HC Deb 19 November 1979 vol 974 c51W
Mr. Ernie Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the occasions upon which United Kingdom Armed Forces were involved in combat from 1945 to the present day, giving the date of the involvement, the location of the involvement and whether on active service or involved in combat.

Mr. Speed

The major occasions upon which United Kingdom Armed Forces have been in combat since 1945 are as follows:

1946–1949 Palestine
1948–1960 Malayan Emergency
1950–1953 Korean War
1952–1956 Kenyan Emergency
1954–1959 Cyprus Emergency
1956 Suez Operation
1957–1959 Muscat and Oman
1962–1966 Indonesian Confrontation
1964–1967 Radfan and Aden
1972–1977 Oman

In addition, since 1969 the Armed Forces have been involved in operations in support of the civil power in Northern Ireland.

A state of active service automatically exists when any force is engaged in operations against an enemy—which includes all persons engaged in armed operations against Her Majesty's Forces.