Definitely Dhala. It wasn't long enough for an Argosy to land so we used to drop 1-ton containers instead.

Indeed - with this as the aftermath of one such sortie in June 1967, a resupply to the South Arabian army that had taken over IS duties from 45 Cdo (RM) on the previous day.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....b5a8ff81bf.jpg

Dhala
 

ICM, JW411, Brings back memories from long ago, Dhala was on the daily schedule for 21 Sqn Twin Pioneers (can even remember the number/call sign, 8672). Land into the hill face, keep engines running, unload, take on any returning staff/ kit, take off the other way.

Is the white building right of centre the Dhala Hotel ? used to go up there on weekends as a break from K/sar by AA DC3, lovely place for break.

Possible location:

Ad Dali
Yemen
Dhale or Dhala, also spelled Dali and Dhalea and sometimes prefixed with Al or Ad, is the capital town of Dhale Governorate in south-western Yemen. It is located at around 13°41′48″N 44°43′51″E, in the elevation of around 1500 metres. Dhala Airport is a few Kms East and runway heading looks like around 250.

Dhala Airport in 2004

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f9dee561df.png


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....fe34d9fd1f.png



IG

Re an earlier post, it’s not impossible that Lightnings were seen in Aden. Two development batch aircraft, XG333 and XG311 carried out the hot weather trials which took place between June and October 1961. As neither a/c was AAR capable, they were stripped of engines and some equipment, cocooned and shipped out on a freighter. In theory, the a/c should have not flown from Khormaksar as the barriers had been u/s for many months, a no-go situation for Lightning ops; fortunately, the barriers eventually become serviceable just before XG311 needed one in earnest on 27 Aug 61.

The last of Deano P's pics very likely Dhala, showing the 'bend' in the strip which required a"left hand down a bit" part way through the take-off run. We, APCSS/84 'pigs', didn't operate there but the Pembrokes did.
In one of the previous posts, a contributor asked whether the sandy conditions affected engine operation. It did! 78 Squadron set up with Single Pins initially and they experienced a number of engine failures. Investigations took a while before it was discovered that the sand ingested into the engines was being turned into glass and deposited on the plugs.

Could this be Dhala? Similarities with ICM's photo looking at the hilltop buildings and backdrop.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....9aa0f64c6.jpeg

RAFA Air Mail Magazine Oct-Dec
 

I came across this article in the Air Mail magazine. PPpruners may have some ideas as to why they were there?



https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....e0afa1026.jpeg

According to the 8 Squadron Association website:

(My emphasis) - so may be it was these.

I am sure others will know more (I was very much still in short trousers):) - and not tropical kit ones

There was no RAF Khormaksar in 1968. We left in November 1967. My personal last flight out was XP408 Khormaksar - Muharraq on the 23rd.

Confused by the picture of 20 Sqn FGA9s in that. They would have been unexpected in Aden, though.

Further info from Ray Deacon's wonderfully informative RADFAN Hunters site.

The unit allocation tables say XG255 and XG298 were transferred on 09-09-67 (XG237 and XJ645 are both listed as sold to HSA). 8/43 had a pooled fleet towards the end.

Yes, I am a Hunter nerd,

Possibly on their way to Oman? SOAF Hunters were ex Jordanian.

Bill

SOAF had no Hunters until at least 1970, so it would have been a slow journey.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....0c9a6cca8d.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....1011a6acce.jpg

One of three airmen's barrack blocks at Khormaksar. Chairs are the grandstand on the touchline of the football field, with packed gypsum surface. On the right, Bedford QL on patrol at 4,500ft in the Jebel up country. It was slightly cooler at that height but not in the cab with its petrol engine across the middle. Once our QL gharri driver passed out on our way back from the Steamer Point lido, fortunately someone else was on board to take over.
BELOW: Goods vehicle in The Crescent, Steamer Point.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2226182584.jpg

These pictures were taken during my father's posting at Khormaksar, 1951-1953, and were originally posted in the Brevet thread until Photobucket became greedy and wiped them out. For us children Aden was great, for the adults less so to put it mildly. I liked the tribesmen with their jezails in one of the fine pictures posted earlier. I remember seeing a Brigand mainplane in the 8 Sqn hangar with a one-inch hole in the underside and a jagged hand-size exit hole in the top. The aircraft had been cruising around 220 mph up country when a tribesman some 3000 ft below had taken a shot.

Thankfully those days disappeared with the wicked imperialist British colonialist oppressors, and the Arab people have long governed their own affairs in the delightful Republic of South Yemen.

Thanks for the re-transmission ... bloody Photobucket! Killed a lot of my posts on numerous websites!

As for the ‘end of Empire’ comment ... yes, haven’t so many of them done brilliantly!!

The 20 Sdn Hunters are probably photographed in Borneo,or Malaysia(W)...

Geriaviator,
Lovely old pictures of Khormaksar and Aden.
Totally agree with you and MPN11 about Photobucket.

I am spending a lot of time reinstating the photos that were blocked (get a life I hear ). Luckily I do not have many posts to update, unlike many on this site, and so it is not an onerous task. I am doing this directly from my computer, by clicking on the 'Mountain' symbol and dragging the image across. No need to involve a third party and it seems to work a treat.

It could well be Mount Kinabalu in the background.

In the heading picture with idents, think the "native compound" became the 69 Club, the long low single story buildings to the right became 105 Sqn billets in the early 60's, still enjoyed my 2-1/2 years out there.

SLXOwft

Thank you for your reply to the RAFA Air Mail magazine question.
I have passed on your information to the Editor.

DeanoP, glad I could help.

I have a vague recollection of a story which was either Khormaksar or El Adem, about the last RAF aircraft to leave on withdrawal from the base. The story was along the lines of the RAF Short Belfast was last to leave, all loaded apart from the ATC portable radar/ unit which allegedly gave departure clearance, then drove up the rear ramp, closed up and so they left as the last aircraft movement.
Can anyone help with my aged memory?

I believe the last fixed-wing to depart Khormaksar was a C 130. The last aircraft was possibly a 78 Sqn Wessex, operating from "Intrepid", although the Army might dispute that with a Scout.

Thanks for the comment, perhaps it was El Adem or maybe just a ‘bar story’

BF

As Herod states ,last fixed wing were 2 C130s just before 1400hrs on 29 November carrying staff of HQ Aden Brigade / Joint HQ and C Company 1 Kings Own Royal Border Regt (van der Bijl: British Mil. Ops. in Aden and
Radfan). Last military departure at 1500hrs of 42 Cdo Tac Hq to HMS Albion was by Wessex of 848 NACS.(same source)

As one who was on one of the last few Belfast flights out of El Adem, the story is fairly close to the truth.

There are still a few Belfast drivers on this forum who could throw more light on the matter, including that of ensuring that the "airfield" was "left" exactly in the state we found it.

IG

Sorry to spoil the party but I was the last one out of Khormaksar! I was Key Orderly on the day and once my duties were complete I had to rush to board the aircraft and kick the steps away at the last moment before take-off.

Aaron.

and there would still be some bastard RAF plod checking you hadn’t left a window open!

Mention earlier of the 69 Club jogged a memory or two. When it opened it was the first 'Airmen's Club' in the RAF and caused a huge rumpus with NAAFI. The bar offered an alcoholic range not allowed in the NAAFI and they produced fresh edible filled rolls - previously unheard of in K'sar. The finance was raised locally, including a lump sum from Shell at Little Aden to fund the dance floor. The 'leading light' in the programme was Jack Winterflood, a Flight Sergeant in Admin and a large proportion of the money raised came from the annual 'Khormaksar Fair', an afternoon and evening drinking spree with sideshows!. It opened in '57 and became a model for similar Clubs elsewhere.

I was copilot on the penultimate aircraft to leave Khormaksar on the withdrawal day. I was also 105 Sqn diarist and the following are extracts from an article written for the squadron magazine. The Argosy was XN 819 and the captain was Wg Cdr EC Rigg, OC 105 Sqn

...Helicopters from 78 Sqn, the RN, and the Royal Marines were operating a shuttle between the playing fields at the back of the Airmans Mess to the Commando carrier HMS Albion, anchored about 4 miles off the end of r/w 26. The operation was slick, and underslung loads made the pick-ups a matter of seconds. Through binoculars I could see that each chopper was armed with a large machine gun positioned to fire through a side escape hatch.

While all this was going on, Hercules were flying in from Muharraq every 30 minutes, taxying to the VIP pan, stopping three engines, and opening the rear doors. The departing troops entered the a/c by the rear doors and the para doors, leaving their kit on the rear door. The kit was then lashed down by nets, doors were closed, and off they went. The fastest time we noted was 7 minutes chocks on to chocks off, to load 75 equipped and armed troops.

Our Argosy spent 5 hours on the pan as a standby in case a Hercules went u/s, and for the last 3 hours we had two other a/c for company, both Hercules, orbiting at 10,000 feet.

Overhead, Sea Vixens from a second carrier, HMS Eagle, crossed the field from time to time, and appeared to be giving fighter cover to the whole operation.

At withdrawal hour - 5 mins the passenger carrying Hercules arrived for its engine running turnround, and while the VIPs were shaking hands and exchanging salutes, we, the Argosy, and a freight Hercules which was standing by to lift out VASF and the crash crews, started engines for a quick getaway. When the last VIP had boarded, the freight Hercules was off chocks, followed by the Argosy, the passenger Hercules being the last in line. A one minute stream take off was carried out in that order.

As soon as the three a/c were airborne the choppers from Albion who had been keeping an eye on the Khormaksar perimeter moved in to evacuate 42 Commando who had kept the perimeter secure throughout the day.

Edward Rigg - now there is a name from the past? I recall talking to him sometime ago, when he told me that he joined the first BAFO Vampire squadron in July 1947- No.3 Squadron at Wunstorf flying Vampire Mk.1s. A really nice person?

When a unit closed ( happened frequently in the 60/70s) and key orderlies locked their section returning the keys to the guardroom, what happened to the guardroom key once all section keys were in. Perhaps the orderly corporal then locked the guardroom when leaving and posted the key through the guardroom letter box!!!!

Thanks, bigjok, a nice succinct narrative of what was was obviously a well-planned departure.

Further to the Camel Club post, during 62-64 it operated well, but when Grp Cpt Bligh took over as Station Master it changed, he advocated all places of fun be closed on a Sunday morning, NAAFI, Camel Club, Club 69, swimming pool etc, etc as he considered Sunday morning was for worship not airmens enjoyment, plus wearing of shoes and the shorts 1" above the knee, plus shirts to be worn on the airfield, attndances didn't improve at church and we found other ways to have fun !, didn't take long for normality to return, but he was hated somewhat.

On that final day, I was operating a Wessex, lifting underslung loads. My logbook doesn't give times, but there is no night flying logged. However, my diary reads "Intrepid weighed anchor at 2230". I know there was one other 78 Sqn Wessex landed back aboard after I did, but I can't give times

Now that we have successfully got out of Aden, let's go back to getting out of El Adem. I quote from my book about 53 Squadron:

"A coup d'etat in Libya by Colonel Mohammer Ghaddafi deposed King Idris and the new regime made it very clear that British Forces were no longer welcome in the country. The withdrawal got under way during March (1970) and was complicated by the new rulers only allowing one aircraft movement per day. So that maximum use could be made of this restriction, Belfast XR365 Hector made a daily flight between El Adem and Akrotiri and frequently carried a payload around 78,000 lbs. The final flight was commanded by Gp Capt Jock Kennedy AFC, Station Commander at Brize Norton, and the freight bay contained the ACR7 airfield approach radar from El Adem".

Thank you for letting me know my memory is not just full of old bar stories!

Unless I'm badly wrong, the title of this thread is RAF KHORMAKSAR. My geographical knowledge may be sketchy, but I always thought the airfield in Aden was Khormaksar, not El Adem. :O (cheer up, it's meant cynically)