Secret War, Dhofar 1971-1972

After the British withdrawal from Aden in 1967 the war in Dhofar was a major step in the fight against the spread of communist domination in the Gulf. Dissidents in rebellion against the feudal rule of the old Sultan of Oman exploited the poverty and want in the countryside in order to win converts to their cause and found backing from the communist Yemen. With the help of the British, alarmed by such a threat, the Sultan's son Qaboos deposed his father and promptly set about the modernization of his country and the alleviation of poverty.At the same time Britain sent out a small team from 22 Special Air Service Regiment to aid the Sultan's Armed Forces in their fight against a communist enemy in the Dhofar region of Oman. But an army is only as good as its supplies. However inaccessible the places the patrols were fighting in they had to receive essential supplies. Air Despatch units came into being during the Second World War dropping arms and equipment to Resistance Fighters and Special Forces in Europe and other theatres' of war. They also played a vital role at Arnhem, the jungles of Burma and later Malaya and Borneo and also in the deserts of the Middle East. By the time of Dhofar 55 Air Despatch Squadron RCT, to which the author belonged, was a seasoned unit with an exemplary record of performance and several medals for gallantry. In his very readable recollections of the war, David (Geordie) Arkless recounts his sorties flying into extreme danger and of his encounters with the enemy. He also describes the day to day difficulties of living in the desert, and the methods of grappling with the complicated and intricate tasks in dropping a variety of vital supplies to the troops on the ground.. First published in 1988 this second edition has been extended to include more detailed accounts of various actions along with the names of those who took part. It also contains many photographs including some not previously published.