Paul Hodgson

Born in Tanzania, the younger of identical twins, educated at boarding school in Kenya, then the UK, Paul Hodgson enlisted as a rifleman before becoming an instructor at the Army Outward Bound School, North Wales. Commissioned into the 13th/18th Royal Hussars at nineteen, he captained the cross-country and downhill ski teams, and introduced Yorkshire soldiers to the joys of scrambling up rock. At the height of the Cold War, Britain went to war in the Middle East. A small number of British Officers and NCOs on loan to Oman, led an Arab army in a secret proxy war against Russian and Chinese led forces attempting to take control of Southern Arabia. Defeat would have handed Russia a warm water port and control of one of the world's most strategically important choke points at the Straits of Hormuz, a 22 mile narrow passage through which Arabia ships oil to the West. Selected for secondment to The Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces, Hodgson joined the nascent Armoured Car Squadron. During two years on active service, he kept a personal journal, a record of daily events during this secret war. In one lengthy engagement and down to their last rounds of ammunition, his three damaged Saladins covered the exhausted infantry, out of ammunition and water, to withdraw to safety. The battle, recognised as possibly the fiercest fought in Saladin Armoured Cars, was one of many. After his close friend's death, Hodgson, now 24 was promoted A/Major with command of the squadron. Returning to the UK suffering internal injuries, he left the army. Following extensive surgery and now job hunting, he discovered finding interesting civilian employment was near impossible and sought to rejoin the army, only to learn he'd been medically downgraded. Securing a position with a national firm of Chartered Loss Adjusters, Hodgson rose to become their Director at Lloyd's of London. He married Louise who had written faithfully to him whilst on active service supporting him through life's bleaker moments. Together they have a son and live in the Welsh Marches. Discovering the town had no war memorial, Hodgson led a team to design, fund and build one. Elected an Honorary Freeman, he's equally proud to be a member of Britain's Gallantry Medalists League. 'Soldiers of the Sultan' is a very personal record of fighting a secret war, one reputed as possibly the most successful counterinsurgency in history.