Sir Kennedy Trevaskis
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The violence in Aden started shortly after 9am on Friday December the 10th 1963. The British High Commissioner of Aden, Sir Kennedy Trevaskis, had arrived at Khormaksar Civil Airport to catch a London-bound DeHavilland Comet with British officials, Arab rulers and politicians for talks on the future constitution of a fully independent Federation.
As passengers were boarding the aircraft a grenade was thrown killing a woman on the spot and fatally wounding the High Commissioner's assistant, George Henderson, who bravely threw himself between the grenade and the High Commissioner. George Henderson died of his wounds several days later and was posthumously awarded a bar to his George Medal. 53 others were injured including the High Commissioner. By the end of that day a state of emergency was declared in Aden and the British Government gave the go-ahead for the occupation of the Radfan. Terrorism had started and would reach it's climax three and a half years later on 20th June 1967.
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Presenting British Empire Medal to Sgt R. G. Pickering
Sir Gerald Kennedy Nicholas Trevaskis entered the colonial service as an administrative cadet in Northern Rhodesia in 1938. During the Second World War he enlisted with the Northern Rhodesian Regiment, was captured by Italian forces at Tug Aqan, British Somaliland in 1940, was seconded to British Military Administration, Eritrea, 1941-1948, and was made Senior Divisional Officer, Assab, 1943.
After the war, he served as a member of the British delegation to the Four Power Commission of Investigation into ex-Italian Colonies, 1947-1948. He worked as District Commissioner at Ndola, Northern Rhodesia and Liaison Officer for the United Nations Commission, Eritrea, 1950.
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Affectionately known as 'Uncle Ken' in the Overseas Civil Service, he served as Political Officer, Western Aden Protectorate, 1951, Deputy British Agent from 1952 and British Agent to Western Aden Protectorate from 1954. In 1957 he was a member of the British Delegation at the Anglo-Yemeni meeting in London. He held the post of High Commissioner for Aden and the Protectorate of South Arabia, 1963-1965. Awarded the OBE and KCMG
He published Shades of Amber: A South Arabian Episode (London, Hutchinson, 1968). In 1945 he married Sheila James Harrington.
Sir Gerald Kennedy Nicholas Trevaskis (b.1915 - d.1990) served as High Commissioner from 17 Jul 1963 to 21 Dec 1964