162-734: The 131st Infantry Brigade , originally the Surrey Brigade was an infantry formation of Britain's Territorial Army that saw service during both the First and the Second World Wars . In the First World War the brigade was in British India for most of the war and did not see service as a complete unit but many of its battalions would see service in the Middle East . The brigade, assigned to
324-641: A "state of emergency" was declared. In 1964, Britain announced its intention to grant independence to the FSA in 1968, but that the British military would remain in Aden. The security situation deteriorated as NLF and FLOSY ( Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen ) vied for the upper hand. In January 1967, there were mass riots between the NLF and their rival FLOSY supporters in
486-624: A British-planned town; and Madinat ash-Sha'b (formerly Madinat al-Ittihad), the former capital of the South Arabian Federation , now housing a large power/ desalination facility and additional Aden University faculties. Aden encloses the eastern side of a vast, natural harbour that constitutes the modern port. A long time ago this necessitated the existence of Aden's reservoirs, the Cisterns of Tawila . As described by 14th century scholar Ibn Battuta , "These reservoirs accumulate rainwater for
648-600: A commander or staff). The TF battalions had all taken the prefix '1' (1/4th Queen's etc ) to distinguish them from their 2nd Line battalions forming in the United Kingdom. During 1915 there was a regular drain on the battalions as they lost their best Non-Commissioned Officers for officer training, sent detachments to various places in India, and provided drafts to replace casualties among units fighting in Mesopotamia . 1/5th Queens
810-579: A factory in Crater and allocate a special cemetery for English subjects free of charge. The Abdali wanted English protection from the tribes. Sultan Fadl bin Ali was killed by Yafi’ gunmen, then one of the sheikhs of Al-Hujariya invaded Lahj and besieged it for five months. Al-Awaliq also besieged it with eight thousand fighters, and they did not leave until Sultan Ahmed bin Abdul Karim paid them seven thousand dollars. Then
972-554: A few signals units in a category called TAVR III, designed for home defence, but, months later in January 1968, these were all earmarked to be disbanded, with 90 becoming eight-man "cadres". In November that year, the call-out arrangements for TAVR II units were brought in line with TAVR I. In 1971, the new government decided to expand the TAVR which led to the formation of twenty infantry battalions based on some of these cadres. In 1979, again,
1134-459: A large part in the Second Battle of El Alamein and, again, suffered heavy casualties: 1/5th Queen's had 118 casualties, 1/6th had 197 and the 1/7th had had similar losses. When the 44th Division was broken up to provide infantry for other units (and Headquarters disbanded on 31 January 1943) 131st Brigade was redesignated as, on 1 November 1942, 131st Lorried Infantry Brigade and transferred to
1296-748: A limited extent by law should they be compulsorily mobilised. There is, however, no legal protection against discrimination in employment for membership of the Army Reserve in the normal course of events (i.e. when not mobilised). Before the creation of the Territorial force, there were three "auxiliary forces"—the Militia, the Yeomanry, and the Volunteers. All militiamen over 19 could join the Militia Reserve, accepting
1458-524: A mixture of formed units and individuals. In Tony Blair's Strategic Defence Review of 1998, the TA's size was reduced to 41,200. In 2003, 9,500 reservists were mobilised to take part in Operation TELIC , the invasion of Iraq . Reservists were deployed in a mixture of formed bodies and as individuals. For example, a formed sub-unit from 131 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers opened up a beach landing point on
1620-518: A more solid form began, and ever since Aden became a popular city attracting sailors and merchants from Egypt , Sindh , Gujarat , East Africa and even China . According to Muqaddasi , Persians formed the majority of Aden's population in the 10th century. During the Ayyubid period in Yemen, Sana'a and its environs were more hostile to their presence than other regions. The Zaidi tribes were able to defeat
1782-669: A naval force was sent from Great Britain, with a detachment of troops from India, to occupy the island of Perim and prevent all communication of the French in Egypt with the Indian Ocean, by way of the Red Sea. The island of Perim was found unsuitable for troops, and the Sultan of Lahej, Ahmed bin Abdul Karim, received the detachment for some time at Aden. He proposed to enter into an alliance and to grant Aden as
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#17328583331151944-477: A new country with a collapsed economy. Civilian workers and businessmen left, and English support stopped. The closure of the Suez Canal in 1967 played an important role in the country’s economy, as it reduced the number of ships crossing Aden by 75%. The new state was divided into six governorates on December 11, 1967, in order to end the manifestations of tribalism in the state and ignore the tribal borders between
2106-586: A new government planned further expansion. In the Reserve Forces Act of 1982, the Territorial Army title was restored, and, in the following years, its size was again increased, together with new equipment and extra training, the target being 86,000 by 1990. Some brigades were re-formed which consisted mostly of TA units, including two out of three brigades for a new reserve division for the British Army of
2268-669: A number of service companies were raised from volunteer units, employed as integral companies of their sister regular battalions, and were well regarded in the field. The decision was taken in late December to form a new force, the Imperial Yeomanry, to consist of mounted infantry. Whilst the Yeomanry provided many of the officers and NCOs, only a small number of the junior ranks came from existing Yeomanry regiments, with some more from Volunteer corps. The units performed well, but recruiting proceeded in fits and starts—recruitment stopped in May, and
2430-539: A parachute brigade were to remain allocated for NATO and the defence of Western Europe; the other eight divisions were placed on a lower establishment for home defence only. The territorial units of the Royal Armoured Corps were also reduced in number to nine armoured regiments and eleven reconnaissance regiments. This was effected by the amalgamation of pairs of regiments, and the conversion of four RAC units to an infantry role. The new parachute brigade group become
2592-618: A permanent station, but the offer was declined. A Treaty was, however, concluded with the Sultan in 1802 by Admiral Sir Home Popham, who was instructed to enter into political and commercial alliances with the Chiefs oil the Arabian coast of the Red Sea. The situation was different in the north of the country, where the Zaidis did not recognize the authority of the Ottomans and revolted against them many times,
2754-515: A practical approach, so he communicated with the President of North Yemen, Ibrahim al-Hamdi, and he wanted normal relations with Western countries. During his reign, relations between South Yemen and Saudi Arabia were established in 1976. President Salmin, as he is known, coveted more Soviet support, so the contract with Saudi Arabia worried him. The Soviets pushed them to increase aid, but relations with Saudi Arabia became strained again in 1977 following
2916-633: A result, some TA divisions had made little progress by the time the Second World War began; others, who had started from a stronger position, were able to complete this work within a matter of weeks. The TA's war deployment plan envisioned the divisions being deployed, as equipment became available, in waves to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) that had already been dispatched to Europe. The TA would join regular army divisions when they had completed their training. In 1938, it
3078-559: A sizable force of regular troops was based in the United Kingdom for service as an expeditionary force, over and above the troops already stationed overseas. However, once the decision was taken to send a corps-size field force to fight in the South African War, the system began to show a strain. By the end of January 1900, seven regular divisions, roughly half of their manpower from the Regular and Militia Reserves, had been dispatched leaving
3240-429: A small cadre , each of 100 officers and men, and the remainder of the men were transferred to fill gaps in the 1/5th Queen's, now commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Ian Freeland , or transferred to the 4th King's Shropshire Light Infantry or 1st Herefordshire Light Infantry of 159th Infantry Brigade , 11th Armoured Division . The reorganised 131st Brigade then fought through the battles after Operation Blackcock and
3402-557: A small number of government officials and the East India Company officials thought that a British base in the area was necessary to prevent another French advance through Egypt or Russian expansion through Persia . The emergence of Muhammad Ali of Egypt as a strong local ruler only increased their concerns. The governor of Bombay from 1834 to 1838, Sir Robert Grant , was one of those who believed that India could only be protected by preemptively seizing "places of strength" to protect
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#17328583331153564-560: A team of two to the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Western Australia . In order to stabilize Aden and the surrounding Aden Protectorate from the designs of the Egyptian backed republicans of North Yemen , the British attempted to gradually unite the disparate states of the region in preparation for eventual independence. On 18 January 1963, the Colony of Aden was incorporated into
3726-491: A way-station for seamen in the ancient world. There, supplies, particularly water, were replenished, so, in the mid-19th century, it became necessary to replenish coal and boiler water. Thus Aden acquired a coaling station at Steamer Point and Aden was to remain under British control until November 1967. Until 1937, Aden was governed as part of British India and was known as the Aden Settlement . Its original territory
3888-542: Is added to Abyan , which is the opposite of Aden in its entirety. Ibn Manzur said: “It is a country on the edge of the sea in the farthest part of Yemen.” Ibn Khaldun said: “This Aden is one of the most fortified cities in Yemen, and it is on the bank of the Indian Sea. It is still a country of trade from the time of the Trabaids, and most of them were built with stones, which is why silk merchants visit it often.” Aden
4050-486: Is an ancient port and was mentioned by the Greeks under the name ( Ancient Greek : Αραβία Εμπόριον , romanized : Arabia Emporion ), which means an Arabic trade port. The port's convenient position on the sea route between India and Europe has made Aden desirable to rulers who sought to possess it at various times throughout history. Known as Eudaemon ( Ancient Greek : Ευδαίμων , meaning "blissful, prosperous,") in
4212-487: Is no mention of fortification at this stage, Aden was more an island than a peninsula as the isthmus (a tombolo ) was not then so developed as it is today. Aden was explicitly mentioned by this name in the Book of Ezekiel , which talks about Jerusalem, and it says: "The merchants of Sheba and Raamah are your merchants. They set up your markets with the finest perfumes and every precious stone and gold. Harran, Qena, and Aden are
4374-463: The 2014 Coup d'état , hosting some members of the Cabinet of Yemen mainly in al-Maashiq Palace . It is also the seat of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council , which exercises control over the city. Aden is a home and a place for ships, and the word Aden means reside in the place, so the word “Aden” means resident, and it is said “Aden Al-Balad,” meaning the settlement of the country. Among
4536-644: The 2nd Boer War in 1902, separate East and West Surrey Brigades were formed, under command of the respective regimental districts. When the Volunteers were subsumed into the Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms in 1908, the battalions in North Surrey, whose recruiting areas had fallen in the County of London since its formation 1889, became part of the all-Territorial London Regiment . These became
4698-633: The 44th (Home Counties) Division , saw extensive service in the Second World War, in France and was later evacuated at Dunkirk in May 1940. It later saw service in the North African Campaign in late 1942 at El Alamein and Tunisia , Salerno in Italy , both in late 1943, and the invasion of Normandy and throughout North-west Europe from June 1944 until May 1945. From late 1942, when 44th Division
4860-556: The 44th Independent Parachute Brigade Group . British forces contracted dramatically as the end of conscription in 1960 came in sight as announced in the 1957 Defence White Paper . On 20 July 1960, a reorganisation of the TA was announced in the House of Commons. The territorials were to be reduced from 266 fighting units to 195. There was to be a reduction of 46 regiments of the Royal Artillery, 18 battalions of infantry, 12 regiments of
5022-629: The 56th (London) Infantry Division . The assembly of six battalions of a single regiment in two brigades is believed to be a unique event in the history of the British Army and is now a special Regimental Day, called Salerno Day, in the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (the successor regiment to the Queen's). The brigade later helped breach the Volturno Line and saw little major action thereafter and, with
131st Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom) - Misplaced Pages Continue
5184-468: The 7th Armoured Division , nicknamed "The Desert Rats" , and would remain with them for the rest of the war. The 7th Armoured was under command of XXX Corps , under Lieutenant-General Oliver Leese . The brigade, now under command of Brigadier Lashmer Whistler (nicknamed "Private Bolo" by men of the brigade), fought throughout the rest of the Tunisian Campaign until it ended in mid-May 1943, when
5346-672: The British . On 19 January 1839, the British East India Company landed Royal Marines at Aden to secure the territory and stop attacks by pirates against British shipping to India. In 1850 it was declared a free trade port, with the liquor, salt, arms, and opium trades developing duties as it won all the coffee trade from Mokha . The port lies about equidistant from the Suez Canal , Bombay , and Zanzibar , which were all important British possessions . Aden had been an entrepôt and
5508-503: The FSA 1963–1967 [REDACTED] South Yemen 1967–1990 [REDACTED] Republic of Yemen 1990–1994 [REDACTED] Democratic Republic of Yemen 1994 [REDACTED] Republic of Yemen 1994–present Aden ( Arabic : عَدَنْ , romanized : ʿAdan , Old South Arabian : 𐩲𐩵𐩬) is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, positioned near
5670-771: The Federation of Arab Emirates of the South against the wishes of North Yemen. The city became the State of Aden and the Federation was renamed the Federation of South Arabia (FSA). An insurgency against British administration known as the Aden Emergency began with a grenade attack by the communist National Liberation Front (NLF), against the British High Commissioner on 10 December 1963, killing one person and injuring fifty, and
5832-697: The Hadhramaut make it clear that both the Himyar and the Sabean cultures were well capable of it. Thus, watchtowers, since destroyed, are possible. However, the Arab historians Ibn al Mujawir and Abu Makhramah attribute the first fortification of Aden to Beni Zuree'a. Abu Makhramah has also included a detailed biography of Muhammad Azim Sultan Qamarbandi Naqsh in his work, Tarikh ul-Yemen. The aim seems to have been twofold: to keep hostile forces out and to maintain revenue by controlling
5994-507: The Indian Ocean and Europe. Thus, a ship passing from Suez to Bombay could leave mail for Mombasa at Aden for collection (See Postage stamps and postal history of Aden ). The 1947 Aden riots saw more than 80 Jews killed, their property looted and schools burned by a Muslim mob. After the Suez Crisis in 1956, Aden became the main location in the region for the British. Aden sent
6156-596: The Italian theatre with British X Corps , commanded by Lieutenant-General Richard McCreery , temporarily under command of U.S. Fifth Army during the Battle for the Salerno beachhead where the brigade relieved its duplicate 169th (London) Infantry Brigade (consisting of the three 2nd Line duplicate battalions: 2/5th, 2/6th, and 2/7th, formed when the TA was doubled in size in 1939), part of
6318-738: The Militia was renamed the Special Reserve ). Haldane planned a volunteer "Territorial Force", to provide a second line for the six divisions of the Expeditionary Force which he was establishing as the centerpiece of the Regular Army. The Territorial Force was to be composed of fourteen divisions of infantry and fourteen brigades of cavalry, together with all the supporting arms and services needed for overseas war, including artillery, engineers commissariat and medical support. The new Special Reserve
6480-413: The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) , after amalgamating with the 2nd Line units. However, the 7th Queen's, after absorbing the duplicate 2/7th Battalion, was converted into 622nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (7th Battalion, The Queen's Royal Regiment) . The 6th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment replaced it but was disbanded in 1961 when the divisions amalgamated with the districts, and
6642-424: The Rhine crossing in March 1945. The brigade took part in the Berlin Victory Parade of 1945 . 131st Brigade participated in the following actions during the Second World War: The brigade was disbanded after the war in 1946 and reformed in 1947, as the 131st (Surrey) Infantry Brigade , in the post-war reorganisation of the Territorial Army, consisting of the 5th, 6th (Bermondsey) and 7th (Southwark) battalions of
131st Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom) - Misplaced Pages Continue
6804-490: The Second Front . On 4 March 1944 the brigade was redesignated again as 131st Infantry Brigade . The brigade fought in North West Europe with the rest of 7th Armoured Division from 7 June, the day after the D-Day landings , until Victory in Europe Day , fighting in particular throughout the Battle of Normandy in the Battle for Caen in Operation Perch , Villers-Bocage , Operation Goodwood and Operation Bluecoat . In December 1944, due to recent heavy losses suffered by
6966-430: The Special Air Service , in North Africa, which fathered several other special forces units, including the Special Boat Service . After VJ Day in August 1945, the Territorial Army was reduced and re-structured. In 1947, the TA was restructured and expanded through the reactivation of some of the 1st Line divisions that were initially disbanded after the war, keeping its former role of supplying complete divisions to
7128-421: The Tennis Court in some of the hardest fighting of the battle. Later the commander of the 14th Army, of which they were part, Field Marshal Slim , himself a pre-First World War Territorial became Chief of the Imperial General Staff and a strong promoter of the TA, coining the expression still in use today that Territorials are 'twice a citizen'. One pre-war Guards reservist, (then) Major David Stirling set up
7290-409: The Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) from 1967 to 1979, and again the Territorial Army (TA) from 1979 to 2014. The Army Reserve was created as the Territorial Force in 1908 by the Secretary of State for War , Richard Haldane , when the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 combined the previously civilian-administered Volunteer Force , with the mounted Yeomanry (at the same time
7452-547: The Yafi tribes to rebel against the Zaidi imams and monopolize Aden's revenues equally among them. The Sultan of Lahej got rid of the imams, but he did not fulfill his promise to Yafa. The Zaidi imams did not recognize inheritance and saw fighting for the imamate, so the war between Al-Nasir Muhammad bin Ishaq and Al-Mansur Al-Hussein bin Al-Mutawakkil prolonged, so Al-Abdali took the opportunity to declare his independence in Lahej and Aden. The English had been visiting Aden and Mocha from 1609, led by Sir Henry Middleton , who
7614-501: The 1/6th Queen's at Dunkirk), was sent to North Africa in May 1942 where, shortly after arrival in August, they became part of the British Eighth Army , under Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery , and fought at the Battle of Alam el Halfa in late August. In late September the brigade fought in Operation Braganza with fairly light casualties, except the 1/5th Queen's which suffered heavy casualties of 12 officers and 260 other ranks killed, wounded or missing. The brigade later played
7776-422: The 18th century were cavalry-based units, which were often used to suppress riots (see the Peterloo Massacre ). Several units that are now part of the Army Reserve bear the title "militia". In 1899, with the outbreak of the South African War , the British Army was committed to its first large-scale overseas deployment since the 1850s. The Cardwell Reforms of 1868–1872 had reformed the system of enlistment for
7938-399: The 1991 Gulf War 205 Scottish General Hospital was mobilised as a unit based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and a number of TA staff officers and others volunteered and served during the conflict, either in supporting roles in Germany or within 1 (UK) Armoured Division in the Middle East. In December 1991, as part of the reductions in Options for Change, it was announced that the TA's establishment
8100-402: The 1st century BC, it was a transshipping point for the Red Sea trade, but fell on hard times when new shipping practices by-passed it and made the daring direct crossing to India in the 1st century AD, according to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea . The same work describes Aden as "a village by the shore," which would well describe the town of Crater while it was still little-developed. There
8262-413: The 21st to 24th Battalions and constituted the 6th London Brigade in the 2nd London Division . The four remaining battalions became battalions of their parent regiments and formed a single Surrey Brigade once more, as part of the Home Counties Division . On the outbreak of war the Surrey Brigade was composed as follows: Commander: Brigadier-General J. Marriott (remained in the United Kingdom) On
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#17328583331158424-444: The 44th Division became 44th (Home Counties) Division/District. Territorial Army (United Kingdom) The Army Reserve is the active-duty volunteer reserve force of the British Army . It is separate from the Regular Reserve whose members are ex-Regular personnel who retain a statutory liability for service. The Army Reserve was known as the Territorial Force from 1908 to 1921, the Territorial Army (TA) from 1921 to 1967,
8586-411: The 46th being one of the digging" divisions with few anti-tank guns and artillery pieces. A London TA battalion, the Queen Victoria's Rifles deployed at Calais and fought off German reconnaissance forces before the arrival of the two regular sister battalions with whom they held the town for two crucial days shielding the Dunkirk evacuation. Further south, The 51st fought in a rearguard action with
8748-441: The Al Buraiqa District. Before gaining independence, Aden comprised distinct sub-centers: Crater, the original port; Ma'alla, the modern port; Tawahi, formerly "Steamer Point"; and Gold Mohur resorts. Khormaksar, on the isthmus connecting Aden to the mainland, hosts diplomatic missions, Aden University's main offices, and Aden International Airport. On the mainland, sub-centers include Sheikh Othman, an old oasis area; Al-Mansura,
8910-1461: The Al Faw Peninsula and then two further crossing points on sequential watercourses for tanks in the attack on Basra. The Royal Yeomanry mobilised Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) and two sub-units to deliver the UK's Chemical, Radiological, Biological, and Nuclear counter-measures for Operation TELIC. At the peak in 2004, reservists made up 20% of Britain's strength in Iraq. Aden English (Widely used) [REDACTED] Kingdom of Awsan [REDACTED] Himyarite Kingdom [REDACTED] Kingdom of Aksum [REDACTED] Sasanian Yemen [REDACTED] First Islamic state [REDACTED] Rashidun Caliphate [REDACTED] Umayyad Caliphate [REDACTED] Abbasid Caliphate [REDACTED] Ziyadid dynasty [REDACTED] Najahid dynasty [REDACTED] Sulayhid dynasty [REDACTED] Zurayid dynasty [REDACTED] Ayyubid dynasty [REDACTED] Rasulid dynasty [REDACTED] Tahirid Sultanate [REDACTED] Mamluk Sultanate [REDACTED] Portuguese Aden [REDACTED] Yemen Eyalet [REDACTED] Qasimid State [REDACTED] Yemen Vilayet [REDACTED] Qasimid State [REDACTED] Sultanate of Lahej 1728–1839 [REDACTED] Aden Province 1839–1937 [REDACTED] Aden Colony 1937–1963 [REDACTED] Aden protectorate 1937–1963 [REDACTED] [REDACTED] State of Aden within
9072-416: The Army Council, under Kitchener's direction, agreed that TF units volunteering en bloc for overseas service should be sent to France, while Kitchener set in hand the machinery for the recruiting of an entirely separate 'New Army' of what came to be known as Kitchener units, in parallel with the expansion of the Territorial Force. These New Army units were given priority for equipment, recruits and training over
9234-434: The Army Reserve increasingly providing routine support for the Regular Army overseas including the delivery of composite units to release regular units from standing liabilities; including Bosnia, Kosovo, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands. Some 2,800 TA personnel volunteered for and deployed on Operation Resolute from 1995 to 1998, the UK's contribution to the NATO mission to enforce peace in the Former Yugoslavia . These were
9396-445: The Ayyubids in 1226, but Omar bin Rasul, the founder of the Rasulid state , was able to repel them, so he tightened his control over Aden. The city regained its position during the days of the Rasulids, so they dug wells and built schools, and Aden flourished commercially. The kings of Bani Rasul were also merchants and enacted a number of laws and regulations to codify trade in the city. The Banu Tahir were able to control Aden after
9558-475: The Ayyubids’ control of the city. A major battle took place between Turan Shah bin Ayyub and Yasser bin Bilal al-Muhammadi, Minister of State, and the Zurayiyyah were defeated and al-Muhammadi fled to Taiz. One of the most important reasons that contributed to the defeat of the Zurayids was their ongoing wars with the Bani Mahdi in Tihama and the departure of their army to confront the Ayyubids instead of fortifying themselves in Aden. After 1175, rebuilding in
9720-436: The Banu Rasool, and the Italian traveler Lodovico di Verthama describes it as one of the most powerful cities seen on Earth during the days of the Tahirids . The Portuguese began expanding into the Indian Ocean and by 1498 they realized that Aden was their key to entering the Red Sea. The Mamluks in Egypt sensed the danger and sent a force led by Hussein al-Kurdi. The victorious King Amer bin Abdul Wahhab provided great aid to
9882-409: The British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler in September and brokered the Munich Agreement . The agreement averted a war and allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland. Although Chamberlain had intended the agreement to lead to a further peaceful resolution of issues, relations between both countries soon deteriorated. On 15 March 1939, Germany breached
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#173285833311510044-511: The Christians of Najran. The fleet entered through Aden. Byzantine sources indicate that the Sasanian Empire took control of the city in 671 AD. A local legend in Yemen states that Aden may be as old as human history itself. Some also believe that Cain and Abel are buried somewhere in the city. Although the pre-Islamic Himyar civilization was capable of building large structures, there seems to have been little fortification at this stage. Fortifications at Mareb and other places in Yemen and
10206-453: The Fadl family attacked Aden in 1836. In 1609 The Ascension was the first English ship to visit Aden, before sailing on to Mocha during the fourth voyage of the East India Company . British interests in Aden began in 1796 with Napoleon's invasion of Egypt, after which a British fleet docked at Aden for several months at the invitation of the sultan. The French were defeated in Egypt in 1801, and their privateers were tracked down over
10368-415: The Germans and Italians fighting in North Africa finally surrendered, with the Allies capturing over 230,000 POWs. After the victory in Tunisia, the brigade did not take part in the Allied invasion of Sicily but instead the whole division rested at Homs and trained in amphibious warfare for the invasion of Italy . The brigade landed in Italy on 16 September 1943 during the early stages of fighting in
10530-518: The Indian Ocean. The Red Sea increased in importance after the steamship Hugh Lindsay sailed from Bombay to the Suez isthmus in 1830, stopping at Aden with the sultan's consent to resupply with coal. Although cargo was still carried around the Cape of Good Hope in sailing ships, a steam route to the Suez could provide a much quicker option for transporting officials and important communications. Grant felt that armed ships steaming regularly between Bombay and Suez would help secure British interests in
10692-415: The Indian Ocean. The Roman governor of Egypt, Aelius Gallus, was sent in 25 BC. The campaign ended with disastrous results and the annihilation of the Roman army in front of the walls of Ma'rib. The Himyarites overthrew the Kingdom of Sheba in 275 AD and took control of Aden. Recent incomplete archaeological studies suggest that the Himyarites were the ones who built the huge water cisterns currently known as
10854-460: The Kingdom of Sheba, launched a campaign against Osan during which, according to the Sabaean texts, sixteen thousand people were killed, forty thousand people were enslaved, and the kings of Awsan made offerings to the god. al-Maqah , according to the inscription that Karbiel Watar I left in Sirwah , commemorating his victory. In the second half of the first century BC, the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar determined to control Arabia Felix and reach
11016-413: The Kurds, but he suffered a heavy defeat in the Battle of Diu. The Mamluks sent a second fleet, but the victorious king refused to cooperate with the Mamluks because he had succeeded in repelling the Portuguese from Aden without their help. Hussein al-Kurdi became angry and allied with the Zaidi Imam, who was opposed to the Tahirids, al-Mutawakkil Sharaf al-Din, and the Tahirid cities fell successively, with
11178-421: The National Front with the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen , where the leftist section was more numerous than the supporters of the popular Qahtan. They wanted a regime that would lead the masses and face the great challenges facing the new state, the most important of which was the bankruptcy of the treasury. Qahtan al-Shaabi dismissed Interior Minister Muhammad Ali Haitham on June 16, 1969, but
11340-410: The New Army was still forming and training. Many of the Territorial units suffered immediate heavy casualties and on the night of 20 April 1915 Second Lieutenant Geoffrey Woolley of the Queen Victoria Rifles, secured the first of the 71 Victoria Crosses won by Territorials in the First World War. General Sir John French , General Officer Commanding the BEF, later wrote 'Without the assistance which
11502-404: The Palestinians and the Dhofar Revolution, and strengthening its relationship with the Soviet Union. West Germany severed its relationship with the state due to its recognition of East Germany, and the United States also severed its relationship in October 1969. The new powers issued a new constitution, nationalized foreign banks and insurance companies, and changed the name of the country. The state
11664-530: The Regular Army so that recruits now served for six years with the colours and then a further six years liable for reserve service, with the Regular Reserve. The administrative structure of the Army had been further reinforced by the creation of regimental districts, where regular infantry regiments were paired together to share a depot and linked to the local militia and volunteer units. The reforms had ensured that
11826-399: The Regular Army, with many of their best and most experienced men already deployed with regular units as members of the Militia Reserve. The dominions and colonies provided 57 contingents, overwhelmingly of volunteer forces as none had a substantial full-time force; those from Canada alone numbered some 7,400 Altogether, Britain and her empire deployed some half a million soldiers. After
11988-726: The Rhine (BAOR). In addition, a new organisation was established, the Home Service Force, with a separate target of 4,500, composed of older ex-regulars and territorials to guard key points. As the Cold War intensified, the scale and pace of exercises involving the TA in its war roles increased. Two large-scale exercises were mounted testing the Army's ability to reinforce BAOR, Crusader in 1980 and Lionheart in 1984. The latter involved 131,000 British service personnel, including 35,000 Territorials, together with US, Dutch and German personnel. This
12150-575: The Royal Artillery were disbanded, with nine others passing into "suspended animation" as new English Electric Thunderbird Surface to Air Missile units replaced them. On 20 December 1955, the Secretary of State for War informed the House of Commons that the armoured divisions and the 'mixed' division were to be converted to infantry, and the 16th Airborne Division reduced to a parachute brigade group. Only two divisions (43rd and 53rd), two armoured brigades, and
12312-638: The Royal Engineers and two regiments of the Royal Corps of Signals. The reductions were carried out in 1961, mainly by amalgamating units. Thus, on 1 May 1961, the TA divisional headquarters were merged with regular army districts, which were matched with Civil Defence Regions to aid mobilisation for war. The Army Reserve Act of April 1962 made provision for a new TA Emergency Reserve (TAER), within existing TA units, who could be called out without Royal Proclamation as individuals to reinforce regular units around
12474-472: The South African War, the Conservative government embarked on a series of reorganisations which had a negative impact on all the auxiliary forces. The Militia was heavily understrength and disorganised, whilst the number of recruits for the Volunteers was falling off and it was becoming apparent that many Volunteer Corps were headed towards financial collapse unless some action was taken. The Territorial Force
12636-468: The TA units which formed a majority of those which took part in the Narvik operation were untrained and had been subject to such turbulence, through expansion and reorganisation that many lacked cohesion. The failures of command, coordination and execution in that campaign led to a debate on its conduct with a no-confidence vote in the government. Partially as a result of lessons from Narvik, the Territorial Army
12798-478: The TA was to be 440,000: the field force of the Territorial Army was to rise from 130,000 to 340,000, organized in 26 divisions, while an additional 100,000 all ranks would form the anti-aircraft section. The forming Second Line formations were given liberty to be numbered and named as they saw fit, with some using related names and numbers from the First World War e.g. 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division formed in 1939. The immediate response to this announcement
12960-423: The Territorial Army but there were grave shortages of instructors and equipment. It was envisioned that the duplicating process and recruiting the required numbers of men would take no more than six months. In practice, existing TA units found themselves stripped of regular training staffs and often many of their own officers and NCOs to form and train the new units, long before their own units were fully trained. As
13122-550: The Territorials afforded between October 1914 and June 1915, it would have been impossible to hold the line in France and Belgium. Other Territorial formations were dispatched to Egypt and British India and other imperial garrisons, such as Gibraltar , thereby releasing regular units for service in France and enabling the formation of an additional five regular army divisions by early 1915. Territorial divisions went on to fight in all
13284-514: The Territorials for the bulk of the war. Kitchener justified this, during the first few months of the war, on the grounds that the Territorial Force should focus mostly on home defence. In the first few days after the call for overseas service on 9 August, the result in many TF units was hesitant, with some units only recording around 50% volunteering, partly because men with families were reluctant to leave well-paid jobs especially while there
13446-481: The air with no survivors. The increased violence was a determining factor in the British ensuring all families were evacuated more quickly than initially intended, as recorded in From Barren Rocks to Living Stones . On 30 November 1967, British troops were evacuated, leaving Aden and the rest of the FSA under NLF control. The Royal Marines , who had been the first British troops to arrive in Aden in 1839, were
13608-604: The army as a whole. An innovation in 1922 was the creation of two Air Defence Brigades to provide anti-aircraft defence for London. It appears that these two brigades relatively quickly became 26th and 27th Air Defence Brigades . During the 1930s, tensions increased between Germany and the United Kingdom and its allies . In late 1937 and throughout 1938, German demands for the annexation of Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia led to an international crisis . To avoid war,
13770-401: The assassination of North Yemeni President Ibrahim al-Hamdi. It is believed that Salem Rabie Ali orchestrated the assassination of Ahmed Hussein al-Ghashmi in revenge for Ibrahim al-Hamdi. Salem Rabie Ali was subjected to a quick trial that ended with his execution and Abdel Fattah Ismail assuming the presidency of South Yemen. Relations with North Yemen became tense, due to Fattah’s support for
13932-622: The brigade retreated to Dunkirk and was evacuated on 31 May 1940, after the German Army threatened to cut off the BEF from the French Army . During the fighting the brigade, together with the rest of 44th Division, had sustained heavy losses, with 1/6th Queen's losing 9 officers and 400 other ranks , 3 of the officers and 130 men taken as prisoners of war (POWs) and 1/5th 125 casualties. Back in England,
14094-486: The brigade by the 6th (Bermondsey) and 7th (Southwark) battalions of the Queen's Royal Regiment, previously the 22nd and 24th battalions of the London Regiment , both from the now disbanded 142nd (6th London) Infantry Brigade of 47th (2nd London) Infantry Division (converted into 1st AA Division ). In 1939 the brigade was redesignated the 131st Infantry Brigade . The brigade was mobilised in late August 1939, as
14256-472: The brigade reassembled in 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division on 7 October 1939. Initially, it comprised the three 1st Line Territorial Army battalions of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) . 131st Brigade was constituted as follows: The following officers commanded 131st Brigade during the war: The 131st Infantry Brigade, commanded at the time by Brigadier John Utterson-Kelso , landed in France with
14418-420: The brigade was bolstered by the 2nd Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) , a Regular Army unit, replacing the 1/7th Queen's which transferred to 25th Infantry Brigade , under 5th Division at the time. This was one of the BEF's official policies and was intended to strengthen the inexperienced Territorial divisions, giving them much-needed experience. After fighting in the Battle of France in May 1940,
14580-581: The brigade was reformed in numbers and re-equipped and positioned in Southeast England to defend what the divisional commander, Major-General Brian Horrocks , regarded as 'the No 1 German invasion area, stretching from the Isle of Thanet to Dover and on to Folkestone '. The brigade (now with 1/7th Queen's reunited), along with the rest of the 44th Division, now under Major-General Ivor Hughes (who had commanded
14742-413: The brigade, the 1/6th and 1/7th Queen's were exchanged for the 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment (from 231st (Malta) Brigade ) and 9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (from 151st (Durham) Brigade ), which were both formerly part of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division that was being sent back to the United Kingdom to serve as a training division. Both the 1/6th and 1/7th Queen's were reduced to
14904-631: The commander was Colonel Alexander Hamilton (later 10th Lord Belhaven and Stenton ), a retired officer in the Royal Engineers . The assembly point for the brigade was at Caterham Barracks , the Brigade of Guards ' depot conveniently situated for the London Defence Positions along the North Downs . The brigade's original composition was: Surrey Brigade In the reorganisation after the end of
15066-444: The country virtually empty of regular troops. This was the end of the planned mobilisation; no thought had been given pre-war to mobilising the Militia, Yeomanry or Volunteers as formed units for foreign service. On 16 December, the first request was sent from South Africa for auxiliary troops, and a commitment was made to send a "considerable force of militia and picked yeomanry and volunteers". The first Volunteer unit to be sent out
15228-513: The creation of Kitchener's Army. All TA recruits were required to take the general service obligation: if the British Government decided, territorial soldiers could be deployed overseas for combat that avoided the complications of the TF, whose members were not required to leave Britain unless they volunteered for overseas service. The composition of the divisions was altered, with a reduction in
15390-706: The death of Ali bin Muhammad Al-Sulayhi , his son took charge of Zurayids , and Aden continued to pay the annual royalty until Queen Arwa bint Ahmed Al-Sulayhi reduced it. After the fall of the Sulayhid state, the Banu Zurayi became independent in Aden, taking advantage of the Sulayhids’ preoccupation with the Khawlan tribes. The Zurayites continued to rule Aden, Lahj, and Abyan for less than forty years until they fell under
15552-488: The defunct sheikhdoms. On March 20, 1968, Qahtan dismissed all leftist leaders from the government and party membership. He was able to put down a rebellion led by leftist factions in the army in May of the same year, and faced new rebellions from leftist parties in July, August and December of 1968. This is because all Arab countries welcomed the front. National Liberation received a cold reception. Regimes like Egypt wanted to merge
15714-498: The division's units were distributed to various peacetime stations across India, Aden and Burma to continue their training for war. For a time the two East Surrey battalions were attached to the Allahabad Brigade in 8th (Lucknow) Division , where they were joined by the 4th Queens. In May 1915, the division was numbered 44th (Home Counties) Division and the brigade formally became 131st (1/1st Surrey) Brigade (though without
15876-579: The duration of hostilities or until de-activation is decided upon. After the Second World War , for example, the Territorial Army, as it was known then, was not demobilised until 1947. Army Reservists normally have a full-time civilian job or career, which in some cases provides skills and expertise that are directly transferable to a specialist military role, such as NHS employees serving in Reservist Army Medical Services units. All Army Reserve personnel have their civilian jobs protected to
16038-646: The eastern approach to the Red Sea . It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and north of the Gulf of Aden . With its strategic location on the coastline, Aden serves as a gateway between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, making it a crucial maritime hub connecting Africa , Asia , and the Middle East . As of 2023, Aden City has a population of approximately 1,080,000 residents, making it one of
16200-500: The exception of Aden. The Ottoman Empire took control of the city in 1538. The Ottomans' goal was to prevent the Portuguese from controlling Aden, so the city witnessed difficult days, in addition to the fact that the port of Mocha gained greater importance at the expense of Aden during the sixteenth century. The city's population declined and it turned into a small village with a population of no more than 600 people. While its population
16362-574: The expense of the Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen, whose members were divided between joining the National Front or leaving for North Yemen, so Abdullah Al-Asanj and Muhammad Basindwa left for North Yemen. Qahtan al-Sha'bi assumed the presidency of the new state, and the sheikhdoms of the Eastern Protectorate of Hadramaut and Al-Mahra were annexed to the new state. Al-Shaabi took over
16524-589: The factions opposing Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was more fanatical than his predecessors. Relations with the Soviet Union became active in an unprecedented way, so the Front War broke out in 1978, in which the Soviet Union and the United States intervened. Ali Nasser Muhammad was able to force Abd al-Fattah Ismail al-Jawfi to resign for “health reasons,” and Ismail was exiled to Moscow less than two years after he assumed
16686-433: The fight. Between the wars the Territorial Army (as it was now called) was re-established to be the sole means of expansion in future wars, but it was smaller than before and poorly resourced. Yet eight TA divisions were deployed before the fall of France. After the Second World War, the TA was reconstituted with ten divisions, but then successively cut until rebuilding began in 1970, with numbers peaking at nearly 73,000. It
16848-573: The fight. The (Regular) Expeditionary Force of six divisions had been rapidly sent to the Continent, where, facing overwhelming odds, they secured the left flank of the French Army. Of the 90,000 members of the original BEF deployed in August, four-fifths were dead or wounded by Christmas. So the arrival of the Territorials, first as reinforcements and then in whole divisions came at a critical juncture, while
17010-612: The infantry reduced from 86 to 13 battalions and the yeomanry (armoured units) from 20 to one. Units in the new TAVR were divided into various categories: In addition were various miscellaneous units, such as OTCs and bands e.g. Northumbria Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. In the face of a considerable Parliamentary battle, and a public outcry led by the County Associations , the government agreed to retain an additional 28,000 men in 87 'lightly armed' infantry units and
17172-592: The largely French forces along the Somme. At the same time, a small TA unit, the Kent Fortress Royal Engineers , carried out the first major commando-style operations of the war the XD Operations, destroying 2 million tons of crude and refined oil, along the coastline of France and the low countries. Meanwhile, units with little training and cohesion were also sent abroad, despite their lack of preparation;
17334-493: The largest cities in Yemen. Aden is divided into eight districts: Tawahi , Mualla , Crater , Khur Maksar , Al Mansura , Dar Sad , Sheikh Othman , and Al Buraiqa . These form today's Aden Governorate. During British Colonialism, Aden referred to the area along the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, encompassing Tawahi, Mualla, Crater, and much of Khur Maksar District. The western harbor peninsula, known as Little Aden, now falls within
17496-467: The last to leave – with the exception of a Royal Engineer detachment ( 10 Airfields Squadron left Aden on 13 December 1967). As part of a larger Royal Navy task force , HMS Albion 's helicopters lifted off remaining Royal Marine commandos left to secure the airfield. The last British soldier left Aden on November 30, 1967, and the National Liberation Front had the upper hand at
17658-493: The later 19th Century. The Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888 introduced a Mobilisation Scheme for Volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime these brigades provided a structure for collective training. The Surrey Brigade was one of the formations organised at this time. Brigade Headquarters was at 71 New Street in Kennington Park (later at 97 Barkston Gardens) and
17820-506: The latter, with his ties to the tribes and the army, reassembled the leftist forces that had been dispersed by President Qahtan al-Shaabi, and they were able to arrest him and place him under house arrest on June 22 of the same year. A presidential committee was formed from Five people: Salem Rabie Ali, who became president, Muhammad Saleh Al-Awlaki, Ali Antar, Abdel Fattah Ismail, and Muhammad Ali Haitham, who became prime minister. This group took an extreme leftist line, declaring its support for
17982-672: The liability to serve overseas with the Regular Army in case of war if called on to do so. The second element of the auxiliary forces was the Yeomanry , 38 regiments of volunteer cavalry which had historically been used as a form of internal security police. The third arm was the Volunteers , There were 213 rifle corps and 66 corps of artillery, though the latter were mostly coastal artillery or static "position batteries" and they did not constitute an organised field force. There were some engineer and medical units, but no service corps. The Yeomen of
18144-488: The major battles of the war in France and Belgium and several campaigns further afield including Gallipoli . (See main article Territorial Force ). From 1916, as the war progressed, and casualties mounted, the distinctive character of territorial units was diluted by the inclusion of conscript and New Army drafts. Following the Armistice all units of the Territorial Force were gradually disbanded. The Territorial Force (TF)
18306-449: The majority deploying to Aden, where one of their officers, Lieutenant Mike Smith, won an MC. This was followed by a large reduction and complete reorganisation, announced in the 1966 Defence White Paper and implemented from 1 April 1967, when the title Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) was adopted. This abolished the former divisional structure of the TA. The size of the TAVR was to be reduced from 107,000 to under 50,000, with
18468-415: The merchants of Sheba, and Assyria and Kilmud are your merchants." At its beginning, the city was a small peninsula with no significant natural resources, but its location between Egypt and India made it important in the ancient global trade route. The city was the home of the ancient Kingdom of Osan from the eighth to seventh centuries BC. In the beginning of the seventh century BC, Karbil Watar I , king of
18630-562: The most recent of which was the revolution of Imam Al-Mansur Billah Al-Qasim bin Muhammad bin Al-Qasim , who and his son Al-Mu'ayyad Billah Muhammad were able to unite the tribes and expel the Ottomans. The imams relied on the revenues from the port of Mocha , and Aden was not as important as the Abadlahs were. At the end of the eighteenth century, Sultan Fadl al-Abdali concluded an alliance with
18792-461: The movement of goods, thereby preventing smuggling. In its original form, some of this work was relatively feeble. With the introduction of Islam to Yemen in the seventh century AD, Aden experienced a period of stagnation that lasted until the ninth century AD. In the early years of Islam, Aden belonged to the province of Jund (Taiz). It was controlled by the state of Ziyadid and the Sulayhid . After
18954-451: The number of infantry battalions required. There was also a reduced need for cavalry, and of the 55 yeomanry regiments, only the 14 most senior retained their horses. The remaining yeomanry was converted to artillery or armored car units or disbanded. The amalgamation of 40 pairs of infantry battalions was announced in October 1921. As part of the post-war " Geddes Axe " financial cuts, the TA
19116-547: The old Arab quarter of Aden town. This conflict continued until mid February, despite the intervention of British troops. On 20 June 1967, 23 British Army soldiers were ambushed and shot dead by members of Aden Police during the Aden Mutiny in the Crater District. During the period there were as many attacks on the British troops by both sides as against each other culminating in the destruction of an Aden Airways DC3 plane in
19278-457: The outbreak of the First World War , most of the men of the division accepted liability for overseas service to go to British India to relieve Regular Army troops for the fighting fronts. However, the brigade staffs and Regular adjutants of the battalions remained behind. The division embarked at Southampton and sailed on 30 October 1914, disembarking at Bombay on 1–3 December. On arrival,
19440-495: The presidency. Despite the approach of the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen and its removal of tribal aspects, the tribe remained alive among politicians and the public despite the exposure of its sheikhs. Tribes from their authorities. Tribal and regional favoritism and nepotism remained in southern Yemen, as political forces called on their tribal and regional affiliations during crises. By January 1986, Aden
19602-634: The region and did all he could to progress his vision. After lengthy negotiations due to the costs of investing in the new technology, the government agreed to pay half the costs for six voyages per year and the East India Company board approved the purchase of two new steamers in 1837. Grant immediately announced that monthly voyages to Suez would take place, despite the fact that no secure coaling station had been found. In 1838, under Muhsin bin Fadl, Lahej ceded 194 km (75 sq mi) including Aden to
19764-530: The regular Army until 1967. For the first time, TA units were formed in Northern Ireland . The maneuver divisions established or re-established in 1947 were: 52nd (Lowland) Division was re-established as a tenth, 'mixed' division in March 1950. The territorials also provided much of the anti-aircraft cover for the United Kingdom until 1956. In that year, Anti-Aircraft Command and 15 anti-aircraft regiments of
19926-409: The reorganisation, becoming Territorial battalions of Regular Army infantry regiments. Only one infantry unit, the London Regiment , has maintained a separate identity. The TF was formed on 1 April 1908 and contained fourteen infantry divisions , and fourteen mounted yeomanry brigades . It had an overall strength of approximately 269,000. Haldane designed it to provide a much larger second line for
20088-477: The rest of 44th Division on 3 April 1940 to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France. The division came under command of III Corps , serving alongside the 5th and 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Divisions . Both the 42nd and 44th Divisions had been kept back from strengthening the BEF sooner for potential operations in Northern Europe which, as it turned out, did not come to anything. In early May
20250-427: The rest of the 7th Armoured Division, returned to the United Kingdom in early January 1944 and Brigadier Whistler was soon transferred to take command of the inexperienced 160th Infantry Brigade , part of the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division , and was replaced by Brigadier Maurice Ekins . With the rest of the 7th Armoured Division, the brigade was brought back up to strength again and began training for operations to open
20412-412: The rest of the war, providing drafts and detachments as required. 1/6th East Surreys served in garrison at Aden from February 1917 to January 1918, and 1/5th East Surreys was transferred to Mesopotamia at the end of 1917, landing at Basra on 27 December and joining 55th Indian Brigade , 18th Indian Division . The only battalion of the 131st Brigade that had not deployed outside India at any time during
20574-504: The same composition it had before the First World War, with two battalions of the Queen's and two of the East Surreys. However, in the late 1930s there was an increasing need to strengthen the anti-aircraft defences of the United Kingdom, particularly in London and Southern England. As a result, in 1938, the 4th Battalion, Queen's was converted into the 63rd (Queen's) Searchlight Regiment . In
20736-480: The same year, all infantry brigades in the British Army were reduced from four to three battalions and so the 5th East Surreys was transferred to the Royal Artillery , converted into the 57th (East Surrey) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery , becoming the anti-tank regiment for the division. The 6th East Surreys were at the same time transferred to 132nd (Middlesex and Kent) Infantry Brigade . They were replaced in
20898-421: The sayings of geographers about the city: Yaqut al-Hamwi said: "It is a famous city on the coast of the Indian Sea, towards the Yemen, and it is poor, with no water or pasture. They drink from a spring between it and Aden, about a distance of about today, and despite that, it is bad, except that this place is the port for Indian ships, and merchants gather there for that reason, as it is a town of trade." And it
21060-501: The six divisions of the Expeditionary Force which he was establishing as the centerpiece of the Regular Army. Under multiple political pressures, Haldane altered the public purpose of the Territorial Force in his Territorial and Reserve Forces Act to home defence, at the last moment. Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914. The next day, General - later Field Marshal - Haig , who had been central to Haldane's reforms and
21222-418: The sole purpose of drinking for the city's citizens." Little Aden became the site of the oil refinery and tanker port. Both were established and operated by British Petroleum until they were turned over to South Yemeni government ownership and control in 1978. Aden used to be the capital of South Yemen until its unity with North Yemen in 22 May 1990. It is currently the temporary capital of Yemen since
21384-409: The subsequent decade. By 1800, Aden was a small village with a population of 600 Arabs, Somalis , Jews, and Indians—housed for the most part in huts of reed matting erected among ruins recalling a vanished era of wealth and prosperity. As there was little British trade in the Red Sea, most British politicians until the 1830s had no further interest in the area beyond the suppression of piracy. However,
21546-666: The terms of the agreement by invading and occupying the remnants of the Czech state . On 29 March, Secretary of State for War Leslie Hore-Belisha announced plans to increase the TA from 130,000 to 340,000 men and double the number of TA divisions. The plan was for existing TA units to recruit over their establishments (aided by an increase in pay for Territorials, the removal of restrictions on promotion which had hindered recruiting, construction of better-quality barracks and an increase in supper rations) and then form second-line divisions from cadres that could be increased. The total strength of
21708-487: The thirteen British divisions deployed, although three, 12th, 23rd, and 46th, were deployed, minus much of their equipment, as so-called 'digging divisions' to be used for infrastructure work. In practice, all of the divisions were heavily engaged in the fighting. The 42nd, 44th, and 48th took part in the stand on the River Escaut, The 50th, 42nd, and 46th were chosen for the final stand at the perimeter of Dunkirk, despite
21870-547: The war, 1/4th Queen's, finally saw active service in 1919 during the Third Anglo-Afghan War . During 1919 the remaining units were gradually reduced and was finally disbanded, along with the rest of the Territorial Force , which was reformed as the Territorial Army in 1920. The division was also reconstituted as the 44th (Home Counties) Division . The brigade re-formed as the 131st (Surrey) Infantry Brigade with
22032-495: The world, for up to six months in every twelve. With opposition from employers and individuals to such a large peacetime liability, the target of 15,000 volunteers proved over-ambitious and the force peaked at 4,262 in October 1963, then dropping to around 2,400 by 1968. Nevertheless, the first batch of these so-called 'Ever Readies' was sent to Libya in 1963, followed by 200 to the Far East later that year. In 1965, 175 were called out,
22194-510: The “Cisterns of Aden,” which stored approximately 136,382,757 liters of water. The Himyarite Kingdom fell in the first quarter of the sixth century AD. Yusuf Dhu Nuwas mentioned Bab al-Mandab in one of his writings. The forces of the Kingdom of Aksum were entering Yemen through it. The Byzantine Emperor Justinian I sent a fleet to fight the Himyarite Jews and support the Kingdom of Aksum and
22356-599: Was a 1,300 man composite battalion group, composed of infantry recruited from across London units and a field battery from the Honourable Artillery Company, the City Imperial Volunteers, which was raised in early January 1900; it was sent into combat after six weeks of training in South Africa, where Lord Roberts described it as "quite excellent", and was returned home in October. At the same time,
22518-520: Was a step towards the change in monetary units seen in the stamps illustrating this article. When British India became independent in 1947, Indian rupees (divided into annas ) were replaced in Aden by East African shillings . The hinterland of Aden and Hadhramaut were also loosely tied to Britain as the Aden Protectorate , which was overseen from Aden. Aden's location also made it a useful entrepôt for mail passing between places around
22680-426: Was a vast surge in recruiting with 88,000 men enlisted by the end of April. The London Rifle Brigade raised a second battalion in 24 hours. On 26 April, limited conscription was introduced. This resulted in 34,500 twenty-year-old militiamen being conscripted into the regular army, initially to be trained for six months before deployment to the forming second-line units. In parallel, recruits continued to surge into
22842-449: Was approximately eighty thousand people during the days of the Rasulid state. In 1421, China's Ming dynasty Yongle Emperor ordered principal envoy grand eunuch Li Xing and grand eunuch Zhou Man of Zheng He 's fleet to convey an imperial edict with hats and robes to bestow on the king of Aden. The envoys boarded three treasure ships and set sail from Sumatra to the port of Aden . This event
23004-477: Was broken up, the brigade served with the 7th Armoured Division . Some sources call the brigade the 131st (Queen's) Brigade, due it being composed solely composed of battalions from the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) . The Volunteer Force of part-time soldiers was created following an invasion scare in 1859, and its constituent units were progressively aligned with the Regular British Army during
23166-504: Was created by the Secretary of State for War , Richard Burdon Haldane , following the enactment of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 which combined and re-organised the old Volunteer Force with the Yeomanry . As part of the same process, the remaining units of militia were converted to the Special Reserve . Most Volunteer infantry units had unique identities, but lost these in
23328-465: Was enlarged in 1857 by the 13 km (5.0 sq mi) island of Perim , in 1868 by the 73 km (28 sq mi) Khuriya Muriya Islands , and in 1915 by the 108 km (42 sq mi) island of Kamaran . The settlement would become Aden Province in 1935. In 1937, the settlement was detached from India and became the Colony of Aden , a British Crown colony . The change in government
23490-595: Was envisaged that this would take at least eight months from mobilisation. In fact, with mobilisation in September 1939, the first three TA divisions arrived to take their places in the front line by February 1940: the 48th (South Midland) Division , 50th (Northumbrian) Division and 51st (Highland) Division . In April, they were joined by five more, 12th (Eastern) Division , 23rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division , 42nd (East Lancashire) Division , 44th (Home Counties) Division and 46th (North Midland) Division , making eight of
23652-402: Was followed by systematic killings and liquidations against the people of Abyan Governorate, on charges that they were collaborating with Ali Nasser Muhammad. Nearly ten thousand people were killed and thousands migrated towards North Yemen, most of whom were from Abyan and Shabwa. With the unification of northern and southern Yemen in 1990, Aden was no longer a national capital but remained
23814-409: Was further reduced in size in 1922: artillery batteries lost two of their six guns, the established size of infantry battalions was cut and ancillary medical, veterinary, signals and Royal Army Service Corps units were either reduced in size or abolished. The bounty was also reduced to £3 for trained men and £2.10s 0d for recruits, which resulted in finding £1,175,000 of the total savings required from
23976-431: Was imprisoned, his ships confiscated, and eight of his men killed. The British tried to conclude treaties with the Zaidi imams after the Ottomans were expelled from Aden. They visited Sana'a and Mokha, but they treated the British ambassador poorly and rejected his offer. Things were different when the Abdali gained independence from Lahj and Medina. They signed a treaty with the British in 1802, stipulating that they build
24138-407: Was most of the rest of the Territorial Army, due to the worsening situation in Europe. The German Army invaded Poland on 1 September 1939 and the Second World War began two days later, on 3 September 1939. Upon mobilisation in September 1939, 131st Brigade HQ became HQ Eastern Sub-Area in the United Kingdom and the units of the brigade were temporarily under the command of other formations until
24300-413: Was officially reconstituted in 1921 by the Territorial Army and Militia Act 1921 and renamed in October as the Territorial Army (TA). The First-Line divisions (that were created in 1907 or 1908) were reconstituted in that year. The TA's intended role was to be the sole method of expanding the size of the British Armed Forces , when compared to the varied methods used during the First World War including
24462-443: Was only resumed in early 1901—and so an adequate supply of manpower was not always available. Sixty militia battalions, around 46,000 men, also volunteered and were eventually sent to South Africa. They were employed mainly on lines of communication, and regarded as second-line troops of low quality; this was unsurprising, as they were strongly deficient in officers, heavily composed of men of 18 and 19, who were regarded as too young by
24624-415: Was ordered to form 10 elite Independent Companies, forerunners of the Commandos . under the command of (then) Lt Colonel Colin Gubbins . As the war developed Territorial units fought in every major theatre. The first reinforcing unit into Kohima , where the Japanese suffered their first major defeat in mainland Asia, was a TA unit, 4th Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment who went on to hold
24786-411: Was recorded in the book Yingyai Shenglan by Ma Huan who accompanied the imperial envoy. In 1513, the Portuguese, led by Afonso de Albuquerque , launched an unsuccessful four-day naval siege of Aden . After Ottoman rule, Aden was ruled by the Sultanate of Lahej , under suzerainty of the Zaidi imams of Yemen. The first political intercourse between Lahej and the British took place in 1799, when
24948-401: Was talk of a German invasion of the homeland, but the pace rapidly accelerated and, within a fortnight, 70 infantry battalions and many other units had collectively volunteered for France. initially TF units were either fed into regular brigades or used for secondary tasks, such as guarding lines of communication but, by the end of April 1915, six full Territorial divisions had been deployed into
25110-422: Was the largest British troop movement exercise by sea and air since 1945, involving 290 flights and 150 ferry sailings. Most UK-based units reached their wartime stations within 48 hours. In 1985, Exercise Brave Defender tested Britain's home defences, with 65,000 regulars and territorials involved. At the end of the Cold War, the TA had a strength of 72,823, including 3,297 in the Home Service Force (HSF). in
25272-555: Was then commanding First Corps, recorded in his diary that Field Marshal Kitchener did 'not appreciate the progress made by the Territorial Force towards efficiency', The subsequent day, the 6th, Kitchener took up his post as Secretary of State for War announcing that morning 'He could take no account of anything but regular soldiers'. He went on to denounce the Territorial Force as 'a few hundred thousand young men, officered by middle-aged professional men who were allowed to put on uniform and play at soldiers.' Nevertheless, by 9 August,
25434-456: Was then run down again despite a major role in the Iraq and Afghanistan operations, bottoming at an estimated 14,000. From 2011 that trend was reversed and a new target of 30,000 trained manpower set with resourcing for training, equipment and the emphasis restored to roles for formed units and sub-units. During periods of total war , the Army Reserve is incorporated by the royal prerogative into Regular Service under one code of Military Law for
25596-567: Was to be reduced to 63,000, while the HSF element was to be disbanded. In July 1994, this was further reduced to 59,000. The Reserve Forces Act of May 1996 was a landmark reform, making it much easier to call out any element of the Reserves at the behest of the Secretary of State for a range of purposes including 'protection of life or property' well short of the criteria for Queen's Order (e.g. 'great emergency', 'imminent national danger'). It also provides protection in employment law for members' civilian jobs should they be mobilised. This has led to
25758-413: Was to take over the depots of the militia, as an expanded reserve for the Regular Army. Under multiple political pressures, Haldane altered the public purpose of the Territorial Force in his Territorial and Reserve Forces Act to home defence, at the last moment but did not alter the planned structure. During the First World War, by the end of April 1915, six full Territorial divisions had been deployed into
25920-665: Was torn apart by the rivalry of two factions in the ruling Socialist Party, when President Ali Nasser Muhammad's guards launched a surprise attack on the political party's office in Aden on January 13, 1986. This was the beginning of the 1986 civil war in South Yemen. The basis of the war was regional. Ali Nasser Muhammad was from Abyan Governorate, while most of those killed in the political party office were from Al-Dhalea and Lahj. Military brigades from those areas bombed Aden from land and sea, forcing Ali Nasser Muhammad to flee and hundreds of thousands of civilians and soldiers to flee to northern Yemen, including Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi . This
26082-482: Was transferred to Mesopotamia at the end of the year, landing at Basra on 10 December and transferring to 15th Indian Division . By early 1916 it had become obvious that the Territorial Divisions in India (there were two others in addition to the 44th, the 43rd (Wessex) Division and 45th (2nd Wessex) Division were never going to be able to reform and return to Europe to reinforce the Western Front as had been originally intended. They continued training in India for
26244-411: Was transferred to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in line with the Marxist-Leninist approach they followed. A centrally planned economy was established. The port of Aden was the largest source of national income for the Republic of South Yemen, but the closure of the Suez Canal by egypt between the years 1967 and 1975 - reduced commercial activities in the port. Salem Rabie Ali wanted to adopt
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