Seeking info on Airwork Services

I was out in the Oman with Airworks in 1976 throught to 1979. I was based at Seeb Air Radio 1st and 2nd line. We had out there, hueys, bac 1-11, strikemasters, hunters, jaguars, skyvans, 206’s, viscounts, cariboo, c-130, falcons, defenders and the odd visitors from R.A.F. and the Navy. I remember the bbq shooting, and the fact that one of the guys managed to swim out to sea, swim around the headland, tab back to base and raise the alarm. When the sas and the scouts went out to the site, there was nothing that they could do for the victims, but they tracked the adoo down and eliminated further threat. I was on detatchment at Kasab at the time where we had our own problems. The fact that all Airworkies had a price on our heads of 10000 Rials at the time didn’t help. If anyone reads this wants any more infomation of those years, or indeed knows me I would like to hear from you.

Regards.
Gary

Hi Gary,I was at Seeb base in 1976,my mate was Bob Harris who i have known since we were kids,he worked on Air Radio,do you remember him! I must say it was the best time of my life,remember after lunch taking the bus to either the beach or down to Muscat.Bob and i would play squash on camp in what we used to call the oven,a building with no windows or air conditioning,do you remember the out door cinema where we took a chair from our room to watch the films screened on the mess all and kep’t a wary eye out for camel spiders,a fond memory was when i went to Muscat with arab friends and on our way back we stopped at a large white house close to camp,the whole family were at the rear of the building and gave permission for me to take photos,i was invited back the following day and dined with the family,afterwards we stood up and they dressed me as an omani and they took photos of me with the family,afterwards i found out that the head of the family was the Wali of Seeb,the mayor of the area,a time in my life that i will never forget and if i had the opportunity i would go back.

Bob Pugh

My father, Bob Pugh, now 89 was with Airwork in Saudi Arabia from ’68 to the mid/late ’70’s.

He was squadron commander on the first basic jet training course, flying Strikemasters, at the Air Academy, Riyadh. After conversion training in the USA he transferred as senior instructor to the fighter OCU with T33 and F86 jets, at Dahahran. After the T33 and F86 were phased out in about ’73/4 he went to Tabuk with BAC as Administration Manager and was there for a couple of years.

After his return to England he became a course organiser and lecturer at the Centre for International Briefing in Farnham where he was able to put his knolwedge and experience of working in Saudi to good use.

My main memory from this period, when I was aged 7 to 13ish was the growing collection of fossils and Seiko watches that he brought back every 7 months or so!

Anyone out there recall working with, or have knowledeg of my father in those Airwork years?

Misr Airwork Tiger Moths, Almaya, Cairo

‘Aeroplane Monthly’, Dec 1981. ‘Yeoman York’ – Avro York MW173 with two Misr Airwork Tiger Moths in the background at Almaya, Cairo shortly after the war.

Hi,I was in Salalah from Jan 1975 to Dec 1977 as an E&I on Helicopters, guys I remember Colin Tug Wilson,Kiwi Dan,Ron Atkinson, Al James,Ron Lekie,Peter ? who was the admin person.

I used to drive the beach bus on Fridays and show the film’s in the courtyard to shouts of volume and focus.

I can also assure some that have said about ambush corner and military escorts etc that there no none or none needed I had traveled that road as many did quite freely before. Ambush corner did exist only because it looked an obvious place for an ambush, but in an environment where we were flying armed aircraft with lots of stories about what they were doing, it was another one to add.

Hi I have copied my account from a different forum and have added it below
Historic interest has been shown on this forum for information on the incident. If anybody is still interested, or maybe a relative of those lost on the beach, I am the sole survivor and will clear any stories and the many incorrect writings I have seen of this incident. Martin.
Thursday 1st June 1978.
We would have left work after 3pm although I can’t remember our exact working hours. It was over an hour to Salalah by bus and we arrived at Tarqa in daylight and had everything set up, 2 of the guys had rods and were fishing in daylight. The sun would have been setting about 7pm and it would have been dark 40 minutes or so after sunset.
We were talking and preparing food etc and getting settled in to a long evening, I remember we called the guys up from the beach for the BBQ. To my knowledge nobody heard anything strange but of course they already could have been in the vicinity. We would have heard a vehicle approaching as nobody else was around.
Firstly the location of the attack was on a flat rock plateau, as I face the sea the bus was behind me, to my right was the access road and to my left the sand bar and a lagoon behind the bar. The sea was about 30 to 50yds in front of me, to my right further away was a headland jutting into the sea. From that headland there was beach going as far as could see to the left and forming the sand bar. We were about 30yds from the access road and to my left about 30yds was the end of the plateau which was about 10ft above the lagoon behind the sand bar.
I was facing the sand bar with access road behind me and the BBQ in front and to the right was the sea, there was somebody to my right and left all facing away from the road. The bus was lit up giving us some light but otherwise it was dark.
When the firing started it was from behind us and tracer could be seen going over our heads, I immediately hit the ground and crawled to the bus, Terry was stood up in the bus in the front I crawled into the bus then could see bullets coming through the seats and decided it was not a good idea slipped out of the bus and underneath, I could see the bullets hitting the axle and shrapnel flying everywhere, I crawled towards the lagoon passing Alan who was on the ground, I said come on but never saw him again. I dropped into the lagoon off the plateau followed by a very heavy Chris who landed on top of me, he then left me and continued around the inland water to the left. I stayed put, completely immersed in about a meter of water with rocks either side a convenient place as my head was above water but I could easily slide down beneath the water for more cover if needed.
I had a pair of swimming trunks on which were now ripped to shreds as I landed on a rock and gashed my bottom, not helped by the weight of Chris landing on top of me! I then could hear a lot firing and watched the tracer pass overhead. After awhile I could hear them packing up, the attack would have been between 10 and 11 pm. Eventually I saw vehicle lights across the lagoon taking a road up a hill, a long way away. I felt safer but had no idea what the situation was above me so I stayed put. All night I was being nibbled by the minnows which was annoying but I was alive.
Around 7 am I heard jets and felt great, 2 Jaguars did a high pass followed by some lower ones than a 205 came over very high and eventually came down I was waving and they saw me, a crew member came over and took me straight to the Helicopter, the scene was obviously not good and I think they kept me from seeing most of it. I certainly cannot remember any detail other than being given a towel as I was virtually naked. I was taken to Salalah base hospital and my wound was dressed given something to wear and interviewed.
In the interview I was informed that there were 3 positions set up and over 200 rounds were fired.
There has been comments from some based in Salalah that we should not have been there and it was forbidden at that time, as far as any of us was aware we were only doing what many had done before and I believe the anniversary of the ending of hostilities was the following week. Also we were in an air force bus booked out with permission from the powers that be and no mention of any risk was given to us. I am also sure that if a risk was felt to be present then we would have been prevented from travelling or been made aware of it.
The bus I believe was a Nissan 20 something seater very light weight and airy.

Some info for Thumrait ‘thuggies’. I returned to Oman, this time Thumrait in Dec 2008 (my last stint before retiring 2016). Old-timers I met were South Walean Steve May lived in the Phillipines and Yorkshireman Dave Norman (settled in Thailand) who I actually knew at R.A.F. Sharjah 1971. We saw to the last of the flying Jags, now on ‘ground’ duties at Seeb. I finally finished at Khasab on VAS. Oman and RAFO changing rapidly now.

Hi Airworkies I’m Dave Edwards was with Airwork Salalah May ’75 – April ’78 a/c fitter on Strikemasters and AB205 during the Dhofar war, so just missed the Taqa incident. Three Strikeys were shot down. One flew again but more importantly all pilots survived well. In late ’76 a constant 48 hour daylight offensive by the Strikeys helped break the ‘adoo’ and the war was declared over – but obviously not. Foreman 1st line was Willie Vick, others were : Ken Fisher (elect. inspector), Terry Holmes, John ‘the vest’ Holmes, Slim the armourer who moved to Thumrait, Terry English, Martin Fowler, Chris Dove who moved to Seeb, Harry ‘The Prop’, Dan the New Zealander. I was also at Airwork Riyadh in Aug. ’73 when BAC took over. If anyone needs a memory jog including me then E-mail : [email]haltonbrat@yahoo.com[/email]

One they never got back 🙂
MP HP Hermes G-ALDC info sheet 1958 by John Cooper, on Flickr

Hi Colin I appreciate it was a a long time ago, but I was on the beach with your father. I am the only living survivor now, Chris Filmer died quite a few years ago. I have seen a few posts on here, some of them totally inaccurate, if you want any correct information on the incident, please contact me.
Regards Martin Fowler.
[email]martin.fowler@wanadoo.fr[/email]

I’m not sure if this has been mentioned in this thread but there is a book:

Airwork a History by Keith McCluskey.
ISBN 978 0 7524 7972 9.

woodsmoor1

I worked for Airwork Services Limited for ten years at Manby/Strubby and a stint in Abu Dhabi, I always thought the Saudi contract was held by BAE it was part of a package, they supplied the Lightnings and spares and maintenance was included.

AWS did have the contract in Oman looking after the Strikemasters.

“Eagles”

Does anyone know where I can find the book “Eagles’ Illustrated History of the Royal Air Force of Oman, by John Clementson? I was working for Airwork in Oman for the, then, SOAF from June ’66 until October ’68, and would be very happy to read this book which I understand is very interesing.
Thanks for any input.

Hi all, I spent a few different contracts in Oman, at Salalah and Seeb, with detachments to Khasab. With regard to the Tarqah shootings, I was due out that night on leave, so missed most of the aftermath, the press were waiting at Heathrow when the plane arrived, but I said nowt. The guy who went in the water was also in Riyadh ’72/73 on the strikies I think. He was knocked down by a police landrover there and hurt his arm quite badly, he did manage to get compo though, I was knocked over by a water bowser near the base, got nowt:-(
I was at Salalah while the ‘war’ was on ’74, working on the strikies, had great fun arming them up, we had a visit from a camera crew and some big brass, I was just hanging a 500lb bomb and he said “how long have you been an armourer?” I looked at my watch and said “about five minutes” at which point he went quite pale and left! (I was A&E). I was there on and off from ’74 – ’90, then a spell after being laid off, from ’96-98.
Have lots of photo’s from the times which I am currently scanning to HDD. Names from Salalah, Ken Fisher, Chris Moseley, Bryn Jones, Brian Poyser,and lots more faces I see but names escape (senior troubles!) Oh! and I got my Dhofar peace medal, or whatever it was called.
Salalah airbase from the air Middle ’70’s or later.

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Hello Tezza1 – PM sent

Hi all, I spent a few different contracts in Oman, at Salalah and Seeb, with detachments to Khasab. With regard to the Tarqah shootings, I was due out that night on leave, so missed most of the aftermath, the press were waiting at Heathrow when the plane arrived, but I said nowt. The guy who went in the water was also in Riyadh ’72/73 on the strikies I think. He was knocked down by a police landrover there and hurt his arm quite badly, he did manage to get compo though, I was knocked over by a water bowser near the base, got nowt:-(
I was at Salalah while the ‘war’ was on ’74, working on the strikies, had great fun arming them up, we had a visit from a camera crew and some big brass, I was just hanging a 500lb bomb and he said “how long have you been an armourer?” I looked at my watch and said “about five minutes” at which point he went quite pale and left! (I was A&E). I was there on and off from ’74 – ’90, then a spell after being laid off, from ’96-98.
Have lots of photo’s from the times which I am currently scanning to HDD. Names from Salalah, Ken Fisher, Chris Moseley, Bryn Jones, Brian Poyser,and lots more faces I see but names escape (senior troubles!) Oh! and I got my Dhofar peace medal, or whatever it was called.
Salalah airbase from the air Middle ’70’s or later.

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Hi, Dag. Good to hear from you. I will send you another reply when I have more time;-) 81 in April and going strong, golf 3 X per week 🙂 cya

My time in Oman also

I have many photos from my time in OMAN. A/C were Piston Provost, DH Beaver,
Strikemaster, DC 3, DH Caribou, Bell Helo’s, Viscount. Names that spring to mind from that era :- Hugh Heptinstall, Ron Perkins, Keith Cawley, Geoff Painter, ” Taffy ” Jones, R F Philpot, Paul Lewis, Tony Newby, Colin Wilson, Sqdr. Ldr. Alan Bridges RAF. Anyone out there from my era ? Also spent a short time at Hurn on Seahawks and Meteors. I visited OMAN last year. They have roads now 😉 And the curries are still great 🙂

Hello Barry.
I hope you remember me, despite you not adding me to your list! I was particularly friendly with Bill Stewart, Chris Perry and Ted Weinel. Anyway, here are a few more names to add to your list:

‘Tommy’ Thompson, Fred Wilgrove, Chris Perry, Bill Stewart, Bob Hobson, Aiden Fenlon and Ted Weinel……and me of course!

I am in touch with Bill Stewart, Chris Perry, Ted Weinel and Bob Hobson. I am also in touch with one of the pilots…Roger Henson. He and I were climbing buddies and were the first to scale the Jebel Ahkdar.

Back in ’06 I had a mini reunion, with Chris Perry and Bill Stewart, at Chris’s local pub. Needless to say the topic of conversation was Oman and the many ‘crazy’ moments we had there.

I had tried to contact you via SAFA, but received no reply.

If you are in contact with any other old comrades from that timeframe I would be happy to hear from them. Who knows, we may be able to organize some kind of reunion.

Cheers. Dag Saunders.

I did meet Ralph Bray at Seeb, Oman. I believe that Colin Smith and Ray Shoebridge were both heading for South Africa after they left Aden.

Dhofar memorys.

Maybe 5 years too late to reply Jazz Hamster, better late than never.how time flies ) Got you on the correct date for the Tarqah shootings, you are right of course, I somehow had it in mind it was later. Thanks for the correction.

“Ambush corner”———Yes, sure were a lot of rumours that got made into facts I’m sure, but one fact is that prior to around 1985, (during my time there) all military vehicle journeys down to Salalah from Thumrait during the times of the Monsoon season (June-July-August ) had to be in convoys escorted by gun toting Oman Army vehicles. This was in our regular Airworks unit orders for us. The “Harif” brought down low cloud over the Jebel and the military I/c’s deemed the situation risky.

Spinney’s ——- lol !!!!! forgotten about that place, thanks for reminder. Graham Durose was base commander during my time there too, though that was downgraded to Airworks Base manager as SOAF took more control of their own Air Force. Remember “Rolo” too. he trained and ran the “Great Dhofar Road Race” with a crowd of us in late 1981,or 82. A very fit ex navy Limber Gun Team man during his “Earls Court ” display days and very fit out in Oman. But like most he did a few “Sliding down the Wall Nite’s” on Friday’s in T-3 bar. Lol !!!!!

Bill T.

I do remember Peter Balkwill very much as I was with Airwork Services Limited in South Yemen between 1967 and 1970.

Jim I have sent you a private message
OG