A period of history that should not be forgotten! The story in his own words by Denis John Burford Sparrow
Aden, part of South Yemen on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsular and the mouth of the Red Sea, Adan as it was known until the British arrived in 1839 when the pronunciation there after became Aden.
Todays Adeni a resident of Aden referrers to their homeland as Eden, with it’s reference to the garden of Eden and early history of being the first part of Arabia to be occupied by mankind.
Known and written history dates back to before AD 1, the whole area has been subject to at least two Persian invasions as well as the Turks, Romans and Abyssinians.
The British had called in on Aden looking for a water supply in and around the Red Sea for many years, in 1609 the East India Company made an official visit followed by further visits over two hundred years finally establishing a base in 1839.
The port of Aden grew in importance as a coal refuelling station and left the desert and mountain area leading up the Yemen border unexplored until, 1881 when an expeditiononary force was dispatched up to the border state of Dhala to restore law and order.
This lawless region was eventually split in two Protectorates East and West. While Aden itself became a British Crown Colony.
In the 1960s a Federal Government including Aden was formed which lead to discontent, Terrorism and the withdrawal of British Troops from Aden in 1967.
My three books cover those final years.