ceremonial.
The
Crescent decorated in the standard way, with palm
fronds.
In 1907 the Duke of Connaught made
another tour of inspection in the Far East. On his way
back from inspecting the Hong Kong garrison the liner on
which he was travelling made a scheduled stop at Aden.
The British battalion was now the 2nd
Battalion the Suffolk Regiment, whose Colonel-in-Chief
was the Duchess of Connaught, Princess Luise Margarete
of Prussia. The Suffolks marched a full (100-man) guard
of honour from Crater to the Landing Stage to greet the
royal couple, only to find that the Duke refused to come
ashore as Aden was outside the jurisdiction of his
present tour of inspection. One wonders what the
soldiers were thinking as they marched back to their
barracks in the Crater! The final photograph is of a
guard of honour marching towards the landing Stage, with
the Crescent in the background.
A
guard
of honour marching towards the landing stage, with the
Crescent in the background
The Duke of Connaught visited Aden
again in 1921. He had been due to land January 1st
that year on his way to India to open the Reformed
Legislative Council, but he was ill. He was travelling
on the battleship HMS Malaya and had been due to receive
a reception similar to the one he had been given on his
previous visit in 1905. But he was well enough to
receive on board the principal chiefs and the leading
citizens and officials of Aden. Fortunately on his
return journey he did land briefly to open the Memorial
Building on the Prince of
Wales Pier, which had been built and paid for by the
Port Trust to honour those servicemen who had lost their
lives in Aden during the Great War.
Ingleby
J
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This page last updated
Saturday, 02 August 2008
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