Cheltenham remembers those who lost their lives in Aden

On Saturday 29th November a special service will be held for the first time in Cheltenham, to commemorate 443 British service men and women who were killed in Aden, Yemen, during the 128 years it was under British administration. Personnel lost included 60 in the Arabian Peninsular between 1957 and 1960, and 173 in South Arabia between 1964 and 1967. The Union Flag was lowered at RAF Khormaksar on 29th November, 1967, signifying the end of British involvement.
Members of the public are invited to join the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, Dame Janet Trotter DBE; the Mayor of Cheltenham and the Gloucestershire Branch of the Aden Veterans Association in the service led by branch Padre, Revd Brian Woollaston. The service will commence at 10.45am, at the War Memorial on the Promenade.

The Gloucestershire Branch of the Aden Veterans Association was formed in April, 2008 with a membership of ex-servicemen who had served in Aden and their dependants, with the aims of maintaining the memory of those who gave their lives in the Aden Peninsular and Protectorates, and promoting a spirit of comradeship amongst members.

Chris Blick, Secretary, said: “The Gloucestershire Branch of the Aden Veterans Association welcomes new members who have served in Aden up until 29th November 1967 even if you do not live in the County. When our Branch was formed over seven years ago at a Service in Exeter Cathedral to mark the 40th Anniversary of the Withdrawal from Aden we could not have anticipated the degree of interest that has come from the surrounding the Counties that we share a border with and indeed South Wales. More information can be obtained from our excellent website.’’

Mayor Simon Wheeler, added: “This is the first time a service will be held in Cheltenham to commemorate the British service men and women who were killed in Aden, Yemen. It’s a privilege to be able to be involved and I hope that members of the community will join me.”

For more information visit http://www.adenveterans-glos.co.uk/ 

 

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For press enquiries contact: Laura Carter, communications officer, telephone 01242 264154, email [email protected]

 

Cheltenham Remembers
The ‘Cheltenham Remembers’ war memorial restoration project is supported, with thanks, by a number of local partners.

The restoration marks the centenary of the First World War and the first stage – completed September 2014 - involved the repaving of the memorial in York stone, cleaning, repairs of the balustrades, improvements to drainage systems and new LED lighting.

The council is currently planning a phase two restoration project, to be carried out over a longer period, which involves the restoring all the names on the memorial, refurbishing the lanterns, cleaning the existing metal plaques and providing a visitor board and information app for educational purposes. More details about phase two will be available soon.

Share your stories and find out more:
Visit us at http://www.ww1cheltenham.org/, telephone 01242 775156 or write to: Cheltenham Borough Council, Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 9SA.

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