General Service Medal 1962 (Dhofar Clasp)
Private Curle, Royal Signals
24068855 SIG. A. L. CURLE R. SIGNALS
A British General Service Medal 1962 with Dhofar clasp, awarded to Private Curle of the Royal Signals, for operational service during the Dhofar Campaign in Oman.
The DHOFAR clasp denotes qualifying service of 30 days or more between 1 October 1969 and 30 September 1976, during a prolonged and demanding counter-insurgency campaign fought in the mountainous southern province of Oman. The conflict began in 1965, when tribesmen in Dhofar rose in revolt against the regime of Sultan Saʿid bin Taimur. The situation deteriorated further after 1967, when the British withdrawal from neighbouring Aden allowed the new communist government in South Yemen to provide support and sanctuary to the insurgents.
With the Sultan losing control, his son Qaboos bin Said staged a coup on 23 July 1970, subsequently modernising and expanding the Sultan’s Armed Forces with extensive British assistance. British involvement was wide-ranging: the Special Air Service operated in an active combat role under the guise of training local forces; the Royal Artillery installed mortar-locating radar and sound-ranging facilities at Salalah; the Royal Engineers undertook both military and civil engineering tasks; and the Royal Air Force and RAF Regiment provided air support and maintained a continuous presence at Salalah air base. Medical support was supplied by Field Surgical Teams of the RAMC, while many British officers were seconded directly to the Sultan’s Armed Forces. Jordanian and Iranian forces also contributed to the campaign.
The Royal Signals played a critical role throughout the conflict, maintaining reliable communications in extremely challenging terrain and climatic conditions. British forces sustained 24 killed and 55 wounded during operations in Dhofar.
Correctly impressed to Pte. Curle, Royal Signals, this is a genuine and well-presented example of an increasingly scarce clasp, representing British service in one of the most significant yet lesser-known post-war campaigns. A strong addition to any collection of modern British campaign medals or Royal Signals awards.
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