40th anniversary of Aden departure

This week marks forty years since British troops withdrew from the former UK colony of Aden. The Scottish regiment, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was a prominent presence in the region, led with panache by Colin 'Mad Mitch' Mitchell. He became famous in July 1967 when he led the Argylls in the British reoccupation of the Crater district of Aden, which had briefly been taken over by nationalist insurgents

Mitchell was later wooed by the Conservatives to stand for Parliament and was elected to represent Aberdeenshire West at the 1970 general election. Although he served for a year as PPS to the Scottish Secretary, Gordon Campbell, Mitchell did not take to Parliamentary life and stood down at the February 1974 election.

Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Conservative MSP and deputy leader, has tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament to mark the anniversary.