British Armed Services Deployments 1945-2001
Austria 1945 -'55 (Allied Control Commission), [As Austria became a neutral state in 1955, the four-power agreement which had provided the basis for governing the nation came to an end];
Germany 1945 - 2001 (Allied Control Commission, BAOR/RAF Germany (BAOR disbanded in 1994 and 1st (UK) Armoured Division is now part of NATO's ARRC with most of the rest of the Army in Germany being rear area personnel. RAF Germany ceased to be operational on 15th June 2001 when the final Tornado GR4 squadrons left RAF Bruggen. However, Bruggen does not close down altogether until October 2001, and RAF Germany will not be completely disbanded until 2002 when the last of the rear area personnel depart):
Berlin (Army/RAF) 1945 - '94;
Gibraltar;
Malta (to 1979);
Hong Kong (to 1997);
South East Asia 1945 - '48 (this deployment was undertaken to, in part, fill the void until French and Dutch Forces could reassert control of their colonies in the region);
Palestine 1945 - '48 (The reason for the departure of the British Armed Services, and the disbandment of the mainly British manned Palestine Police was the end of the British Mandate over Palestine. This had begun in 1920, when the Sykes/Picot Agreement divided the Ottoman Empire between Britain and France as part of the peace settlement which ended WW1);
Libya (to circa 1970);
Iraq (to 1958);
Burma 1945 - '48;
India 1945 - '47. (In both Burma and India, the British left when the countries became independent);
Aden Riots 1947;
Gold Coast Riots 1947;
Malaya 1948 - '60;
Berlin Airlift 1948 - '49 (Operation Plainfare);
Singapore (Hartog Riots) circa 1948; (By 1972, the Armed Services had withdrawn from all bases East of The Suez Canal with the exception of Hong Kong);
Bomb and Mine Clearance 1945 - '49 (UK);
Bomb and Mine Clearance 1945 - '55 (Mediterranean);
Bomb and Mine Clearance 1945 - '53 (RN);
Minesweeping 1945 - '51 East Indies, SW Pacific, China Coast, Mediterranean, Gibraltar area, NW Europe, UK, Red Sea, Greek Waters);
Eritrea 1948 - '51;
Northern Ireland 1948 - '50;
Yangtse River, China 1949 (HM Ships Amethyst, Consort, London, and Black Swan), (This action occurred in April 1949 towards the end of the Chinese Civil War. Until 1949, the Royal Navy still maintained ships on the China Station);
Korea 1950 - '53;
Egypt 1950 - '54 (Sweet Water Canal Riots);
United Arab Emirates 1951;
Aqaba 1951;
British Honduras/Belize;
Kenya 1952 - '56;
Berlin Food Riots (June 1953);
British Guiana (1953 - '64);
Aden;
Cyprus;
Near East;
Berlin 1955;
Singapore 1955;
Burami Oasis 1955;
Suez 1956 (Operation Musketeer);
Bahrain 1956;
Hong Kong 1956;
Arabian Peninsular 1957 - '60;
Oman 1958 - '60;
Northern Ireland 1958 - '60;
Cod War 1958-'59 (RN);
Nassau;
Aden;
Jordan;
Lebanon;
Gan Riots 1959;
Bahamas Patrol 1959-'73 (RN);
Malaya 1960;
Jamaica;
Cameroons; 1960;
Zanzibar 1961;
Operation Vantage (Kuwait 1961);
Berlin 1961, (This deployment was in August 1961, when both the Soviets and East Germans were engaged in the construction of The Berlin Wall;
Brunei Revolt 1962;
Sarawak;
British Guiana 1962 (RN);
Borneo 1962 - '66;
Brunei (One Gurkha Battalion to 2000). Until 1997 this Battalion was detached from 48th Gurkha Brigade stationed in Hong Kong;
South Vietnam 1962 - '66;
Congo (UN) 1965 - circa 1993;
Swaziland 1963;
Kenyan Army Mutiny 1963;
Uganda 1963;
Tanzania;
Cyprus (UN) 1961 - 2001;
Aden;
Radfan;
South Arabia;
Malay Peninsular 1964 - '66;
Zanzibar 1963 - '64;
Beira Patrol 1965-'75 (RN);
Mauritius (Army/RN);
Bechuanaland;
Das Island;
Seychelles;
Hong Kong 1966;
Bermuda;
Hong Kong (Immigration Control) 1967 - '92.[In 1992, this function was transferred from the Army, principally the Gurkha Rifles battalions of 48th Gurkha Brigade, to the former Royal Hong Kong Police);
The sinking of The Torrey Canyon of the Scilly Isles 1967 (RN/RAF);
Jamaica 1968;
Mauritius 1968 (Army/RN);
Anguilla 1969 (Riot Control);
Northern Ireland (Operation Banner) 1969 - 2001;
Oman 1970 - '76 (Army, mainly 22nd SAS, and also The Life Guards plus necessary support elements. There was also an RN contingent);
Jamaica 1971;
Operation Khana Cascade Nepal 1973 (RAF);
Cod War 1973 (RN);
Operation Bold Guard (evacuation of Commonwealth civilians from Cyprus) 1974. (This action was undertaken in reaction to the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus), [RN/RAF];
Cod War 1975-'76 (RN);
Belize 1977 (RN);
Falkland Islands 1977 (RN. This deployment, which was in fact based on a false alarm, was undertaken by a Carrier Battle Group led by HMS Ark Royal);
Fire Brigade Strike (Winter 1977-'78);
Rhodesia/Zimbabwe (Operation Agricola. The Commonwealth Monitoring Force) 1979 - '80 (Until earlier this year, 2001, there was a British Military Training Team in Zimbabwe which left in view of the political unrest instigated by the veterans of the war against Ian Smith's UDI Government);
Industrial dispute of Winter 1978-'79 (The "Winter of Discontent");
Operation Khana Cascade '80 (Nepal, 1980, RAF);
Mine Clearance (Vietnam) 1980s;
Armilla Patrol 1980 - 2001 (RN);
New Hebrides circa 1980 (As the New Hebrides was an Anglo-French Condominium, this was a joint operation);
Falklands (Operation Corporate) 1982;
Mine Clearance (Falklands) 1982 - 2001;
Lebanon 1983;
UNIFIL (Lebanon) 1983 - '93;
Ethiopia (Operation Bushell) RAF/Army 1985;
Evacuation of South Yemen (HM Ships Boxer, Battleaxe, HM Yacht Britannia) 1985;
Persian Gulf 1990-'91 (Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm) (Operation Granby); Mine Clearance in the Persian Gulf (Operation Pinseeker) 1991;
Kurdistan 1992 (Operation Haven) (this deployment was the UK contribution to the UN Operation to establish the "safe havens" for the Kurds of Northern Iraq). [Mainly RM, FAA and RAF]; Northern Exclusion Zone Iraq 1992 - 2000 (Operation Warden);
Southern Exclusion Zone Iraq 1992 - 2000 (Operation Jural);
Cambodia (UNTAC) 1991;
Operation Vigour (Somalia 1992-'93. RAF);
Western Sahara;
Operation Martock (The evacuation of British Nationals from Luanda in November 1992. RAF);
Operation Hanwood (Croatia) 1992 - '95;
Operation Grapple Phases I-VI (Bosnia-Hercegovina) 1992 - '95 [UNPROFOR];
Operation Cheshire (Bosnia-Hercegovina) [RAF] 1992 - '95;
UNAMIR (Operation Gabriel) Rwanda 1994;
Angola 1995 UNAVEM III (Operation Chantress);
Bosnia-Hercegovina 1995 - 2001 (Operation Lodestar, Phases I and II) IFOR/SFOR;
Operation Palatine (RAF support for SFOR);
Zaire 1997;
Iraq 1998 (Operations Bolton and Desert Fox) RN/RAF;
Montserrat 1998 (Humanitarian Assistance in the immediate aftermath of the volcanic eruption.);
Operation Barwood 1998-2001 (The UK contribution to the humanitarian operation in Mozambique.) [RN/RAF];
Operation Percival (The UK contribution to the UN Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo) [Army];
Operation Harvester (The encouragement of the people of Bosnia Hercegovina living within the British Sector to hand in weapons and ammunition.) 1999-2001;
Serbia 1999 (Operation Allied Force. RAF);
Kosovo 1999 - 2001 (Operation Joint Guardian. KFOR);
Albania 1999 (Operation Agricola) AFOR, (Army) (This operation was the deployment of some of the rear echelon personnel of KFOR to take care of the sudden and large exodus of refugees expelled from Kosovo by Serbian Security Forces {VJ and MUP});
Operations Deliberate Force, Radome, and Deliberate Guard (RAF support for KFOR);
Macedonia 1999; East Timor (INTERFET), (Operation Langar) 1999, (1x company group of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles, 1x troop SBS, HMS Glasgow, and RFA Bayleaf . In this operation, HMS Glasgow undertook the role of headquarters ship; Sierra Leone 1999-2000 (Operations Turner/Basilica) (UK support and humanitarian assistance to the worsening civil war).);
Sierra Leone 2000 (Operation Palliser) (UK Tri-Service deployment to Sierra Leone to restore stability and security after UN Forces (UNAMSIL) had temporarily lost control); 10th September 2000, Operation Barras (The rescue of six Royal Irish Regiment, and one Sierra Leoneon Liaison Officer from Gberi Bana (HMS Chatham; RFA Sir Percivale, 'A' Company 1st Parachute Regiment, 1 x troop 22nd SAS, 1 x C130H Hercules, and 1 x Tristar). [I should perhaps mention that once Operation Palliser ended in June 2000, Operation Basilica resumed];
Operation Engadine (RAF Close Air Support for KFOR. Harrier GR7s at Gioia del Colle, and 1x Tristar at Ancona) 2001;
Operation Resinate (1 co ordinated deployment in the Persian Gulf which replaces Operations Bolton, Jural, and Warden) 2001;
Operation Agricola (RAF. The Support Helicopter Force supporting KFOR) 2001;
Operation Pennywort (The tri-service contribution to the campaign to eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease in the UK) Operation Fresco (Fire fighting cover on Merseyside).
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