REME in Oman with 22 SAS – 1961, Part Two

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in July 1961 and recently edited and re-submitted by Bill, now a retired Lt Colonel. This is part two of a two-part article.

Phase TwoOperation STATURE

After three days for replenishment and servicing, the troops deployed towards the Saudi frontier to prevent mines being brought in from Saudi Arabia on Camels.

I was deployed to Fahoud, a former drilling site about 75 miles from lbri with 15 men as a supply base, with two Land Rovers, a 3ton winch and a water bowser. The visiting patrols replenished with food, and fuel, which came in on a Twin Pioneer carrying 5 x 40-gallon drums. I had to send the water bowser and escort to the nearest waterhole each day, an 80-mile round trip. The VM’s were kept busy but no major faults occurred.

One problem was that men on Camels could hear a vehicle a long way away, and seek cover. The SAS therefore occasionally left two soldiers in a shell scrape for days under a camouflage net to observe and hope somebody would come past. One morning I was standing outside when I saw two figures approaching from a distance. They were two SAS men who had missed a pick up and had run out of water and food. The elder a Cpl of about 28, told me the young Trooper with him said in the small hours that he could not go on and laid down. The Cpl kicked him to get him to his feet and moving again, as he thought they may not survive another day exposed in the hot desert without water. The Camel Troop of the NFR also took part patrolling the frontier.

Another problem was that vehicles of ARAMCO, the Saudi oil company came over the frontier to take soil samples to assess the likelihood of there being oil. These were powerful 6 litre Dodge Power Wagons that could easily outrun our K9’s. We had permission from the Foreign Office to machine gun these vehicles! The Sultan also approved.

At the end of this phase the Camels had to be ridden the 75 miles back to lbri, I was detailed to do this with two SAS men, and four Arab soldiers on eight Camels, one producing milk. This took three days, a memorable experience.

Phase ThreeOperation STATURE

Phase Three was foot patrols on Jebal Akhdar where tribes supporting the rebels lived. The troops drove to Wadi Miaidan and Wadi Halfain near Nizwa and parked up, and next day climbed up the Jebal to Saiq, the main town at about 6,000ft. An NFR company was based there. That day a 3 tonner at lbri hit a mine within half a mile of the camp. Luckily it was under the rear wheel and the occupants were only given a shaking. It was possible to fit a wheel back onto the vehicle and drive it back to camp. This was done after the ground around the vehicle had been probed. Subsequently another mine, which would have been underneath the vehicle whilst it was being recovered was set off by an NFR Land Rover. At Rostaq, a RE Land Rover was blown up with fatal casualties. The SAS returned to their vehicles and drove back to lbri.

Packing up and return to Aden via Dubai

During the operation, nobody had been paid. The canteen supplied by the NMFI had sold everything on tick, and there was no local currency. I was flown to RAF Sharjah in a Twin Pioneer to collect a large sum escorted by the pay SSgt and two SAS Troopers armed with SLRs! We entered the bank; no notice was taken of the weapons as many adult males there carried a rifle. The currency was the Bahraini Dinar.

After handing in kit and vehicles the main body of the SAS flew to Bahrain on two Beverley’s on 25 March. The rear party then took down the camp and after a Beverly had taken the tentage we were ready to leave. As a final benefit to the locals who had no way of storing water except in earthenware containers: we used the welding kit to cut the top off many 40-gallon drums. Loaded them on a lorry and took them down to the to the town square. We dropped the tailboard; the drums were gone in minutes. The convoy moved off at dawn on 3 April for Sharjah. Buraimi Oasis, just over a hundred miles was reached by midafternoon. The convoy refuelled at the picturesque Fort Jahili, where a Squadron of the TOS were based. We pushed on towards Sharjah until dusk when camp was made for the night. We moved off again at dawn and due to a heavy dew and some rain a few days previously the usually challenging sand sea was crossed with little difficulty, and Sharjah was reached about three o’clock. The next day was spent stripping the 3 ton and 1/4-ton vehicles of their valuable mine plates, so they could be used by the TOS.

We sailed on the Empire Guillemot late on 9 April, after a brief stop at Muscat, we arrived in Aden on 17 April. Everyone agreed that they had had a really amazing and memorable three months in an unspoilt and beautiful country.

Reflections

Out of the 31 vehicles we had taken to Oman, four were blown up by mines; also, three vehicles of other units were blown up by mines within half a mile of our camp!

It was an amazing experience for a 21year-old 2Lt to have the leadership challenges and responsibilities that occurred during the operation. I later served two years commanding a Squadron of local troops in Abu Dhabi. I enjoyed serving in Arabia.