- Type of Memorial
- Board / Plaque / Tablet
- WMR Reference Number
- 80550
- Description
- A black metal plaque fixed to a stake, with a commemorative inscription. The plaque has illustrations of the insignia of the SAS, a soldier in combat gear and a coloured map of the Mirbat region. The soldier depicted is Talaiasi Labalaba, whose actions are described in the commemoration. The words of the Fijian motto are inscribed below his likeness.
The memorial is within the SAS Memorial Garden (Garden 4 within the Allied Special Forces Grove - WMR 61527) and has the emblems of the Allied Special Forces Grove and the Arboretum also engraved on the plaque, with the date 2008.
- Inscription
- [Inscription below picture of Talaiasi Labalaba]: "REREVAKA NA/ KALOU KA/ DOKA NA TUI" ( trans: FEAR GOD AND HONOUR THE QUEEN)
THE BATTLE OF MIRBAT MEMORIAL/ GIFTED BY LORD ASHCROFT, KCMG/
CODENAMED STORM. BETWEEN 1970 AND 1975 A WAR WAS FOUGHT FOR THE HEARTS/ AND MINDS OF THE JEBULI (MOUNTAIN PEOPLE) OF THE PROVINCE OF DHOFAR IN SOUTHERN/ OMAN. SOLDIERS FROM 22 SPECIAL AIR SERVICE REGIMENT WERE DEPLOYED UNDER THE/ GUISE OF A BRITISH ARMY TRAINING TEAM, COMMONLY KNOWN AS BATT MEN. THE/ SAS OBJECTIVE WAS TO HELP THE ARMED FORCES OF OMAN WIN THE BATTLE ON THE JEBEL/ OF DHOFAR AND SO DELIVER THE PROVINCE FROM ARMED COMMUNISTS WORKING FROM/ BASES IN SOUTH YEMEN./
AT DAWN ON THE 19TH OF JULY 1972 A NINE-MAN BATT TEAM UNDER THE/ COMMAND OF MIKE KEALY WERE "STOOD TO" IN THEIR GUN POSITIONS AT THE/ ANCIENT CAPITAL PORT OF DHOFAR CALLED MIRBAT./
THEY SOON CAME UNDER A SUSTAINED ATTACK BY OVER 250 COMMUNIST/ FIGHTERS. AS THE BATTLE ENSUED TALAIASI LABALABA A FIJIAN WAS FIRING/ THE 25-POUNDER ARTILLERY GUN DIRECTLY INTO THE ENEMY FORCES WHO WERE/ ONLY YARDS AWAY FROM THE GUN PIT. WHALID KAMIS THE OMANI GUNNER/ AND SEKONAIA TAKAVESI ANOTHER FIJIAN GUNNER HAD BEEN SERIOUSLY WOUNDED.
TOMMY TOBIN THE MEDIC WAS ATTENDING TO THEM WHEN HE WAS SHOT IN/ THE JAW, A WOUND THAT WOULD LATER PROVE TO BE FATAL. LABALABA WAS/ SHOT IN THE NECK BY A BULLET WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETRIEVE A MORTAR/ NEARBY. THE DEFENCE OF THE GUN PIT WAS TAKEN OVER BY MIKE KEALY/ AND TAKAVESI UNTIL ALMOST TWO HOURS LATER WHEN A RELIEF FORCE OF FIGHTER/ PLANES AND HELICOPTER BORNE SOLDIERS FROM 22 SAS ARRIVED AND/ ROUTED THE ENEMY. LABALABA SADLY DIED IN THE GUN PIT ALONG WITH A/ DHOFAR GENDARMERIE SOLDIER./
THIS BATTLE TURNED THE TIDE OF WAR TO VICTORY./
[Right-hand column below map]: COMMEMORATING/ SOLDIERS OF 22 SAS/ TALAIASI LABALABA/ 1972/ THOMAS TOBIN/ 1972/ MIKE KEALY/ 1979