Life in the trucial oman scouts signals squadron 1965 to 1967

Transcription

Sparks Across
Arabia
Life in the trucial oman scouts
signals squadron 1965 to 1967
RSA Reunion 2011, 18 June
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
1
Hugh Nicklin MSc
• Served in Royal Signals 1961 to 1970
• Trucial Oman Scouts Signals Sqn 65-67
• 40 Years in Computer/Telecoms Industry
• Worked for Plessey, Apple Computer, Tektronix,
Hitachi, Vodafone, BT, C&W, 3, Xerox and others
• MSc in Data Communication Systems from Brunel
2
Overview
• Who were the Trucial Oman Scouts?
• TOS Signals Squadron
• Muscat & Oman Patrol
• Dhow Patrol
• Liwa Patrol - The Empty Quarter
• Reunion 2010
3
“Hell’s Last Outpost”
an American Magazine article1967
4
Who were the TOS?
• Formed in 1951 as Trucial Oman Levies
• Trucial Oman was a British Protectorate
• Arab regiment recruited from local area
• A few specialist posts available for R Signals
• TOS becomes UAE defence force in 1971
5
The Area
6
TOS Signals Sqn
• Trucial Oman had no Roads and no
telephone network
• Only 24/7 comms network in region
• Link to Bahrain & outside world
• All done in Morse code
• Generator power (no mains electricity)
• Workshop radio repair
• Monthly Tech tours to maintain kit at
remote stations
7
Comcen
8
To Bahrain
9
Comcen
• Link to TOS Network
• Manama
• Buraimi
• Mirfa
• Masafi
• Fujairah
• Abu Dhabi
10
Link to Bahrain
11
Arab Operator at an
upcountry base
12
RADIOS WE USED
C11
C13
• Freq range 1.5 -12MHz
• Freq range 2-16MHz
• 30 Watts RF o/p
• 50 Watts RF o/p
• 24V power supply
• 24V power supply
13
Other Radios Used
• D11 Transmitter
• Freq 2-20MHz
• 300W o/p
• No 19 Set
• Freq 2-8MHz
• 9W o/p
14
Operator Training
15
I say again......
16
The Instructor and
A13 HF radio
17
Mobile Comms
18
30 Ft Telescopic Ae
19
morse
• Inside a Land Rover
20
C13 in the Desert
21
Radio Workshop
22
Tech Tour Radio
Repair
• HOT
• Mirfa in July 66
• 110 degrees in shade
• 98% humidity
• No Air Conditioning
23
Electrician Drivers
24
Battery Room
25
26
27
On Tech Tour
28
Desert Water Point
29
DIY Curried Goat
30
This is going to be
good -- trust me!
31
and Cook!
32
Muscat & Oman Patrol
• October ’66
• 1967 Sultan asks for British show of
strength
• Closed country -- still in Middle Ages
• QDG do 900 mile patrol in Ferret Scout cars
• Chas Pirie provides radio link back to
Sharjah
33
Chas Off to Muscat
• Cpl Chas Pirie
reverts to Royal
Signals
Uniform
• Provides QDG
with radio
comms back to
Sharjah
34
• A Sqn QDG
• 900 mile patrol.
Ibri, Nizwa,
Muscat & Sohar
• Link back to
Sharjah
• Recent Jebal
Akhdar battle
35
Jahili Fort Buraimi Oasis
36
Border Post
37
Nizwa
38
Camel train Nizwa
39
Camel thru eye of a
needle in Nizwa
40
Nizwa Town
41
Sultans Armed Forces
42
Muscat
43
Muscat City Gates
44
Muscat Harbour
45
Muscat Fortifications
46
Gunners View Muscat
47
48
Muscat City Streets
49
Warriors to meet Sultan
50
Muscat City
51
Muscat
Prison
52
Bottle Dungeon
53
3 modes of transport
54
Ferrets among the Palms
55
Guard Duty in Sohar
56
Dhow Patrol
57
TOS Dhow Dubai Creek
58
Dhow Patrol Route
• Nov ’66
• I Set off from
Dubai & head
North
• Around tip of
Muscat
• Down To Fujairah
• Para Drop on
beach
• Meet Arezzo & act
as Radio Relay RSA Reunion 2011, 18 June
59
My C13 radio Stowed
60
Rounding the tip of Muscat
61
Lunch Time
62
Beach DZ
63
Para Drop at Fujairah
64
Battle
65
Approaching Arezzo
66
Alongside Arezzo
67
We bid Farewell to Arezzo
68
Give us a puff of your hubble
bubble
69
Homeward Bound
70
Liwa -- empty quarter
• The Empty Quarter
(Rub’ al Khali) region
that it borders is a
desert larger than the
combined size of
France, Belgium and
the Netherlands. Out
in the deepest
desert, dunes can
top 300m.
Jan ’67 Cpl Ron Wildman
joins B Sqn to patrol
empty quarter looking for
insurgents from Saudi
Arabia
71
Liwa Patrol ready to go
72
Dodge Power Wagons
73
‘My Wheels’
74
Our Local Guide
75
Radio Comms back to base
76
Look! Vehicle Tracks
77
Which Way?
78
Water from well using
Leather bucket
79
dunes were steep 1,000ft
80
Home from Home
81
Liwa View from DPW
82
83
Cooking ‘Khobz’
84
85
Off Duty
• Scouts Club
• Camel Patrol
• The Beach
• Football
• Radio Ham
86
87
88
Camel Patrol
89
Sharjah Creek
90
Cutting up Bait
91
Catch of
the day
92
Not just fishing
93
Too much like hard
work
94
95
MP4TBO
• Roger Baines
• Radio Ham
• Answers Mayday SOS
• from HMS Yarnton
• In distress
• Organises rescue
96
TOS Signals Sqn 1966
97
Reunion 2010
98
Thank You
99
Final thought
• 2001 Return to Gulf. Sheikh of Sharjah said
• “We are gathered here today to welcome friends from
our past. We must be thankful for the present status
of Sharjah to three things: The love of God; the
wisdom of our forefathers, and these twenty or so
gentlemen who not only protected our land, but built
the first schools and medical facilities in the State. It
was through these small beginnings in the 1950s that
the seed was sown and our land has flourished to
what it is today.”
100
Publications & Web
• www.trucialomanscouts.org
• www.hughnicklin.co.uk
• www.flickr.com/groups/tos
• www.ncdr.ae/liwa
•
The$TOS$Project$(University$of$Exeter):$www.exeter.ac.uk/iais/research/centres/gulf/tos/
•
TOS$Facebook$page:$www.facebook.com/pages/TrucialEOmanEScouts/120208074692058
101

Life in the trucial oman scouts signals squadron 1965 to 1967

Transcription

Similar documents