Operation Oman (2014) - full transcript

A lot of people died fighting this far away cause...

for Ibadi Muslims

in an Islamic country,

we who were there

were very happy to die for
the Sultan of Oman

because they were under
threat from Marxism.

Those of us who were out
there recognized the threat.

Not the threat to our fathers --

my father was killed fighting Nazis.

In my generation 20 years later

we were fighting Marxist aggression.



Which people forget about today.

Well the Brits had just been
chucked out of the Yemen,

and the Marxist's had a foot hold
just over the boarder in Yeman,

and they were making the big push.

At that time the Sultan of Oman had no money.

He wasn't building roads or hospitals...

and the people were in an easy state...

from being promised by Marxism...

that the world would be theirs --

if only they got rid of the Sultan.

At the time we were in his army

the 68/69 period was absolutely critical.

The S.A.S. hadn't arrived out there.

The Jordanians, the Iranians



had not started giving
any help to the Sultan.

Where as Russia and China

were helping the opposition
to sweep into the Oman.

It was very much a thin red line

or rather a khaki line
during the 1969 period.

When we were ambushing these guys

in the middle of nowhere heavily
outnumbered

and the fact that we were doing
that and quite a few of us were killed --

I think is worthy of being remembered

and this film helps that happen.

I'm really supportive of the
Operation Oman film.

I think it's a wonderful idea.

It's got the right sort of people explaining it.

I think it's a wonderful film

and I hope it reaches a very wide public

over the next year or two.

Only those have been to Dhofar can fully
appreciate the severity of the conditions

in which the polyglot force thought and flew;
at times extreme heat;

at others cold, wet, permanent cloud;
and rugged terrain,

the equal of which it would be hard to find anywhere...

Those who fought there, including those
who were wounded or died,

did not fight in vain.
Michael Carver - Field Marshal

The whole of the Dhofar war is
almost unknown in British military history.

At the time we had quite a left-wing
Labour government in the UK

and to appear to be supporting a war

for a monarchist regime on the one hand

whilst at the same time moving out
of the British bases in Sharjah

closing down the Trucial Oman Scouts

getting out of the whole region
was almost politically unacceptable.

Fortunately for the government

it was the height of the Vietnam War

the world focus was on Vietnam.

In 1969 the Vietnam War was
into its fourth year.

The American and South Vietnamese Armies

fought to protect south

from the spread of the Communist
controlled north.

For the first time

the realities of war were broadcast
directly into peoples living rooms.

The conscription divided
the American nation.

Protesters lined the streets of Washington DC

while the world watched.

But at the same time...

in a secluded part of the gulf...

a different kind of war was brewing.

In 1969

Sultan Said bin Taimur

invited the British Government
to help him crush an uprising

an uprising of Communist backed rebels

in the Dhofar region of Oman

The Dhofar Liberation Front

angered by the Sultan's neglect
of the Dhofari people

threatened to rise up against him.

Enjoying the full support of China...

the Dhofar Liberation Front
were well-financed,

well armed

and posed a genuine threat
to stability of the region.

I was aged 23 when I got out there.

I had no real idea,

because it was very
difficult to find books

that actually talked about Oman.

apart from old history books.

I think that the British government
was probably frightened

As were others

especially those in the Gulf
that Communism could spread

If Oman had fallen I suspect it would've
been a bit like the domino theory

with various other countries
falling to Communism.

They basically controlled the Yemen

and if they could defeat the
Sultan and depose him...

they would control Dhofar

and they would control Oman.

At the same time they would
control the Straits of Hormuz

where most of the world's oil travels

It's a very narrow waterway

so if you can control the
southern end of it -

you basically control the whole thing

because you can stop
anything coming through.

Said bin Taimur was absolute
ruler of Oman.

Fearing in progress he had held
Oman back from the rest of the world.

Medical care and education
were extremely limited

and if an ordinary citizen
left the country

to seek education abroad they
were not allowed to return.

We're talking of a country
that you almost expected

Jesus Christ to come over
the hill on a donkey.

It was so behind everywhere.

I mean there was nothing.

There were no hospitals.

There were very few schools.

In Muscat and Mutrah there were shops...

but they were souq type shops

it was a very, very primitive country.

To be honest, when I went
out there

although I didn't know it at the time,

the war was lost to all
intents and purposes

and what had to happen was,
really the Sultan had to go.

(COL Ball) The country was feudal

Said bin Taimur was the only one
who knew what going on

and he did not want progress.

The Sultan’s only son -

Prince Qaboos bin Said

was accepted into the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Once his military service
was complete...

the Prince returned home
a virtual prisoner.

Influenced by the West,

Qaboos wished to modernise
and educate the Omani people.

He had no choice but
to overthrow his father.

British involvement in the coup
has always been implied

but never proven.

The evidence, such as it is, with
various aircraft being on hand

to fly people in and out...

there must be some
element of collision.

Equally stories of the
Sultan Said bin Taimur

being armed and shooting his way out...

whether they're boys own stories

or apocryphal stories I really don't know
but they make good telling etc.

But I think the key thing is...

it was peaceful

and it was accepted

in fact there was much rejoicing

because quite clearly if Sultan Said bin Taimur
stayed in the country

I suspect that events would not
have turned out as they have now.

(Maj Austin) As soon as he
arrived on the scene

the first thing he did
was to give an amnesty

to all those people on the Jebel
who were fighting him.

Desert Regiment, which were in
Dhofar at the time

were basically told to stop
big time operations.

Especially when the people
on the mountains, on the Jebel,

saw the transformation that was taking place

and how education and general freedom
was being allowed.

And that nipped people like
Mussalim bin Nafl in the bud

because they had nothing
more to fight for.

In the same time because of the
Russians and the Chinese

helping out from the Yemen side

people were taken to Peking
and Moscow and trained

and these were the hard core
Communists

who then took up the mantle from the D.L.F

and called themselves
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman.

They were much more hard core
and wanted to fight.

They didn't really care, as far as they
were concerned,

they wanted to overthrow Dhofar,

take Oman and then control
the Straits of Hormuz.

When Qaboos took over

I think it was quite a shock

for the Popular Front organisation

because suddenly here
was a ruler who was saying

I understand your grievances.

I believe they are genuine grievances

and I'm going to do something about it.

(Col Ball) There were places like the
Abu Dhabi Defence Force.

There was the Trucial Oman Scouts
and they paid a great deal more.

So the first thing you were
going to get was

somebody who was attracted to
the Sultan's Armed Forces

wasn't going there for the money

he was going there for the adventure.

Places like Aden had finished.

Remember there were quite a
few mercenary is in Africa,

the Congo etc and all these
were dying down.

Well if you are a mercenary...

because after all that
is what a Contract Officer is

you are still looking for places
where you can find action.

Most mercenaries don't go there for money

so I think that is why...

the Sultan's Armed Forces
attracted those people.

There were some nutters as well I will admit

but we needn't to go there.

Well it was all hard work.

I mean there are apocryphal stories
that one could tell of various people.

People who were never sober

and I'm going to get myself into big,
big trouble here.

I remember the advertisement said
23 and 35 was the age limit.

So you had a lot of staff offices there.

Who were needed obviously
for the headquarters

and we tended to look
slightly down on them

because one made friends, obviously
with the younger officers

-the company offices

because we were the people who
were always on the front line.

If we were in Dhofar with the people
who were actually there

and we slightly looked sideways
at the people who were not there

but sitting in the comfort
in the head quarters.

But that's every. They're called
R.E.M.Fs

in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

But nevertheless obviously
somebody has to do it.

But I have to be honest and say that
most of my friends,

who I still call friends,

are people who were actually sitting
on the front line,

and we have a certain bond together.

A message was sent to British Officers --

volunteers wanted for service in Oman.

This is to be the first time
Major Nick Ofield

has returned to Dhofar in 40 years.

He intends to return to the sites of
three major operations

that took place between 1971 and 1973.

Operations Jaguar, Cyclops and Dragon.

There's just one problem.

At the time, maps of the region
were virtually non-existent...

and since then the grid reference
system has changed.

Nick has spent a year gathering clues

and comparing them with satellite images
from Google Earth

and his diary.

It's not going to be easy.

I think part of me has always
wanted to come back.

It's the time of my life,

when I look back,

where I felt really alive.

Difficult to describe.

With a tremendous group of people.

If they said they were going to
do something-it was done.

Your life was in their hands.

Their life was in your hands.

You trust them implicitly.

People who did not perform did not remain.

Later on in life...

I found, working in some major corporations,

that this was not necessarily the truth.

People were out for themselves...

and as much as one spoke about "teamwork"

or "team building"

that really was spoken very
much tongue in cheek.

Whereas in working in Dhofar
in S.A.F. those were real teams

This is about all the remains of the
traditional old Souq.

40 or 50 years ago this would be the
main commercial center of the village

and this is typical of all the Souqs,

in all the villages and towns
in northern Oman.

The Souq would be open from
8 o'clock in the morning

till perhaps 12 o'clock.

Then they would close during the heat of the day

and would open up again,
after prayers in the evening,

round about 5:30 and then stay open...

with the lights hanging down
till 8 or 9 o'clock at night.

As far as I know,

it's probably the only remaining
example in northern Oman.

If this was cleaned up.

The rubbish taken out,

and everything was left as it was,

washed and then sprayed...

wouldn't it be bloody marvellous.

Another 20 years...

4 or 5 more rain storms and
this will all be washed away.

Here was this little secret war
that nobody knew about

and these young men,

because they were,

everybody was 24, 25, 26 that sort of age

were getting killed here.

Its only because of their fighting,

their command, their clearing
of the enemy, the Adoo,

that the country was able to develop.

Had they not cleared the
enemy out of here...

the country could not have
developed to the way that it has.

So there is that feeling for them -

a group of people who are
totally and utterly overlooked.

In some way...

coming back is also a method of being
able to pay my respects to these people.

First on Nick's list is a position
that was known as "Water Hole."

The Dhofar region for 5 months
out of the year...

was covered in dense fog and scrub

adding to the already difficult terrain.

With limited instrumentation the jets
and helicopters couldn't fly.

It was hot and humid causing
clothing to rot

and metal would rust almost over night.

Visibility could alter between 500 yards
and 15 in a matter of minutes.

It was slippery underfoot and
boots wore out in weeks.

The British Army had a lot of
experience in hot climates

from being in India for years and years.

North Africa in the desert
during World War 2...

and afterwards in the Gulf.

It's just a matter of essentially...

drinking when you wish to drink.

When you feel thirsty...

but remembering you've only got a
certain amount of water,

water which is what you could carry.

We never followed this modern trend
of people saying...

"I must get hydrated," and ordering
people to drink on the spot.

We never found that necessary.

We took plenty of salt with our meals.

As much as we could.

You would carry with you a
Parker to wear at night.

So sometimes you would move out
at night time in your shirtsleeves.

You would stop and put on
a jacket or sweater...

and wrap a scarf around you...

and then just before dawn you
have to take it all off again

because it was getting very very hot.

In the morning you would turn
your boots upside down

and bang them just to
check there weren't...

any Camel Spiders or
Scorpions inside them.

Before you went to bed at night

you shook your sleeping bag to
make sure you didn't have any visitors.

If you were caught you didn't expect
to survive

and [redacted] who was the Guardsman

had his thoat cut

when he was captured in
1971 I think it was.

He'd had his foot blown off

when RPG round his commando carrier

and the others retreated
and left him behind.

After a couple of hours we went back

to try and pick him up and get him out.

The other side by then had got him

and [redacted] was a big fellow.

I'm told that...

as our side came
up to try and rescue him

they cut his throat and left him.

So we pick the body up yes...

but if were captured you didn't
expect to survive.

(Maj Ofield's Diary)
Mike had a contact on patrol at 10:45.

The camp came under fire at the same time.

After the first shot everyone was
firing in all directions.

Only one person claims have
actually seen the enemy.

CPL Murad said he saw 7 down
by the Water Hole.

If only we had a few grenades.

Now very cold in the early morning.

The wind blows all day kicking up dust.

It's becoming a bit unpleasant.

(Maj Austin) In August 69 when the
Communists got the upper hand and started...

bringing heavy weapons in

they hit is really hard.

So basically it ended up with S.A.F.
having to move off the mountains

especially in the monsoon period and
control the plain and the rebels,

the Adoo controlled the mountains.

Really to make any progress
we need to get onto the Jebel,

which we have been doing,

but we needed to stay there

and that was how Operation Jaguar started.

Each village had a Communist type
cell in it with an informer.

Nobody would know who
the informer was.

So the Communist group of five

or six people might walk into a village,

call everyone together...

and walk up and shoot somebody

and say that's because he walked out,

he left yesterday and he went
to such and such a place --

we've told you not to move out of here.

So everything was very much controlled.

The idea was to tell the locals -

we're coming on to the mountains.

We are going to stay on the mountains...

and were going to make
the mountains safe for you.

This had been one of
the enemies refueling points

where they could get water

so it was decided that we would
sit on the Water Hole.

Not an ideal position

because we were surrounded
by a number of hills.

(Maj Ofield) The first position
that was set up

was at a place called
"Madinat al Haq"

which means the town of
truth or the town of enlightenment.

This was chosen because

it was the territorial junction

of about five of the main tribes

so the Sultan was not
showing any favoritism

by starting at there.

The Army, with the S.A.S.

moved up, secured the place.

Cleared these boulders that
you see all around us.

Painted one lot white.

Said there is an air strip
now get a plane in

and the first plane was flown
in by Chalky White

and was always known by the
Army and everybody else as White City.

(Col Ball) We were under
command of Special Forces

but we were separated by miles

and essentially we were on our own.

I'd sit down with Nick (Ofield) and
say where shall we go and to patrol today?

You would listen to what the
Firqa would tell you.

You were listening to intelligence --

Intelligence, no that's rubbish,
it was information that's coming in.

They would tell you we think they're
going to move from here to there

so you would lay an ambush.

No we made it up as we went along.

Normally on Operation Jaguar

you would have
basically sporadic attacks

throughout the day...

but they would always give
you a hammering at last light.

Because they realized the Jets,

if they were summoned up from Salalah,

couldn't get up in time

and they would be able to get away

under cover of darkness.

So normally just before last light
there would be some sort of attack

and it was a furious amount
of machine-gun fire

and mortar rounds and what have you.

You were normally looking
to the setting sun

so it was difficult to see where
the fire was actually coming from.

The reaction of everybody was
basically to go to ground and don't get up

and I suddenly realized that actually

I had to do something about it.

My mouth was dry,

I found it difficult to talk on the radio

and then your training kicks in

and you start to move and
you start to coordinate etc.

It was the first time I had
been under fire as well.

(Maj Austin) A lot of the enemy were
trained by the Trucial Oman Scouts

and there were one of two of them
who were bloody good

and they could drop a bomb
on target first round in.

Which meant that if you weren't
under some sort of cover...

there was a good chance of getting
hit by shrapnel or what have you.

(Col Ball) To come under fire from
mortars is not pleasant

because you don't know where
they're going to land

and I know that sounds
silly but you don't.

You know that they're coming in and you
know that 40 seconds later

something is going to explode.

A Sangar could be no protection

if it lands on top of a Sangar

or in a Sangar you know that's the end.

Ever since that action, and I came
under mortar fire lots of other times,

I could never control my knees.

It wasn't that I was afraid --

but when I heard that boom, boom
in the background

my knees would start to go.

The sort of wound you get for mortar...

depends on how big a piece of
shrapnel hits you

and where it hits you.

The bombs are designed to break up

into as many small pieces as possible

and work within a radius of
something like 50 meters.

When you adjusted fire with the mortar

you would tend to adjust
in leaps of 25 meters

once you were on target

to spread it around.

But a steel fragment from at mortar

at 25 or 30 yards...

steel helmet is no protection

and it would go through steel helmet.

It's the most horrific thing
of being of being under fire.

Rifle-fire or machine-gun fire
it's coming straight at you.

You can get down. You can avoid it.

But when it's coming straight
on top of you it's very difficult,

very difficult and you could
be under barrage for hours at a time.

You wouldn't get them all at once.

You would get them every 4 or 5 minutes.

Another cough,

then another cough,

then another cough

and all the time they were aiming at you

and you knew they would land
within 100 square meters.

But no, I think that's the
most frightening thing.

(Maj Ofield's Diary) We just started to
come back when the enemy opened up.

I panicked for a second and
all I could send was...

Contact. Wait. Out.

The signaller was trying to
get away from the ridge...

and I was trying to get closer
to see the enemy.

So we ran out of flex on the radio.

Most of the platoon went to pieces

especially the gun who was
firing without aiming.

Still, I've now been properly
bloodied so Mike is happy.

There was another small-arms attack at
1900 or was it just a nervous century?

I went out to set a trip flare in
front of the position.

I had problems getting to sleep
because I was too warm...

but now writing this it is very cold.

Yeah it all looks the same now.

Straight in front of us, running
away should be a small Wadi

that runs up into the position.

It was the only place that was
not properly covered.

Now there were no instances
of the enemy...

creeping into a position at night time

It wasn't Vietnam.

So we weren't overly bothered.

Then they crept into a
Northern Frontier position

in the Khareef, in the
mist - in the monsoon

and fired from about 5 yards away

and two of our guys got it in the neck.

So I took a patrol out one night
to put a trip flare down in that Wadi,

but what would be absolutely fantastic...

is to see if those trip flare
pickets are still there.

and I think we could probably
go and have a look at that.

That would be something
absolutely incredible.

Go to the left of this tree,
go out about 4000 yards,

to where there is a lone tree up there.

On several occasions the enemy used to
come and set up a 75mm recoil-less rifle

and fire at us from there.

You would see them setting it up.

You would see them firing it.

It used to take about 35 seconds for
the round to come and land here.

Many of them landed on the
left hand side of the position.

But as soon as we saw them fire--

we used to open up with our mortars
and put a line of smoke in between us.

On the assumption that if they couldn't
see where their shells were landing...

they couldn't adjust.

(Maj Austin) We couldn't dig
down because of the rock,

so you had to build up.

Which meant travelling out getting
as big rocks as you can

so that you could make
some sort of protection.

And it was nearly all round protection...

because you never quite knew if
they might be coming up behind you,

left or right flank.

as opposed to coming in front

So you had to have some
sort of all-round protection.

They didn't like us
being at the Water Hole.

They had what they called "Prayers"
every day down in Umm al Gwarif.

People came in and told what was
happening in their sector the day before.

It used to go --

Mughsayl?
Nothing.

Adonib?
Nothing.

White City?
Nothing.

Jibjat?
Nothing.

Water Hole?

They were attacked by small-arms fire
at 7 o'clock in the morning.

They had an R.C.L. attack at 12 o'clock.

They had another attack at 3 o'clock...

and this went on for almost 2 months.

That the place then, I won't say
that it was famous,

but every new small troop of
SAS that came through

came up to say "hello" and
say "oh this is where it's all happening,"

although they had plenty of
other stuff to do.

(Maj Ofield's Diary) The Adoo put in a good
small-arms attack

from the west at 1700.

It caught us by surprise.

Attacked again at 10:45
Mazook seriously wounded.

6th of January, camp attacked 4 times.

Saw 3 Adoo and opened fire.

This was good, first time we've
seen them before they've seen us.

That's a tail-fin from one of our
81 mm mortar bombs.

1970.

Do we bag it and tag it?

I'm not sure about getting
these on the aeroplane.

I'll put it there and pick it
up on the way back.

Its day 3 at Water Hole

and so far Nick has been
unable to find his trip flare.

I was so sure I could come back
here - I know it's here.

I can't see there being
any possibility now.

I wouldn't have put it this high.

So disappointed because I've
been thinking about this for years

and years and years.

About being able to come back
and find it again.

Someone has built a bloody
house across it.

This is the typical old style
Jabali house.

They put the branches, the roof up.

We made the hill safe for them

and they had nothing to fear
of being out here.

Fuck.

I suppose there is a degree
of mental satisfaction...

that I was able to go and pick
out the spot where I'd put it.

That's not bad going is it?

The Army's continued presence
on the mountain --

convinced the civilian population
that they were here to stay.

Large numbers of the enemy surrendered.

The commanders now turned
their attention to a new prize.

South of the Madinat al Haq
was the Wadi Darbat.

A well known enemy stores area.

A few years previously,
Jordanian Special Forces

had tried to clear the Darbat

but had been forced to withdraw
after suffering heavy casualties.

Dominating the high peaks
over looking the Darbat...

the enemy could observe for miles around,

and its steep slopes hindered any attack.

If they were to be successful --

forces loyal to the Sultan would
have to take the high ground.

It was planned that combined force
of S.A.F, S.A.S, and Firqa,

would try to take the
west side of the Darbat.

In what would become known
as Operation Cyclops.

(Maj Ofield's Diary) 21st of January,

moved from White City
to new location.

Arrived at first light and
had a fierce fight with the Adoo.

Consolidated the position, built
mortars and moved out at 0400

to the Wadi Jasire nearby.

Contacted with 3 groups of
Adoo on our side.

Got well and truly pinned down.

Jim had to do a fighting withdraw
because of lots of harassing fire.

There is obviously a large group
of Adoo in the area.

(Maj Ofield) Operation Cyclops -

the idea was to move south
from Madinat al Huq,

down the west side of the Wadi Darbat

and move the enemy away from it.

Quite a large significant number of
enemy militia had surrendered

and come onto our side

this was the start of the Firqas -
the local militia.

People are pardoned
they came and joined the Firqa.

I had under command,

when I was at a place
called Mugshal,

the Socotrans.

Socotra is an island off Yemen

and they changed sides.

So this was the big hearts
and minds stuff coming in.

Probably about
100-200 something like that

had surrendered in late 70 early 71.

They set about putting together a force...

that would act as trackers, spies,

who had families on the Jebel...

knew what the enemy were all about
and where they were going.

So what you were doing was
hitting the Adoo from within almost.

And to be honest,

at the end of the day,

the Firqa as they were called,

won the war.

(Maj Ofield) The Firqa have never
had anything in their lives

and now suddenly found they
could get everything.

The actual walk across was
delayed for 24 hours

because the Firqa refused
to come across the Darbat...

unless all their kit was flown
over by helicopter afterwards

and after 24 hours
negotiation it was agreed.

So when I say what about flying
2 Companies kit across?

The response was - "we haven't
got enough helicopter for that."

So my 120 guys walked across

carrying all their packs, bedding, rifles,

ammunition, cooking equipment -
the whole lot

and the Firqa carried their rifles
and then they had all the heavy kit...

flown over the next day.

But of course it's difficult.

What do you do?

Tell the Firqa get lost?

Then the Firqa don't come with you

and they're the people who
really knew the ground.

The Firqa knew every
track, trail, blade of grass-you name it.

They operated there.

It was their area, their tribal area
in most cases.

So they knew everybody,
everything and the Wadis.

So they were ideal guides and
intelligence people.

(Maj Ofield) The Jebalis were
really hedging their bets.

So there would often be one
member of the family in the Firqa...

and another member of the
family still working with the Adoo

because they were just really
waiting to see how things turned out.

(Maj Austin) They knew each other.

They knew each other tactics.

They knew where they went.

They had cousins, uncles and aunts...

on the other side as well
as working with them.

They were based in there tribal area.

But if they knew that their brother
was on the other side...

they would tend to back off a little bit.

You're hoping to bring him over to
your side because

when you surrendered...

and you bought a weapon
with you you got a reward.

If you found other the weapons
you got more reward.

So there was an incentive
all the time to...

bring their brothers and cousins and
what have you over to the Sultan's side

and equally to find any arms cash
because everything was worth something.

After several days of
contacts and fierce fire-fights

the enemy retreated across the
Darbat to the eastern heights.

The decision was made to follow them.

2 Company the Jebel regiment, assisted
by a small group of SAS and Firka

crossed the Darbat in the dead of night,
setting up position on the east side.

(Maj Ofield) We started to
build our Sangars

and there was a cry of "incomers"

followed by boom, boom,
boom, boom, boom

and 6 mortar rounds went
straight through the position.

The fire was so accurate that it was
impractical to remain there

and in discussion with the O.C.
of the S.A.S.

we decided we would turn south

and move down to the mouth of the Darbat

We moved about 3000 yards
down to the south.

Once we had secured both banks we
were able to send in our own troops.

In fact it was the Firqa

because the Firqa were rewarded for
anything that they found

and a lot of them knew where the stuff
was hidden anyway because they hid it.

Once the stores and all the
caves had been cleared out...

the enemy remaining here only
really had what they could carry.

So it essentially finalized the security
of the eastern area of the Jebel.

The insurgency was Communist lead

and one of the things that
they were pushing

was the fact that there was no god.

In fact Islam wasn't really anything
and Communism was great.

This was a thing that upsets an
awful lot of the local people.

Which is why one of the first
things when the survey teams did

was to build them a little Mosque,

get the Koranic schools set up,

religion means a lot to them.

But in the eight years that I ended
up in the Omani forces

there was never an incident,
to my knowledge,

where there was any clash...

which had a religious cause.

(Maj Austin )There has to
be a degree of trust.

Plus you have to be aware of who
you are fighting with...

and who you are fighting against.

Its most important that if
you're in a country

which is inhabited by people who are a
different religion from you -

you have to conform.

You cannot ride roughshod
over them or anything like that.

People just accepted
we were Christians.

We accepted that they
were Muslims.

You just be sitting there
talking to somebody,

you'd hear the call to prayers

and he would get up
and go to prayers -

you just accept that that was
part of the normal routine...

and he would accept that
you didn't go to prayers.

Any radical element any religion,

or sect or whatever it is,

they become the enemy

because they are the ones who
are actually doing things to us.

but there are many many Muslims

in this country and other countries
who don't take part in these things.

I think it's too general term to
say they are the enemy

I don't buy that whatsoever.

The tribes in this area felt that the
Wadi Darbat was secure

so we were no longer required.

We had then been on the mountains
continuously for nearly 6 months.

So it was time for us to go...

and we walked off.

We are expected to carry all our gear

after six months on the mountain

and it was a 7 hour
walk down onto the plains

where they sent lorries for us
to drive us into Salalah.

And I really felt that was a
demonstration of the army

being at the poor end of the supplies.

The SAS the Firqa got helicopter
around most of the time,

anywhere they wanted.

In fact I was extremely irate
and told the Colonel so.

After six months on operation

they couldn't just fly the
lads off the mountain

and made the march down
with all their gear.

That was not much of a reward for them.

But that was somewhat rather typical.

They seemed to think it was
good for spirit.

It did rather remind you of
reading stories of World War I

with the Staff Officer sitting 20 miles
behind enemy lines.

The odd person would fly up here and say

"I'm sorry I can't stay they're having
roast duckling in the mess tonight."

When you're thinking oh god not
tinned stew again for the 56th time.

By the end of 1972

The area of the Jebel to the north
and east of Salalah town

was controlled by the Sultan's forces

and civil development teams were
making great advances.

The opening of a position at Sarfait
the the Yemen boarder

had effectively cut off fresh
supplies to the Adoo

and it was considered time to deal
with them in the central region.

(Major Austin) The operation was
1 Company Jebel Regiment

with attached mortars and nothing else.

No artillery, no nothing.

We were told we were going to
go and do this operation.

Paul said "I don't like it"

"but we going to go down there"

"and we going to patrol out"

"until we hit something."

And I'll tell you what -

I was shitting myself.

You don't go into a hornets nest
with so little protection.

One of the members of a patrol trod
on antipersonnel mine.

(Major Austin) I heard a muffled
shout and then bang.

The guy had lost his leg.

Lost his bollocks.

He'd lost part of his hands and
what have you.

The shit hit the fan

big time.

Everything happened at once.

We had mortars in.

We had RPG 7s screaming in.

We had heavy machine gun,

light machine gun,

rifle fire.

I'll never forget running and seeing
the ground spurting up alongside me

in front of me and behind me
as somebody just ranged in.

(Major Ofield) We were coming across
airburst weapons

which we had never met before.

Which if they hadn't hit a target
exploded after a certain time.

So they were firing these into the
air above us and these were exploding.

(Major Austin) My signaller was wounded
when an RPG 7 went off over our heads.

I was laying alongside him

and I could see bullet holes appearing
in his radio set.

Suddenly then he said I've been hit

and he was hit in the leg by some
shrapnel from the RPG 7.

It was pretty obvious that the
enemy was in great strength 30 - 40.

Very well directed.

Very well armed

and of course within less than 1000 yards
of their main arms and supplies

they were in a better supply position
in fact than we were.

I was saying to Paul...

"I haven't got any air panels"

"but can you fire, from the main base"

"some smoke rounds or white phosphorus
to denote approximately where they are?"

and then we can get the jets
to come in and do some work.

In the meantime

on my National Radio this voice
was saying to me

"oh no no no no"

which was the other side talking to me.

So I had no communications apart from
this thing which was obviously compromised

because somebody was listening
and talking.

Anyway Paul managed to talk to the
guys upstairs

and they came in and dropped
bombs in front of us.

Okay I was in the shit big-time.

The platoon basically run out
of ammunition.

We also lost 16 wounded out of 24.

Helicopters in the meantime
were coming in

and getting people out under fire.

It was incredible.

They were so brave.

There's a guy called Mike Hall

who I remember came in time after time.

(Major Ofield) I flew in
with my orders group

so they could be shown where to go.

We debated whether or
not additional troops...

would be an advantage or disadvantage.

The area we occupied was so small we
felt that it will be a disadvantage.

Paul wanted to see how the
battle developed.

Yesterday with the sun coming from the
other side it looked so perfect and easy

and we get here this morning

and it all looks different.

I still can't bring myself
to walk on tracks.

I know it's a camel track and
it's 40 years ago.

There's been nothing down here.

But the bloody Iranians sewed
mines like God knows what.

That's the position down there.

Right at the end of that Wadi
going up the slope.

Just this side of the crest line...

was the initial contact point
where we were pin down.

They came down the north side of
this ridge in front of us

but they had to clear the ridge
at the same time

to make sure no enemy were in there.

And of course being followed
all the time up to here.

With the enemy following them
on to the ridge line behind.

But this is well within mortar range...

and they were heavily mortared...

while on the top of this hill.

As you can see there is no cover.

It's just the nature of the ground
we were fighting over.

(Maj Austin) I remember
I was so shattered -

there were about six of us
and we just walked.

We didn't pepperpot.

We just walked. There was probably
a lull in the firing...

because they'd seen that we
were leaving.

I remember we just walked gently...

from where we were in the dead ground

up the forward slope to the position

and occasionally we'd get a shot

or you see the bullet spurt

but we were so knackered that we
didn't give a stuff

what was happening at the time,

we just wondered.

We weren't trying to be tactical anything.

We got there and the first person
who met me was my orderly

and I said "Wahid"

"where the **** were you!?"

"Oh Sab" he said, "here is a cup of tea."

And I said "Wahid you, you
my friend"... whatever.

Anyway I had the cup of tea.

Went to speak to Paul.

Paul was under 'Lone Tree'

which is the only tree in that area,
with his signaller

and he said

"Mike this is the worst day of my life."

And I said
"come on, come on chap we're are okay."

Paul in the meantime was rushing around.

I remember a bomb or something...

landed very close to the tree
that he was sitting under

and he came dashing out from the tree

dragging the radio by the handset only

it was dragging on the ground behind him.

I think his signaller had
just been killed.

I don't know... about half three...

a couple of bombs came in.

I heard them.

I don't think he did.

I heard them in the distance

and sort of went like that.

They landed very close.

Within 10 or 15 meters.

and then somebody
came in and said...

"Mike, Major Sab has been hit,"

and

Paul was lying there.

Oh he was a character.

He was a character.

He was very opinionated.

He was actually a delight.

Him being alive right now...

he'd been godfather to one of my
kids or something like that.

If he'd been alive now he'd probably
been in command of the S.A.S

Commander of Special Forces
and what have you.

He was not only very efficient,

well respected,

but also very popular

and it was very tragic when he was killed.

In fact one of the main objectives
in coming down to this position

is to leave a marker

in Paul's memory

in the place where he fell.

(Maj Austin) The helicopter pilots
did a marvellous job.

The Air Force guys, the jets
did a fantastic job.

Some of them were hit.

But they got as close as they could,

because they didn't know
exactly where we were.

By the time I last little group
was ready to leave...

it was almost completely dark.

You still had this little afterglow
of the sun going down.

The helicopter that had flown
in to take us out...

but at anything below 5 knots

I understand their
instruments didn't work.

So they couldn't hover...

and they didn't know quite
where we were.

Now A) we didn't have any torches with us

and B) we probably didn't feel
like flashing torches...

round because we were still imagining

that the enemy were
now creeping up on us

because whatever happened

it's obvious they would come and
search the position afterwards.

At that time almost everybody smoked.

and myself and the Colonel and a
couple of gunners...

lit three cigarettes each and laid back
puffing the cigarettes

creating little glows up in the
sky in a circle.

Which the helicopter pilot
was able to see

and finally he was able to see
those and came to us.

Until we could reach up and
get hold of the skids

and guid him down to the ground.

We got back and I remember...

the New Seekers had a CD
out at the time.

I think it was the only one I had.

And I remember listening to
'All My World's A Circle,'

for minute after minute after minute.

It was the only thing I could
hear after all the noise

and god knows what else and
trying to unwind.

That was a bad day.

I started going grey.

A very bad day.

But I'd love to go back and
visit the site.

See if I remember anything...

and just go back and walk the ground.

That would be my ideal.

Who knows maybe someone
will pass this way again.

Yeah okay.

It happens. You know.

Shit happens.

You've just got to get over it, move on.

I've only done that in a limited way.

These boys in Afghanistan...

I've had to meet bodies coming back.

and sit with their families and
that sort of thing

and in life has to go on.

You remember them.

but you still got a job to do and
you've got to get on with it.

Much the same as in Oman to
be honest with you -

just get on with it.

On December 2, 1975

the Commander Sultan's Armed Forces

advised His Majesty Sultan Qaboos

that "Dhofar was free for
civil development."

The war was over.

(Major Ofield) Coming back to Oman
for the first time in 40 years

has filled me full of different emotions.

To see the development is
absolutely incredible.

It's a totally unrecognisable.

New houses

farms

obviously tremendous development
on the Jebel and on the plain.

Part of me is a little disappointed

because aspects of the beauty of Oman
have disappeared under this development.

I feel a bit of a loss

for the absolute peace and quiet
that used to be here

because now there are roads everywhere.

Everyone has cars.

I think obviously it's been a tremendous
benefit to the Omani people.

A little bit disappointing for
us old reactionaries...

that perhaps didn't want it to change.

(Col Ball) It was a war in which...

a small element of British troops
took part in

and I think one of the main reasons
that it will always be a slightly lost war

is because no British Soldiers,

and what I mean here is
the Private Soldiers

the Non-Commissioned Officers

a tiny proportion took part.

So it didn't get a huge exposure.

I think that's the reason why.

It's a fascinating episode in our history.

Will it ever become a major part?

No I don't think it will just as
Aden probably won't.

But to those who served there...

its a huge time of your life.

Those are my thoughts really.

I was so lucky so often.

I mean I was blown off my feet by a
mortar bomb which landed where you are.

My smock was covered in holes,
I wasn't even touched.

I've literally fell to 12.7 round go
past my cheek

and burry itself into the
sand bag behind my head.

I felt a bit...

I'd face death too many times.

I felt nothing matters any more.

You've done it you survived...

and I left actually in August 74

because we were going
back down south again...

and I felt I've been so lucky so far...

Is it going to last?

Or am I unfortunately going to
zig instead of zag

and get hit by something.

To say warfare is pointless -

this is what everybody says.

It taught me that sometimes

it is necessary to use force

to achieve and aim for the greater good.

The definition of the greater good
is up to the politicians.

Perhaps then we trusted our politicians...

more than we do now.

What did I get out of it?

A pain in the arse?

You were young, you got over it.

Lost a couple of good friends...

together with several colleagues.

But as a professional

it's something
you have to accept -

it goes with the job.

You can't say -

I only joined the army to drive a lorry

or to sit behind a desk - no.

Everybody eventually has to be
out there in the front line.

It's a true case of 'put up' or 'shut up.'

Those with the best training,

the best knowledge,

the best skills...

and a little bit of luck are
the ones that come out of it.

You go back to Oman now

you will still meet old
Soldiers who say

"ah yes Mr Mike I remember" this, that
and the other.

They're still so friendly.

They still appreciate so much,

which amazes me,

what happened 40 years ago.

The friendship which was
established in the early 70s

has carried on for 40 years.

I believe that was built by the
British seconded and contract staff

during the Dhofar war.

As soon as they know who you are,

even though they probably weren't
even born

when we were out there.

They've heard the stories they
knew who we were etc, etc.

Some of the old Generals
are still around...

but they're gracefully retired now.

Of course they remember.

But fewer and fewer are around, you know.

Like the rest of us -

we're all dropping off the perch
these days as we get older

and our memories grow dim and etc etc.

Nick has come to the end of his journey.

Here at the National Memorial Arboretum

stands a monument for soldiers
who died in the Dhofar War.

At the top of the hill

are all the names of British
service men and women

who have been killed in action

since the end of the
Second World War.

The names of those who died in the
Dhofar war are among them.

Although the Dhofar war may have
been forgotten by history,

the names of those who died

will always be remembered.

"In recognition of all those who served in

or supported the armed forces
of the Sultanate of Oman

and in memory of those who
died in that service.

Colonel Mike Ball was awarded the
‘Sultan’s Bravery Medal’

for operations in Dhofar.

Major Nick Ofield was awarded

the ’Sultan’s Distinguished
Service Medal for Gallantry.’

Major Mike Austin was awarded the
‘Sultan’s Bravery Medal’

for operations in Dhofar.

Major Paul 'Tiger' Wright was
posthumously awarded

the "Sultan's Gallantry Medal"
Oman's highest award.