British Army veterans who served during the Aden Emergency in the country now called Yemen, between 1963 and 1967, are being invited to take part in a major new project aimed at capturing their stories. Legasee Educational Trust, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is launching a two-year initiative that will record up to 40 high-quality video testimonies, telling the stories of the men and women who served in what has become one of the most overlooked chapters in British history.
Legasee Educational Trust, which is running the project, is a UK charity dedicated to filming and preserving the life stories of British military veterans and making them freely accessible to the public. The trust currently boasts an impressive archive of more than 700 interviews covering British military involvement from the First World War to the Gulf War.
The Aden Emergency
The Aden Emergency was one of Britain’s final and most complex conflicts of decolonisation. Fought in what is now Yemen, it saw a peak of 30,000 British service personnel deployed to combat an armed rebellion between 1963 and 1967.
Despite thousands of British servicemen and women being deployed and over 500 casualties, the Aden Emergency remains one of the country’s least understood post-war conflicts, and with many of those who served now in their late seventies and eighties, this project represents a final opportunity to record their experience. The urgent need to preserve these collective memories has been further heightened by the announced closure of Blackpool’s Aden Veterans Association’s Northern Branch in 2027.
Martin Bisiker, Founder of Legasee Educational Trust, said:
“The Aden Emergency shaped the lives of thousands of British servicemen and women, yet most people have never heard of it. Now we have a real chance to make sure their history is finally brought into the national spotlight. Thanks to the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we’re finally able to preserve these stories properly and share them with the country.”
Filmed interviews with veterans will record the memories
Filmed interviews will form the centrepiece of the project, with veterans invited to speak openly on camera about their experiences, friendships, challenges, and the long-term impact Aden had on their lives. These recordings will be added to Legasee’s free public archive, ensuring families, researchers, students, and the wider public can hear these voices for generations to come. A companion podcast series will share selected testimonies nationally, helping younger audiences connect with a conflict they may never have encountered in the classroom.
Interview days will take place in Blackpool, a town long associated with the Aden veterans’ community, having hosted their reunions for many years. The project will also safeguard decades of photographs, newsletters, and memorabilia held by the Aden Veterans Association Northern Branch, ensuring these fragile materials are preserved before the branch closes.
Copies of these materials will also be digitised and shared with Blackpool Central Library and Greater Manchester’s Imperial War Museum North, creating a lasting public resource.
A theatre production and school projects are planned as well
A wider programme of creative and educational activity will run alongside the filming, including a verbatim theatre production developed by Blackpool and The Fylde College’s School of Arts. This production will give local students the rare opportunity to work directly from primary testimony.
Schools across the area will also be invited to explore the Aden Emergency through workshops, performances, and curriculum-linked resources. A public exhibition at Blackpool Central Library and community events throughout the region will further bring this history to life.
Helen Featherstone, Director of England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We’re delighted to support this project, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, which will ensure the voices of Aden veterans are preserved for generations to come. These stories are an important part of our heritage and have remained largely unheard. This project will not only safeguard these memories on film, it will also bring people of all ages together to learn from them, reflect on them, and keep them alive within their communities.”
You can volunteer to help the project
If you would like to support this project, there are many volunteering opportunities available. Available roles include oral history interviewing, filmmaking, transcription, research, event support, and digitisation. No prior experience is needed, as all necessary training will be provided free of charge.To register as a veteran or family member, take part as a school or community group, or volunteer with the project, please visit www.Legasee.org.uk or email info@legasee.org.uk
After a press release by The Prominence Collective
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