Naval Officer-in-Charge, Aden

Aden Station

Active	1839–1959
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	British Empire
Branch	Royal Navy
Part of	East Indies Station (1839-1917) Red Sea Station (1917-1920) East Indies Station (1921-1935) Mediterranean Fleet (1935-1938) East Indies Station (1939-1943) Levant Command (1943-1944) East Indies Station (1945) Flag Officer, Middle East (1946-1958)
Garrison/HQ	HMS Sheba Steamer Point, Aden Aden Protectorate (1839-1937)

The Naval Officer-in-Charge, Aden, was an administrative appointment of British Royal Navy originally established in 1839 as the Senior Naval Officer, Aden. He was responsible for HMS Sheba.^[1] It was a sub-command of the Flag Officer, Middle East.^[2]

History

In 1839 the Royal Navy carried out an operation called the Aden Expedition led by Captain Henry Smith under orders from the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, in the south east Arabian Peninsula its occupation of Aden was mainly for strategic reasons as Aden provided control of the entrance to the Red Sea a naval base was first established here at the same time.^[3] In 1869 the Suez Canal was opened and the British Empire established a number of protectorates in Southern Arabia mainly as a shield against further expansion by the Ottoman Empire who were occupying the rest of Yemen.^[4] In the 19th century and early twentieth century it was a major coaling station that sat on an important trade route from India.^[5] During World War Two the main naval formation based in Aden was the Red Sea Force.^[6]

In command before the First World War

Senior Naval Officer, Aden

	Rank	Flag	Name	Term	Notes/Ref
Senior Naval Officer, Aden
1	Captain		Henry Smith	1839	later Admiral.^[7]

Senior Naval Officer, Aden Division

	Rank	Name	Term	Notes/Ref
Senior Naval Officer, Aden Division
1	Commander	E. R. Pears	1904	^[8]
2	Captain	J. B. Eustace	1905	^[9]

Naval Transport Officer in Charge

	Rank	Flag	Name	Term	Notes/Ref
Naval Transport Officer-in-Charge, Aden
1	Commander		Charles A. Scott	1919	^[10]

In command inter-war period and Second World War

	Rank	Name	Term	Notes/Ref
Naval Officer-in-Charge, Aden & Commanding Officer, HMS Sheba (RN Base, Aden)
1	Captain	Douglas B. Fisher	15 September 1935 – 29 June 1936	^[10]
2	Acting-Captain	P.L. Gunn	8 July 1939 – 29 May 1942	^[11]^[12]
3	Commodore	C.A.A. Larcom	29 May 1942 – February, 1943	retired^[13]^[14]
4	Commodore	Fitzroy.E.P. Hutton	28 August – December, 1943	ditto^[14]
5	Commodore	E. A Aylmer	25 March 1944 – July, 1945	^[15]
6	Captain	Waldemar W. P. Shirley-Rollison	1945 - 1946	^[16]

References

^ The Navy List. London, England: H.M. Stationery Office. November 1939. p. 240.
^ Walker, Jonathan (2014). Aden Insurgency: The Savage War in Yemen 1962-67. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword. p. 90. ISBN 9781783375615.
^ Ram, Krishnamurthy Venkat (2009). "Conclusion". Anglo-Ethiopian Relations, 1869 to 1906: A Study of British Policy in Ethiopia. New Delhi, India: Concept Publishing Company. p. 241. ISBN 9788180696244.
^ Innes-Robbins, Simon (22 June 2018). "A Short History Of The Aden Emergency". Imperial War Museums. London, England: Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
^ Anderson, Ewan W. (2014). Global Geopolitical Flashpoints : an Atlas of Conflict. London, England: Taylor and Francis, Routledge. p. 8. ISBN 9781135940942.
^ Bertke, Donald A.; Kindell, Don; Smith, Gordon (2011). WORLD WAR II SEA WAR: FRANCE FALLS, BRITAIN STANDS ALONE: Day-to-Day Naval Actions from April 1940 through September 1940. Lulu Bertke Publishing. p. 99. ISBN 9781937470005.
^ Clowes, W. Laird (William Laird); Markham, Clements R. (Clements Robert); Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer); Wilson, Herbert Wrigley (1897–1903). The royal navy, a history from the earliest times to present. London : S. Low, Marston, Co. p. 277.
^ Fevyer, W. H.; Wilson, J. W. (2012). Africa General Service Medal: to the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines. Luton, England: Andrews UK Limited. p. 110. ISBN 9781781504314.
^ Campbell, Gwyn (10 January 2018). Bondage and the environment in the Indian Ocean world. New York, NY, USA: Springer Publishing. p. 248. ISBN 9783319700281.
^ ^a ^b Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony (21 August 2018). "Aden - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
^ "Flag Officers in Commission". The Navy List. London, England: H.M. Stationery Office. December 1941. p. 937.
^ Niehorster, Dr. Leo. "East Indies Station, Royal Navy, 3.09.39". niehorster.org. L. Niehorster. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
^ "Flag Officers in Commission". The Navy List. London, England: H.M. Stationery Office. February 1943. p. 1422.
^ ^a ^b Niehorster, Leo. "World War II unit histories & officers". www.unithistories.com. L. Niehorster. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
^ "Flag Officers in Commission". The Navy List. London, England: H. M.Stationery Office. October 1944. p. 2262.
^ Houterman, J.N. "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 - S". www.unithistories.com. Houterman and Koppes. Retrieved 1 October 2018.

Sources

Anderson, Ewan W. (2014). Global Geopolitical Flashpoints : an Atlas of Conflict. London, England: Taylor and Francis, Routledge. ISBN 9781135940942.
Bertke, Donald A.; Kindell, Don; Smith, Gordon (2011). WORLD WAR II SEA WAR: FRANCE FALLS, BRITAIN STANDS ALONE: Day-to-Day Naval Actions from April 1940 through September 1940. Lulu Bertke Publishing. ISBN 9781937470005.
Campbell, Gwyn (10 January 2018). Bondage and the environment in the Indian Ocean world. New York, NY, USA: Springer Publishing. p. 248. ISBN 9783319700281
Clowes, W. Laird (William Laird); Markham, Clements R. (Clements Robert); Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer); Wilson, Herbert Wrigley.(1897–1903) The royal navy, a history from the earliest times to present. London : S. Low, Marston, Co.
"Flag Officers in Commission". The Navy List. London, England: H. M.Stationery Office. October 1944.
Fevyer, W. H.; Wilson, J. W. (2012). Africa General Service Medal: to the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines. Luton, England: Andrews UK Limited. ISBN 9781781504314.
Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony (21 August 2018). "Aden - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
Houterman, J.N. "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 - S". www.unithistories.com. Houterman and Koppes.
Innes-Robbins, Simon (2018). "A Short History Of The Aden Emergency". Imperial War Museums. London, England: Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
Niehorster, Leo. "World War II unit histories & officers". www.unithistories.com. L. Niehorster. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
Ram, Krishnamurthy Venkat (2009). "Conclusion". Anglo-Ethiopian Relations, 1869 to 1906: A Study of British Policy in Ethiopia. New Delhi, India: Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 9788180696244.

This page was last edited on 21 March 2022, at 20:56