Dar-es-Salaam

There I was casually minding my own business in Aden town, celebrating my 18th birthday, had a few wets and just bought a brand new "Record Player"(shows my age). Up pulls this Land Rover and out jumps two burly MP's "in the back Royal" says one "F*** Off, I'm on leave, there's my leave pass". "All leaves been cancelled" and I'm whipped back to Little Aden PDQ. Next morning we are off, embarked on HMS Centaur which was lying off Aden waiting for us. I thought typical dragged back for a exercise, can't Major Langley RM do with out me for a bit. Then the news filters down to the mess decks we were heading for East Africa. News had come through that some of the native army units had revolted, lying off Zanzibar,Centaur was informed on 24th January that President Julius Nyerere had asked for British Assistance. At first light Zulu Company was airlifted in to Colito Barracks. Major Langley RM went in with the first wave, he wanted to be on the ground organising things, as his radio op I went with him. As we approached the main gate of the barracks we were taking small arms fire from the mutineers, Major Langley ordered the rocket launcher crew to put a round through the guardroom roof, we then fixed bayonets and yelling like we were charging into the Mamba in Union Street, we attacked the guardroom. To our surprise the defenders surrendered straight away. Our SBA checked their wounded and dying and patched them up as best he could,

I was given the task of escorting the biggest soldier you've ever seen around the camp telling his friends to surrender. Our other two companies were sent to capture other camps further inland. Centaur then came into Dar-es-Salaam and landed sailors and Marines to secure the port area.

After every thing was secured the local European residents started offering us "up homers". And too this day I refused to buy Fifi Lefevre a wet because he came in with 41 Commando RM and got all our rabbits