Coles, George Henry Hugh (Oral history)

British officer served as Assistance Military Secretary in Hadhramaut, Eastern Aden Protectorates, Aden, 1957-1960; commanded Training Bn, Federal Regular Army and served as Director of Joint Public Relations in Aden, 1962-1965; served as Assistant Commandant, British Troops in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 1966-1968

REEL 1 Recollections of period as Assistant Military Secretary in Hadhramaut, Eastern Aden Protectorates, Aden, 1957-1960: background to posting, 1957; proposed duties; situation in Hadhramaut; degree of disaffection amongst civilians; start of his co-ordinating duties; customs and other disputes between local states; warlike character of people; social structure; system of justice; status of women; religious observance; tours of frontier posts. REEL 2 Continues: relations between British and Arab troops; dangers from weapon discharges; topography; his opinion of Arab behaviour; degree of fraternisation with Arabs; Arab attitudes towards British rule; relations between tribes in Western and Eastern Protectorates; visit to Socotra Island; memories of Sultans of Maculla; employment of Pakistani personnel; prohibition of khat consumption. Recollections of period as commanding officer of Training Bn, Federal Regular Army and as Director of Joint Public Relations in Aden, 1962-1965: political situation in colony; reservations about police force. REEL 3 Continues: duties as commanding officer of Training Bn, Federal Regular Army; character of people in Western Protectorate; anti-British feeling in Western Protectorate; deterioration of security situation; ambush of mixed patrol of 1st Bn Northumberland Fusiliers/1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders by Arab Armed Police and subsequent evacuation of Crater, 20/6/1967; question of need for British Press to create Scottish heroes; experience of training Federal Regular Army; infiltration of Federal National Guard by nationalist groups; dangers to Pressmen; quelling of Federal National Guard mutiny; pro-British elements in population; memories of dealing with Press corps. REEL 4 Continues: method of handling pressmen; attitude to leaving Aden, 1965. Aspects of period as Assistant Commandant, British Troops in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates 1966-1968: background to posting, 1966; his work with British troops; contact with local sheikhs; opinion of Trucial Oman Scouts.