It's a long shot, but I'm wondering if any readers of these posts knew my father, Shukri Asfour, who worked as a carpenter foreman for 18 months in 1953 and 1954. He was born in Palestine, but went to Lebanon in 1947/48 with my mother and my older sister. He came to Aden from Lebanon and was "one of the Levantine lads" there. He is deceased, but I just found his worker's ID badge and a Little Aden Mercury newsletter that says that he and his brothers, Sammy and John, worked there. John with the engineers and Sammy and my father as carpenters. It is the June 25, 1954 newsletter that says my father "has jumped in as an interpreter for the British/American foremen on many coccasions as he can handle seven languages with the ease of chewing gum." I love that line! I'd love to read stories about what life was like there for the men who left their families to work there and am hoping that someone knew or remembers my dear father.

Email: faystump@comcast.net

This can be log shot, there is Facebook group that deals with Aden from the past, and by god they helped me so much in find school records and other information about Aden.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/adenairways/

Join the group and post question – we have over 500 members – I hope it helps.

Regard

A Madar

Hello Fay:
When I was a teen at Little Aden from 1953 to 1954 I was very well acquainted with the team from CCC (Consolidated Contracting or Construction Company....not sure which) a Lebanese based Palestinian subcontractor.

Many's the time I spent afternoons with Kamel Abdul Rahman and his family in their compound at Little Aden, enjoying a typical Levantine meal. His children, Nadia, Abdul, Fariel and Gamla, were my friends. Abdul, a year younger than I,and a real prankster, particularly relished honoring me with that great delicacy - the eyes of the fried fish. Other times he would deposit the family pet, a small baboon named Kubla, on my lap. She was prone to "accidents" when excited, which was anytime she wanted.

When I went away to boarding school in Beirut, Kamel's right hand man, Mr. Habib Sabagh, would look in on me. I recall meals at Zahly, high above the Bekaaa Valley, in his company. At Easter time I spent two weeks with Kamel's friends Mr. and Mrs. Hadad in Ras Beirut. Lovely people.

It is quite possible that among the other guests at Kamel's Little Aden home, or on our outings, your dad was with us. I remember that on Coronation Day, Kamel rented a fishing launch and we all went out to sea, in the direction of Somalia, and fished far from shore. Would not wish to try that today.
I may have some photos of Kamel, his kids and Habib stashed away and if I can find them I shall forward them to you.
Very best wishes,
Doug Pitchford

Email: elao333@aol.com