The Battle of Mirbat

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The Battle of Mirbat

#1 Post by Cacophonix » Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:28 am

I was sitting in a cold chalet, bored and trapped behind the boerewors belt that divides the northern suburbs from the southern in Cape Town some years back when I happened upon a good documentary (on the usually execrable SABC) about this battle, the news of which was suppressed for many years and whose protagonists were truly extraordinary folk.

I see that one truly memorable hero of that battle, in the truest sense of that word, Talaiasi Labalaba has finally been recognised at a ceremony attended by Prince Harry and Fiji's President Jioji Konrote.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talaiasi_Labalaba
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Some SAS engagements make front-page news. Others, like the covert action in Oman, are never spoken of.

Yet they too have their heroes.

In 1970, communist-backed rebels threatened the pro-Western Sultan — and Western oil supplies. The SAS was sent in.

heir task was to bolster the Sultan's army, save Dhofar and the Straits of Hormuz and keep the oil flowing.

In July 1972, the SAS paid a high price for our oil in a battle that, say survivors, made Rorke's Drift look like a tea party.

Four hundred rebels attacked Mirbat, a little coastal town of mud houses which was occupied by just EIGHT SAS men, commanded by 23-year-old Captain Mike Kealy.

There were also a handful of Arab soldiers and some gendarmes, and the rebels thought they would win an easy victory.

The SAS were armed with just their personal weapons, one mortar, a Browning machine-gun and a single Second World War 25-pounder gun.

This, in the words of Trooper Sekonaia Takavesi and Lance Corporal Pete Warne is how it unfolded.

SNAPPER: "A mortar salvo blew away part of the perimeter wire and a round exploded on the edge of town.

"Shrapnel flew over our heads. Then I turned to see Mike Kealy clambering over the wall. He was telling me to go down to the radio and contact base.

"I TAPPED out the message in Morse, but as I returned to my position and eased off the safety catch on the Browning, a massive explosion took a great chunk out of the tower.

"In the flash I could see Laba, a Fijian SAS soldier, kneeling behind the shield of the 25-pounder.

"An hour-and-a-half to two hours later, I saw the first assault troop of about 50 advancing towards us. I started to sweat. I fingered the trigger of the Browning, knowing this was it.

"The battle was on. As the adrenalin kicks in, the emotional shutters come down and all feelings of humanity are locked out. It's a kind of exhilarating insanity. It's kill or be killed.

"So we set about taking them out. The group in front were hit. The line faltered and collapsed. Wave upon wave of them were advancing,grabbing at the barbed perimeter wire with bare hands, while Laba was blasting them into oblivion."

SEK: "When Laba and I were firing we were under heavy attack. They were almost on top of us, shooting from all directions. We were firing at pointblank range. We had no time to aim.

"I heard the crack of a gun. Something hit my shoulder and the shock knocked me out for a few seconds. I totally curled up. It was like an elephant charging you at 120 mph with a sharp pointed trunk.

"We were pretty short of ammunition and the battle was getting fiercer. They were still advancing and we were almost surrounded. Then Laba told me there was a 66mm mortar outside the gate.

"We were joking in Fijian and I said: 'Laba, keep your head down'. He crawled away towards the mortar. I was covering him. I looked at him and he looked back at me, as if he knew something was going to happen.

"Then I heard a crack. I turned. All I could see was blood. A bullet had hit Laba's neck and blood was pouring out. He died within seconds.

"I had to think of how to survive. I could hear the radio going, but I was too far away to call for help. Then I saw Captain Kealy and another soldier Tommy Tobin, coming towards me.

"Tommy was the first to reach the command post, and as he climbed over he got shot in the jaw. I heard machine-gun fire and all I could see was his face being totally torn apart.

"He fell and Mike Kealy dragged him to a safe area. Then Mike got himself into the ammunition pit and started throwing loaded magazines to me.

We could see two or three people on the corner of the fort, throwing grenades from only about four or five metres away.

"We managed to kill a few. All I could hear was Mike on the radio trying to get some support."

"As the battle raged, two Strikemaster jets roared over low to a yell of "The Seventh Cavalry has arrived".

NAPPER: "The rebels turned their attention to the jets as the first strafing runs were made. They came back with bullets, rockets and a 500kg bomb loosed into the wadi (oasis) to the east of the fort.

"One jet was hit in the tail section and limped away. The other made one final run. Our jubilation was shortlived, because the enemy had regrouped and were counter-attacking."

SAS soldier Fuzz couldn't get the right angle with the mortar, so he lifted the barrel to his chest, hugged it like a dancing partner and slid a bomb down. Then he sent bomb after bomb right where Mike wanted them.

Two more Strikemasters arrived on strafing runs, and then helicopters ferried out the troops. The final toll was two SAS, six Arab soldiers and an Omani gunner dead, plus one Arab wounded.

The guerrillas left behind 30 bodies and ten wounded, although it was later indicated that half the force was killed or wounded.

SEK: "The enemy were totally destroyed. But it was very sad to see Laba and Tobin die. I think all the people involved should have been given a medal. Blokes who served in Northern Ireland or the Falklands got medals for nothing compared to what my lot went through."

SNAPPER: "Laba was a bear of a man. When he was fully tooled up he was the original Rambo. They wanted to give him the Victoria Cross, but because the war was a secret in 1972, they said it would be headlines in every newspaper in the UK."

The battle marked the end of the rebellion. The war — in which the SAS had lost 12 men — ended in 1976.

Gallantry awards were later made public in Britain, but the war itself received no publicity.

Cpt Kealy was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his conduct, Laba never got his VC and was merely mentioned in dispatches.

Adapted in 1996 by Harry Arnold from SAS: The Soldiers' Story by Jack Ramsay, published by Macmillan.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/ba ... spartanntp

BAC 167 Strikemaster in the Sultan of Oman Air Force Colours at Shoreham in 2013.jpg
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The Battle of Mirbat



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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#2 Post by ian16th » Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:45 am

There is a memorial to Sgt. Labalaba at Stirling Lines, the SAS Base , and former RAF Credenhill/Hereford.

At one time it was the RAF School of Cookery!!!
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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#3 Post by Undried Plum » Thu Oct 25, 2018 12:09 pm

Laba should have been awarded the VC.

Mike Kealy was a very close friend of mine when he was my Battman and I was one of his Catmen. I was not at Mirbat at the eponymous time. Most of my time was with G Sqn (always as a civilian!), but the best of my time in Dhofar was with B Sqn.

I know what happened and I've always been appalled that Laba was not awarded the VC which he very clearly deserved.

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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#4 Post by Sisemen » Thu Oct 25, 2018 1:28 pm

ian16th wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:45 am
There is a memorial to Sgt. Labalaba at Stirling Lines, the SAS Base , and former RAF Credenhill/Hereford.

At one time it was the RAF School of Cookery!!!
You do the place a disservice [-X It was the training base for Boy Entrants in the clerical, supply, and catering trades before it went on to train WRAFs and adults in most of the support trades.

I did 18 months there as a 50th Entry, Boy Entrant Clk Sec. So, any disparaging remarks about RAF Hereford and you will have to answer personally to me :-w

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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#5 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:04 pm

Isn't it appropriate that a military school of cookery, which is so hard that no-one in 400 years has ever passed, is taken over by the SAS, where very, very few pass? ;)))

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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#6 Post by ian16th » Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:19 pm

Sisemen wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 1:28 pm
I did 18 months there as a 50th Entry, Boy Entrant Clk Sec. So, any disparaging remarks about RAF Hereford and you will have to answer personally to me :-w
I'm sorry, I didn't realise that entry numbers went that high.
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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#7 Post by Cacophonix » Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:34 pm

ian16th wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:19 pm
Sisemen wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 1:28 pm
I did 18 months there as a 50th Entry, Boy Entrant Clk Sec. So, any disparaging remarks about RAF Hereford and you will have to answer personally to me :-w
I'm sorry, I didn't realise that entry numbers went that high.

Pity you are taking such a reasonable position ian16th. I had just purchased some popcorn and was looking forward to celebrating The Battle of Stirling Lines! =))

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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#8 Post by ian16th » Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:56 pm

Caco,

You don't understand the conversation.

Only Sisemen, Ricardian, Alison & I do.
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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#9 Post by Undried Plum » Thu Oct 25, 2018 4:33 pm

Cacophonix wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:34 pm
looking forward to celebrating The Battle of Stirling Lines! =))
Women now able to join the SAS as defence secretary opens up all roles in Armed Forces to both sexes

Image
You! Yes you, Trooper! Keep yo fakkin knees together unless you've got a gun in your lap.

Somebody has got to do the cooking. Credenhill is the place for them to learn, innit.

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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#10 Post by Cacophonix » Thu Oct 25, 2018 4:40 pm

Undried Plum wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 4:33 pm
Cacophonix wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:34 pm
looking forward to celebrating The Battle of Stirling Lines! =))
Women now able to join the SAS as defence secretary opens up all roles in Armed Forces to both sexes

You! Yes you, Trooper! Keep yo fakkin knees together unless you've got a gun in your lap.

Somebody has got to do the cooking.

=))

I see trouble ahead!

Caco

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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#11 Post by Cacophonix » Thu Oct 25, 2018 5:37 pm

ian16th wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:56 pm
Caco,

You don't understand the conversation.

Only Sisemen, Ricardian, Alison & I do.
You old buzzards are far too ex-RAF for me but I am always willing to watch a bit of intra-service rivalry, even when it is only pretend ian16th! The full detail is a mere bagatelle. :p

I suspect that I get the gist but given that you haven't elucidated further I won't press you for detail lest I have to shoot myself afterwards. ;)))

As for army cooking all I can say is, never get on the wrong side of the chef wherever you are!

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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#12 Post by ian16th » Thu Oct 25, 2018 8:29 pm

Cacophonix wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 5:37 pm
ian16th wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 3:56 pm
As for army cooking all I can say is, never get on the wrong side of the chef wherever you are!
Caco
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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#13 Post by Undried Plum » Fri Oct 26, 2018 5:10 am

There is a memorial to Sgt. Labalaba at Stirling Lines

The Regimental memorial, which is a small clocktower, is probably the only war memorial in the world which is classified Restricted. It bears the names and location of their fallen. The nature of their work is such that HMG is not always keen to admit their presence in some odd spots.

I think the MoD should reconsider its position on the matter and award Labalaba the VC. There is no doubt that his bravery and gallantry and valour fully qualify for that medal.

Perhaps the sadly impending death of HM Sultan Qaboos could be used as a trigger for that award. What was secret back then is no longer secret at all.

I went back to Mirbat about fifteen years ago and was appalled to see the deterioration of the old town. The souk behind the Batthouse is just a ruin. The Batthouse itself is not much better. The formerly magnificent door to the compound where I used to keep my Mini Moke was hanging off its hinges. A very sad sight. The gun pit where Laba died is still discernable. Kicking the sand I found a spent 7.62 cartridge, possibly fired by Laba or Seki or Mike K or Tobin. I left it where it was, of course.

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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#14 Post by 4mastacker » Sun Oct 28, 2018 1:51 pm

Fox3WheresMyBanana wrote:
Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:04 pm
Isn't it appropriate that a military school of cookery, which is so hard that no-one in 400 years has ever passed, is taken over by the SAS, where very, very few pass? ;)))
Don't knock it until you've tried it.

When GST was introduced I was "selected" for one of the first courses and it was back to Hereford...again!!. This time we ate in the Food Simulator School and the cooks were SACs on their promotion course. Pass that and they got their tapes. The food they presented was exceptional and would have graced the poshest of dining-in nights. Cwrt-y-Gollen Camp (just down the road from Crickhowell) was at the other end of the scale - sort of place "Them" would have refined their food deprivation skills.
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Re: The Battle of Mirbat

#15 Post by boing » Sun Oct 28, 2018 11:25 pm

Off topic I know but I have to agree with 4mast. I spent some time as ops. officer, between real jobs, at a station that worked well into the night and early morning. There was a crew kitchen attached to operations and I was supposed to eat there while I was on duty to replace dinner in the Mess. A couple of hours before the meal one of the Corporals would come into operations with the menu for the evening. The choice was excellent and the meal itself superb. Those fellows really knew how to cook given time and ingredients. The Officer's Mess food was pretty good but the Operations Kitchen food was magnificent. Odd thing is that when the aircrew finally returned home all they normally ate was toasted egg and bacon sandwiches.

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