Trucial Oman Scouts
Encyclopedia
The Trucial Oman Scouts was a paramilitary force raised by the British to serve in their Trucial States
.
Major with two Jordanian officers seconded from the Arab Legion
. Its ranks consisted of 32 other ranks also seconded from the Arab Legion. It was later expanded to 30 British officers in command positions with a handful of Arab
officers. Its soldiers were locally recruited mostly from Abu Dhabi
. It finally reached Battalion strength.
In November 1952, Otto Thwaites, the British Major commanding the Trucial Oman Levies, was shot dead along with a Jordanian Sergeant Major
and a British Royal Air Force
medical doctor by Arab soldiers of the Trucial Oman Levies when their vehicle with 4 occupants was ambushed outside Buraimi. The only survivor was a British REME
Sergeant. Trucial Oman Levies soldiers were believed to be selling their ammunition to the Saudi
garrison.
In 1955 had 500 paramilitary personnel who were organized into 3 Rifle Squadrons and by 1956 had 500 paramilitary personnel organized into 4 Rifle Squadrons including 1 Squadron based at the Al Buraimi Oasis. The Trucial Oman Levies were renamed the Trucial Oman Scouts in 1956. By 1957 the Scouts included 160 British officers & soldiers and by 1960 had 1,000 paramilitary personnel.
During the 1962-1965 Dhofar Rebellion
it was believed that many members of the Dhofar Liberation Front were former soldiers of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces
(SAF), or of the Trucial Oman Scouts.
In 1964 the scouts had 1,324 men which including 38 British officers and 85 British other ranks. It was organized into five Rifle Squadrons, each with three British and three Arab officers and 145 Arab other ranks, and one Group equipped with machine guns and 3-inch mortars. There were also a Signals Squadron, a Motor Transport Squadron, a Medical Centre, a Workshop, a Cadet Squadron, a Cadet School, and a Training Depot.
In 1967 a Captain in the Trucial Oman Scouts flying a Percival Prentice
(G-AOPL) from Shackleton Aviation at Sywell
and flew it to Sharjah where, later it was flown on to South Africa
where it remained until it ceased flying.
In 1969 British General Roland Gibbs
was appointed Commander of British Land Forces in the Persian Gulf where he re-organised the Trucial Oman Scouts and laid the foundations for what is now the Sultan of Oman
's Land Forces.
The Scouts then expanded from 1,600 to 1,700 personnel in 1970 to 2,500 in 1971.
The Trucial Oman Scouts were a highly respected impartial paramilitary armed regular internal security and rural police force and were regarded as a well trained, well paid, and efficient military unit. It cost the United Kingdom
two million pound
s a year to maintain the Scouts in 1971.
Head Quarters at Sharjah [since 1951]
personal guard to forcibly evict a 40 man Saudi Arabian armed police garrison in an old fort and the village. The Saudi garrison had been based there since August 1952 when they forcibly occupied the Buraimi Oasis following an armed clash in which 3 people were killed with 9 people killed in October 1955, including 7 Saudi policemen/military personnel and 2 Scouts.
In 1971 the Scouts were renamed Union Defence Force
(U.D.F.) upon the formation of United Arab Emirates
(U.A.E.) and consisted of 2,500 regular military personnel. In May 1976 the Union Defence Force unified its military forces of the various U.A.E states and they then lost their unit's individual identity.
In 1975 had 3 250 regular military personnel organised into 6 Mobile Squadrons, an Air Detachment with 7 helicopters, and was equipped with Scorpion light tanks, Ferret armoured car
s, Land Rovers, eight 81mm Mortar
s, and two Dhow
s.
in which 18 armed supporters of the former ruler of Sharjah, who actually included the former ruler, Sheikh Saqr bin Sultan (who ruled from 1951 until deposed by British in 1965), attacked and seized the palace. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, ruler since 1965, was killed along with one of his bodyguard
s in the process. The palace was then surrounded by Sharjah soldiers and troops of the Union Defense Force. Several UDF troops were wounded, including a British Captain, before the rebels surrendered next morning. Sheikh Saqr was then exiled.
over a disputed area that only covered a quarter of an acre but included water wells and date palm trees. Twenty-two people were killed and another 12 were wounded before UDF troops were able to impose a ceasefire.
Trucial States
The Trucial States were a group of sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf.-General aspects:The sheikdoms included:*Abu Dhabi *Ajman...
.
History
The Trucial Oman Scouts were established at Sharjah originally as the Trucial Oman Levies in 1951. They were originally to be used as an internal security and rural gendamerie, suppressing banditry and the slave trade, but became a military force after the arrival of a Saudi Arabian force in the Buraimi Oasis in September 1952. It was commanded by a British ArmyBritish 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...
Major with two Jordanian officers seconded from the Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
. Its ranks consisted of 32 other ranks also seconded from the Arab Legion. It was later expanded to 30 British officers in command positions with a handful of Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
officers. Its soldiers were locally recruited mostly from Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
. It finally reached Battalion strength.
In November 1952, Otto Thwaites, the British Major commanding the Trucial Oman Levies, was shot dead along with a Jordanian Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major
Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
and a British Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
medical doctor by Arab soldiers of the Trucial Oman Levies when their vehicle with 4 occupants was ambushed outside Buraimi. The only survivor was a British REME
Reme
Reme may refer to:*Rəmə, Azerbaijan*Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers...
Sergeant. Trucial Oman Levies soldiers were believed to be selling their ammunition to the Saudi
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
garrison.
In 1955 had 500 paramilitary personnel who were organized into 3 Rifle Squadrons and by 1956 had 500 paramilitary personnel organized into 4 Rifle Squadrons including 1 Squadron based at the Al Buraimi Oasis. The Trucial Oman Levies were renamed the Trucial Oman Scouts in 1956. By 1957 the Scouts included 160 British officers & soldiers and by 1960 had 1,000 paramilitary personnel.
During the 1962-1965 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...
it was believed that many members of the Dhofar Liberation Front were former soldiers of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces
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...
(SAF), or of the Trucial Oman Scouts.
In 1964 the scouts had 1,324 men which including 38 British officers and 85 British other ranks. It was organized into five Rifle Squadrons, each with three British and three Arab officers and 145 Arab other ranks, and one Group equipped with machine guns and 3-inch mortars. There were also a Signals Squadron, a Motor Transport Squadron, a Medical Centre, a Workshop, a Cadet Squadron, a Cadet School, and a Training Depot.
In 1967 a Captain in the Trucial Oman Scouts flying a Percival Prentice
Percival Prentice
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Ellison, Norman H. Percivals Aircraft . Chalford, Stroud, UK: Chalford Publishing Company, 1997. ISBN 0-7524-0774-0....
(G-AOPL) from Shackleton Aviation at Sywell
Sywell
Sywell is a small village in Northamptonshire, England. The village is governed by The Borough Council of Wellingborough. The name Sywell is thought to mean seven wells.-Facilities:The facilities found in the village include:...
and flew it to Sharjah where, later it was flown on to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
where it remained until it ceased flying.
In 1969 British General Roland Gibbs
Roland Gibbs
Field Marshal Sir Roland Christopher Gibbs GCB, CBE, DSO, MC, KStJ was Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, from 1976 to 1979, and Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire from 1989 to 1996....
was appointed Commander of British Land Forces in the Persian Gulf where he re-organised the Trucial Oman Scouts and laid the foundations for what is now the Sultan of Oman
Sultan of Oman
-List of Imams :-Nabhan Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Banu Ghafir Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Al Said Dynasty :-See also:...
's Land Forces.
The Scouts then expanded from 1,600 to 1,700 personnel in 1970 to 2,500 in 1971.
The Trucial Oman Scouts were a highly respected impartial paramilitary armed regular internal security and rural police force and were regarded as a well trained, well paid, and efficient military unit. It cost the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
two million pound
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
s a year to maintain the Scouts in 1971.
Deployment
Headquartered in Sharjah the Scouts maintained with small garrisons based in most of the coastal towns and other key posts. The Scouts had a base in Dubai since 1952 and maintain a permanent garrison at Buraimi Oasis of 1 Field SquadronRecruitment
The UDF was organized as highly mobile light armored cavalry and included 40% locally recruited Arab personnel including: 50 Jordanian NCOs, Omanis (bulk of troops), Iranians, Indians, and Pakistanis. It remained under the command and control of 30 British officers until the mid 1980's.Head Quarters at Sharjah [since 1951]
Operations
The only major military operation the Trucial Oman Scouts were involved in was in October 1955 Clash at the disputed Al Buraimi Oasis. Two Field Squadrons were deployed, along with troops from the Sultan of Muscat and OmanSultan of Oman
-List of Imams :-Nabhan Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Banu Ghafir Dynasty :-Ya'ariba Dynasty :-Al Said Dynasty :-See also:...
personal guard to forcibly evict a 40 man Saudi Arabian armed police garrison in an old fort and the village. The Saudi garrison had been based there since August 1952 when they forcibly occupied the Buraimi Oasis following an armed clash in which 3 people were killed with 9 people killed in October 1955, including 7 Saudi policemen/military personnel and 2 Scouts.
In 1971 the Scouts were renamed Union Defence Force
Military of the United Arab Emirates
The Union Defence Force is the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates and has primary responsibility for the defense of all seven emirates. It consists of 65,000 personnel, and is headquartered in Abu Dhabi.-History:...
(U.D.F.) upon the formation of United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
(U.A.E.) and consisted of 2,500 regular military personnel. In May 1976 the Union Defence Force unified its military forces of the various U.A.E states and they then lost their unit's individual identity.
In 1975 had 3 250 regular military personnel organised into 6 Mobile Squadrons, an Air Detachment with 7 helicopters, and was equipped with Scorpion light tanks, Ferret armoured car
Ferret armoured car
The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret Scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company, Daimler...
s, Land Rovers, eight 81mm Mortar
L16 81mm Mortar
The United Kingdom's L16 81 mm mortar is the standard mortar used by the British armed forces. It originated as a joint design by UK and Canada. The version produced and used by Australia is named the F2 81mm Mortar, whilst the version used by the U.S...
s, and two Dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
s.
Sharjah Coup attempt
In January 1972 during an attempted coup d'etatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in which 18 armed supporters of the former ruler of Sharjah, who actually included the former ruler, Sheikh Saqr bin Sultan (who ruled from 1951 until deposed by British in 1965), attacked and seized the palace. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, ruler since 1965, was killed along with one of his bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
s in the process. The palace was then surrounded by Sharjah soldiers and troops of the Union Defense Force. Several UDF troops were wounded, including a British Captain, before the rebels surrendered next morning. Sheikh Saqr was then exiled.
Sharjah-Fujairah border war
In February 1972 there was a brief Border War between Bedu tribesmen from Sharjah and FujairahFujairah
Fujairah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, and the only one on the Gulf of Oman in the country's east instead of Persian Gulf .-History:...
over a disputed area that only covered a quarter of an acre but included water wells and date palm trees. Twenty-two people were killed and another 12 were wounded before UDF troops were able to impose a ceasefire.