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Auction: 18001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 371

Three: Bombardier H. Jones, Royal Artillery, a member of 'Cracker' Battery in Dhofar during 'The Secret War'

General Service 1962-2007, 2 clasps, Northern Ireland, Dhofar (23734449 Gnr. H. Jones. R.A.); U.N., Cyprus; Oman, Sultanate, General Service Medal, 1 clasp, Dhofar, gilt, mounted court-style for display, good very fine and scarce (3)

Harold Jones was born in Oldham, Lancashire on 14 July 1939. Enlisting in the Royal Artillery in 1957, he saw active service in Northern Ireland and Cyprus. Promoted Lance-Bombardier, he was posted from West Germany to serve in 'The Secret War' in Dhofar. The British involvement in the Dhofar uprising is accepted to have been from 1970-76, with British Forces assisting the Sultanate in putting down the rebellion. With the initial involvement mainly being drawn from Special Forces troops, by 1971 a formal (yet restricted) request was made for a Battery to be deployed to support the operations on the Western Jebel. So it was agreed, given that no formed units would be officially deployed that 'Cracker' Battery operate in quiet secrecy. Comprising just 21 men, working in collaboration with local troops, they served from RAF Salalah on 3-month postings, providing defence for the base which at times was under contstant attack (Cracker Battery & The Dhofar War, a presentation given by Colonel H. E. P. Colley at the Royal Artillery Historical Society, October 2006, refers). Jones, now aged 35 and one of the oldest on deployment, served with 'Green Archer', the Motar Locating Radar unit from 23 August 1974 on 'Cracker 12'. The overall style of the operations in Dhofar are well summed-up by Staff Sergeant D. L. Howerski, Special Air Service Regiment, late Royal Artillery, who served in Dhofar:

'Our presence on the jebal was officially denied by the M.O.D. and men killed were described by the B.B.C. World Service as having been killed on “realistic training exercises.”

The Medical Officer in Cyprus sent a famous signal to the Field Surgical Team in Salalah reading, 'Thank you for your recent malaria cases, they are all doing well, and their shrapnel wounds will soon be healed.'

Jones was discharged to a pension, aged 55, on 5 August 1994; sold with original named boxes of issue for medals and clasp, together with a file of copied research.

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Sold for
£520