HC Deb 15 May 1964 vol 695 cc775-7
Mr. Peter Emery

(by Private Notice) asked the Minister of Defence whether he will make a statement on the tragic deaths of Captain R. Edwards and Sapper J. Warburton.

The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Peter Thorneycroft)

There is little I can add to the statement issued by my Ministry yesterday. One officer and one other rank were reported missing, believed killed, in an action near the Dhala Road on 30th April. During the course of Wednesday, 13th May, two headless bodies were found by a patrol near to this spot. The bodies were in British denims and from personal belongings found with them it has to be concluded with deep regret that they are the bodies of these two soldiers.

The next-of-kin were informed yesterday.

The funeral is taking place in Aden this morning.

I am sure that it would be in accordance with the wishes of the House that I should express our deepest sympathy with the relatives of these brave men.

Hon. Members

Hear, hear.

Mr. Emery

I am certain that the whole House would want to agree with my right hon. Friend in his expression of sympathy to all the relatives and families. May I ask him whether, at the funerals, full military honours will be given to the two soldiers? I am sure that that would be the wish of the House. Will my right hon. Friend take all possible action to see that the world realises the barbaric nature of the tribal attacks on the peace-keeping forces in the South Arabian Federation? Will he ensure that a full investigation is carried out to ascertain whether arms and funds for these attacks emanate from Egypt?

Lastly, will my right hon. Friend ensure that the officer commanding—whose reputation, in my view, has been unnecessarily besmirched by certain Socialist attacks—and his officers, as well as all his troops, know that they have the support of this House in fulfilling the hapless and most difficult task assigned to them?

Mr. Thorneycroft

These men will, of course, be buried with full military honours. I should not wish to broaden the answers to this question, since these are grave and distressing matters, except to say that these tribes are undoubtedly—and there is no secret about it—armed and equipped from the Yemen. I think that the publicity which this case has received will ensure that the situation there is very widely known throughout the world.

Mr. Healey

May I, first, associate the whole of the Opposition with the feelings of sympathy which the Minister expressed for the families of the soldiers concerned, and, indeed, for all British troops fighting in Southern Arabia against tribesmen who have long been addicted to these barbarous and primitive practices?

There is one question which I can, perhaps, pursue with the Secretary of State. It has been reported that the initial statement about the exhibition of the heads of the British soldiers in Taiz emanated not from the General Officer Commanding Middle East Land Forces, but from the Southern Arabian radio and that the British official concerned has since been allowed to resign.

If this is the case, I wish to express my regret that I fixed the personal responsibility on the General Officer Commanding, because it is clear that in this case he was only commenting on a report which was already public knowledge.

Mr. Thorneycroft

I do not want to apportion blame to any Englishman on the subject of this matter. There were rumours about this. They were reported and, alas, in a tragic and distressing particular they have been proved to be only too true.

Several Hon. Members rose

Mr. Speaker

There is great difficulty. There are other matters and this is a day which is allocated by the House to private Members. Events mean that we have a lot of business before we even start on the time allocated to them. I must be ruthless about questions.

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