From Corporal Paul Brabbins

I remember you from 69/70.  I was an Army Signals Corporal and worked with Geordie Patton and Bob Cummings.  I'm afraid I disgraced myself by getting drunk on sports day and falling off the ladder of the MT Sanger in full view of the snowdrops (RAF Police).  We had a poor relationship with them as they shot Joe's dog, which you referred to in your photo story.  Did you know that Joe bumped into that snowdrop on a dark night in Masirah? Your photographs took me right back to Oman.  Like you I was one of the initiates that made it possible to start an RAOB club on the camp.  Also like you I did a little bit of DJ’ing, having been offered the Latin American slot which nobody else wanted.  I can remember that just like Wogan, it was important to get the pips right.  

I started my morning show with Joe Cocker's Delta Lady just to be a noisy pest.

I have some photos of Salalah, some of them not too bad, but I have not been able to reproduce them electronically in anything bigger than thumbnail size.  You are however more than welcome to have them and use them as you see fit.

Thanks again for the nostalgic journey.

From Alan Cooper

I was the 22 year old J/T Radar Fitter, I would have worked with the Radar Sgt.; Len Hodby (think I got the last name right). September 69 to September 70; then spent my last month at Masirah on promotion to Cpl. Got my GSM a couple of years after returning from Salalah, when they acknowledged there was a campaign going on.

We went to Singapore (RAF Changi) in a VC10, which was the first to go through Masirah and the reason we got the chance of the trip. We went together with the Civvy Met-Man who was ancient (in his 30s). I have a picture of us eating at a Chinese restaurant on the X(?) floor of the International building down town Singapore. I also have pictures of you, Taff, and Bob Smith (who went back to Brize Norton after his fitters course at Locking; as I did). I have to find them and that may take some time...

The trip to Singapore should have been a weeks R&R, but a disgruntled Airman on the pan at Changi put a forklift through the fuselage of the Britannia in which we should have returned to Masirah; so the trip was extended to 10 days in order to get a replacement.

The camp pet dog, who would keep setting of the flares in no-mans-land (between the wire fences) when he would return from a night out on the tiles, was called Mungus.

When you went up to Bahrain with dysentery, I was in the local sick quarters with a milder case...

From Warrant Officer John Reed

I was the original driver of the Saracen with the rollers which actually never did hit a mine. Prior to that I drove the Wobbly Wheel which was a 10 ton truck towing a 64 wheeled water tank. Once the minesweep had been done I was then the Crane op at Raysut. Google Raysut and you wont believe how it looks now.

I introduced football to Salalah and we actually played an Omani team in the town. Our CO was Sqn Ldr Crawshaw. I was awarded the GSM Dhofar Medal in 1970. I do remember the dog being shot and the idiot being deported to Masirah. Incidentally I am in touch with Geoffrey Jerman - my operator on the Saracen.

Have many photographs yet to scan to computer. By the way I ran the Cinema with Jim the Move and I also remember the radio - a Scot playing out each night with “Now the day is ending”.

I

Great to share memories.............Regards John

From Barney Wragg

If it is your GSM (Dhofar) that you are trying to claim; if you persist and thump the table loud enough and long enough they will take note. I have seen it happen previously for bods on attachment from Sharjah.

Good Luck

From Chief Technician Geoffrey Jerman

I was a Sgt MT Fitter at Salalah and drove the Saracen Mine Vehicles. I was also in charge of the Cinema and held the NAAFI inventory. Derek Sidley was my pal and Cpl John Reed was my Saracen co driver

and a later message

From the items you mention, especially the Saracens we must have been there at the same time and there weren't that many of us. A friend of mine also was a keen worker on the radio. I cannot recall his name but he was an elderly Sgt. and also worked in the MT workshops. As for the Buff Lodge , The Dhofar Lodge, I was the founder Secretary. Another of the founders was Les  -----  a Corporal from the Airmans Mess and the third founder was a Corporal medic whose name escapes me.  At 75 years of age names are one of my failures. Im also a member of The Aden Veterans Assoc. having served there from 1959-1961. All choice postings.

From Sgt Brian Henderson

We must have been in Salalah at the same time as I left at the beginning of September 69. Some people/names I remember from my time there but unfortunately your name doesn't ring any bells with me, but then again my memory for names isn't what it used to be.

I have had a look through the profiles of those who have listed Salalah and tried to remember those who may have still been there when I left who may remember you. The only ones listed who I think were still there when I left was George (Geordie) Saint and possibly Kev Kearney although I think that Kev may have left around the same time as me. The other names I remember from the list who may have been there at the same time but who left before me in 69 were Alan Pearce, Roy Douthwaite and Dave Drury and a couple who aren't on the list Pete Norman, Brian Ford and Barry Bowers, but Barry and I were tourex together.

I see from your profile that you were Ground Comms and I think that Pete Norman may have been that trade or possibly Air Comms, certainly he worked in the rooms next to comcen.

I presume that you have been in touch with the RAF Personnel Management Centre? In January/February 1969 Salalah stopped being a posting and became a detachment so it may be that the posting notice said RAF Masirah (RAF Detachment Salalah) in which case all that has been written in the space on your service record is RAF Masirah but if you can get RAF PMC to look at the copy of the posting notice on your paper dossier this may resolve your problem. Sorry that I cant be of any more help but if I think of anything else that may assist you I will let you know. As an aside, I also don't have a GSM for Salalah. From what I can remember the Defence Council Instruction awarding the GSM for Dhofar was to those who spent 30 days in theatre from 1 Oct 69, I left two weeks beforehand!!

From Kevin Kearney

We broke world record for longest football game & held it for a short time, I think it was 12/13 hours. Attempt at Guinness Book of records; team from Kerry in Ireland beat us by playing for longer & made the book.

From J/T James Saunders

I was stationed at Salalah around the same time and was a ground communications fitter. I also worked in the comms workshop and then at the transmitter site. I don't remember Pete Norman but I do remember Al Cooper. I will take a look at your site and if any thing comes to mind re your appeal I will get back to you. Best regards Jim

From Warrant Officer Roy Douthwaite

I must say Tom that after all these years, I am having difficulty trying to place you, but if you were at Salalah before July 69 which is when I departed then our paths must have crossed. Unfortunately I cant even place the names you mentioned that were with you. However, people that come to my mind are FS Dougie Cattle, S/L Boyce CO (cant remember who replaced him) SAC George Giles (signals) Cpl Simpson (police). Also, there was Tom the Bomb the SOAF Armorer.

With reference to your picture gallery, they brought back so many very fond memories. In particular is the one showing my little armoury surrounded with barbed wire and oil drums.

When we were first mortared in 68 I had to tell the CO that in my opinion the majority of No 4 rifles and Sten Guns would probably not work as they had not been serviced for years. The following day a good old Argosy turned up with SLR.s and SMGs, sufficient to arm the unit. Unfortunately, I also got the job of training the Unit how to use them.

Also, the picture of the missile which was manufactured a Cpl radar and two police Cpls as a joke. The CO was so pleased that he insisted that it stayed in position. You may be interested to know that the missile in question made the papers.

I don't know if any of those memories are in line with yours, I would like to hope so. Meanwhile Tom, you have now given me the incentive to start digging around for photographs and information and anything that I come across which may be of help will of course be forwarded to you.

Thanks for getting into contact with me, because you have reminded me of one of the best tours of my 34 year career.

Very best regards

Roy

From Tom Bramley

Four true accounts for you.

I have a story about a J/T and myself getting chased off the actual armour plated Bedford truck (pictured by Alan Cooper) when we were out on the airfield to service the comms equipment installations.

Noticing rubbish had accumulated under one of the airfield junction boxes, we (sensibly) threw stones at the base before starting work on it.

An enraged Silver Crate snake shot out and chased us all the way back to the Bedford which we scrambled up and dived into the sand bagged back of. The snake disappeared under the rear wheels and then suddenly reappeared over the tailgate .... only feet away.

This was the point when we both jumped off in sheer panic and ran like hell the half mile or so back to the aircraft pan - we had no idea that snakes could move that quickly.

The control tower must have been pissing themselves watching us.

We left it for a couple of hours before we cadged a Land Rover to go out and recover the Bedford.

I was not that stupid and insisted on driving the Land Rover Back.

After that episode, I never got into a vehicle again without discreetly checking the footwell and back out first.

The armour plated Land Rover also looks very like the one we drove over the camp Chameleon with while being pursued by a huge camel spider one bright moonlit night.

They used this one L/R for the mobile guard duty fence patrols at night.

In the far distance behind the AOC’s inspection photos (on Al Coopers Photo Page), there are clearly three fire trucks next to the MT workshop.

On a number of occasions I was asked to drive the large eight wheel foam tender with the canon up top on my own and was even given a five minute demo on how to use the foam cannon if needed.

Thankfully all planes landed safely.

The Elusive GSM Dhofar

Two events prompted me to establish that I was entitled to it.

1. 1.My encounter in 2008 with the “Shabab Oman” Barquentine of the Royal Oman Navy at the Funchal Tall Ships Regatta brought back a flood of memories of somewhere I had not remembered in a very long time. Eventually in 2011 this led to me attending a dinner for the British Legion.
   

2. 2.At this first Royal British Legion event in June 2011, the Honorary Consul for Madeira (whom we knew quite well) asked me if I had any medals. I replied no - but I would look into it as I had been in active service and probably should have. Eyebrows were raised at this - so the challenge was quietly noted and accepted.
   

I finally received my GSM Dhofar on 20th February 2012. One of the reasons to put this site together was to find a use for the haul of photographic evidence I had collated for the records and medals offices  - all to no avail, they could not accept photographic evidence. Or even testimony from others who were there with you.

According to them I had been posted to RAF Masirah because their computerised record said so.

The photographs of the Jebal, Fortified emplacements, BAC Strikemasters, pictures of the Town, Reysut and SAF and SOAF operations proved nothing.

In the end, the RAF Medical branch came to my rescue by digging up my original 1969 - 1970 medical records which tallied exactly with my account of them. All stamped “RAF Salalah” naturally.

All in all it had taken 8 months to win the battle, not bad when the GSM was 42 years overdue in the first place.

For your information.....

In 1969 and 1970 the local inhabitants of Masirah were not allowed to live in houses by the Sultan as punishment for the Massacre of the crew of the SS Baron Innerdale that took place at the turn of the century in 1904. The only local dwellings on Masirah since that time were constructed with empty oil drums until 1971.

From Alistair Attwater

Pictures below were sent in by collaborators to this site - Alistair Attwater took the four pictures at Mirbat in 2007 and kindly forwarded them to me for our use.

No prizes for recognising the Saracen, an entrance to the underworld and the present day Batt house at Mirbat.