Imperial Defence

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During a meeting of the Middle East Committee held at the Colonial Office on 21st October 1922 one of the subjects for discussion were Major General Scott’s proposals for the reduction of the garrison at Aden, which he had been asked to put forward following the decisions taken at the Cairo Conference in 1921.

 

Scott was the Resident at Aden and one of his proposals was for the withdrawal of the HQ of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) whose batteries manned the coastal artillery defending Aden from seaward attack. Although very few warships were stationed there, Aden was a vital refuelling base for the Royal Navy which needed some 100,000 tons of oil to be stored at Aden – a huge quantity. The Army Council could not accept the withdrawal of the headquarters as without it organisation would become degraded and reinforcement in an emergency would be much more difficult. Scott had also wanted to withdraw the Brigade Signal Section; not unnaturally the Army Council only agreed that the section could be reduced in proportion to other reductions. These included the return of a battalion of Indian infantry to India and the withdrawal of the British Pack Battery. 

 

At the meeting Scott had verbally asked for a camel-mounted section of mobile artillery to replace the pack battery, which was agreed. These amended proposals were acceptable to the Army Council subject to two conditions: the RAF flight to be retained at Aden and when a satisfactory treaty had been signed with the Iman of Sanaa. 

 

At the end of February 1923 the 3rd/17th (late 41st) Dogras was selected to be the battalion to return to India. At this stage there was no plan to withdraw the battalion of British infantry from Aden and all concerned were reassured to hear that the next unit to go there, 2nd Battalion The Norfolk Regiment, was up to its established strength.

 

It would be another five years before all British and Indian infantry were withdrawn from Aden.