Situation Reports
Commander of British Forces in the Gulf
16th November 1971
This report to the Chiefs of Staff Committee was in advance of his meeting with the CGS on Masirah Island to discuss the future of the conflict in Dhofar. There is a hint of Op SIMBA but it has yet to be given a name. No punches are pulled in describing the perceived characteristics of the firqats.
The British Ambassador in Muscat
on the Political situation
26th February 1972
The British ambassador Sir Donald Hawley put his thoughts to paper on the political situation at the beginning of February 1972. He comments that his report should be read in conjunction with that prepared by CSAF a week earlier on the military situation. I don’t recall either of these reports reaching 55FST.
CSAF on the Military situation
17th February 1972A comprehensive report which once again comments on some of the difficulties of trying to impose western ideals and methods on some of the local irregular troops.
Major General J.D.C Graham died on the 14th of December 2012. A typewritten diary recording his time in Oman as CSAF from April 1970 to September 1972 is in St Anthony’s College Oxford.
His Obituary appeared in The Daily Telegraph on the 10th of January 2013
The Defence Secretary
8th August 1972The sultan paid a visit to the defence secretary in early August 1972 in which he outlined the support that he was or was not receiving from neighbouring countries. He also raised concerns over finance.
The British Ambassador in Muscat
Report on the situation in 1972
What did Sir Donald Hawley, who had been ambassador in Muscat since 1970, make of the goings on in the sultanate in 1972 ?
