- SURNAME
MacLean
- FORENAME
Angus Murdo
- UNIT
22 SAS
- RANK
Sergeant
- NUMBER
23785092
- AWARD
Mention in Despatches
- PLACE
Dhofar, Oman
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Gloucestershire Regiment
recommended for BEM, awarded MiD
London Gazette 46085, 24th September 1973, Page 11399
CITATION:
Mention in Despatches : In May 1971 Sergeant MACLEAN, a young and recently promoted Sergeant was second in Command of a British Army Training Team which took over control of a band of some fifty irregular DHOFARIS. The unit known collectively as a FIRQAT operated out of TAQA a small coastal town situated about twenty miles EAST of SALALAH.
Except for a handful of surrendered enemy personnel who had mutinied a few days before and had, as a result been dismissed or transferred to another FIRQAT, rest of the FIRQAT members were townsmen and had never previously borne arms. As the team Sergeant and Arabic Linguist, MACLEAN was the prime motivating force in the training, taking and controlling of the FIRQAT. Despite every sort of administrative frustration, continual personal insults, and threats on his life when things were not going well, MCLEAN slowly moulded this undisciplined arrogant body of men into a formidable fighting force.
During this time, parties of rebels, at times sixty strong, and armed with rifles, machine guns, heavy mortars, and 75 mm RCL attacked TAQA on fourteen occasions. In the numerous fighting patrols organised and led by MACLEAN, the FIRQAT succeeded in pursuing and engaging the rebels and inflicted twenty kills or wounded for the loss of one FIRQAT member.
The success of this FIRQAT is to a very large extent due entirely to Sergeant MACLEANS personal leadership courage and determination in a continuously hostile environment, and it is very strongly recommended that he be awarded the British Empire Medal.
Place : Dhofar, Sultanate of Oman
Date of Action : May 1971 - August 1971
How Employed : Training Team Sergeant
Except for a handful of surrendered enemy personnel who had mutinied a few days before and had, as a result been dismissed or transferred to another FIRQAT, rest of the FIRQAT members were townsmen and had never previously borne arms. As the team Sergeant and Arabic Linguist, MACLEAN was the prime motivating force in the training, taking and controlling of the FIRQAT. Despite every sort of administrative frustration, continual personal insults, and threats on his life when things were not going well, MCLEAN slowly moulded this undisciplined arrogant body of men into a formidable fighting force.
During this time, parties of rebels, at times sixty strong, and armed with rifles, machine guns, heavy mortars, and 75 mm RCL attacked TAQA on fourteen occasions. In the numerous fighting patrols organised and led by MACLEAN, the FIRQAT succeeded in pursuing and engaging the rebels and inflicted twenty kills or wounded for the loss of one FIRQAT member.
The success of this FIRQAT is to a very large extent due entirely to Sergeant MACLEANS personal leadership courage and determination in a continuously hostile environment, and it is very strongly recommended that he be awarded the British Empire Medal.
Place : Dhofar, Sultanate of Oman
Date of Action : May 1971 - August 1971
How Employed : Training Team Sergeant
WEB LINKS:
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46085/supplement/11399 (MiD)https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7631401 (MiD)
