33rd Parachute Light Regiment RA
Behain & Dhala 1957/58
By Don Gillespie

These photographs are of the patrols were taken around Behain

Behain patrol 

Behain camp 1957

Behain Wadi patrol

 
The shots with the Mules were taken when we we had to relieve the political officer who was beseiged  in Assarir fort. I was with the OP party who accompanied a company of Aden Levi`s to it. The fort was over the mountains at the back of Dhala and features on another couple of photographs.

Start of Assarir patrol 

Onward & upwards

Assarir Fort

OP party on Carna ridge

 
Of course resistence had been  undersetimated and having got there, we found ourselves trapped with him for  about another month.  The photos of the shelling were taken when we were trying to get there or during our enforced stay. I think we were stuck in it for about a month before we were relieved.

Shelling ahead 

Reveille at Assarir

Hot & sweaty

 
The Beverley plane crash  happened on the Dhala strip which was pretty dramatic at the time. There were about seven RAF lads onboard, three dead I think and the others trapped. We managed to get to them  with the help of a couple of crow bars. 

 
 
The military funeral was down in Aden, it was for Gunner Cook( Cookie)  A colleague we left behind. 

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