Thursday, February 14, 2013

"It's English!" By Tracey Vale

We left early on October 25, 1956, from London, destined for Aden, and flying with British Aviation Services, or Britavia, on a Hermes aircraft. This was the first of many tours we were to do for the War Office and many took us over on R.A.F planes. The commercial flight for our first tour was far more desirable, not to mention quiet, by comparison. Often, we didn't know the places we were to entertain in and there was often, too, a last minute change of plans, usually owing to a crisis or something similar. Little did we know that a crisis was about to erupt.

Aden was hot, dry and virtually treeless. The name of the hotel we were to stay in at Steamer Point, Aden, was apt--The Rock Hotel. However, the huge bay that Aden sits on is spectacular and faces an island of inactive volcanoes. It is Yemen's economic capital and consists of a number of towns including the commercial centre, Crater, so named because of its position at the base of a volcanic  crater. Its walls form a backdrop of dark grey lava rock rising high above the town.

British influence began in Aden, the biggest sea port in Yemen, in 1839 when the British East India Company landed there with marines to control piracy of their goods, which had formerly been under attack near the port. The Aden port then became an important transportation route between British India and the Red Sea. It was also an important coaling station, this coming to fruition with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.

Aden was governed as part of British India prior to 1937 and, from April 1, 1937, became a separate Crown Colony of the United Kingdom up until 1963. It was then reconstituted as part of the New Federation of South Arabia, becoming the State of Aden.

Despite Aden being a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom, the population, when we were there in 1956, consisted of just over 100 000 Arabs compared to 4500 Europeans. Other demographics included under 1000 Jews, around 11000 Somalians and 16000 Indians. We even discovered the 'Australian Shop', situated on The Crescent at Steamer Point and with proprietor Shilay Yahooda. The store stocked silk and ready-made 'Ladies and Gents' goods.

Only three months prior to our arrival, the Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, had announced the nationalisation of the Suez Canal to fund the Aswan Dam, a project the United States and britain had refused to finance. Also, since his rise to leadership in 1954, Nasser had aimed to remove the British from Egypt. Britain and France were major shareholders in the company that ran the canal and Egypt received only a minimal portion of profits. Their control of the canal was also symbolic of western dominance.

It has been said since that Nasser's action, followed by the subsequent events, changed the world and marked the end of Britain's reign as a stand-alone world power. Within only months, it was also to spell the end of Eden's role as British Prime Minister, although he cited ill health at the time.

The announcement alarmed Eden, provoking him into immediate negotiations with France and Israel. The canal was also strategic for Israel as a passage to Asia and Africa and they had been incensed recently by Egyptian blockades. A world conference was organised to plan the international management of the canal but Nasser refused to attend and rejected the idea.


On the 24th of October, the same day we had been photographed and interviewed by the newspapers concerning our '10000 miles' trip, a secret plot was signed in Paris involving Britain, France and Israel. The plan was that Israel was to attack the Egyptian military as a pre-cursor for French and British intervention. It was to appear that the latter nations would step in to demand a stop to the fighting and as a means of taking over control of the canal by consequence.


Innocently, we arrived in what was to become a war-zone. We unpacked our belongings at the hotel, did a little sight-seeing and familiarised ourselves with our new stage and dressing rooms. Arthur English, whose rise to fame was due in part to his popular role as principal comic in London's famous Windmill Theatre since 1949, was hilarious on and off the stage and we were to learn so much from him. He had also featured on radio with BBC's Variety Bandbox and performed in clubs, pantomimes and summer shows. From the 1970's , he was to star in a number of television series including his greatest success in 'Are You Being Served'. One of his signature themes was to dress flamboyantly for the stage wearing a huge, multi-coloured tie, which did much to enhance his six-foot stature.

Following our performance, we were required to alternate between the Officer's Mess and that of the other ranks. The first night, we visited the Officer's Mess and spoke with both the officers and their wives. Being actors, we would speak to them in our 'posh' voices and, on the alternate nights with the other ranks, we became and sounded very common. Arthur English played up to this magnificently.

In the Officer's Mess, he would maintain an exaggerated posh, English accent for a full three hours. "Oh, yes," he would drawl, dressed in an evening jacket and cravat. "Absolutely marvelous!" The following night, dressed casually, he donned a completely different personality to fit in with the others. He would greet the other ranks, who were more natural and so different from the officers, with "'Ow ya goin' there cop?". Each separate set of army personnel genuinely believed he was the character he so effortlessly portrayed to them.

Our shows were appreciated with loud applause but the locals of Aden didn't seem to like us. One morning, I had placed my sunglasses on the balcony ledge and accidently brushed them off, where they fell to the ground below. Looking down to see where they had landed, a man looked up at me with hostility in his eyes. Without removing his stare, he trod on the glasses, twisting his foot to smash them completely. I stepped back from my view of him and took a few deep breaths.

On the morning of October 29, one of the R.A.F. officers offered to take us into Crater for some shopping. Paul, Alistair and I agreed enthusiastically and boarded the proffered military vehicle. He took us to see the Coca Cola factory first, then into Crater. The streets were impossibly quiet, which the Officer also thought was unusual, as he pulled to one side of the main street and let us out. All was silence. There was no-one around. We walked up and down the narrow streets of shops but all were closed. By about the fifth lane along, we could hear noise and muffled voices. Walking closer, we could make out a large group of Arabs gathered around a radio. 

"Turn around," the Officer with us whispered urgently, realising what was happening. "Walk quietly away!" We made it stealthily back to the end of the lane when a military truck pulled up roughly and the men inside literally scooped us up into the back while the officer with us ran to his vehicle. The truck pulled away in a scurry of dust and squealing wheels.

Our hearts were pounding at this sudden action and we were yelled at by the army personnel. "What the bloody hell are you doing here!" The Officer should not have taken us in and was to face some form of disciplinary action once he returned to base. The radio the Arabs had been huddled over was announcing the beginning of a war: the Suez Crisis. 

Israel had invaded Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, with troops moving rapidly forward to the canal. By the 31st, Britain and France began their bombing campaign, leading to the retaliation by Nasser--the sinking of 40 ships. As a result of the unrest, we were sent immediately to Cyprus.



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