During October 1966, B Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers, commanded by Major R H Lucas-Clements, departed Swaziland for duties with 24 Infantry Brigade during the Aden Emergency. The detachment was to be for three months during which the Company would be involved in some 25 terrorist incidents. Many terrorists favoured attacks with hand grenades and Corporal Edward Cosgrove was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for gallantry when he used his body to shield another Irish Fusilier during such an attack. His citation in the London Gazette described the circumstances:

Corporal Cosgrove is the Regimental Medical Orderly of B Company 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusiliers. Since arriving in Aden on 14th October 1966, he has accompanied Company Headquarters to the scene of many grenade and mining incidents in the Sheikh Othman and Al Mansura districts. He has always been an example of steadiness and alertness in difficult and dangerous situations. He has given first aid to at least six wounded soldiers with confidence and skill and has never let the ever constant threat of a second grenade take his mind off his main task of tending his wounded comrades. On the evening of 3rd December 1966 he was piquetting the outside of Sheikh Othman Police Station with the remainder of his landrover crew when Corporal Patton, who was also piquetting the Police Station, was wounded by a terrorist grenade. While he was tending to Corporal Patton’s wounds a second grenade was thrown at them and landed only a few yards away. Without hesitation Corporal Cosgrove shielded the wounded man with his own body to save him from further wounds. The grenade exploded and wounded Corporal Cosgrove in the leg.

(Above right, fragments of 36 Mills Grenade recovered in Aden (© IWM image EPH 9992))