Under the cover of darkness, with only the stars for guidance, Muhammad bin Lahej sailed through the inky black waters.
The young captain guided his dhow up the coast of Oman from Muscat, through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Arabian Gulf, dodging enemy submarines as he went.
It was a journey he had made countless times before. But instead of spices and goods in the cargo hold that August 24 night, were troops of the British army.
My father is one of the last heroes alive who volunteered
Hamed bin Lahej
Eighty years on, Britain honoured Emirati Mr Lahej, 95, for his daring exploits during the Second World War.
Because Mr Lahej was too frail to attend in person, the event at the office of the British Embassy in Dubai on Monday was attended by his sons, who recounted their father’s role in secretly moving troops as part of Operation Countenance – the 1941 Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.
“Since the end of the Second World War, the story has been forgotten,” said Hamed bin Lahej. “My father is one of the last heroes alive who volunteered.”
Operation Countenance took place two months after the Germans invaded the Soviet Union. Alarmed at perceived German influence in neutral Iran, Nazi threats to oilfields in the Caucasus, and seeking to maintain supply lines to the Soviets, Britain and the Soviet Union decided to invade the country that August. British forces then sought the help of local dhow captains in the region to help transport troops from Muscat to Iran.
British forces offered Mr bin Lahej naval support for the journey, but he refused because it could have attracted the attention of enemy submarines, which were active in the Gulf of Oman at the time.
“So he said ‘no – this is not the right way to move. We will move them in our way’.
“My father was used to travelling to Mombasa, Africa, Kenya, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Yemen, India,” Hamed said. “He had sailed all across the region."
The troops were safely landed at Bandar Abbas on August 25. British units advanced from the south and the Russians from the north. Within a few weeks it was all over.
“He spoke to us about the people who were with him – all the different nationalities,” Hamed said. "He was proud, very proud of it. We are all very proud of it.”
The story of Mr bin Lahej’s extraordinary feat was in danger of being lost to history. But the Lahej’s wrote a letter to British diplomats in the UAE telling the story.
“He told us so many stories and this was one of the stories he told us," Hamed said. "You cannot find any dhow captains without stories," he said with a chuckle.
The story also adds to the more rounded picture that has emerged of wartime life in what is now modern-day UAE. Britain’s Royal Air Force had a base at Sharjah to counter submarine activity in the Gulf of Oman. Planes from the base in 1943 sunk German U-boat 533 off the coast of Fujairah, while an Italian submarine was sunk by the British in 1940.
The base at Sharjah also played a crucial role in the Allied resupply effort in the east in the latter stages of the war. British and Commonwealth servicemen perished in air crashes here. The war led to food shortages, bringing immense hardship to the local people when the pearl trade that sustained generations had already collapsed. But local people still helped when they could.
“Operation Countenance is not really the important part,” said UK Defence Attache Col Rob Connolly. “It is more about how this region was so involved in it.”
Col Connolly said it was important that this history is passed on to younger generations in the UAE. The two world wars "shaped the world we live in and this region. If we forget that, we forget who we are and where we have come from”.
Simon Penney, the British Consul General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, said it was a privilege to be able to host the family and hear the story.
“This story would have been lost to time had they not shared this,” Mr Penney said. “Now it is captured in history.”
Operation Countenance - in pictures
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Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
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Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
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Rating: Five out of five stars
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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