Tony Jeapes
Encyclopedia
Major General
Anthony (Tony) Showan Jeapes CB OBE
MC
(6 March 1935) is a former British Army
officer whose career includes both serving with and commanding 22 SAS Regiment during the Dhofar Rebellion
.
, Surrey
. His younger brother was the late Alan Jeapes, the noted BBC TV graphic designer.
He was educated at Raynes Park Grammar School and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
where he did his first parachute course. In February 1955 he was commissioned into the Dorset Regiment
as a 2nd Lieutenant
. Having been promoted Lieutenant
and commanded the battalion anti-tank platoon in Minden, he was sent to instruct at the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion in Plymouth and took up free fall parachuting.
as a troop commander and in 1959 took part in the Jebel Akhdar
campaign in Northern Oman
, for which he was awarded the Military Cross
.
Back in England, he ran selection for the SAS for a year and then went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1961 as an exchange officer with the US 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
. Here he qualified as a SCUBA
diver with the US Navy and attended an early HALO course, which he did not complete due to a partial failure of his parachutes.
After a short period in the UK with the now amalgamated Devonshire and Dorsets
, he was sent to India
as part of a small SAS training team in 1963, and with another to Kenya
in 1964. He returned to attend the Army Staff College course at Shrivenham
and Camberley
, following which he was posted to 39 Infantry Brigade
in Northern Ireland
as Brigade Major
.
In December 1968, Jeapes returned to 22 SAS as squadron commander, joining D Squadron in Malaya. After a training period in Iran
, he took his squadron to Dhofar in 1970 as the first full squadron to support the Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF)
in their war against Communist led rebels in Southern Oman
. The war was not going well for the SAF. He raised the first of six firqats
, irregular units formed largely of ex-rebels, named the Firqat Salahadin, and recaptured the town of Sudh. He then raised more firqats and lead operations on to the Jebel Qara to prove the need to establish a firm position on the Jebel. The concept was accepted and the first permanent position was established by the SAS and SAF after the monsoon that year.
Jeapes returned to the UK to attend the National Defence College
, Latimer, and was then promoted Lieutenant Colonel
to return to the Army Staff College as a member of the directing staff, where he led the Counter Revolutionary Warfare team. In 1972 he became the Commanding Officer of 22 SAS. He had an eventful tour of command. He led the counter-terrorism team in the Balcombe Street Siege
and he continued to take part in and oversee the Regiment's operations in the Dhofar War
, being present at the final operation from Sarfait
which saw the defeat of the rebels and brought about the end of the six year war. Finally, he set up the Regiment's rapid deployment to the campaign in Northern Ireland
and directed their methods of operating there. He was awarded the OBE
.
He was also seriously ill with brucellosis
contracted on the Jebel and was given three months' sick leave, during which he wrote the draft of his book SAS Operation Oman.
, setting up the syllabus for and teaching at the state's first joint services staff college. At the end of this he was promoted full Colonel
and deputy commandant of the School of Infantry at Warminster
. He was promoted to Brigadier
immediately after. Following a short time at HQ UKLF, then at HQ CINCFLEET during the Falklands War
, he was appointed in 1982 to command the 5th Airportable Brigade, which he converted during his tour to the 5th Airborne Brigade, thereby becoming the oldest parachutist in the Army. It was his regret that this was the only level of command in which he did not lead his troops on active service.
In 1985 Jeapes was promoted Major General
and appointed Commander Land Forces Northern Ireland
. His task was to direct the tactical deployment and command the day to day operations of all Army
, Royal Marines
, Ulster Defence Regiment
, and of course Special Forces, against the terrorists in cooperation with the uniformed and special branch members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
. It was a job in which he took great satisfaction and achieved a number of successes, for which he was made a CB. His final appointment was General Officer Commanding South West District, which contained most of the Army's Arms Schools, the UK Mobile Force and the UK's contribution to the Allied Command Europe (ACE) Mobile Force.
in 1996 as SAS Secret War and again by Greenhill Books with the same title in paperback in 2005. It is distributed in the USA by Battery Press.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Anthony (Tony) Showan Jeapes CB OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(6 March 1935) is a former British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer whose career includes both serving with and commanding 22 SAS Regiment during the Dhofar Rebellion
Dhofar Rebellion
The Dhofar Rebellion was launched in the province of Dhofar against the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, which had British support, from 1962 to 1976. It ended with the defeat of the rebels, but the state of Oman had to be radically reformed and modernised to cope with the campaign.-Background:In...
.
Early years
Jeapes was born in New MaldenNew Malden
New Malden is a town and shopping centre in the south-western London suburbs, mostly within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and partly in the London Borough of Merton, and is situated from Charing Cross...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. His younger brother was the late Alan Jeapes, the noted BBC TV graphic designer.
He was educated at Raynes Park Grammar School and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
where he did his first parachute course. In February 1955 he was commissioned into the Dorset Regiment
Dorset Regiment
The Dorset Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1958, the county regiment of Dorset. Until 1951 it was formally called The Dorsetshire Regiment, although usually known as "The Dorsets".-History:...
as a 2nd Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. Having been promoted Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and commanded the battalion anti-tank platoon in Minden, he was sent to instruct at the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion in Plymouth and took up free fall parachuting.
SAS
In 1958 he joined the 22nd SAS Regiment in MalayaMalayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
as a troop commander and in 1959 took part in the Jebel Akhdar
Jebel Akhdar (Oman)
The Jebel Akhdar, Jabal Akhdar or Al Jabal Al Akhdar , also known as the camals hideout, is part of the Al Hajar Mountains range in Oman, which extends about 300 km northwest to southeast, between 50-100 km inland from the Gulf of Oman coast. It is one of Oman’s most spectacular areas...
campaign in Northern Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, for which he was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
.
Back in England, he ran selection for the SAS for a year and then went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1961 as an exchange officer with the US 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
7th Special Forces Group (United States)
The 7th Special Forces Group, an operational unit of the United States Army Special Forces, was activated on 20 May 1960. It was reorganized from the 77th Special Forces Group, which was also stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Its purpose is to conduct guerrilla operations and train friendly...
. Here he qualified as a SCUBA
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
diver with the US Navy and attended an early HALO course, which he did not complete due to a partial failure of his parachutes.
After a short period in the UK with the now amalgamated Devonshire and Dorsets
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, usually just known as the Devon and Dorsets, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1958 by the amalgamation of two county regiments:*The Devonshire Regiment*The Dorset Regiment...
, he was sent to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as part of a small SAS training team in 1963, and with another to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
in 1964. He returned to attend the Army Staff College course at Shrivenham
Defence College of Management and Technology
The Defence Academy - College of Management and Technology is a British postgraduate school, research institution and training provider formed in 2009 from five departments of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, and as such part of the British Armed Forces. Since 1984 Cranfield University...
and Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
, following which he was posted to 39 Infantry Brigade
39th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The British 39th Infantry Brigade was a military formation of the British Army that was first established during World War I and reformed in the 1950s.-World Wars:...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
as Brigade Major
Brigade Major
In the British Army, a Brigade Major was the Chief of Staff of a brigade. He held the rank of Major and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section directly and oversaw the two other branches, "A - Administration" and "Q - Quartermaster"...
.
In December 1968, Jeapes returned to 22 SAS as squadron commander, joining D Squadron in Malaya. After a training period in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, he took his squadron to Dhofar in 1970 as the first full squadron to support the Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF)
Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces
The Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces are the Royal Army of Oman , Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman and other defence forces of the Sultanate of Oman...
in their war against Communist led rebels in Southern Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
. The war was not going well for the SAF. He raised the first of six firqats
Firqa (military)
Firqa refers to local militia units in Oman. The British were known for utilising Firqa during their occupation there, converting former enemies into pro-British militia to aid them in their counter-insurgency....
, irregular units formed largely of ex-rebels, named the Firqat Salahadin, and recaptured the town of Sudh. He then raised more firqats and lead operations on to the Jebel Qara to prove the need to establish a firm position on the Jebel. The concept was accepted and the first permanent position was established by the SAS and SAF after the monsoon that year.
Jeapes returned to the UK to attend the National Defence College
Joint Service Defence College
The Joint Service Defence College was a training academy for British military personnel in the period from 1983 to 1997. It has now been amalgamated into the Joint Services Command and Staff College.-History:...
, Latimer, and was then promoted Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
to return to the Army Staff College as a member of the directing staff, where he led the Counter Revolutionary Warfare team. In 1972 he became the Commanding Officer of 22 SAS. He had an eventful tour of command. He led the counter-terrorism team in the Balcombe Street Siege
Balcombe Street Siege
The Balcombe Street Siege was an incident involving members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Metropolitan Police Service of London, England lasting from 6 December to 12 December 1975. The siege ended with the surrender of the four IRA volunteers and the release of their two hostages...
and he continued to take part in and oversee the Regiment's operations in the Dhofar War
Dhofar Rebellion
The Dhofar Rebellion was launched in the province of Dhofar against the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, which had British support, from 1962 to 1976. It ended with the defeat of the rebels, but the state of Oman had to be radically reformed and modernised to cope with the campaign.-Background:In...
, being present at the final operation from Sarfait
Sarfait
Sarfait is a settlement in the Dhofar Governorate of Oman on the coast of the Arabian Sea, near the border with Yemen. There is an international border checkpoint at Sarfait; on the Yemeni side of the border is the settlement of Hawf....
which saw the defeat of the rebels and brought about the end of the six year war. Finally, he set up the Regiment's rapid deployment to the campaign in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and directed their methods of operating there. He was awarded the OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
He was also seriously ill with brucellosis
Brucellosis
Brucellosis, also called Bang's disease, Crimean fever, Gibraltar fever, Malta fever, Maltese fever, Mediterranean fever, rock fever, or undulant fever, is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unsterilized milk or meat from infected animals or close contact with their secretions...
contracted on the Jebel and was given three months' sick leave, during which he wrote the draft of his book SAS Operation Oman.
Career after the SAS
Jeapes's next job was as a member of the British Military Advisory Team to BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, setting up the syllabus for and teaching at the state's first joint services staff college. At the end of this he was promoted full Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and deputy commandant of the School of Infantry at Warminster
Warminster
Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
. He was promoted to Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
immediately after. Following a short time at HQ UKLF, then at HQ CINCFLEET during the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, he was appointed in 1982 to command the 5th Airportable Brigade, which he converted during his tour to the 5th Airborne Brigade, thereby becoming the oldest parachutist in the Army. It was his regret that this was the only level of command in which he did not lead his troops on active service.
In 1985 Jeapes was promoted Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and appointed Commander Land Forces Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. His task was to direct the tactical deployment and command the day to day operations of all Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
, Ulster Defence Regiment
Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army which became operational in 1970, formed on similar lines to other British reserve forces but with the operational role of defence of life or property in Northern Ireland against armed attack or sabotage...
, and of course Special Forces, against the terrorists in cooperation with the uniformed and special branch members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
. It was a job in which he took great satisfaction and achieved a number of successes, for which he was made a CB. His final appointment was General Officer Commanding South West District, which contained most of the Army's Arms Schools, the UK Mobile Force and the UK's contribution to the Allied Command Europe (ACE) Mobile Force.
Works
Jeapes's account of the Dhofar Rebellion, SAS Operation Oman, was written in 1977 but took three years to receive security clearance. It was eventually published in 1980 by William Kimber. Amended copies were published by HarperCollinsHarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
in 1996 as SAS Secret War and again by Greenhill Books with the same title in paperback in 2005. It is distributed in the USA by Battery Press.