The location of the parade itself was on the Maidan at Tawahi. The photograph below shows a Royal Salute being fired by four guns of a field battery. Note the officer timing the salute. This salute may have been fired at either the beginning or the end of the parade. It would probably have been at least a 41-gun salute – but note that one can see only one ammunition box by each gun. Behind the guns the Aden Police are spaced at intervals.

Royal Salute on the Maidan at Tawahi. Cowasjee Dinshaw Building and Luke Thomas Building can be seen in the background

The next photograph below shows Guards marching in column towards the saluting base. In fact this is one of several photographs of this phase of the parade, from which it is apparent that there were perhaps up to half-a-dozen Guards altogether. In 1935 there was no longer a British infantry battalion in Aden and the guard in the foreground was probably provided by the Royal Artillery, or possibly by the Royal Air Force if this is not the first Guard to be marching past. Note the officer is not carrying a sword, which perhaps makes it more likely that this was an RAF guard.

Early morning, guards marching towards the saluting base

The other photographs are of the drive past which would have followed the parade. One shows part of the camel detachment of the Aden Troop. The other two show RAF equipment. The plane is a Fairey IIIF, which from April 1935 was being replaced by the Vincent. At the left edge of this photograph can be seen the front of the artillery tractor featured in the next photograph.

Fairey IIIF of 8 Sqn

The gun is a 3-inch anti-aircraft gun, soon to be replaced by the 3.7-inch which would be Britain’s main anti-aircraft gun in WW2.

Royal Artillery 3-inch anti-aircraft gun

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