Private, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders - Crater, Aden, 1967

A video showing typical uniform worn by members of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders on their deployment to retake the city of Crater in Aden, 1967.

[@MohammedHussien-kl4li]

كانت أجمل أيام حياتنا في عدن قبل رحيل بريطانيا العظمى كان الجنود طيبين وكانت الممرضات الإنجليزيات الجميلات يعالجن الاطفال بكل حب وصبر ❤❤

[@peteb8556]

'Mad Mitch' a true soldiers Officer. From an ex British soldier/Royal Engineer. If only we had men like him today.

[@maxwellfan55]

Just a couple of small points having been in Aden 1967, and remember both the A&SH and RNF very well. When on patrol, all soldiers were mostly seen with their SLR's carried at a near vertical angle from the hip (rather than pointing down), fingers read and highly vigilant. Regards A&SH glengarry badges. I remember seeing both the original regimental badge worn as well as the newer (silver plated) Highland Brigade X badge worn by other ranks. Indeed I was given one of these HB badges by a jock and still have it today! Similarly, the RNF wore the new (anodised) Royal Rgt. of Fusiliers beret badge, along with the hackle, both of which which I also still have. The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) also serving in Aden at the time wore the newer, Lowland Brigade silver-plated glengarry badge. My belief is that LtCol Mitchell personally ordered the original regimental badge to be worn for the operation of re-taking Crater, but may not have had the authority to allow his men to wear it thereafter. Any veterans may wish to confirm this.

[@RiflemanMoore]

Thanks for the informative comment. One thing I would say about the choice of pose, it's actually copied from photos of the time, particularly those showing Argylls around the Chartered Bank in the centre of Crater so it is not ahistorical, though naturally, it would depend on exactly what the soldier in question was doing at the time. As you say both the brigade and regimental cap badges were in use by the Argylls at this time. Likewise, according to my understanding, you're exactly right, the regimental badge reappeared on Colonel Mitchell's orders.

[@maxwellfan55]

@@RiflemanMoore Thanks. I know Mitchell's orders that when on duty the jocks were not only to be seen patrolling Crater, but specifically to show their presence to the townsfolk, irrespective of snipers etc. In other words not to shelter behind cover unless fired on. It was a tactic that worked, born out by the successful control of the town until the order for withdrawal.

[@norton750cc]

@@RiflemanMoore The lagest cap badge ever worn.

[@peternathan3584]

@@norton750cc pround to wear it i was allowed to wear the glen gary when attached to them and still got it i am now 77

[@ciaranmcelhinney6812]

Awesome Iv been waiting to see an impression of this my father was in the Argylls

[@RiflemanMoore]

Glad you approve, was your dad out in Aden?

[@johnross8273]

Excellent video on an oft forgotten theatre of operations. I'm an Argyll, and I'll show this to one of my friends who served in Aden with Lt Col Mitchell. I'm sure he'll love this. Keep up the great work.

[@peternathan3584]

I was attached to them in crater i was with the recce platoon at the bank managers house on the hill over looking Crater

[@davidcowley]

Great video

[@pasha578]

Do you happen to know when KD was discontinued? Footage and images of troops in Dhofar and Cyprus in the mid-1970s seem to show the OG tropical uniform. I'm not sure why it was discontinued (strategic withdrawal from East of Suez?), but it's a damn shame - very smart uniform.

[@RiflemanMoore]

I'm not sure, I do agree it is a very smart uniform. It does seem to have fallen out of use during the 1970s, at least general use. British troops in desert environments in the 1980s seem to have been issued the 'green' DPM tropical uniform. The lack of a modern desert uniform or, indeed, KD is very noticable in this period.

[@harryb8945]

Once again another brilliant video, keep them up.

[@RiflemanMoore]

Many thanks!

[@andrewjohnston4127]

Excellent video, the argylls are my local regiment and I've met a few of the guys who served in aden.

[@RiflemanMoore]

Many thanks! Very interesting period indeed, I've not met any veterans of the withdrawal myself, a shame as I'd be fascinated to chat with any willing to talk about their experience.

[@neverclose4092]

Hey brother I’m from Aden would love to hear stories

[@MichaelR58]

Thanks for sharing !

[@RiflemanMoore]

Most welcome!

[@5.7moy]

The lads in Aden had absolutely no chill.

[@donkinghan1]

Interesting video. My dad was in the Argyles in Aden...must show him this video 👍

[@RiflemanMoore]

Please do! I am trying to expand upon a series of videos listening to veteran's recollections of their service life. If your dad would consider recounting his experience via skype or similar for the channel I'd be very interested to hear them and I'm sure many of my viewers would be too.

[@donkinghan1]

@@RiflemanMoore I spoke with him and he wouldn't mind doing a video call. Let me know me and we can arrange something.

[@RiflemanMoore]

@@donkinghan1 Marvellous, thank you for asking him, could you possibly drop me an email? [e-mail]

[@donkinghan1]

@@RiflemanMoore will do. 👍

[@steveswitzer4353]

love this channel

[@RiflemanMoore]

Thank you!

[@steamengineshooray]

What's the difference between the bush jacket and the shirt? Also this is my favourite uniform loadout as this was also used in the far east in my home :P

[@RiflemanMoore]

The bush jacket is just that, a jacket, with skirts and lower pockets, the Army didn't issue a khaki tropical shirt at this time though there was a green version. You do see some men wearing the wool shirt in Aden at the time. I assume you're referring to the green version of this uniform, I'll be doing a video on it soon. Whereabouts are you then? Which country that is.

[@steamengineshooray]

Hong Kong~

[@RiflemanMoore]

Aha! Well you might like my video on 27th Infantry Brigade in Korea then, it was deployed directly from Hong Kong so the kit worn on arrival was that issued for service in Hong Kong in the late '40s.

[@steamengineshooray]

Yesssirr. We used to have a lot of tropical kit lying around but now it's all gone or rotted away sadly. A damn shame~ The Middlesex Reg, RA and many other units have close ties with us :3

[@davidbrennan660]

A good gag is to be an NC,O they wore their stripes On an arm band in their tartan according to some photos.

[@Ks-zv6js]

How would I wash the aertex fabric

[@RiflemanMoore]

It's cotton so just wash as cotton.

[@kaynebartholomew2994]

I have a suggestion for a future kit video: UN peace keepers, 1RGJ, in the 1970s.

[@johnraptis8953]

Rifleman Moore i want to reeanact the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders you have facebook to contact with me???????

[@brnesouthwest9915]

I was going to challenge you on the dog tags as the RAF used the black and red fibre discs in 1982, apparently unlike the Army the RAF used them until 1999. Whilst the Army had moved on from them in the early sixties. (If Wikipedia's to be believed.)

[@RiflemanMoore]

It seems to have depended on the regiment or corps to some degree, I would imagine, like most things front line troops moved on to the newer metal discs first. Interestingly photos from the Falklands do show some Army and indeed RM personnel still wearing the green and red fibre type so it seems to have been a gradual transition. Some photos of the Argylls in Aden clearly show metal discs so I did the same.

[@brnesouthwest9915]

Thanks for that we were issued with the Black and Red, until your video, I assumed that the whole of the Armed Forces in 1982 had the black and red fibre discs only, as we had!

[@norton750cc]

3 stainless steel discs in 1971, still have mine

[@hywel4605]

as a former resident of Aden when i see picutures or anything that reminds me of mad mitch i feel sick

[@RiflemanMoore]

Probably best not to watch this then.

[@user-tn7nq9vk8p]

Yemen cemetery invaders have been fleeed like rats