Cornwall Royal Marine Veteran Shares Memories of the Aden Emergency

An 82 year old former Royal Marine officer living near St Austell is sharing his first hand experiences of what is often described as one of Britain’s “forgotten wars”.

Captain Stephen Weall, who served during the Aden Emergency in the 1960s, has given a filmed interview that will form a central part of a new national project led by Legasee Educational Trust. The project aims to preserve personal accounts from veterans of the conflict before they are lost forever.

From Cornwall to the Radfan Mountains

Stephen, the son of a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm engineer, joined the Royal Marines in 1962 after passing the Civil Service Commissioners exam at his first attempt. He trained at the Infantry Training Centre in Lympstone before being posted to 45 Commando.

His early service took him to East Africa, where his unit was involved in a helicopter borne assault to end a mutiny in Dar es Salaam, before deploying to Aden, then a British ruled territory at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

Initially, Aden felt tense but manageable. That quickly changed as the Aden Emergency escalated.

📷Stephen Weall - Now (photo credit Stephen Weall)

Life on the Frontier

Stephen was posted up country to Dhala in the Radfan mountains, an unforgiving landscape where his troop lived under canvas, surrounded by sandbag defences and operating constant patrols near the Yemeni border.

He described daily life as being reduced to basic concerns such as water, ammunition and shelter from the sun. His troop relied entirely on helicopters for supplies and lived on 24 hour ration packs while occupying hilltop positions and building defensive sangers.

Contact with dissident forces was infrequent but unpredictable, with British units supporting each other during night approaches and operations on steep, exposed ground.

The Reality of Withdrawal

Stephen returned to Aden in 1967 as Motor Transport Officer during the British withdrawal. He has spoken candidly about that period, describing it as chaotic rather than orderly.

One of his responsibilities was overseeing cash payments to long serving local and Sudanese employees. He recalled that many were robbed immediately after receiving their wages, something he now believes should have been handled differently.

He feels the Aden Emergency has faded from public memory because it sits uneasily with national pride and had little influence on later world events. While he believes those who served cared deeply for one another in extremely harsh conditions, he describes the losses as “needless sacrifices”.

📷Stephen Weall - 1964 in Dhala (photo credit Stephen Weall)

Preserving Aden’s Stories

Stephen went on to serve in Northern Ireland and in a range of Royal Marine roles before leaving the Corps in 1974. He now sees his service as formative, helping him understand his strengths and weaknesses.

His interview will appear as part of a two year national project by Legasee Educational Trust, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project will focus on the Aden Emergency and will:

• Record 30 to 40 filmed interviews with Aden veterans from all branches of the armed forces

• Produce a dedicated podcast series

• Digitise photographs, newsletters and memorabilia held by the Aden Veterans Association

• Work with schools and community groups to explore why the conflict still matters today

Martin Bisiker, Founder of Legasee Educational Trust, said Stephen’s memories are vivid, honest and sometimes uncomfortable, but reflect the reality faced by thousands who served in Aden. He added that the charity wants to hear from anyone who served in Aden, as well as families, volunteers, schools and community groups.

More information about the project, including how to take part or volunteer, can be found on the Legasee Educational Trust website or by emailing info@legasee.org.uk.

📷Stephen Weall - with Martin Bisiker from Legasee Educational Trust (photo credit Legasee Educational Trust)