H.M. Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Gan in the Maldives, 1972

Collection of loose photographs, measuring 215 x 165 mm. All relate to the visit of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh to RAF Gan in the course of a tour in South East Asia and the Indian Ocean, February to March 1972. The RAF base at Gan on Addu Atoll was set up under an agreement of 1960 and remained until 1976, though the Maldives became fully independent in 1965. In 1982, the Maldives became a Special Member of the Commonwealth.
H.M.Y. 'Britannia' anchored at Gan at noon on 15 March and sailed after dinner the same day. A copy of the programme of the tour is filed with the photographs; it includes visits to the Officers' Mess, the Corporals' Club, Pakistani Camp and the Regional Medical Centre, but does not mention the tree planting ceremonies.
Numbers 1-4, 7, 9 and 10 are stamped 'Ministry of Defence OS12' and have negative numbers on the back; it seems probable that the others also belong to the same set.

Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

Given by Molly Mortimer.

Includes index.

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.

Generally in good condition.

This collection level description was entered by SG using information from the original typescript catalogue.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Ministry of Defence