Battle of the Crater (Aden)

Battle of the Crater
	Part of Aden Emergency
Date	July 1967
Location	Aden, Aden Protectorate
Result	British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	NLF; FLOSY
Commanders and leaders
Lt. Col. Colin Campbell Mitchell; Maj. Ian Mackay; Maj. Tony Shewan	Unknown
Units involved
45 Commando; Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; Queen's Dragoon Guards; Royal Northumberland Fusiliers; 60th Squadron, Royal Engineers; 47th Light Artillery Regiment; 15th Signal Regiment; 60th Transport Squadron	unknown
Strength
unknown; 1 helicopter	400
Casualties and losses
none	11 killed

The Battle of the Crater or Operation Stirling Castle was an encounter during the Aden Emergency. Following the ambush of British troops by the Arab Armed Police the Crater district in Aden was abandoned by British troops. The British decided to enter the Crater and retrieve the bodies of British soldiers.[1]

The Battle

The operation began on 3 July 1967 under the name Operation Stirling Castle and resulted in the Crater being successfully reoccupied. Lt-Col Colin "Mad Mitch" Mitchell is reported to have ordered the regimental pipe band to march down the main street, whilst playing. The sound of the pipes and drums caused the insurgents to surrender. British troops remained there until the end of the Emergency.[2][3][4]

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References

Wilson, Derek. "British troops grow bitter as anarchy spreads in Aden." Sunday Times [London, England] 2 July 1967: 6. The Sunday Times Digital Archive. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
National Army Museum - Aden Exhibit Archived 2013-07-03 at WebCite accessed 3 November 2013
Jim Keys, "Operation Stirling Castle", History Herald 21 November 2012 accessed 3 November 2013
Humphry, Derek. "How Mitch's tactics fanned Aden row." Sunday Times [London, England] 21 July 1968: 3. The Sunday Times Digital Archive. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.

External links

Operation Stirling Castle at Britains Small Wars
The Aden Emergency at Remembering Scotland at War

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[1] Wilson, Derek. "British troops grow bitter as anarchy spreads in Aden." Sunday Times [London, England] 2 July 1967: 6. The Sunday Times Digital Archive. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.

[2] National Army Museum - Aden Exhibit Archived 2013-07-03 at WebCite accessed 3 November 2013

[3] Jim Keys, "Operation Stirling Castle", History Herald 21 November 2012 accessed 3 November 2013

[4] Humphry, Derek. "How Mitch's tactics fanned Aden row." Sunday Times [London, England] 21 July 1968: 3. The Sunday Times Digital Archive. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.