Jubilee Tattoo 1935

​

In 1935 King George V’s Silver Jubilee was marked on May 6th by a parade and march, and drive past of the variety of units serving in Aden and the Protectorate. 

 

No details have been found yet of the parade but the photographs that accompany this short article give one a good idea of the occasion.

​

Most photographs are of the drive past which would have followed the parade. One shows part of the camel detachment of the Aden Troop. Others show RAF equipment. The plane is a Fairey IIIF, which from April 1935 was being replaced by the Vincent. At the left edge of this photograph can be seen the front of the artillery tractor featured in the photograph below the photo of the 9th Hussars.

​

Another photograph shows Guards marching in column towards the saluting base. In fact this is one of several photographs of this phase of the parade, from which it is apparent that there were perhaps up to half-a-dozen Guards altogether. In 1935 there was no longer a British infantry battalion in Aden and the guard in the foreground was probably provided by the Royal Artillery, or possibly by the Royal Air Force if this is not the first Guard to be marching past. Note the officer is not carrying a sword, which perhaps makes it more likely that this was an RAF guard.

​

The location of the parade itself was on the Maidan at Tawahi. The photograph below shows a Royal Salute being fired by four guns of a field battery. Note the officer timing the salute. This salute may have been fired at either the beginning or the end of the parade. It would probably have been at least a 41-gun salute – but note that one can see only one ammunition box by each gun. Behind the guns the Aden Police are spaced at intervals.

​