Pirok & Me

Secondment to Muscat & Oman from 45 Commando in Aden -1966/7 
by John A Bailey BSc MA FRICS IRRV.

Having spent some time up Country in Aden. I was sent for by the Company Commander Capt David Quested, and asked if I would like to go to Muscat & Oman and help train the Sultans forces. Sgt Jock McCallum and Lt Hudson were also going from 45 Commando RM. Having heard about the remoteness of Oman and being told that it was like stepping back into the very distant past. I jumped at the opportunity. Oman was then described as a forbidding country of wild extremes, oven hot in the day time, when an egg could be cooked on it's volcanic rocks, and the heat sometimes reached 120 Fahrenheit. Whilst in winter the northern mountains could be freezing cold, particularly at night. The mountainous ranges with vast wadis (wide rocky dry water courses) often led to gravel coastal plains. There were no roads only motorable tracks. I was briefed about British involvement in Oman which was traced back to a call for assistance when a rebellion had broken out in central Oman. In the 1950's particularly after the Suez Crisis in 1956, Arab nationalists, encouraged by President Nasser of Egypt, put nationalistic pressures on their rulers. This added to existing unrest caused by long-standing disputes between Arabian tribes. 

The then Sultan, Said bin Talmur of Oman ruled Oman as a absolute monarch, he spoke perfect English, and was described as an small ageing recluse, who governed his country by fear. He spent most of his time away from the capital Muscat, and preferred to live in the south coastal town of Salalah situated in a largely desert province called Dhofar. Salalah was several weeks camel drive away from Muscat. A sheik Governed Dhofar on behalf of the Sultan. The Sultan was guarded by young men of African descent, and communicated with the outside world by radio telephone and through British expatriates on his staff. He rarely travelled his country, and no one was allowed to leave for fear that if they visited other countries they would demand change. He did not allow imports of transistor radios, cameras, sunglasses, dolls, cookers or other similar western goods. He was also aware that in some other developing countries, at that time, several military coups had taken place, by military leaders who had experienced western cultures. Residents of Muscat and Oman were to be denied, any such experience and every night, as they had done for the last 700 years, the gates of the city of Muscat firmly closed. Those who left the Country were unlikely to regain access. The Sultan would not allow the social improvements so desperately needed, such as health and education. He believed his country was not ready for development. He also feared educating his 555,000 people, because he thought expatriate teachers would be inclined to the left, and challenge his autocratic rule.

British interest in Muscat and Oman was attributed to the Country location and natural resources. Oil was discovered in 1964, and already 55 per cent of the free worlds oil passed the coast line of the Gulf of Oman and the Trucial States through the Strait of Hormuz, on it's way in large oil tankers to and from the Persian Gulf.

In 1955 the Imam Ghalib had seized power in the mountains, but was overthrown only to reappeared two years later to incite the hill tribes. Britain had been an ally of the Sultanate since 1798 and in the 1950's the Sultan received military advice from the British. In December 1957 a lieutenant and six senior Royal Marine NCO's from Frigates detachments in the Gulf, were sent to help train the Sultans forces. They were flown from Bahrain to Izki and immediately found themselves involved in one of the fiercest battles of the year.

In 1958 formal arrangements were made between Sultan Said bin Talmur and the British Foreign Office, which created the Sultan's Armed Forces commanded by senior British Officers.

As well as his coastal domain Sultan Said bin Talmur claimed rulership, of the mountainous interior, and styled himself the Sultan of Muscat and Oman. The Imam of the mountains, Ghalib who had refuted these claims in 1955 had in the mean time been disposed of by his brother, Talib, who had fled to South Arabia to gather his supporters. Talib returned to Oman in 1957 to stake his claim. During 1958, Talib led the tribes on Jebel Akhdar, (10,086 feet) which forms part of the vast Hajjar mountain range and known as the Green Mountain, in a revolt against the Sultan. By the end of October 1958 the Sultan had re-established control in the country, except for the mountain area of Jebel Akhdar where the rebels had withdrawn to. In January 1959 the Jebel was cleared by British forces including marines seconded to the Sultan's Army, with the assistance of 22nd SAS, who where on their way back from Malaya and faced disbandment as part of the Duncan Sandys (Minister of Defence) cuts. It has been said that the SAS remarkable feat of scaling the Jebel Akhdar and forcing the rebels to surrender probably saved the SAS from extinction. In six weeks the situation was bought under control and the rebellion petered out.

In 1962 a minor rebellion began in Dhofar with sniping at Sultan Armed Forces vehicles, and the blowing up of an oil exploration truck. Mostly minor incidents took place over the next few years including gun running at night time.

In November 1966 Sgt Jock McCallum and I were flown into Bait Al Falaj airport near Muscat and then by Landrover to the training centre about 15 miles from Muscat. Lt Hudson went to join the Sultans Navy and its one Dhow. The four battalions I was to come into contact with, were the Northern Frontier Regiment who wear green berets/shemags, Muscat Regiment who wear scarlet berets/shemags, Desert Regiment brown berets/shemags, and the very smart Oman Gendarmerie, who wear blue check shemags. The Oman Gendarmerie's task was internal policing and the prevention of smuggling and illegal immigration. It was an all-Arab force commanded by British Contract Officers. The Northern Frontier and Muscat Regiments had a similar role in other areas as well as military. These Regiments consist of Arab and Baluch soldiers. The Baluch come from Baluchistan, Parkistan, on the otherside of the Gulf of Oman. Several from Gwadar.

The rest of the Sultans Forces consisted of an Artillery Troop ( equipped with 25 pounders, 5.5 inch and 75mm guns) and the usual logistical and administrative elements, MT, Pay and Records and HQ. The Sultans Air Force consisted of Beavers and Provosts flow by seconded RAF pilots.

I spent most of my time training Junior and Senior NCO's on Command Courses in weapons and tactics. Because of the heat we started the day early and finished about 1pm whilst in camp. However like most command courses we spent quite a lot of time away on exercises in the mountainous regions. These exercises enabled NCO's to learn or practice picketing methods and procedures for calling up air support as well as carrying out ambushes. The British Officer in charge of the NCO's cadre was an army officer, Capt Festing . There were also 3 Irish Guards SNO's and 1 Para Sgt Bob Groves. There were no European women, apart from a cardboard cut out in the Sergeant's Mess!

The OC of the Training Camp was Major Sheridan who's son Guy is a well known Royal Marine Officer, and several years later I met Major Sheridan again when he was visiting his other son Tom, a teacher in Sussex. Needless to say we drew up a sand bag together and talked over old times. At the training centre, after a light lunch, you could crash out (take a nap), go swimming, climb a Jebel to take a photo of the training camp if you were mad, go fishing, or visit Muscat City. We had one day off a week and that was Friday.

Three time a week we went to the oil company base camp where Wimpeys were building the oil pipeline support facilities, and watched films flown out from the UK. The oil pipeline was being constructed and put underground to the oil field near Fahud over 100 miles away and close to the empty quarter.

Before I left Muscat Sgt Jim Driscoll Irish Guards and I took a Landrover and driver and went on a long trip through the country including visiting Nizwa, Ibri, Fahud, Buraimi Oasis, Sib, Suhar, and spent a night at Capt Ewen Tailyour's location who later received the Sultan's Bravery Medal, and went on to play an important role in the Falklands War. There were several Americans working on the pipeline and when we visited them out near the empty quarter at Fahud they treated us well including providing us with a steak meal! Which made a change from army rations and all those dates. The welding, diameter and weight of the pipeline had to take account of all sorts of different pressures, and weather conditions which the Americans explained to us in great detail during the time we stayed there. 

The local people were entirely different to those in Aden. I never heard a child beg for money and the men were very friendly towards us, and enjoyed our sense of humour. They were keen to show us their horses and camels, which they were proud of. The local women wore brightly coloured clothes. Photographing them, as elsewhere in the Arab world was out, though it was possible up country to get the odd shot, but that as far as it went.

Looking back it was a great experience and one I am glad I did not miss. I was glad to have met the Arabs and Baluch who showed me comradeship and hospitality. On my travels around the country we were always expected to stop at each town or village and were often hosted by the Whally (head man) and joined them for a meal. I still have my scarlet shemag of Muscat Regiment which I took back to Aden as a reminder of that time in Muscat and Oman. Later after we finish our tour of duty,British expatriates in Oman colluded with a group of Omani sheikhs and aristocrats who were plotting a coup against the old Sultan particularly if he would not abdicate in favour of his Sandhurst trained son Qaboos. In July 1970 one of the sheikhs walked into his office to demand his retirement. The Sultan Said bin Talmur picked up his pistol which he kept on his desk and opened fire, he wounded the sheikh, killed a servant and injured himself in the stomach. That night the Sultan agreed to go with SAS protection, and was flown by the RAF to England where he died two years later. 

One of my predecessor Sgt Jackson wrote in 1965 "The Sultanate of Muscat and Oman may turn out to be the show piece of the Persian Gulf" and whilst I have yet to return I think he is probably right.