Beni Boo Alli ( battle honour ) Beni Boo Alli is a 1821 battle honour of the British Indian Army awarded to all units engaged in a punitive expedition to Eastern Arabia against a fierce and turbulent tribe called the " Bani bu Ali " . Genesis of the problem . The " Bani Bu Ali " tribe ( named after their ancestral village Jalan Bani Bu Ali ( in present - day Oman ) resorted to rampant piracy in Eastern Arabia and the Persian Gulf region leading the East India Company to carry out a punitive expedition in 1819 to Ras al Khaimah which destroyed the pirate base and removed the threat from the Persian Gulf . The Government of the Bombay Presidency also sent a letter of protest through an envoy on a British ship to Eastern Arabia . The " Bani bu Ali " rose and murdered the pilot of the ship at Rass al Junaiz , resulting in the dispatch of a small punitive expedition from India to Ash Sharqiyah ( Oman ) . First punitive expedition . The expedition sailed from Bombay in October 1820 and sailed to Sur via Muscat where they landed . The small force consisting of 380 Indian Infantry , along with 2000 irregulars , proceeded inland to " Balad Bani bu Hasan " , the tribal capital . On 18 November 1820 , this force was attacked and almost annihilated as they approached the capital , with most British officers and two - thirds of the soldiers being killed as the Arabs gave no quarter . The survivors , including many of the wounded , escaped to Muscat from where they were taken to Qishm at the entrance of the Persian Gulf . Second expedition . The destruction of this force was a major blow to British prestige in Arabia and a second stronger expedition was assembled . This force of 6000 mixed British soldiers and Indian sepoy s , under Major General Lionel Smith , sailed from Bombay on 11 January 1821 . This force contained engineer elements of the Bombay Presidency army consisting of the newly formed company of the Bombay Sappers and Miners who , under Capt . T . Dickinson ( Bombay Engineers ) and assisted by Lt T . B . Jervis ( Bombay Engineers ) , were proceeding abroad for the first time in their history . Along with the Sappers and Miners company sailed the 3rd Company of the Bombay Pioneers who had recently served in the 1819 Ras al - Khaimah Expedition to suppress piracy in the Persian Gulf . The campaign . The force disembarked at Sur on 27 January and marched into the interior . Repulsing an attack on 10 February , they reached Balad Bani Nu Hassan on March 2 . The Bani bu Ali advanced with desperate fanaticism to give battle in the open , ignoring the cannonades of grape - shot from the British guns . The Arabs fought bravely with broad - sword and shield , attempting to break the British line , causing havoc at close quarters wherever they could do so . However , the line of bayonets prevailed and the Bani bu Ali were beaten off , leaving behind 500 dead and dying . On the other hand , the British casualties were 29 dead and 173 wounded . The fort at Balad was occupied after a brief bombardment . Later , the expedition returned to Sur where they embarked for Bombay . The Bani bu Ali were vanquished , the fort at their capital occupied and British prestige restored . Battle honour . By a General Order of the Bombay Presidency , dated 11 February 1831 , all units which had served in the expedition were awarded the battle honour " Beni Boo Ali " , including the Bombay Pioneers and the Bombay Sappers and Miners . " Beni Boo Ali " heads the list of battle and theatre honours of the Bombay Sappers today . This honour is not considered repugnant . The following units were awarded the battle honour :