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#1
05-05-08, 03:45 PM
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Oman Firqat Forces - SAS proteges
The first Firqat - Firqat Salahadin - was formed in the early 1970s from surrendered enemy personnel - SEPs. In the tradition of the Freds in Malaya, Psuedo-gangs in Kenya, the MRF in Belfast and some Selous Scout operations in Rhodesia the SEPs were rapidly turned around and redeployed to fight their former comrades under the guidance of BATT SAS soldiers.
They were what can be described as "bonny fechters" but the Sultan's more conventional soldiers were sometimes not quite sure exactly whose side they were on. The best answer is that they were on their own side. Many Firqats had received military training in the USSR or China, And some were even former members of the Trucial Oman Scouts where they had been trained by the British. They wore the same clothes as the Adoo and when allowed carried the same AK47s. The Firqat were never part of SAF and after peace broke out they remained fiercely independent. They now fill a sort of Home Guard role. Unlike SAF cap badge the Firqat had a 40mm Staybrite AA badge. it shows a Dhofari shield on a wreath of palm leaves with a title scroll underneath. Shield and scroll are gilt remainder silver. The actual shield is a boiled leather affair, almost cone shaped and about a foot across. The collar badge is half sized and white metal not AA/ The shoulder title has the units name in full. The TRF shows the cap badge on a two tone green background 50-mm square. Last edited by Eddie Parks; 05-05-08 at 07:38 PM. 
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#2
05-05-08, 06:23 PM
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Fascinating sounds, like the Free Corps. Was this unit ever tested in a real combat situation Eddie? I`d be interested to know what happened if it was!
__________________
Mr Kipling - Exceedingly good badge books.
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#3
05-05-08, 07:36 PM
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Oh yes indeed. Some very serious fighting indeed. Great guys on your side. Scared the hell out of me! Try SAS Operation Oman by Tony Jeapes.
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#6
20-07-08, 01:18 PM
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That's nice, the badge works well as a buckle.
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#7
22-09-08, 05:24 PM
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__________________
"There truly exists but one perfect order: that of cemeteries. The dead never complain and they enjoy their equality in silence." - “There are things we know that we know,” “There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know.” Donald Rumsfeld, before the Iraqi Invasion,2003. Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese.
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#8
22-09-08, 08:09 PM
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Thanks, must study that a bit!
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