British Troops Battle Aden Rebels | 2 Paratroopers Killed | "Cap Badge" | Radfan Campaign | May 1964

Tuesday, May 5th 1964.

Footage from a furious battle between British troops and local insurgents linked to the National Liberation Front, a Marxist political organisation with a paramilitary wing.

Source: Reuters News Archive.

Notes:

The British troops were carrying out the second phase of the Radfan Campaign, one of a series of operations conducted during the Aden Emergency between January and May of 1964.

The first operation in January was known as "Nut cracker" and this, the second one, was dubbed "Cap Badge". The battle on the Radfan Mountains lasted for 12 hours with two British paratroops killed and at least 6 insurgents killed.

The British paratroopers began the operation by marching under the darkness of night to an area where they encircled the insurgents. An artillery force fired a salvo of rounds for diversionary purposes while the paratroops charged a targeted village and occupied it. They were then fired upon from the surrounding mountains and pinned down until relieved by marine commandos.

A communique issued at the time by the British Middle East Commander-in-Chief said that while the British had achieved their immediate aim, the "military threat" had not been eliminated.

A total of 13 British military personnel were killed between April 25th 1964 and July 31st 1964.

The Radfan uprising would escalate in 1967 and British forces would be withdrawn and bring to an end British rule which had commenced in 1839.

The independent People's Republic of South Yemen was then proclaimed.

NB

A Brief Reflection on British Counter-Insurgency Campaigns since the End of the Second World War http://adeyinkamakinde.blogspot.com/2...