1st Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment - Aden 1959-1960

[Lewis21]

Hi all,

Prompted by watching the Remembrance service in London this morning I am looking for some information on the activities of the 1st Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment in Aden in between 1959-1960.

Most of what I could find online relates to earlier conflicts. I have a particular interest in this period as my late grandfather was serving with that regiment at the time. I have his service record but as is often the case there are no details on the deployment itself other than the location. He sailed for Aden in January 1959 and returned in January 1960. Unfortunately I was a bit too young to ask the right questions before he died.

If anybody has knowledge of this regiment and its activities in Aden I'd be very grateful to hear it.

Thanks,

Lewis

[BumbleB]

Mr Google suggests that Abington Park Museum has information on the Northamptonshire Regiment.

https://www.northamptonmuseums.com/info/6/visit/8/abington-park-museum

or this

https://museu.ms/museum/details/7458/museum-of-the-northamptonshire-regiment

[Andy J2022]

During your grandfather's time in Aden things were relatively quiet. The so-called Aden Emergency didn't start until 1962, and the Radfan Campaign in which British troops were heavily involved, didn't start until the Autumn of 1963. The Northamptonshire Regiment left Aden in February 1960.

So your grandfather would have had a pretty boring time consisting of barrack routines, minor field training exercises and a lot of time spent on the beach or in bars. Better than many people's experience of National Service.

[Lewis21]

During your grandfather's time in Aden things were relatively quiet. The so-called Aden Emergency didn't start until 1962, and the Radfan Campaign in which British troops were heavily involved, didn't start until the Autumn of 1963. The Northamptonshire Regiment left Aden in February 1960.

So your grandfather would have had a pretty boring time consisting of barrack routines, minor field training exercises and a lot of time spent on the beach or in bars. Better than many people's experience of National Service.

So in essence it could've been a lot worse... I guess that answers that question! No wonder we have a bunch of photographs of him and his fellow soldiers having by all accounts a great time in the warm weather over there!

Thanks Andy.

[Andy J2022]

So in essence it could've been a lot worse...

Yes. 1959/60 were comparatively quiet years for the British Army in terms of operations: Malaya, Cyprus, Kenya and Suez all having all died down, but organisationally there was considerable turbulence. The 1957 Defence White Paper marked a radical shift in Britain's defence posture. National Service was coming to an end and Britain was beginning to withdraw from many worldwide commitments as the colonies gained their independence. These changes were reflected within the Northamptonshire Regiment by the fact that in June 1960 it merged with the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment to become the 2nd Battalion, the East Anglian Regiment, later renamed the Royal Anglian Regiment.