§ 31. Mr. Shinwellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many casualties have been sustained by military and civilian personnel in the last three years in Aden.
§ Mr. George ThomsonIn South Arabia, which includes Aden and the Protectorate, during the last three years the, military casualties have been 74 killed 508 wounded and the civilian casualties have been 133 killed and 318 wounded. I am giving fuller details in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. ShinwellDoes my right hon. Friend consider that there is sufficient strategic value in the retention of this base to justify this substantial number of casualties among military and civilian personnel? Ought not we to take im 30 mediate steps, if at all practicable, to clear out of this place?
§ Mr. ThomsonThis represents a tragic loss of life and damage to human life of both British civilians and citizens of Saudi Arabia, and I think that my right hon. Friend is right in taking from this that it indicates a substantial reluctance in the community in that part of the world to see a British base continue, and it was partly on these grounds, as well as on the grounds of our strategic decisions, that we took the decision we did.
§ Following are the details:
| TABLE OF CASUALTIES | |||
| 1ST JANUARY 1964-30TH APRIL 1966 | |||
| ADEN STATE | |||
| Military | Killed | Wounded | |
| 1964 | 2 | 25 | British |
| — | — | Local | |
| 1965 | 5 | 74 | British |
| 1 | 4 | Local | |
| 1966 | — | 16 | British |
| — | 6 | Local | |
| Total British | 7 | 115 | |
| Total Local | 1 | 10 | |
| Combined Totals | 8 | 125 |
| Police | Killed | Wounded | |
| 1964 | 1 | — | Local |
| 1965 | 1 | — | British |
| 7 | 6 | Local | |
| 1966 | 2 | 2 | Local |
| Total British | 1 | — | |
| Total Local | 10 | 8 | |
| Combined Totals | 11 | 8 |
| Civilians | Killed | Wounded | |
| 1964 | 1 | 5 | British |
| 1 | 2 | Arab | |
| 1965 | 2 | 9 | British |
| 22 | 77 | Arab | |
| 1 | 5 | Somali | |
| 2 | 3 | Indian | |
| — | 1 | German | |
| 1966 | 3 | 7 | British |
| 8 | 37 | Arab | |
| 2 | — | Somali | |
| 1 | — | German | |
| Total British | 6 | 21 | |
| Total other races | 37 | 125 | |
| Combined Totals | 43 | 146 |
§ *Note: All Police casualties are included in the civilian casualties.
31| PROTECTORATE | |||
| Military | Killed | Wounded | |
| 1964 | 11 | 57 | British |
| 25 | 88 | Local | |
| 1965 | 10 | 61 | British |
| 14 | 99 | Local | |
| 1966 | 4 | 58 | British |
| 2 | 20 | Local | |
| Total British | 25 | 176 | |
| Total Local | 41 | 207 | |
| Combined Total | 66 | 383 |
| Civilian | Killed | Wounded | |
| 1964 | 25 | 42 | Arabs |
| 1965 | 57 | 109 | Arabs |
| 1966 | 1 | — | British |
| 7 | 21 | Arabs | |
| Total British | 1 | — | |
| Total Arab | 89 | 172 | |
| Combined Total | 90 | 172 | |
| Total all Protectorate Casualities | 156 | 155 |
| SOUTH ARABIA (ADEN AND PROTECTORATE) | ||
| Military | Killed | Wounded |
| British Forces | 32 | 291 |
| Local Security Forces | 42 | 217 |
| Total Military Casualities | 74 | 508 |
| Civilians | Killed | Wounded |
| British | 7 | 21 |
| Arab | 120 | 288 |
| Somali | 3 | 5 |
| Indian | 2 | 3 |
| German | 1 | 1 |
| Total Civilian Casualties | 133 | 318 |
| Combined Total | 207 | 826 |