A Soldier in Arabia shares his inspiring tale of valour

Sharjah - British author recounts 'soldiering' with founding fathers of nation.

Few foreigners can say that they've been granted access to the inner workings of Emirati royal families.
But as a young soldier before the formation of the UAE, Briton David Neild faithfully served alongside men like the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Shaikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, former ruler of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK).
Neild's memories of his time in uniform during this formative time in the nation's history are now collected in a book A Soldier in Arabia.
Khaleej Times caught up with Neild, at the Sharjah International Book Fair, where he fondly recalled his long career spent soldiering in the emirate. In 1959, at the age of 20, Neild volunteered for service in the Trucial Oman Scouts, a paramilitary force established by the British in 1951 and headquartered in Sharjah.
"I was the youngest British officer ever to be seconded from the British Army to the Trucial Oman Scouts. I was looked on as a bit of an oddity. I was so young, and I didn't speak a word of Arabic."
Among the Emiratis with whom he became close was the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, whom Neild holds cherishing memories.
"I used to go hunting with him. He was a wonderful person," Neild said.
Man of the people
"With him, you realise immediately that you are in the presence of a very special person. He had a charisma about him, and he was interested in everything you had to say."
"He loved the desert way of life. He loved his hawks and falcons," Neild added.
"He was a man of the people and he was loved and respected by everyone. He was a great person and I was privileged to get to know him well."
Despite being re-assigned in 1961 and going on to serve in Kenya, Germany and Northern Ireland, Neild said he felt drawn to the desert sands of the emirates and filled in a request to return, which was initially turned down.
"The reason they gave was that I wasn't Lawrence of Arabia, and it was time I knuckled down and did some proper soldiering," he said. "Fortunately, I managed to persuade them to eventually come back."
"It's a corny saying, but the desert sand was in my blood and I wanted to come back," he added.
Later on, in 1968, Neild - then a Major - was transferred to RAK, which for the first time was allowing the British to establish a military presence in the area.
Following a bloodless operation to resolve tribal unrest in the area, Neild was summoned by Shaikh Saqr bin Mohammed, who wanted him to leave the British Army and command Ras Al Khaimah's own force.
"It was about this time that Britain announced that they were going to pull out. Shaikh Saqr called for me and said he was going to form a small mobile force.
"I was 29 years old, and there were a lot more experienced officers in the Scouts. I couldn't resist the thought of forming a private army."
Two days before the UAE's independence in 1971, on November 30 - now the UAE's Martyr's Day - Neild was on duty when the Iranians invaded and occupied the Tumb Islands, which they continue to hold to this day.
"At about 5 o'clock in the morning I got a message that the invasion had taken place. I had to hurriedly go to the Ruler's palace and inform him," Neild said.
"Lance Corporal Salim Suhail was killed during that invasion, trying to protect the Ras Al Khaimah flag. He was the first martyr of the UAE."
Neild's book also offers his recollections of the negotiations that took place before RAK joined the UAE - which it didn't until January 1972 - as well as the assassination of Sharjah Ruler Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi in a botched coup attempt.
"I was on holiday in Beirut, and I got a telegram asking me to return immediately, which I did. I then set up the Sharjah National Guard. So I managed to form two independent armies."
Neild, who moved back to Ras Al Khaimah a few years ago after stints in Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa, says he remains close with the RAK ruling family.
"Shaikh Saqr was of course my employer, but he was a lot more than that. He was a father figure to me," he said. "Ras Al Khaimah is really the only place in my adult life I've considered to be my home."
bernd@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah International Book Fair