With the SAS and Other Animals: A Vet's Experiences During the Dhofar War 1974 - Hardcover

Higgins, Andrew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1848844867 ISBN 13: 9781848844865

Publisher: Pen & Sword Military, 2011

Synopsis

In 1970 at the height of the Cold War, the young Sandhurst-trained Sultan Qaboos of Oman, with secret British military backing, took on communist insurgents in a fierce but little known war. Along with regular British Army and ‘contract’ officers, the Special Air Service played a key role in this bitterly fought but ultimately successful campaign.
The value of winning the ‘Hearts and Minds’ of the local population was quickly recognised and this is where a select band of Royal Army Veterinary Corps officers came in. The local economy was a primitive one based on agriculture, and the author, freshly qualified and, by his own admission, somewhat naive, found himself solely responsible for the veterinary care of a territory the size of Hungary.
Attached to A Squadron, 22 SAS, Andrew Higgins learned how to respond to the Jebali people’s love and concern for the animals that provided their livelihood — goats, camels, sheep and most importantly their cattle. Then there were the Sultan’s horses, pedigree dogs, exotic birds and even bears and hyenas.
His first-hand experiences and anecdotes of life dealing with every level of Omani society, from the Ruler and his Court to the humblest refugees and their varied livestock make for wonderfully atmospheric and amusing reading. It also provides a thoughtful insight into the value of ‘hearts and minds’ campaigns in other military operations where the support of the civilian population is crucial to success.
With the SAS and Other Animals is an unusual and potent mix of Special Forces action and veterinary experiences. Readers may well conclude that it really shouldn’t have happened to a vet even in a desert war!

About this title

Review

"The author, fresh out of veterinary school in the mid-1970s, served in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps with the British Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment in the country of Oman during Oman's fight against communist rebels. Higgins treated ailments of the goats, camels, sheep, and cattle of local subsistence herders as part of an effort to win over the civilian population to the anti-communist cause. He also treated the purebred dogs and thoroughbred horses of Oman's royalty. His interactions with all levels of society, from impoverished refugees to royalty to the highest tier of professional SAS soldiers, offer a unique perspective on this place and time. The book includes a wealth of color and b&w photos taken by the author during the 1970s in Oman."--Book News, Inc.

About the Author

Dr Andrew Higgins is a graduate of the Royal Veterinary College (University of London) with a PhD and MSc (Edinburgh). His exceptional professional credentials include fellowships of the Biological and Zoological Societies, Editor-in-Chief of The Veterinary Journal. He is involved in many animal charities. He lives near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1848844867
• ISBN 13: 9781848844865
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256