Page 169 - Arabian Studies (V)

The Political Residents of Aden: Biographical Notes 159

at Bedford, and joined the Indian Army in 1902. He transferred to
the Indian Political Service in 1908 and spent the next thirty-two
years in Aden. He served as magistrate in Sheikh Othman and
during the war led a commando attack on Shuqra. He was an
expert in dealing with the Imam with whom he negotiated a Treaty
in 1933/4. He was knighted in 1934. His title was changed to Chief
Commissioner in 1932 and he became the first Governor in 1937.
His period of administration saw the Colony flourish and ‘Good
Sir Bernard’s Golden Days’ were in the troubled 1950s and 1960s
remembered with nostalgia by those fortunate enough to have
been there at the time. It was also a time of advance in the Protec­
torates and Reilly was the first chief in Aden to visit Hadhramaut.
After leaving Aden he was a member of the British Delegation to
the Refugees Conference in Bermuda in 1943 and of the Delegation
to Ethiopia in 1944. He took a special interest in matters affecting
the blind both in Aden and throughout the Commonwealth. He
continued to advise the Colonial Office on Aden matters almost
until his death in October 1966. His Aden and the Yemen (London,
1960) is a useful handbook.

I have ended these notes with Sir Bernard Reilly because details of
the careers of all his successors were still to be found in the 1977
edition of Who's Who: 1940-4, Sir John Hathorn Hall; 1944-51,
Sir Reginald Champion; 1951-6, Sir Tom Hickinbotham; 1956-60,
Sir William Luce (died 1977); 1960-3, Sir Charles Johnston; 1963-5,
Sir Kennedy Trevaskis; 1965-7, Sir Richard Turnbull; 1967, Sir
Humphrey Trevelyan.
I am most grateful to Mr T. Thomas of the India Office Records
who kindly provided information about the more obscure of the
Residents of Aden.

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