Special Air Service
For other Special Air Services, see Australian Special Air Service Regiment and Special Air Service of New Zealand.The
Special Air Service (
SAS) is the principal
special forces organisation of the
British Army. Formed in
1941 to conduct raids behind German lines in North Africa, with the
Long Range Desert Group, it today serves as a model for similar units fielded by other countries. The SAS is a small and secretive organisation, but attracts a disproportionate amount of media coverage. It forms part of the
United Kingdom Special Forces, alongside the
Special Boat Service (SBS),
Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) and the
Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). The SAS is widely regarded as one of the finest and best-trained special forces units in the world.
Current SAS roles are believed to include:
*Gathering
intelligence behind enemy lines.
*Sabotage and offensive raids behind enemy lines.
*Executing
Counter Terrorism operations in support of, or assisting,
police units such as
CO19.
*Training Special Forces of other nations.
*Performing Counter-Terrorism operations outside UK territory.
*Conducting
Counter Revolutionary Warfare activities in support of UK government Foreign Policy.
*Protecting senior British dignitaries and personal protection of VIPs.
Even though each troop has a designated role (Mobility, Boat, Mountain and Air), each man is expected to develop skills appropriate to the other troops, leading to companionship and responsibility throughout the entire regiment.
There are three separate
regiments of the SAS, one regular and two
Territorial Army (i.e. volunteer reserve).
22 SAS Regiment is the regular army element, with
21 SAS Regiment and
23 SAS Regiment, known collectively as the Special Air Service (Reserve) (SAS(R)), being the TA elements.
They are supported by a
signal regiment, 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment, which includes one TA squadron, 63 Signal Squadron (Volunteers).
As with other UKSF assets, the SAS is supported by the
Special Forces Air Wing.
All SAS members have to pass a rigorous selection procedure, but due to the part-time nature of the TA, the selection process for members of 21 SAS and 23 SAS is stretched over a period of over a year. Signallers must also undergo a similar selection process to become Special Forces Communicators, however this concentrates on strategic and tactical SF communications rather than the advanced military skills of SAS troopers.
In addition, L Detachment (formerly R Squadron) is part of the TA, but is assigned to 22 SAS for the provision of casualty replacements. All of its members are ex-regular SAS. R Troop does a similar task for the signals unit.
The three regiments have different roles: the TA regiments specialise in Close Target Reconnaissance (CTR), while 22 SAS performs a wider range of tasks also including Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW), Counter-Terrorism (CT) and acting as a Quick Reaction Force (QRF). The relationship between the regiments is somewhat distant at times, but members of 22 SAS are routinely attached to the SAS(R). During the 1980s, the Director of the SAS, Brigadier
Peter de la Billière, established a rule that an
officer or senior
NCO in 22 SAS who wished to gain rank had to serve time with the SAS(R).
22 SAS also has a Headquarters, Planning and Intelligence Section, Operational (Ops) Research Section, CRW Wing, and Training Wing.
Each Sabre Squadron is divided into four 16-man
Troops with different responsibilities (Air Troop, Boat Troop, Mobility Troop, and Mountain Troop).
The CRW Wing is made up of one squadron, which rotates every 6â€"9 months. The squadron is split up into two troops:
* Red Troop (Air and Mountain Troops)
* Blue Troop (Boat and Mobility Troops)
Each of the two troops is made up of an assault group and a sniper team.
The SAS has been based at
Hereford in the west of
England for many years. Stirling Lines, named after David Stirling, was initially the home of the Regiment but in 1999 they moved to a former
RAF base at
Credenhill on the outskirts of Hereford.
Air Troop
The main objective of the SAS Air Troops is to parachute out of an aeroplane at 25,000 feet and land deep behind enemy lines. In the SAS, the men of the Air Troops are known as "Ice Cream Boys", due to their parachute logos, which resemble ice cream cones in shape, and for their tans and the
sunglasses they often wear, as they are required to train where the weather is fine (preferring clear skies for parachute training).
Air Troops have two ways of infiltration:
HALO and
HAHO. HALO jumps take place at about 25,000 feet. The trooper free falls until about 2,000 feet above the ground and only then opens his parachute. This allows him to land close to a target, but the plane will never be seen or heard. Both of these types of parachuting are very dangerous. Parachuting with heavy loads can make the thin silk of the parachutes collapse quite easily in the thin air.
Air Troop operators must wear large
aircrew helmets ("bonedomes") when jumping from high altitudes. An
oxygen mask is hooked onto it to provide the trooper with air while he is parachuting. The trooper also wears goggles. His equipment is carried between his legs and is lowered on a cord just prior to landing on the ground. The trooper's weapon is carried under one of his arms, ready to fire. He also wears an
altimeter on his wrist and heavy clothes to protect him from the cold. A reserve parachute is usually carried in the front.
Boat Troop
Troopers of the Boat Troops are tasked with the job of waterborne insertion techniques. The soldiers first have to master
diving. Diving is taught with Open and Closed (bubble-less) Circuit breathing devices. The troopers learn how to approach a ship that is underway, and attach a limpet mine. The new Boat Troop members will spend a great deal of time sitting at the bottom of
Poole Harbour with members of the
Special Boat Service.
Once proficient in diving, the new troopers will learn methods of infiltration. One of the main forms of transportation is still the
Klepper canoe. The first SAS folding canoes were designed during WWII for use by the SAS and Royal Marine Commandos. The German Klepper has been in service since the 1960s and will probably remain that way for a long time.
Troopers also learn how to handle certain types of boats. Gemini inflatable boats are used primarily for sending small groups of soldiers onto a shore undetected. Fibreglass hulled
Rigid Raider fast patrol boats are larger, and are used to help carry more people or cargo to the shore.
Demolitions is a big part of diving. The soldiers must be able to stop a ship or blow up a bridge. Underwater
Navigation using a compass is also taught. The men practise heliborne entry into the water. A
helicopter will hover some 50 feet above the water, and the men will simply jump out .
Parachute drops into the water are also very common. When in water, the soldiers weapons must be sealed to prevent jams. This is normally done with a "dry bag".
Deployment from
submarines is also taught. This is very dangerous, given the
pressure at certain depths, the cold, and the risks inherant in relying on breathing equipment while underwater (such as
nitrogen narcosis and
oxygen toxicity). When performing these operations, the men usually wear dry suits to ward against hypothermia. Long rope-type ladders (commonly referred to as Jacob's Ladders) are attached to a ship or oil rig using a telescopic pole. The assault team will then use the ladders to gain entry. Snipers are usually put on smaller boats near the target (usually smaller ships to hide amongst regular sea traffic), or they can even be flown in quickly via helicopter as the assault begins. Though the SAS would probably not be called upon to assault an oil rig or a ship, they are still trained for it. Assaults like these would usually be carried out by members of the SBS.
Mobility Troop
Mobility is one of the oldest skills in the SAS. Dating back to WWII, the SAS used "gun
jeeps" and
chevrolet light trucks to help provide mobility and heavier fire power. The Mobility Troop of today still has the same role as the SAS troopers of WWII, to travel deep behind enemy lines and cause havoc on the enemy. Sometimes the Mobility Troops may call in air support but usually a strict radio silence is ordered. Flags are used to provide communication between vehicles on the move.
When a new trooper is assigned to a Mobility Troop he must master all the skills of an experienced mechanic. He also has to learn how to fix SAS vehicles while under severe combat stress. A lot of Mobility Troop are ex-
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) soldiers. There are many types of vehicles used by the SAS today. Probably the most well-known is the "Pink Panther" or "Pinky", so called because of the colour of the camouflage they were painted with during World war two; nowadays these are modified
Land Rover 110s, often armed with a mixture of weapons, such as the
Browning .50 calibre machine gun,
Mk 19 40mm grenade launcher, twin or single
L7A2 7.62mm GPMG , and the
MILAN anti-tank guided missile. Mobility Troop is also equipped with Land Rover 90s, smaller versions of the 110 that lack its weapon mounts. In limited use is the LSV, or Light Strike Vehicle. It is a two-seat dune buggy with a mount for a machine gun or Mk19. The Honda 350cc Quadbike is small and can be held easily in a
helicopter or small boat. The quiet Honda 250cc motorbike is useful for forward reconnaissance. Standard British Army trucks may also be used in a supply convoy during long-distance operations.
During
Operation GRANBY, the British involvement in the 1991
Gulf War, the motorbikes proved invaluable. On one occasion a patrol behind enemy lines was spotted by Iraqi forces who immediately sought to escape. The SAS pursued them until outriders pulled in front of the Iraqi trucks making them stop. When the rest of the patrol engaged the trucks, two outriders got caught in the cross fire, one of whom died. For his actions, Corporal Denbury was posthumously awarded the
Military Medal.
Mountain Troop
The Mountain Troops are responsible for all aspects of mountaineering and
skiing. Training for Mountain Troop takes place all over the world in deserts and in mountain ranges. Many training expeditions are organised and troopers in mountain troop have a reputation as being some of the best climbers in the world.
Kenya is often used as a training ground for its hot climate and difficult terrain.
Upon entry into the regiment, troopers have to abide by strict rules, such as not telling anyone other than close family that they are a member of the SAS. Anonymity is also provided whilst serving in the SAS. Troopers also may not give names and information to any
police authority whilst co-operating. Troopers have the right to a 24-hour 'warm down' after any firefight and do not have to give evidence to the police during this period.
If a
medal is given to a member of the SAS, such as the
Military Cross (MC), the soldier is listed in the media as being in their parent regiment and not the SAS. If an SAS trooper is
killed in action (KIA), and if it can be avoided, the information is not made public, and if it is unavoidable then the parent regiment is again listed and not the SAS.
Following a number of high-profile book releases about the SAS, candidates for selection are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement, in addition to their commitments to the
Official Secrets Act. Former members may not release details of their employment within the organisation. Ex-members of the Regiment who wrote exposures prior to the introduction of the agreement have used
pseudonyms, such as
Andy McNab and
Chris Ryan. Books in the genre include both non-fiction and fictional accounts based on the experiences of the author in the Regiment.
The
British Government has a standing policy of not discussing the SAS or its operations and makes no official announcements concerning their activities. When reports of military operations are given there is no mention of SAS, or other Special Forces, involvement.
The SAS, like every other British regiment, has its own distinctive unit insignia.
*Sand-coloured
beret (sometimes called the
beige beret; the SAS do not wear the
peaked cap, although some officers did so when it was first formed).
*
Cap badge - the badge is actually meant to depict the flaming Sword of
Damocles (the sword of retribution) or
Excalibur, not, as it is usually called, a winged
dagger, although the misinterpretation is now universally accepted; the cap badge was designed by Sergeant Bob Tait, and the SAS Motto was added by Stirling.
*SAS parachute wings (different from those used by the rest of the Army - nicknamed "Egyptian Wings" - a small parachute with 5 lines between 2 upward sweeping wings with light and dark blue banding).
*Silver regimental collar pins (collar dogs)
*Royal blue
stable belt*Silver belt buckle with engraved regimental badge
Commanding Officer (CO)
Major John Woodhouse introduced SAS Selection in
1952. Before that, troopers had earned their credentials in the field.
SAS Selection and Training is the most demanding military training course in the British Army: it reportedly has a pass rate of less than 10%. It is a test of strength, endurance, and resolve over the
Brecon Beacons and
Elan Valley in
Wales, and in the
jungle of
Brunei. The
Namib Desert is also used as a desert training ground. 'Selection' takes around 6 months to complete.
Selection is held twice a year regardless of conditions. A candidate must be male and have been a regular member of the
Armed Forces for at least three years or a member of 21 SAS or 23 SAS (which can be joined directly from
civilian life) for at least 18 months. All soldiers who apply must have at least 39 months of
military service remaining. A candidate who fails any stage of the selection is 'Returned to [his parent] Unit' (RTU'd). Candidates are allowed only two attempts at selection, after which they may never reapply. Many are not even allowed that.
Like other sections of the British armed forces, the SAS accepts members from the
Commonwealth and
The Republic of Ireland, with notable representation from
Fiji, the former
Rhodesia,
New Zealand and
Australia. The
Parachute Regiment is the SAS's main recruiting area.
Special Forces Briefing Course (2 days)
Over a weekend, potential candidates are shown what life in the SAS is like and are briefed on what to expect during selection. There is a map and compass test, a swimming test, a first aid test and a combat fitness test.
Fitness and navigation (4 weeks)
The first stage of selection is held in the Brecon Beacons and the Elan Valley, Wales. The
weather can be quite unpredictable and several soldiers have died during selection, mainly due to
exposure. Selection starts with the Basic Personal Fitness Assessment (BPFA), a 1.5 mile run in under 10 minutes 30 seconds and is followed by a number of basic gym tests. This is a minimum fitness requirement common to all British Army Soldiers. The first week of selection consists of runs in the Beacons, up and down hills with a small load in the
bergen. Lessons in
navigation and map reading are included. Navigation runs in small groups in woodland areas and night
tabs follow shortly. The load in the bergen gets heavier and an
SA80 rifle with no sling has to be carried. Soldiers have to keep the rifle in their hands as they climb up the slopes and jog down again. In the third week navigation is solo from
grid reference to other points on the map. At each rendezvous (RV) point, the soldiers have to indicate where they are before the next grid reference is given. The final stage of the "hills" phase of selection is known as "Test Week" and culminates with "Endurance", a forty mile march across the Brecon Beacons, completed in less than twenty hours carrying upwards of fifty five pounds in weight, not including water, food or rifle.
Initial continuation training (4 weeks)
This consists of detailed and realistic training in weapon handling,
demolitions and small patrol
tactics.
Jungle training (6 weeks)
Soldiers are divided into
patrols of four and are watched over day and night by Directing Staff (DS). Soldiers must stand-to for one hour at
dawn and one hour at
dusk every day without fail and must also keep their knife with them at all times. After lessons in navigation through dense jungle, boat handling, camp building and jungle contact drills there is a final test, where all things that have been learned must be applied correctly. Soldiers will learn to live, fight and survive in the jungle, and will have to take care of every cut, scratch and blister, as it could easily get infected. The rain is almost constant, which further demoralises the candidates. Jungle training is usually carried out in the thick
rainforest of
Brunei or
Malaysia.
Combat survival (4 weeks)
There is another month of training in
survival skills, living off the land and using
escape and evasion (E & E) tactics. There are lessons and lectures in
interrogation techniques from people who have been
Prisoners of War (POWs). The last few days is the E & E stage. In groups the soldiers are dressed in
greatcoats to slow them down and have to evade capture from the Hunter Force, which is usually comprised of
Parachute Regiment or
Gurkha soldiers. When captured, or on giving themselves up in the unlikely event that they make it to the scheduled end of the exercise, every soldier has to withstand tactical questioning (TQ).
Passing selection
After passing selection, soldiers lose any previous rank and become
troopers. They have to work their way up again from the lowest rank. If they ever leave the SAS, they revert to their original rank (called Shadow rank) with appropriate increases in rank for length of service. Officers, who must hold a minimum rank of
Captain, do not lose their rank but may only serve a three-year tour with the SAS. Officers are allowed to do a second three-year tour provided they pass selection again.
Specialist training
Specialist training includes:
*First Aid, to a fairly high level, with stints in busy hospitals, including a week in a mortuary
*Signals
*
HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) parachuting technique
*
HAHO (High Altitude, High Opening) parachuting technique(this takes place for four weeks at
RAF Brize Norton)
*Sniping - all SAS snipers are trained by the
Royal Marines at the Sniper course at
CTCRM (Commando Training Centre Royal Marines)
*Languages
*Vehicle Operating Skills - off-road, for cross-country insertion and patrolling, and also on-road evasive driving as part of the close protection role
*CRW Training
*Explosive Method of Entry (EMOE)
* VIP protection (body-guarding, or close protection)
1941-1945
The SAS was founded by then
Lieutenant David Stirling during
World War II. It was originally created to conduct raids and
sabotage far behind enemy lines in the
desert, and operated in conjunction with the existing
Long Range Desert Group (LRDG). Stirling (formerly of No.8
Commando) looked for recruits with rugged individualism and initiative and recruited specialists from
Layforce and other units. The name "Special
Air Service" was already in use as a deception.
Their first mission, parachuting behind enemy lines in support of
General Sir
Claude Auchinleck's attack in November,
1941, was a disaster. Only 22 out of 62
troopers reached the rendezvous point (RVP). Stirling still managed to organise another assault against the German
airfields at
Aqedabia,
Sirte and
Agheila, this time transported by the LRDG. They destroyed 61 enemy
aircraft without a single casualty. 1st SAS earned regimental status and Lieutenant Stirling's brother Bill began to organise a second regiment, 2 SAS.
During the desert war the SAS performed many successful and daring long range insertion missions and destroyed aircraft and fuel depots. Their success contributed towards
Hitler issuing his
Kommandobefehl order to execute all captured Commandos. When the Germans stepped up security the SAS switched to
hit-and-run tactics. They used
jeeps armed with
Vickers K machine guns and used
tracer ammunition and
Lewes bombs to ignite
fuel and aircraft. They took part in
Operation Torch.
David Stirling was captured by the
Italians in January
1943 and he spent the rest of the war as a
prisoner of war in
Colditz Castle. His brother
Bill Stirling and
Blair 'Paddy' Mayne took command of the SAS.
|
Famous picture of Paddy Mayne, taken in north Africa |
The SAS were used in the invasion of Italy. At the toe of Italy they took the first prisoners of the campaign before heading deeper into Italy. At one point four groups were active deep behind enemy lines laying waste to airfields, attacking convoys and derailing trains. Towards the end of the campaign
Italian guerrillas and escaped
Russian prisoners were enlisted into an "Allied SAS Battalion" which struck at
Kesselring's main lines of communications. In
1945 Major Farran made one of the most effective raids of the war. His force raided the German Fifth Corps headquarters burning the buildings to the ground and killing the General and some of his staff.
SAS men were inserted into
France as 4-man teams before the
Normandy Invasion to help
maquisards of the
French Resistance. In a reversal of their by now customary tactics they often travelled during the day when Allied fighter bombers drove
enemy traffic off the roads, and then ambushed enemy troops moving in convoy under the cover of darkness. In
Operation Houndsmith 144 SAS troopers parachuted with jeeps and supplies into
Dijon, France. During and after D-Day they continued their raids against fuel depots, communications centres, and railways. They did suffer casualties—at one stage the Germans executed 24 SAS troopers and a
United States Army Air Forces pilot. SAS units equipped with heavily-armed jeeps operated around
Arnhem before
Operation Market Garden to reconnoitre possible drop zones. At the end of the war the SAS hunted down
SS and
Gestapo officers. By that time the SAS had been expanded to five regiments, of which two were French and one Belgian.
1946-1979
The
British War Office partially disbanded the SAS regiments after the war and the French and Belgians returned to their home countries. The British SAS was no longer a regular army unit but TA unit 21 SAS still existed. In April
1948, however, the
Malayan Races Liberation Army began an insurrection which transformed into the
Malayan Emergency. Two years later Brigadier
Mike Calvert practically re-created the SAS as a commando unit reminiscent of jungle troops like
Chindits. 21 SAS was redeployed from the
Korean War and sent to Malaya. Many other members were recruited from the original SAS, other units,
Rhodesia, and even army prisons. The intended unit name "Malay Scouts" was scrapped for the reborn SAS.
Training new recruits took time. They learned tracking skills from
Iban soldiers from
Borneo. They began to patrol in teams of 2 or 4 men. Less than sanitary conditions forced them to learn
first aid. They also learned local languages and respect for the local customs and culture. Patrol periods in the jungle were progressively extended to three months. Soldiers unsuitable for
jungle warfare were RTU'd. At that stage some
troopers were armed with
pump-action shotguns. They also earned the respect of some of the indigenes by helping them. By the end of
1955 there were 5 SAS squadrons in Malaya. They stayed in mopping up operations until the end of
1958.
Many other missions followed. The SAS fought anti-
sultan rebels in
Jebel Akhdar,
Oman in
1958-
1959. They fought
Indonesian-supported "guerillas" during the
Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation in Borneo,
Brunei and
Sarawak in
1963-
1966. They also tried to pacify the situation in
Aden in
1964-
1967 before the withdrawal of British troops. They fought against another insurrection in
Dhofar, Oman in
1970-
1977. SAS troopers were involved, secretly, in the South Asia conflict in the early to mid 1970s.
Most of these deployments were unofficial. Membership, missions, and the whole existence of the SAS became a secret. The SAS's role was expanded to bodyguard (BG) training and Counter-Terrorism (CT) work. They also began to work in civilian clothes on missions unless they could use the uniforms of some other unit as a disguise. The British
Secretary of State for Defence still does not discuss the SAS or its operations.
1980-2001
On
30 April 1980, six
Iranian terrorists took over the Iranian Embassy in Princes Gate, London. After six days of unsuccessful negotiations and one hostage's murder, Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher ordered an assault. At 19:26 on Monday
5 May, the SAS went in. More than thirty troopers entered the building, including some who went in across the now famous balcony filmed live by the
BBC. A diversionary attack was staged and other troopers went in through the ground floor. One hostage was killed by the terrorists, but within minutes the terrorist threat had been eliminated, with five of the six having been killed and one captured. Of the original 26 hostages, 24 were safe. The operation was hailed as a great success and was to change the way the public viewed the regiment.
During the
Falklands War of
1982, SAS teams worked alongside the
SBS in many operations before the main force landings at San Carlos and after the landings ahead of the Forward Edge of Battle Area (
FEBA). These included operations in
South Georgia, guiding
Harrier strike aircraft attacks on
Stanley airport to destroy
Argentine helicopters, and the destruction of eleven
Pucará attack aircraft on
Pebble Island. During the war, 22 SAS, under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Rose, were the only land unit that had their own
satellite communications back to the UK.
In
1987 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered an SAS team into the high-security prison at
Peterhead,
Scotland. A rebellion by inmates had resulted in one of the prison officers being taken captive. The soldiers were armed with
staves and entered the building by way of a
skylight. After violently subduing the inmates, the SAS team freed the prison officer and the operation ended. Some time after the incident, the
Prison Service relaxed its
zero tolerance attitude to drug use in that prison.
In the
Gulf War of 1991, the SAS's role was similar to their forerunners in
World War II: they deployed deep into
Iraqi territory to gather
intelligence and destroy mobile
Scud missile launchers. They did the job with anything from explosives to pneumatic drills. Perhaps the most famous mission of the war, known as
Bravo Two Zero, was popularised by books written by two participants in the mission. Their accounts describe an eight-man SAS patrol cut off deep in Iraq during a scud-busting raid. Discovered by the Iraqis, they supposedly fought their way to the
Syrian border over a distance of 120 miles, killing around 250 Iraqi soldiers along the way. Four members of the patrol were captured and tortured, and three were killed in action.
Corporal Chris Ryan managed to escape across the border to Syria. The accounts written by the survivors have received some severe criticism from former members of the SAS.
Some troopers (officially former members of the Regiment) fought in the
Vietnam War and helped the
Mujahideen in
Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion. There was also official SAS training of Mujahideen in
Scotland in the
1980s, with particular emphasis on shooting down Soviet helicopters with American-made Stinger Surface-to-Air-Missiles. Some ex-members have also become
mercenaries or
private military contractors.
In September 2000, members of D Squadron were tasked with the hostage rescue of six members of the
Royal Irish Regiment and one Sierra Leonean Corporal in
Sierra Leone. The operation was called
Operation Barras. The soldiers had been taken hostage by the
West Side Boys, led by
Foday Kallay, and were held in the dense jungle in western Sierra Leone. Alongside the SAS, members of the SBS and A Company of 1st Battalion, the
Parachute Regiment fought in the battle. Twelve British soldiers were wounded in the operation and one SAS
Lance Corporal was killed. The operation was a success and many rebel leaders were captured; not long after, the West Side Boys had all but been defeated.
2002-2006
After the
11 September 2001 attacks, the SAS were involved in operations in
Afghanistan.
Operation Trent employed half the Regiment in a successful attack on an $85,000,000
opium storage plant in Helmand province, which doubled as an Al-Qaeda local command centre. SAS members also participated in putting down the prisoner revolt at
Qala-e-Jangi prison and in the battle of
Tora Bora.
Roman Abramovich's luxury yacht
Ecstasea (launched in 2004) is rumoured to have an ex-SAS crew.
On
30 January 2005, an
RAF Hercules crashed near
Baghdad after being shot down by rockets fired by guerillas, killing ten British servicemen. The plane had just dropped off fifty members of G Squadron north of Baghdad for an operation to combat the increased insurgency.
On
19 September 2005, two supposed SAS (now thought to be
Special Reconnaissance Regiment members) members were arrested in the city of
Basra in
Iraq. Iraqi police claimed the two were arrested trying to plant bombs dressed in civilian clothing and had shot at police officers. The arrests sparked clashes in which British armoured personnel carriers came under attack from
petrol bombs. Later, official Iraqi sources said that British armoured personnel carriers knocked down a wall storming the city's jail and rescuing the soldiers. The British Ministry of Defence initially said that the men's release was negotiated and the armoured personnel carriers were merely trying to collect them. They later, however, claimed that the police had illegally handed the men over to
Shi'a militia and it was from these that they had to be rescued.
On
23 March 2006 B Squadron, 22 SAS assisted in an operation to free British hostage
Norman Kember from a town north of Baghdad in Iraq.
In
Northern Ireland, the SAS was involved from the early days in what became known as '
The Troubles', which started in
1969. Indeed, in the early days of The Troubles they operated openly in uniform wearing the SAS sand-coloured beret with the winged dagger cap badge. They were involved in
Operation Flavius in
Gibraltar in which 3
IRA members, Seán Savage, Daniel McCann and
Mairéad Farrell, were killed. The three had apparently been intending to detonate a bomb during a military parade. Since the official reason for British army deployment in Northern Ireland was to provide support for the
Royal Ulster Constabulary, killings by the SAS generated some controversy. In
1977,
Captain Robert Nairac, an undercover SAS officer, was abducted, tortured then shot dead in
Armagh by several
IRA operatives who had begun to suspect him after overhearing him in a bar. Nairac was serving with 14th Intelligence Company at the time he was abducted.
In the Northern Ireland Troubles the SAS were given priority in the intelligence pecking order and supplied the most credible or 'hard' intelligence. Some of which came from a £300m computer system to analyse information on vehicles, letters, telephone calls, welfare payments.
[The Irish Troubles, by J. Bowyer Bell, p. 587.] See
main article. The SAS engaged in a Counter Revolutionary Operations (CRO) campaign to lay ambushes and place Covert Observation Posts (COPs). SAS actions were claimed to be directed against the IRA, with some against the smaller
INLA. Their reported policy of being allowed to "shoot-to-kill" is highly controversial in a country that officially bans the death penalty. Many SAS men, although forbidden to follow suspects into the
Republic of Ireland, nevertheless did so. Some were caught and arrested by
Irish police. Controversially, they were rarely charged with firearms offences, but were returned to the British authorities (although a
Dublin court once fined eight SAS men £100 each). In March 1976,
Seán MacKenna, an IRA commander, was abducted from his home in the Republic by the SAS and handed over to a British Army patrol once across the border.
Lesser quality intelligence was supplied to infantry COP teams, who, because of the tenuous quality of this intelligence, were less likely to get a contact with the 'Players' (British forces colloquialism for IRA), but these COP teams were trained by SAS instructors. It was common for SAS-qualified soldiers to serve with
14 Intelligence Company (known colloquially as '14 Int' or often simply as 'The Det' because its members were volunteers who were detached from other units). A specialist unit set up specifically for Northern Ireland, 14 Int was an all arms unit, which meant they recruited from all branches of the armed services. They served in the Province in an intelligence-gathering role, mainly operating in plain clothes. 14 Int liaised closely with the RUC
Special Branch and other security forces units and allegedly, Loyalist paramilitaries.
22 SAS boasts that its tough reputation is such that during the
Balcombe Street siege the IRA surrendered once the SAS deployment was publicised.
According to the book
Immediate Action by former SAS NCO
Andy McNab, five undercover and two active service SAS members were killed by the IRA between the years 1977–1991.
*Second World War:
** North Africa, 1941-43;
** Tobruk, 1941;
** Benghazi Raid, 1942;
** Landing in Sicily, 1943;
** Termoli, Valli di Comacchio, Italy, 1943-45;
** Greece, 1944-45;
** Adriatic, Middle East, 1943-44;
** Normandie and North-West Europe 1944-45
*Falkland Islands, 1982
*Western Iraq, 1991
*Western Iraq, 2003
The SAS is classed as an
infantry regiment, and as such is included in the infantry
order of precedence. However, because of its unique role, it cannot be included alongside the units with traditional designators (
foot guards,
line infantry,
rifles), despite its common descent from the
Army Commandos alongside the
Parachute Regiment, which is classed as line infantry. Therefore, the SAS is included at the end of the list, after the regiments of rifles.
Since the early 1980s, the SAS has built up an almost mythical reputation within the UK. The British media's obsession increased enormously following the 1980 hostage rescue at the
Iranian Embassy siege in London, which was watched live on television shown by the
BBC. After the acclaim of the SAS exploded, the film
Who Dares Wins was released in 1981. One of the stars was a member of a
Territorial Army unit of the
Parachute Regiment who did some training with
21 SAS before the making of the film, in return the film was previewed for the members with their families.
There have been a constant stream of fictional depictions of the SAS and former SAS soldiers, blurring the line between fact and fiction. Some are supposedly true accounts, which critics claim to be highly dramatised accounts based very loosely on actual events. Perhaps the two most well known examples are two books written under pseudonyms by two former SAS troopers, who served together on the infamous Bravo Two Zero mission in
Iraq during the first Gulf war of 1991:
*
Bravo Two Zero by
Sergeant Andy McNab*
The One That Got Away by
Corporal Chris RyanBoth of these books have subsequently been criticised by authoritative sources (including the
Regimental Sergeant Major of 22 SAS at the time of the first Gulf war, Peter Ratcliffe DCM) as being highly embellished dramatisations of actual events. Ratcliffe is himself the author of
Eye of the Storm: 25 Years in Action with the SAS.
In 1999, the book was made into the film
Bravo Two Zero starring
Sean Bean as Andy McNab.
Despite the alleged elaborations, these books have sold very well, and consequently started a me-too publishing bonanza by ex-SAS soldiers cashing in on the clear public appetite. The British government has since moved to prevent this in future by insisting that all who serve with the Regiment sign an agreement not to publish details of their service with the Regiment.
Anything written about the SAS should perhaps be treated with a very healthy dose of scepticism because of the secretive nature of their work. There is even the common phenomenon of individuals claiming to have served with the Regiment, when in reality they have had little or even no connection whatsoever with the SAS (and sometimes no connection with the British Army at all). This is known as
walting.
In
2002 and
2003, the
BBC further exploited the idolisation of the SAS with a series of programmes entitled
which showcased ordinary members of the public being subjected to training routines and survival exercises supposedly normally undergone by prospective members of the organisation for selection purposes, as well as a documentary (
SAS Survival Secrets) featuring former SAS members explaining general combat and survival tactics. The same year also saw a new
ITV drama series about the SAS,
Ultimate Force starring
Ross Kemp, and being written by Chris Ryan. He also was listed as a "technical supervisor" and appeared in three episodes as Sergeant Johnny Bell.
Also, in a guest appearance on
Ricky Gervais' sitcom
Extras, Kemp played a garish caricature of himself, and claimed that on
Ultimate Force the SAS technical advisors had informed him that the SAS initials
really stood for 'Super Army Soldiers'.
The SAS also makes appearances in American pop culture. The SAS home base is the location of the novel
Rainbow Six as well as the second largest number of soldiers in that force. The computer game,
Counter-Strike, a modification of
Half Life (a first person shooter), also allows gamers to play as the SAS in a counter-terrorism environment. The SAS makes a few appearances in other games as well. In
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs, players must co-operate with SAS soldiers in a few of the missions and in
Full Spectrum Warrior, an SAS officer briefly appears and briefs the player's
Light Infantry squad, before starting at a new checkpoint. Also, in the popular game franchise
Metal Gear Solid, the main character,
Solid Snake, quotes the SAS's motto "Who Dares Wins" in Sons of Liberty. The main character in the video game,
Cold Winter, is seen as a former SAS member.
*
Australia -
Australian Special Air Service Regiment.
*
Belgium - During WWII the 5th SAS squadron (from 1944: 5th SAS Regiment) consisted of
Belgian volunteers and was first commanded by
Captain-Commandant Thise and from 1942 by
Major Eddy Blondeel
DSO. They were the first Allied troops to enter Belgium and the first to cross the
Siegfried line, thus being the first unit moving into Germany. During the fighting in northwestern Europe, they earned five battle honours (
Normandy,
Belgium,
Ardennes,
Emden and
Oldenburg) as well as the
fourragère of the
Order of Leopold and the
French Croix de Guerre. Their traditions are currently continued by 1 PARA of the
Paracommando Brigade. The contemporary Belgian
Special Forces Group is closely patterned on the SAS and consists of Land, Air and Boat sections, comprising about 120 operational troops. They wear the maroon
beret with the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol insignia and have conducted operations in various countries, notably
Congo,
Somalia,
Rwanda,
Former Yugoslavia,
Turkey and
Kosovo.
*
Canada - The
Canadian Military's
Joint Task Force 2 is closely modelled on the SAS. An SAS Company was created in 1946 and disbanded in 1948.
*
Denmark -
Frømandskorpset (Naval Special Forces) and
Jægerkorpset (Army Special Forces).
*
France - The
1er Régiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine (1er RPIMa:SAS), is the heir of the World War II French SAS units (French Squad, 1st BIA, 3rd and 4th SAS). Its official motto is
"qui ose gagne", the French translation of "Who Dares Wins". The Regiment's operators are also nicknamed
"les SAS français" (the French SAS). Recently, the Regiment created a Squadron (3rd Company)
Patrouilles SAS or "PATSAS" (SAS Patrols), using heavily-armed jeeps for raids behind enemy lines (particularly with 22 SAS and the Australian SAS in
Afghanistan).
*
Germany - The
German Army Special Forces unit, the
KSK, is also closely patterned on the SAS.
*
Hong Kong - The
Hong Kong Special Duties Unit is a part of the
Hong Kong Police Force and was formed in 1973. SDU was modelled on the SAS and was trained by the SAS and SBS.
*
Indonesia -
Detasemen Bravo Paskhas TNI AU.
*
Israel - The
Sayeret Matkal, an elite unit of the IDF, is modelled on the SAS, and shares the same motto, "Who Dares Wins." Responsible for
Operation Entebbe. Also
Sayeret Shaldag.
*
Italy - The
Army's
9th Parachute Assault Regiment, and the
Carabinieri's
Gruppo di Intervento Speciale are partly based on the SAS.
*
Japan - The
National Police Agency's
Special Assault Team received training from British SAS operators prior to its activation on
1 April 1996.
*
Malaysia - The
Malaysian VAT 69/UTK is a special forces of the
Royal Malaysian Police modelled on and trained by the British SAS in 1969 for fighting the communist insurgency. Special Action Units
(Unit Tindakan Khas) were trained by the SAS and
United States SWAT. On 20 October 1997, VAT 69 and UTK merged and was then called
Pasukan Gerakan Khas (Special Operations Force). The
Malaysian Army's 11th
Rejimen Gerak Khas of
21 Gerup Gerak Khas is organised along the same lines as the Special Air Service, unlike 21 and 21 Regiments which are organsied as commando units. Much of the techniques and procedures of 11th
Rejimen Gerak Khas are borrowed from the SAS.
*
New Zealand -
Special Air Service of New Zealand.
*
Netherlands - The
Korps Commandotroepen.
*
Pakistan - The
SSG commandos are also partly based on the SAS.
*
Philippines - The
Philippine National Police's (PNP)
Special Action Force was believed to have been based on the lines of the British SAS.
*
Poland -
GROM, partly based on the SAS.
*
Rhodesia -
C Squadron 22 SAS was composed of Rhodesian troops. It formed the nucleus of the Rhodesian SAS Regiment after the end of the
Malayan Emergency in
1953, and subsequently the British SAS never raised another C Squadron. The Rhodesian SAS disbanded in December
1980 after the country became
Zimbabwe. (See
SAS Rhodesia by Fourie, C., & Pittaway, J., published Dandy Agencies, Durban, South Africa, 2003.)
*
United Arab Emirates -
Police Special Unit*
United States - The
US Army 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D (A)), also known as
Delta Force, was based on the SAS. Its founder,
"Chargin'" Charlie Beckwith, having served on exchange with the SAS in the early
1960s, caught the "SAS bug" and, recognising a void in the US Army, devoted a large part of the remainder of his career to the raising and establishment of a US Special Forces unit modelled on the SAS.
*
United Kingdom Special Forces*
21 SAS*
Military Reconnaissance Force*
14 Intelligence*
23 SAS*
Special Boat Service*
Special Reconnaissance Regiment*
Parachute Regiment*
British Forces Rangers*
List of SAS operations*
SAS Troops*
CO19*
Australian Special Air Service Regiment*
Special Service Group*
Joint Task Force 2*
Delta Force*
Navy SEALs*
Korps Commandotroepen*
Commandement des Opérations Spéciales (COS)*
National Security Guards*
SAS page at regiments.org*
www.sassurvival.co.uk Example of training available to the public*
Non-affiliated site dedicated to the SAS*
WW2 French SAS 3rd and 4th SAS 2è and 3è R.C.P *
Video footage of the SAS in action at the Iranian Embassy SiegeThe SAS - Savage Wars of Peace - 1947 to the Present, by Anthony Kemp (1994: Penguin Books)
*"Ambush: The War Between The SAS and The IRA", by James Adams, Robin Morgan and Anthony Bambridge (Pan, London: 1988)
