Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry


Wadi Dhubsan and Wadi Aimaan - a hard earned reward


Further detail on the above operations, and the subsequent action at Wadi Aimaan, are provided below by a comrade of Paterson’s who was present for these actions:


‘Sergeant Willie Paterson was awarded the Military Medal in recognition of his gallantry and cool leadership under fire on two particular occasions in the Radfan Mountains during 1964. The Radfan was a region of high, broken and confusing mountains some 60 miles north of Aden. Here the Quataibi tribe, self-styled ‘Wolves of the Radfan’, whose lands bordered the key supply route the Dhala road, carried out raids and illegal levies on passing traffic. Over the previous 40 years, because of their highway robberies and kidnapping they had from time to time been bombed by the RAF. Then in 1964 it was decided to bring the Radfan tribes to order and end their mine-laying and ambushing along the Dhala road.


On the 6 May 1964, X Company, under command of 3 Para, was ordered to clear the lower ground of the Wadi Dhubsan, a long and narrow valley regarded as impregnable by the dissident tribesmen. 3 Para were to provide covering picquets on the heights above.


At a pre-dawn briefing X Company Commander, Major Mike Banks RM voiced his doubts that these picquets would be in position before X Coy started their advance. He told his troop commanders that if they were not, X Company would have to clear and hold the heights themselves. Shortly after dawn X Company had made the descent and was ordered forward along the narrow valley floor.


X Company came under fire early on and the leading Troop was ordered to send a rifle section up to suppress this fire. Sgt Paterson, then commanding a rifle section, took this first picquet. This meant scrambling up as fast and as high as possible. Several hundred feet above the Wadi bed he heard a number of enemy tribesmen on a ridge above them. Paterson’s section opened fire and attacked. His timely action cleared the ridge and established a covering picquet. So began a long day. X Company lost one marine killed and three men very badly wounded, two of whom were discharged as a result.


Major Banks submitted the names of his men meriting gallantry awards. It is understood that Sgt Paterson was one of those recommended. Only one award was made to a member of X Company, a Mention in Dispatches to the medical orderly, a Leading Sick Berth Attendant, Royal Navy.


Some weeks later, towards the end of July, 1964, a patrol from Support Company, 45 Commando, based on a high Jebel, was tasked to lie up in a distant fort for up to three days. The aim was to set and spring an ambush. This fort was half a mile or so out in a long valley or wadi and believed to be unoccupied. Given the nature of the ground two rifle sections, one led by Sgt Willie Paterson were chosen.


Early on that first morning the ambush was sprung when two tribesmen entered the killing ground. When fire was opened two further men appeared. Three were hit, presumed killed. At the same time a further group of tribesmen were seen some 300 yards away heading for higher ground. It seemed as though a hornets nest had been kicked over.


A report was radioed in clearing stating the situation. The patrol was ordered to follow up the ambush and search for further dissident tribesmen.


Sgt Paterson and his rifle section went out. They crossed the killing ground then moved into a small corn field with the corn about knee high, offering little or no cover. They advanced down the wadi following a cliff on the far side, spaced about 8 yards apart. They came under fire from high right. Sgt Paterson brought his men back through the corn field. The riflemen moved in short rushes. Up, run and get down. No one was hit. The best place seemed to be the fort some 100 yards away over the wadi bed.


Willie Paterson took his men over in a rush but halfway across this open ground they came under intensive fire and Paterson, in a split second decision ordered his men to take cover in and about the large boulders of the wadi bed.


Viewing the action from the distant Jebel Widina, the S company commander called for air support. The RAF Hunters arrived and took three passes at the junction where the enemy were spotted in some number. A Vickers MMG was brought forward on to a high crag looking down on the junction of the two wadis. This was far away from the patrol but a secure place to provide the steady blanket of cover that started. By this time it was past midday.


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