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Special Air Service

March 06, 2023

Not to be confused with Australian Special Air Service Regiment, Canadian Special Air Service Company, New Zealand Special Air Service, or Rhodesian Special Air Service.

The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps.[5] The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, direct action and covert reconnaissance. Much of the information about the SAS is highly classified, and the unit is not commented on by either the British government or the Ministry of Defence due to the secrecy and sensitivity of its operations.[10][11][12]

Special Air Service
Special Air Service insignia
Active1941–1945
1947–present[1][2][3]
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeSpecial forces
RoleSpecial operations
Counter-terrorism
SizeThree regiments[nb 1]
Part ofUnited Kingdom Special Forces
Garrison/HQRHQ: Stirling Lines, Herefordshire, England
21 SAS: Regent's Park Barracks, London, England[4]
22 SAS: Stirling Lines, Herefordshire, England[4]
23 SAS: Birmingham, West Midlands, England[4]
Nickname(s)"The Regiment"[7]
Motto(s)"Who Dares Wins"[8]
ColoursPompadour blue[8]  
MarchQuick: "Marche des Parachutistes Belges"[8]
Slow: "Lili Marlene"[8]
EngagementsList of SAS operations
Commanders
Colonel-CommandantField Marshal The Lord Guthrie[9]
Notable
commanders		General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith

The corps currently consists of the 22 Special Air Service Regiment, the regular component, as well as the 21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve) and the 23 Special Air Service Regiment (Reserve), which are reserve units, all under the operational command of United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF). Its sister unit is the Royal Navy's Special Boat Service which specialises in maritime counter-terrorism. Both units are under the operational control of the Director Special Forces.

The Special Air Service traces its origins to 1941 and the Second World War. It was reformed as part of the Territorial Army in 1947, named the 21st Special Air Service Regiment (Artists Rifles). The 22nd Special Air Service Regiment, which is part of the regular army, gained fame and recognition worldwide after its televised rescue of all but two of the hostages held during the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege.[13]

History

Further information: History of the Special Air Service, List of SAS operations, and List of former SAS personnel

Second World War

The Special Air Service was a unit of the British Army during the Second World War that was formed in July 1941 by David Stirling and originally called "L" Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade—the "L" designation and Air Service name being a tie-in to a British disinformation campaign, trying to deceive the Axis into thinking there was a paratrooper regiment with numerous units operating in the area (the real SAS would "prove" to the Axis that the fake one existed).[1][14] It was conceived as a commando force to operate behind enemy lines in the North African Campaign[15] and initially consisted of five officers and 60 other ranks.[16] Its first mission, in November 1941, was a parachute drop in support of the Operation Crusader offensive, codenamed Operation Squatter.[14][17] Due to German resistance and adverse weather conditions, the mission was a disaster; 22 men, a third of the unit, were killed or captured.[18] Its second mission was a major success. Transported by the Long Range Desert Group, it attacked three airfields in Libya, destroying 60 aircraft without loss.[18] In September 1942, it was renamed 1st SAS, consisting at that time of four British squadrons, one Free French, one Greek, and the Folboat Section.[19]

 
SAS patrol in North Africa during WWII (1943)

In January 1943, Colonel Stirling was captured in Tunisia and Paddy Mayne replaced him as commander.[20] In April 1943, the 1st SAS was reorganised into the Special Raiding Squadron under Mayne's command and the Special Boat Squadron was placed under the command of George Jellicoe.[21] The Special Raiding Squadron fought in Sicily and Italy along with the 2nd SAS, which had been formed in North Africa in 1943 in part by the renaming of the Small Scale Raiding Force.[22][23] The Special Boat Squadron fought in the Aegean Islands and Dodecanese until the end of the war.[24] In 1944 the SAS Brigade was formed. The unit was formed from:[25]

It was tasked with parachute operations behind the German lines in France[2] and carried out operations supporting the Allied advance through France, (Operations Houndsworth, Bulbasket, Loyton and Wallace-Hardy) Belgium, the Netherlands (Operation Pegasus), and eventually into Germany (Operation Archway).[25][26] As a result of Hitler's issuing of the Commando Order on 18 October 1942, the members of the unit faced the additional danger that they would be summarily executed if captured by the Germans. In July 1944, following Operation Bulbasket, 34 captured SAS commandos were summarily executed by the Germans. In October 1944, in the aftermath of Operation Loyton another 31 captured SAS commandos were summarily executed by the Germans.[27]

Post-war

At the end of the war the British government saw no further need for the force and disbanded it on 8 October 1945.[2]

The following year it was decided there was a need for a long-term deep-penetration commando unit and a new SAS regiment was to be raised as part of the Territorial Army.[28] Ultimately, the Artists Rifles, raised in 1860 and headquartered at Dukes Road, Euston, took on the SAS mantle as 21st SAS Regiment (V) on 1 January 1947.[3][28]

Malayan Scouts

 
21 SAS soldier after a night parachute drop exercise in Denmark (1955)

In 1950, a 21 SAS squadron was raised to fight in the Korean War. After three months of training in Britain, it was informed that the squadron would no longer be required in Korea and so it instead volunteered to fight in the Malayan Emergency.[29] Upon arrival in Malaya, it came under the command of "Mad Mike"[30] Mike Calvert who was forming a new unit called the Malayan Scouts (SAS).[29] Calvert had already formed one squadron from 100 volunteers in the Far East, which became A Squadron; the 21 SAS squadron then became B Squadron; and after a recruitment visit to Rhodesia by Calvert, C Squadron was formed from 100 Rhodesian volunteers.[31] The Rhodesians returned home after three years' service and were replaced by a New Zealand squadron.[32] By this time the need for a regular army SAS regiment had been recognised; the 22 SAS Regiment was formally added to the army list in 1952 and has been based at Hereford since 1960.[8] In 1959 the third regiment, the 23 SAS Regiment, was formed by renaming the Reserve Reconnaissance Unit, which had succeeded MI9 and whose members were experts in escape and evasion.[33]

22 SAS Regiment

Since serving in Malaya, men from the regular army 22 SAS Regiment have taken part in reconnaissance patrols and large scale raiding missions in the Jebel Akhdar War in Oman and conducted covert reconnaissance and surveillance patrols and some larger scale raiding missions in Borneo.[34][35] They returned to Oman in operations against Communist-backed rebels in the Dhofar Rebellion including the Battle of Mirbat.[36] They have also taken part in operations in the Aden Emergency,[37] Northern Ireland,[38] and Gambia.[35] Their Special projects team assisted the West German counterterrorism group GSG 9 at Mogadishu.[35] The SAS counter terrorist wing famously took part in a hostage rescue operation during the Iranian Embassy Siege in London.[39] SAS were involved throughout Britain's covert involvement in the Soviet–Afghan War; they acted through private military contractor Keenie Meenie Services (or KMS Ltd), training the Afghan Mujaheddin in weapons, tactics and using explosives. Not only did they train the Mujaheddin in Afghanistan but also sent them to be trained in Pakistan, Oman and even parts of the UK.[40] During the Falklands War B squadron were prepared for Operation Mikado before it was subsequently cancelled while D and G squadrons were deployed and participated in the raid on Pebble Island.[41] Operation Flavius was a controversial operation in Gibraltar against the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).[35] 22 SAS also directed NATO aircraft onto Serb positions and hunted war criminals in Bosnia.[42][43] They were also involved in the Kosovo War helping KLA guerillas behind Serbian lines. According to Albanian sources one SAS sergeant was killed by Serbian special forces.[44]

The Gulf War, in which A, B and D squadrons deployed, was the largest SAS mobilisation since the Second World War, also notable for the failure of the Bravo Two Zero mission.[45] In Sierra Leone it took part in Operation Barras, a hostage rescue operation, to extract members of the Royal Irish Regiment.[35]

Following the September 11 attacks on the United States by al-Qaeda in 2001, 2 squadrons of 22 SAS, later reinforced by members of both the Territorial SAS units, deployed to Afghanistan as part of the Coalition invasion at the start of the War in Afghanistan, to dismantle and destroy al-Qaeda and to deny it a safe base of operations in Afghanistan by removing the Taliban from power in the War on Terror. The Regiment carried out Operation Trent, the largest operation in its history, which included its first wartime HALO parachute jump. Following the invasion, the Regiment continued to operate in Afghanistan against the Taliban and other insurgents until 2006, when its deployment to Iraq became its focus of operations, until 2009 when the SAS redeployed to Afghanistan.[46][47][48][49]

The regiment took part in the Iraq War, notably carrying out operations in Iraq before the 2003 invasion. Following the invasion, it formed part of Task Force Black/Knight to combat the postinvasion insurgency; in late 2005/early 2006, the SAS were integrated into JSOC and focused its counterinsurgency efforts on combating al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Sunni insurgency alongside Delta Force. The counter-insurgency was successful, and the UKSF mission in Iraq ended in May 2009.[46][47][50] Overall, more than 3,500 terrorists were "taken off the streets" of Baghdad by 22 SAS.[51]

Various British newspapers have speculated on SAS involvement in Operation Ellamy and the 2011 Libyan civil war. The Daily Telegraph reports that "defence sources have confirmed that the SAS has been in Libya for several weeks, and played a key role in coordinating the fall of Tripoli."[52] While The Guardian reports "They have been acting as forward air controllers—directing pilots to targets—and communicating with NATO operational commanders. They have also been advising rebels on tactics."[53]

Members of the Special Air Service were deployed to Northern Iraq in late August 2014, and according to former MI6 chief Richard Barrett, would also be sent to Syria, tasked with trying to track down the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group that the press labelled the Beatles.[54][55][56]

In recent years SAS officers have risen to senior appointments in the British Army and Armed Forces. General Peter de la Billière was the commander in chief of the British forces in the 1990 Gulf War.[57] General Michael Rose became commander of the United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia in 1994.[58] In 1997 General Charles Guthrie became Chief of the Defence Staff the head of the British armed forces.[59] Lieutenant-General Cedric Delves was appointed commander of the Field Army and deputy commander in chief NATO Regional Headquarters Allied Forces North in 2002–2003.[60]

21 and 23 SAS

Main articles: 21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve) and 23 Special Air Service Regiment (Reserve)

For much of the Cold War, the role of 21 SAS and 23 SAS was to provide stay-behind parties in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion of western Europe, forming together I Corps' Corps Patrol Unit. In the case of an invasion, this Special Air Service Group would have let themselves be bypassed and remained behind in order to collect intelligence behind Warsaw Pact lines, conduct target acquisition, and thus try to slow the enemy's advance.[61][62][63]

By early 2003 a composite squadron of 21 and 23 SAS, was operating in Helmand for roles against Al Qaeda forces, ‘with the emphasis on long range reconnaissance' [64][65][66] In 2007–08 a squadron-sized sub-unit was deployed first from 23 and then from 21 SAS to Helmand for roles including training the Afghan Police and working with the intelligence services.[67][68]

Influence on other special forces

Following the post-war reconstitution of the Special Air Service, other countries in the Commonwealth recognised their need for similar units. The Canadian Special Air Service Company was formed in 1947, being disbanded in 1949.[69][70] The New Zealand Special Air Service squadron was formed in June 1955 to serve with the British SAS in Malaya, which became a full regiment in 2011.[71] Australia formed the 1st SAS Company in July 1957, which became a full regiment of the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in 1964.[72] On its return from Malaya, the C (Rhodesian) Squadron formed the basis for creation of the Rhodesian Special Air Service in 1961.[33] It retained the name "C Squadron (Rhodesian) Special Air Service" within the Rhodesian Security Forces until 1978, when it became 1 (Rhodesian) Special Air Service Regiment.[73]

Non-Commonwealth countries have also formed units based on the SAS. The Belgian Army's Special Forces Group, which wears the same capbadge as the British SAS, traces its ancestry partly from the 5th Special Air Service of the Second World War.[81] The French 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (1er RPIMa) can trace its origins to the Second World War 3rd and 4th SAS, adopting its "who dares wins" motto.[82] The American unit, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, was formed by Colonel Charles Alvin Beckwith, who served with 22 SAS as an exchange officer, and recognised the need for a similar type of unit in the United States Army.[83] The Israeli Sayeret Matkal and Shaldag units have also been modelled after the SAS, sharing its motto. Ireland's Army Ranger Wing (ARW) has also modelled its training on that of the SAS.[84] The Philippine National Police's Special Action Force was formed along the lines of the SAS.[85]

The former Royal Afghan Army's 666th Commando Brigade was formed by Colonel Ramatullah Safi in the 1970s after he received his training with the SAS before it was disbanded through purges after the coups in 1973 and 1978.[86]

Organisation

Little publicly verifiable information exists on the contemporary SAS, as the British government usually does not comment on special forces matters due to the nature of their work.[10][11] The Special Air Service comprises three units: one Regular and two Army Reserve (AR) units. The regular army unit is 22 SAS Regiment and the reserve units are 21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve) (21 SAS(R)) and 23 Special Air Service Regiment (23 SAS (R)), collectively, the Special Air Service (Reserve) (SAS(R)).[6]

Special Forces Parachute Support Squadron (Para Sp Sqn) is a sub-unit of the Airborne Delivery Wing (ADW) based at RAF Brize Norton.[87]

Supplementary to the SAS, together with the Special Boat Service and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment is 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment.[88]

Squadrons

22 SAS normally has a strength of 400 to 600.[89] The regiment has four operational squadrons: A, B, D and G. Each squadron consists of approximately 65 members commanded by a major, divided into four troops (each troop being commanded by a captain) and a small headquarters section.[90][91] Troops usually consist of 16 members (Members of the SAS are variously known as "blade" or "Operator")[92][93][94] and each patrol within a troop consists of four members, with each member possessing a particular skill e.g. signals, demolition, medic or linguist in addition to basic skills learned during the course of his training.[91] The term "squadron" dates back to the unit's earliest days when the unit's name was intended to confuse German intelligence.[93] The four troops specialise in four different areas:

In 1980 R Squadron (which has since been renamed L Detachment) was formed; its members are all ex-regular SAS regiment soldiers who have a commitment to reserve service.[91][nb 2]

22 SAS squadron duty rotations are set up as such that one squadron is maintained on Counter-Terrorism duty in the UK; a second will be on a deployment; a third will be preparing for deployment whilst conducting short term training; and the fourth will be preparing for long-term overseas training such as jungle or desert exercises. In times of war, such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq, it is not uncommon for two squadrons to be deployed.[93]

22 Special Air Service Regiment 21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) 23 Special Air Service Regiment
'A' Squadron (Hereford)[4] 'Cap' Squadron (Regent's Park)[99] 'HQ' Squadron (Birmingham)[100][101][102]
'B' Squadron[103] 'A' Squadron (Regent's Park)[4] 'B' Squadron (Leeds)[104][105]
'D' Squadron 'C' Squadron (Bramley Camp)[106] 'D' Squadron (Scotland)[107]
'G' Squadron[108] 'E' Squadron (Wales)[109] 'G' Squadron (Manchester)[110]

Squadron Structure:[111]

  • A Squadron: 1 (Boat) Troop – 2 (Air) Troop – 3 (Mobility) Troop – 4 (Mountain) Troop
  • B Squadron: 6 (Boat) Troop – 7 (Air) Troop – 8 (Mobility) Troop – 9 (Mountain) Troop
  • D Squadron: 16 (Air) Troop – 17 (Boat) Troop – 18 (Mobility) Troop – 19 (Mountain) Troop
  • G Squadron: 21 (Mobility) Troop – 22 (Mountain) Troop – 23 (Boat) Troop – 24 (Air) Troop

Counter Terrorist Wing

The SAS has a subunit called the Counter Terrorist Wing (CTW) that fulfils its counterterrorism (CT) role.[112] It has previously been known as the Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) Wing[113] and special projects team.[114][115] The SAS receives aviation support from No. 658 Squadron AAC to carry out their CT role.[116]

The CTW is trained in Close Quarter Battle (CQB), sniper techniques and specialises in hostage rescue in buildings or on public transport.[117] The team was formed in the early 1970s after the Prime Minister, Edward Heath, asked the Ministry of Defence to prepare for any possible terrorist attack similar to the massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics therefore ordering that the SAS Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) wing be raised.[118]

Squadrons refresh their training every 16 months, on average. The CRW's first deployment was during the Balcombe Street siege. The Metropolitan Police had trapped a PIRA unit; it surrendered when it heard on the BBC that the SAS were being sent in.[118] The first documented action abroad by the CRW wing was assisting the West German counter-terrorism group GSG 9 at Mogadishu.[35]

The CT role was shared amongst the squadrons, initially on a 12-month and later six-month rotation basis to ensure that all members are eventually trained in CT and CQB techniques. The SAS train for the CT role at Pontrilas Army Training Area in a facility that includes the Killing House (officially known as Close Quarter Battle House) and part of a Boeing 747 airliner that can be reconfigured to match the internal layouts of virtually any commercial aircraft. The on-call CT squadron is split into four troops, two of which are on immediate notice to move and are restricted to the Hereford-Credenhill area, whilst the other two conduct training and exercises across the UK, but are available for operational deployment should the need arise.[119]

Commanding Officers

Operational command

Regular

22 SAS is under the operational command of the Director Special Forces (DSF), a major-general grade post. Previously ranked as a brigadier, the DSF was promoted from brigadier to major-general in recognition of the significant expansion of the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF).[146]

Reserve

On 1 September 2014, 21 and 23 SAS were moved from UKSF [147] They were placed under command of 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade.[148][149] In 2019 they were moved back to UKSF.[150][151]

Recruitment and training

Main article: United Kingdom Special Forces Selection
 
Pen y Fan 2,907 feet (886 m) above sea level, the location for the Fan Dance

The United Kingdom Special Forces do not recruit directly from the general public.[152][153] All current members of the UK Armed Forces can apply for Special Forces selection, but the majority of candidates have historically come from a Royal Marines or Parachute Regiment background.[154] Selections are held twice a year, once in summer and again in winter.[152]

Taking place in Wales, specifically Sennybridge and the Brecon Beacons, selection lasts for five weeks and normally starts with approximately 200 potential candidates.[152] Candidates complete a Personal Fitness Test (PFT) upon arrival, which consists of at least 50 sit-ups in two minutes, 60 press-ups in two minutes, and a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) run in 10 minutes and 30 seconds. They then complete an Annual Fitness Test (AFT), which consists of marching 8 miles (13 km) in two hours while carrying 25 lb (11 kg) of equipment.[155] Candidates then march cross-country against the clock, increasing the distance covered each day; this culminates in an endurance test known as the "Endurance", in which candidates march 40 miles (64 km) with full equipment before climbing up and down the mountain Pen y Fan (886 m; 2,907 ft) in 20 hours.[152] By the end of this phase, candidates must then be able to run 4 miles (6.4 km) in 30 minutes or less and swim 2 miles (3.2 km) in 90 minutes or less.[152]

Following mountain training, the jungle phase takes place in Belize, Brunei, or Malaysia.[156] Candidates are taught navigation, patrol formation and movement, and jungle survival skills.[157] They then return to the UK to begin training in battle plans and foreign weapons, and then take part in combat survival exercises, ending in week-long escape and evasion training.[158] Candidates are formed into patrols and, with nothing more than a tin can filled with survival equipment, are dressed in World War II-era uniforms and told to head for a particular destination by sunrise. The final selection test, resistance to interrogation (RTI), lasts for 36 hours.[159]

Typically only 10% of candidates make it through the initial selection process.[160] From a group of approximately 200 candidates, most will drop out within the first few days, and fewer than 30 will remain by the end. Those who complete all phases of selection are transferred to an operational squadron.[161]

For applicants to the reserve component, 21 SAS and 23 SAS, the pathway involves comparable elements, apart from jungle training, but taken in blocks, spread out over a longer period, to fit in with the demands of participants' civilian careers.[162]

In October 2018, recruitment policy changed to allow women to become members of the SAS for the first time.[163] In August 2021, two women became the first to pass the pre-selection course, making them eligible for the full course.[164]

Uniform distinctions

 
SAS pattern parachute wings

Normal barracks headdress is the sand-coloured beret,[8] its cap badge is a downward pointing Excalibur, wreathed in flames (often incorrectly referred to as a winged dagger) worked into the cloth of a Crusader shield with the motto Who Dares Wins.[dubious – discuss][165][nb 3] SAS pattern parachute wings, designed by Lieutenant Jock Lewes and based on the stylised sacred ibis of Isis of Egyptian iconography depicted in the décor of Shepheard's Hotel in Cairo, are worn on the right shoulder.[167] Its ceremonial No 1 dress uniform is distinguished by a light-blue stripe on the trousers. Its stable belt is a shade of blue similar to the blue stripe on the No 1 dress uniform.[8]

Battle honours

In the British Army, battle honours are awarded to regiments that have seen active service in a significant engagement or campaign, generally with a victorious outcome.[168] The Special Air Service Regiment has been awarded the following battle honours:[169][170]

Order of precedence

Memorials

 
Ascension memorial at Hereford Cathedral

The names of those members of the Regular SAS who have died on duty were inscribed on the regimental clock tower at Stirling Lines.[172] Originally funded by contributions of a day's pay by members of the regiment and a donation from Handley Page in memory of Cpl. R.K. Norry who was killed in a freefall parachuting accident,[173][174] this was rebuilt at the new barracks at Credenhill. Those whose names are inscribed are said by surviving members to have "failed to beat the clock".[175] At the suggestion of the then Commanding Officer, Dare Wilson, inscribed on the base of the clock is a verse from The Golden Journey to Samarkand by James Elroy Flecker:[176]

We are the Pilgrims, master; we shall go
Always a little further: it may be
Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow
Across that angry or that glimmering sea...

The other main memorial is the SAS and Airborne Forces memorial in the cloisters at Westminster Abbey. The SAS Brigade Memorial at Sennecey-le-Grand in France commemorates the wartime dead of the Belgian, British and French SAS and recently a memorial plaque was added to the David Stirling Memorial in Scotland. There are other smaller memorials "scattered throughout Europe and in the Far East".[177]

The local church of St Martin's, Hereford[178] has part of its graveyard set aside as an SAS memorial, over twenty SAS soldiers are buried there. There is also a wall of remembrance displaying memorial plaques to some who could not be buried, including the 18 SAS men who lost their lives in the Sea King helicopter crash during the Falklands Campaign on 19 May 1982[179] and a sculpture and stained glass window dedicated to the SAS.[180]

On 17 October 2017 Ascension, a new sculpture and window honouring the Special Air Service Regiment in Hereford Cathedral, was dedicated by the Bishop of Hereford at a service attended by Prince William.[181]

In popular culture

Books and films about the SAS
Television shows about the SAS
  • SAS: Are You Tough Enough? (2002-2004)[184]
  • SAS: Who Dares Wins – a reality quasi-military training television programme which pits contestants against harsh environments in a two-week-long training course that is designed to replicate Special Air Service selection[185]
  • Ultimate Force – an ITV action drama series following the operations of the fictitious 'Red Troop' of the Special Air Service. (2002-2008)[186]
  • SAS: Rogue Heroes – a BBC historical drama series which depicts the formation of the Special Air Service during World War II. (2022)[187]

Alliances

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ On 31 July 1947, the 21st regiment, SAS Regiment, (Artists Rifles) (Territorial Army) was formed. This was followed on 16 July 1952, when the 22 SAS Regiment was formed and the 23 Special Air Service Regiment (Territorial Army) was formed in February 1958. The 21 and 23 SAS are a part of the Army Reserve.[4][5][6]
  2. ^ The Regular reserve is made up of ex-soldiers who have a mobilisation obligation by virtue of their former service in the regular army. For the most part, these reservists constitute a standby rather than ready reserve and are rarely mobilised except in times of national emergency or incipient war.[98]
  3. ^ Designed by Bob Tait in 1941, it is a flaming sword, although it is often known as a winged dagger.[166]

Citations

  1. ^ a b Molinari, p.22
  2. ^ a b c Shortt & McBride, p.16
  3. ^ a b Shortt & McBride, p.18
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rayment, Sean (28 December 2003). "Overstretched SAS calls up part-time troops for Afghanistan". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Brief history of the regiment". Special Air Service Association. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  6. ^ a b . Defence Analytical Services Agency. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  7. ^ Ryan, p. 216
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Griffin, pp.150–152
  9. ^ Moreton, Cole (11 November 2007). . The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 28 August 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  10. ^ a b "Prime Ministers Questions, Special Forces". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  11. ^ a b "Special Forces". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  12. ^ "The UK can't stay 'mum' over Russian bombing of Special Forces base in Syria". DefenceReport. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  13. ^ Thompson, p. 8
  14. ^ a b Haskew, p.39
  15. ^ Thompson, p.7
  16. ^ Thompson, p.48
  17. ^ Lewis, Damien (2022). SAS brothers in arms : Churchill's desperadoes : blood-and-guts defiance at Britain's darkest hour. London. p. 231. ISBN 978-1-5294-1378-6. OCLC 1338681927.
  18. ^ a b Haskew, p.40
  19. ^ Molinari, p.25
  20. ^ Haskew, p.42
  21. ^ Morgan, p.15
  22. ^ . The Times. London. 31 March 2009. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  23. ^ . The Times. London. 6 June 2006. Archived from the original on 31 May 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  24. ^ Haskew, pp.52–54
  25. ^ a b Shortt & McBride, p.15
  26. ^ . Airborne Museum Oosterbeek. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  27. ^ Schorley, Pete; Forsyth, Frederick (2008). Who Dares Wins: Special Forces Heroes of the SAS. Osprey Publishing, page 50
  28. ^ a b Shortt & McBride, p.17
  29. ^ a b "Obituary — Major Alastair McGregor". The Daily Telegraph. London. 3 October 2002. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  30. ^ Rooney, David (28 March 2007). Mad Mike: A Life of Brigadier Michael Calvert. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1844155071.
  31. ^ Shortt & McBride, p.19
  32. ^ Shortt & McBride, p.20
  33. ^ a b Shortt & McBride, p.22
  34. ^ Geraghty, p. 120–131
  35. ^ a b c d e f Scholey & Forsyth, p.12
  36. ^ Scholey & Forsyth, p.104
  37. ^ Scholey & Forsyth, p.57
  38. ^ Scholey & Forsyth, p.53
  39. ^ Scholey & Forsyth, p.11
  40. ^ Cormac, Rory (2018). Disrupt and Deny: Spies, Special Forces, and the Secret Pursuit of British Foreign Policy. Oxford University Press. pp. 235–36. ISBN 978-0-19-878459-3.
  41. ^ Scholey & Forsyth, p.212
  42. ^ Hawton, Nick (2 April 2004). "Karadzic escapes again as SAS swoops on church". The Times. London. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  43. ^ Bellamy, Christopher (11 April 1994). "Ground attack is first in Nato history: British SAS troops help US war planes to deliver a timely warning to Serbs that 'safe areas' must be respected, writes Christopher Bellamy in Split". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  44. ^ "War in Europe: SAS teams 'fighting behind Serb lines'". 16 May 1999. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  45. ^ Scholey & Forsyth, p. 265
  46. ^ a b Neville, Leigh, Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military), Osprey Publishing, 2015 ISBN 978-1472807908, p 75
  47. ^ a b Neville, Leigh, The SAS 1983–2014 (Elite), Osprey Publishing, 2016, ISBN 1472814037 ISBN 978-1472814036
  48. ^ . 23 March 2010. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010.
  49. ^ Jennings, p 187
  50. ^ Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq, St. Martin's Griffin, 2012 ISBN 1-250-00696-1 ISBN 978-1-250-00696-7
  51. ^ Sean Rayment (25 April 2009). "SAS and other special forces to be expanded to defeat al-Qaeda". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
  52. ^ Harding, Thomas; et al. (24 August 2011). "Libya, SAS leads hunt for Gaddafi". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  53. ^ Norton-Taylor, Richard (23 August 2011). "SAS troopers help co-ordinate rebel attacks in Libya". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  54. ^ "Forze speciali in Iraq, caccia ai "Beatles"". La Repubblica (in Italian). 25 August 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  55. ^ "Former ISIS hostage identifies Foley executioner". Al Arabiya. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  56. ^ Rachel Browne (24 August 2014). "Rapper identified as James Foley's executioner: reports". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
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External links

  •   Media related to Special Air Service at Wikimedia Commons

March 06, 2023
special, service, confused, with, australian, regiment, canadian, company, zealand, rhodesian, special, forces, unit, british, army, founded, regiment, 1941, david, stirling, 1950, reconstituted, corps, unit, specialises, number, roles, including, counter, ter. Not to be confused with Australian Special Air Service Regiment Canadian Special Air Service Company New Zealand Special Air Service or Rhodesian Special Air Service The Special Air Service SAS is a special forces unit of the British Army It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps 5 The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter terrorism hostage rescue direct action and covert reconnaissance Much of the information about the SAS is highly classified and the unit is not commented on by either the British government or the Ministry of Defence due to the secrecy and sensitivity of its operations 10 11 12 Special Air ServiceSpecial Air Service insigniaActive1941 19451947 present 1 2 3 Country United KingdomBranch British ArmyTypeSpecial forcesRoleSpecial operationsCounter terrorismSizeThree regiments nb 1 Part ofUnited Kingdom Special ForcesGarrison HQRHQ Stirling Lines Herefordshire England21 SAS Regent s Park Barracks London England 4 22 SAS Stirling Lines Herefordshire England 4 23 SAS Birmingham West Midlands England 4 Nickname s The Regiment 7 Motto s Who Dares Wins 8 ColoursPompadour blue 8 MarchQuick Marche des Parachutistes Belges 8 Slow Lili Marlene 8 EngagementsList of SAS operationsCommandersColonel CommandantField Marshal The Lord Guthrie 9 NotablecommandersGeneral Sir Mark Carleton Smith The corps currently consists of the 22 Special Air Service Regiment the regular component as well as the 21 Special Air Service Regiment Artists Reserve and the 23 Special Air Service Regiment Reserve which are reserve units all under the operational command of United Kingdom Special Forces UKSF Its sister unit is the Royal Navy s Special Boat Service which specialises in maritime counter terrorism Both units are under the operational control of the Director Special Forces The Special Air Service traces its origins to 1941 and the Second World War It was reformed as part of the Territorial Army in 1947 named the 21st Special Air Service Regiment Artists Rifles The 22nd Special Air Service Regiment which is part of the regular army gained fame and recognition worldwide after its televised rescue of all but two of the hostages held during the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege 13 Contents 1 History 1 1 Second World War 1 2 Post war 1 2 1 Malayan Scouts 1 3 22 SAS Regiment 1 4 21 and 23 SAS 1 5 Influence on other special forces 2 Organisation 2 1 Squadrons 2 2 Counter Terrorist Wing 2 3 Commanding Officers 2 4 Operational command 2 4 1 Regular 2 4 2 Reserve 3 Recruitment and training 4 Uniform distinctions 5 Battle honours 6 Order of precedence 7 Memorials 8 In popular culture 9 Alliances 10 See also 11 References 11 1 Footnotes 11 2 Citations 12 Bibliography 13 External linksHistory EditFurther information History of the Special Air Service List of SAS operations and List of former SAS personnel Second World War Edit The Special Air Service was a unit of the British Army during the Second World War that was formed in July 1941 by David Stirling and originally called L Detachment Special Air Service Brigade the L designation and Air Service name being a tie in to a British disinformation campaign trying to deceive the Axis into thinking there was a paratrooper regiment with numerous units operating in the area the real SAS would prove to the Axis that the fake one existed 1 14 It was conceived as a commando force to operate behind enemy lines in the North African Campaign 15 and initially consisted of five officers and 60 other ranks 16 Its first mission in November 1941 was a parachute drop in support of the Operation Crusader offensive codenamed Operation Squatter 14 17 Due to German resistance and adverse weather conditions the mission was a disaster 22 men a third of the unit were killed or captured 18 Its second mission was a major success Transported by the Long Range Desert Group it attacked three airfields in Libya destroying 60 aircraft without loss 18 In September 1942 it was renamed 1st SAS consisting at that time of four British squadrons one Free French one Greek and the Folboat Section 19 SAS patrol in North Africa during WWII 1943 In January 1943 Colonel Stirling was captured in Tunisia and Paddy Mayne replaced him as commander 20 In April 1943 the 1st SAS was reorganised into the Special Raiding Squadron under Mayne s command and the Special Boat Squadron was placed under the command of George Jellicoe 21 The Special Raiding Squadron fought in Sicily and Italy along with the 2nd SAS which had been formed in North Africa in 1943 in part by the renaming of the Small Scale Raiding Force 22 23 The Special Boat Squadron fought in the Aegean Islands and Dodecanese until the end of the war 24 In 1944 the SAS Brigade was formed The unit was formed from 25 1st Special Air Service 2nd Special Air Service 3rd Special Air Service 2e Regiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes 4th Special Air Service 3e Regiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes 5th Special Air Service lineage continued by Belgian Special Forces Group F Squadron responsible for signals and communicationsIt was tasked with parachute operations behind the German lines in France 2 and carried out operations supporting the Allied advance through France Operations Houndsworth Bulbasket Loyton and Wallace Hardy Belgium the Netherlands Operation Pegasus and eventually into Germany Operation Archway 25 26 As a result of Hitler s issuing of the Commando Order on 18 October 1942 the members of the unit faced the additional danger that they would be summarily executed if captured by the Germans In July 1944 following Operation Bulbasket 34 captured SAS commandos were summarily executed by the Germans In October 1944 in the aftermath of Operation Loyton another 31 captured SAS commandos were summarily executed by the Germans 27 Post war Edit At the end of the war the British government saw no further need for the force and disbanded it on 8 October 1945 2 The following year it was decided there was a need for a long term deep penetration commando unit and a new SAS regiment was to be raised as part of the Territorial Army 28 Ultimately the Artists Rifles raised in 1860 and headquartered at Dukes Road Euston took on the SAS mantle as 21st SAS Regiment V on 1 January 1947 3 28 Malayan Scouts Edit 21 SAS soldier after a night parachute drop exercise in Denmark 1955 In 1950 a 21 SAS squadron was raised to fight in the Korean War After three months of training in Britain it was informed that the squadron would no longer be required in Korea and so it instead volunteered to fight in the Malayan Emergency 29 Upon arrival in Malaya it came under the command of Mad Mike 30 Mike Calvert who was forming a new unit called the Malayan Scouts SAS 29 Calvert had already formed one squadron from 100 volunteers in the Far East which became A Squadron the 21 SAS squadron then became B Squadron and after a recruitment visit to Rhodesia by Calvert C Squadron was formed from 100 Rhodesian volunteers 31 The Rhodesians returned home after three years service and were replaced by a New Zealand squadron 32 By this time the need for a regular army SAS regiment had been recognised the 22 SAS Regiment was formally added to the army list in 1952 and has been based at Hereford since 1960 8 In 1959 the third regiment the 23 SAS Regiment was formed by renaming the Reserve Reconnaissance Unit which had succeeded MI9 and whose members were experts in escape and evasion 33 22 SAS Regiment Edit Since serving in Malaya men from the regular army 22 SAS Regiment have taken part in reconnaissance patrols and large scale raiding missions in the Jebel Akhdar War in Oman and conducted covert reconnaissance and surveillance patrols and some larger scale raiding missions in Borneo 34 35 They returned to Oman in operations against Communist backed rebels in the Dhofar Rebellion including the Battle of Mirbat 36 They have also taken part in operations in the Aden Emergency 37 Northern Ireland 38 and Gambia 35 Their Special projects team assisted the West German counterterrorism group GSG 9 at Mogadishu 35 The SAS counter terrorist wing famously took part in a hostage rescue operation during the Iranian Embassy Siege in London 39 SAS were involved throughout Britain s covert involvement in the Soviet Afghan War they acted through private military contractor Keenie Meenie Services or KMS Ltd training the Afghan Mujaheddin in weapons tactics and using explosives Not only did they train the Mujaheddin in Afghanistan but also sent them to be trained in Pakistan Oman and even parts of the UK 40 During the Falklands War B squadron were prepared for Operation Mikado before it was subsequently cancelled while D and G squadrons were deployed and participated in the raid on Pebble Island 41 Operation Flavius was a controversial operation in Gibraltar against the Provisional Irish Republican Army PIRA 35 22 SAS also directed NATO aircraft onto Serb positions and hunted war criminals in Bosnia 42 43 They were also involved in the Kosovo War helping KLA guerillas behind Serbian lines According to Albanian sources one SAS sergeant was killed by Serbian special forces 44 The Gulf War in which A B and D squadrons deployed was the largest SAS mobilisation since the Second World War also notable for the failure of the Bravo Two Zero mission 45 In Sierra Leone it took part in Operation Barras a hostage rescue operation to extract members of the Royal Irish Regiment 35 Following the September 11 attacks on the United States by al Qaeda in 2001 2 squadrons of 22 SAS later reinforced by members of both the Territorial SAS units deployed to Afghanistan as part of the Coalition invasion at the start of the War in Afghanistan to dismantle and destroy al Qaeda and to deny it a safe base of operations in Afghanistan by removing the Taliban from power in the War on Terror The Regiment carried out Operation Trent the largest operation in its history which included its first wartime HALO parachute jump Following the invasion the Regiment continued to operate in Afghanistan against the Taliban and other insurgents until 2006 when its deployment to Iraq became its focus of operations until 2009 when the SAS redeployed to Afghanistan 46 47 48 49 The regiment took part in the Iraq War notably carrying out operations in Iraq before the 2003 invasion Following the invasion it formed part of Task Force Black Knight to combat the postinvasion insurgency in late 2005 early 2006 the SAS were integrated into JSOC and focused its counterinsurgency efforts on combating al Qaeda in Iraq and the Sunni insurgency alongside Delta Force The counter insurgency was successful and the UKSF mission in Iraq ended in May 2009 46 47 50 Overall more than 3 500 terrorists were taken off the streets of Baghdad by 22 SAS 51 Various British newspapers have speculated on SAS involvement in Operation Ellamy and the 2011 Libyan civil war The Daily Telegraph reports that defence sources have confirmed that the SAS has been in Libya for several weeks and played a key role in coordinating the fall of Tripoli 52 While The Guardian reports They have been acting as forward air controllers directing pilots to targets and communicating with NATO operational commanders They have also been advising rebels on tactics 53 Members of the Special Air Service were deployed to Northern Iraq in late August 2014 and according to former MI6 chief Richard Barrett would also be sent to Syria tasked with trying to track down the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ISIL terrorist group that the press labelled the Beatles 54 55 56 In recent years SAS officers have risen to senior appointments in the British Army and Armed Forces General Peter de la Billiere was the commander in chief of the British forces in the 1990 Gulf War 57 General Michael Rose became commander of the United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia in 1994 58 In 1997 General Charles Guthrie became Chief of the Defence Staff the head of the British armed forces 59 Lieutenant General Cedric Delves was appointed commander of the Field Army and deputy commander in chief NATO Regional Headquarters Allied Forces North in 2002 2003 60 21 and 23 SAS Edit Main articles 21 Special Air Service Regiment Artists Reserve and 23 Special Air Service Regiment Reserve For much of the Cold War the role of 21 SAS and 23 SAS was to provide stay behind parties in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion of western Europe forming together I Corps Corps Patrol Unit In the case of an invasion this Special Air Service Group would have let themselves be bypassed and remained behind in order to collect intelligence behind Warsaw Pact lines conduct target acquisition and thus try to slow the enemy s advance 61 62 63 By early 2003 a composite squadron of 21 and 23 SAS was operating in Helmand for roles against Al Qaeda forces with the emphasis on long range reconnaissance 64 65 66 In 2007 08 a squadron sized sub unit was deployed first from 23 and then from 21 SAS to Helmand for roles including training the Afghan Police and working with the intelligence services 67 68 Influence on other special forces Edit Following the post war reconstitution of the Special Air Service other countries in the Commonwealth recognised their need for similar units The Canadian Special Air Service Company was formed in 1947 being disbanded in 1949 69 70 The New Zealand Special Air Service squadron was formed in June 1955 to serve with the British SAS in Malaya which became a full regiment in 2011 71 Australia formed the 1st SAS Company in July 1957 which became a full regiment of the Special Air Service Regiment SASR in 1964 72 On its return from Malaya the C Rhodesian Squadron formed the basis for creation of the Rhodesian Special Air Service in 1961 33 It retained the name C Squadron Rhodesian Special Air Service within the Rhodesian Security Forces until 1978 when it became 1 Rhodesian Special Air Service Regiment 73 Non Commonwealth countries have also formed units based on the SAS The Belgian Army s Special Forces Group which wears the same capbadge as the British SAS traces its ancestry partly from the 5th Special Air Service of the Second World War 81 The French 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment 1er RPIMa can trace its origins to the Second World War 3rd and 4th SAS adopting its who dares wins motto 82 The American unit 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta was formed by Colonel Charles Alvin Beckwith who served with 22 SAS as an exchange officer and recognised the need for a similar type of unit in the United States Army 83 The Israeli Sayeret Matkal and Shaldag units have also been modelled after the SAS sharing its motto Ireland s Army Ranger Wing ARW has also modelled its training on that of the SAS 84 The Philippine National Police s Special Action Force was formed along the lines of the SAS 85 The former Royal Afghan Army s 666th Commando Brigade was formed by Colonel Ramatullah Safi in the 1970s after he received his training with the SAS before it was disbanded through purges after the coups in 1973 and 1978 86 Organisation EditLittle publicly verifiable information exists on the contemporary SAS as the British government usually does not comment on special forces matters due to the nature of their work 10 11 The Special Air Service comprises three units one Regular and two Army Reserve AR units The regular army unit is 22 SAS Regiment and the reserve units are 21 Special Air Service Regiment Artists Reserve 21 SAS R and 23 Special Air Service Regiment 23 SAS R collectively the Special Air Service Reserve SAS R 6 Special Forces Parachute Support Squadron Para Sp Sqn is a sub unit of the Airborne Delivery Wing ADW based at RAF Brize Norton 87 Supplementary to the SAS together with the Special Boat Service and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment is 18 UKSF Signal Regiment 88 Squadrons Edit 22 SAS normally has a strength of 400 to 600 89 The regiment has four operational squadrons A B D and G Each squadron consists of approximately 65 members commanded by a major divided into four troops each troop being commanded by a captain and a small headquarters section 90 91 Troops usually consist of 16 members Members of the SAS are variously known as blade or Operator 92 93 94 and each patrol within a troop consists of four members with each member possessing a particular skill e g signals demolition medic or linguist in addition to basic skills learned during the course of his training 91 The term squadron dates back to the unit s earliest days when the unit s name was intended to confuse German intelligence 93 The four troops specialise in four different areas Boat troop specialists in maritime skills including diving using rebreathers using kayaks canoes and Rigid hulled inflatable boats and often train with the Special Boat Service 95 Air troop experts in free fall parachuting and high altitude parachute operations including High Altitude Low Opening HALO and High Altitude High Opening HAHO techniques 95 Mobility troop specialists in using vehicles and are experts in desert warfare 96 They are also trained in an advanced level of motor mechanics to field repair any vehicular breakdown 97 Mountain troop specialists in Arctic combat and survival using specialist equipment such as skis snowshoes and mountain climbing techniques 95 In 1980 R Squadron which has since been renamed L Detachment was formed its members are all ex regular SAS regiment soldiers who have a commitment to reserve service 91 nb 2 22 SAS squadron duty rotations are set up as such that one squadron is maintained on Counter Terrorism duty in the UK a second will be on a deployment a third will be preparing for deployment whilst conducting short term training and the fourth will be preparing for long term overseas training such as jungle or desert exercises In times of war such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq it is not uncommon for two squadrons to be deployed 93 22 Special Air Service Regiment 21 Special Air Service Regiment Artists 23 Special Air Service Regiment A Squadron Hereford 4 Cap Squadron Regent s Park 99 HQ Squadron Birmingham 100 101 102 B Squadron 103 A Squadron Regent s Park 4 B Squadron Leeds 104 105 D Squadron C Squadron Bramley Camp 106 D Squadron Scotland 107 G Squadron 108 E Squadron Wales 109 G Squadron Manchester 110 Squadron Structure 111 A Squadron 1 Boat Troop 2 Air Troop 3 Mobility Troop 4 Mountain Troop B Squadron 6 Boat Troop 7 Air Troop 8 Mobility Troop 9 Mountain Troop D Squadron 16 Air Troop 17 Boat Troop 18 Mobility Troop 19 Mountain Troop G Squadron 21 Mobility Troop 22 Mountain Troop 23 Boat Troop 24 Air TroopCounter Terrorist Wing Edit The SAS has a subunit called the Counter Terrorist Wing CTW that fulfils its counterterrorism CT role 112 It has previously been known as the Counter Revolutionary Warfare CRW Wing 113 and special projects team 114 115 The SAS receives aviation support from No 658 Squadron AAC to carry out their CT role 116 The CTW is trained in Close Quarter Battle CQB sniper techniques and specialises in hostage rescue in buildings or on public transport 117 The team was formed in the early 1970s after the Prime Minister Edward Heath asked the Ministry of Defence to prepare for any possible terrorist attack similar to the massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics therefore ordering that the SAS Counter Revolutionary Warfare CRW wing be raised 118 Squadrons refresh their training every 16 months on average The CRW s first deployment was during the Balcombe Street siege The Metropolitan Police had trapped a PIRA unit it surrendered when it heard on the BBC that the SAS were being sent in 118 The first documented action abroad by the CRW wing was assisting the West German counter terrorism group GSG 9 at Mogadishu 35 The CT role was shared amongst the squadrons initially on a 12 month and later six month rotation basis to ensure that all members are eventually trained in CT and CQB techniques The SAS train for the CT role at Pontrilas Army Training Area in a facility that includes the Killing House officially known as Close Quarter Battle House and part of a Boeing 747 airliner that can be reconfigured to match the internal layouts of virtually any commercial aircraft The on call CT squadron is split into four troops two of which are on immediate notice to move and are restricted to the Hereford Credenhill area whilst the other two conduct training and exercises across the UK but are available for operational deployment should the need arise 119 Commanding Officers Edit 1950 Lt Col Mike Calvert Royal Engineers 120 1951 Lt Col John Slone Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 121 1953 Lt Col Oliver Brooke Welch Regiment 122 1954 Lt Col Michael Osborn West Yorkshire Regiment 122 1955 Lt Col George Lea Lancashire Fusiliers 123 and Parachute Regiment 124 1957 Lt Col Tony Deane Drummond Royal Signals 125 1960 Lt Col Ronald Wilson Royal Northumberland Fusiliers 126 1962 Lt Col John Woodhouse Dorset Regiment and East Surreys 127 1965 Lt Col Michael Wingate Gray 128 Black Watch 1967 Lt Col John Slim 129 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 1969 Lt Col John Watts 130 Royal Irish Rangers 1972 Lt Col Peter de la Billiere 131 Light Infantry 1974 Lt Col Anthony Jeapes 132 Devonshire and Dorset Regiment 1977 Lt Col Mike Wilkes Royal Artillery 133 134 1982 Lt Col Mike Rose Coldstream Guards 135 1984 Lt Col Andrew Massey Royal Corps of Transport 136 1986 Lt Col Cedric Delves Devonshire and Dorset Regiment 137 1989 Lt Col John Holmes Scots Guards 138 n k Lt Col Jonathan Jacko Page Parachute Regiment 139 2001 Lt Col Ed Butler Royal Green Jackets 140 141 2002 Lt Col Mark Carleton Smith Irish Guards 142 2007 Lt Col Richard Williams Parachute Regiment 143 144 2012 Lt Col Nick Perry King s Royal Hussars 145 Operational command Edit Regular Edit 22 SAS is under the operational command of the Director Special Forces DSF a major general grade post Previously ranked as a brigadier the DSF was promoted from brigadier to major general in recognition of the significant expansion of the United Kingdom Special Forces UKSF 146 Reserve Edit On 1 September 2014 21 and 23 SAS were moved from UKSF 147 They were placed under command of 1st Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade 148 149 In 2019 they were moved back to UKSF 150 151 Recruitment and training EditMain article United Kingdom Special Forces Selection Pen y Fan 2 907 feet 886 m above sea level the location for the Fan Dance The United Kingdom Special Forces do not recruit directly from the general public 152 153 All current members of the UK Armed Forces can apply for Special Forces selection but the majority of candidates have historically come from a Royal Marines or Parachute Regiment background 154 Selections are held twice a year once in summer and again in winter 152 Taking place in Wales specifically Sennybridge and the Brecon Beacons selection lasts for five weeks and normally starts with approximately 200 potential candidates 152 Candidates complete a Personal Fitness Test PFT upon arrival which consists of at least 50 sit ups in two minutes 60 press ups in two minutes and a 1 5 mile 2 4 km run in 10 minutes and 30 seconds They then complete an Annual Fitness Test AFT which consists of marching 8 miles 13 km in two hours while carrying 25 lb 11 kg of equipment 155 Candidates then march cross country against the clock increasing the distance covered each day this culminates in an endurance test known as the Endurance in which candidates march 40 miles 64 km with full equipment before climbing up and down the mountain Pen y Fan 886 m 2 907 ft in 20 hours 152 By the end of this phase candidates must then be able to run 4 miles 6 4 km in 30 minutes or less and swim 2 miles 3 2 km in 90 minutes or less 152 Following mountain training the jungle phase takes place in Belize Brunei or Malaysia 156 Candidates are taught navigation patrol formation and movement and jungle survival skills 157 They then return to the UK to begin training in battle plans and foreign weapons and then take part in combat survival exercises ending in week long escape and evasion training 158 Candidates are formed into patrols and with nothing more than a tin can filled with survival equipment are dressed in World War II era uniforms and told to head for a particular destination by sunrise The final selection test resistance to interrogation RTI lasts for 36 hours 159 Typically only 10 of candidates make it through the initial selection process 160 From a group of approximately 200 candidates most will drop out within the first few days and fewer than 30 will remain by the end Those who complete all phases of selection are transferred to an operational squadron 161 For applicants to the reserve component 21 SAS and 23 SAS the pathway involves comparable elements apart from jungle training but taken in blocks spread out over a longer period to fit in with the demands of participants civilian careers 162 In October 2018 recruitment policy changed to allow women to become members of the SAS for the first time 163 In August 2021 two women became the first to pass the pre selection course making them eligible for the full course 164 Uniform distinctions Edit SAS pattern parachute wings Normal barracks headdress is the sand coloured beret 8 its cap badge is a downward pointing Excalibur wreathed in flames often incorrectly referred to as a winged dagger worked into the cloth of a Crusader shield with the motto Who Dares Wins dubious discuss 165 nb 3 SAS pattern parachute wings designed by Lieutenant Jock Lewes and based on the stylised sacred ibis of Isis of Egyptian iconography depicted in the decor of Shepheard s Hotel in Cairo are worn on the right shoulder 167 Its ceremonial No 1 dress uniform is distinguished by a light blue stripe on the trousers Its stable belt is a shade of blue similar to the blue stripe on the No 1 dress uniform 8 Battle honours EditIn the British Army battle honours are awarded to regiments that have seen active service in a significant engagement or campaign generally with a victorious outcome 168 The Special Air Service Regiment has been awarded the following battle honours 169 170 North West Europe 1944 45 Tobruk 1941 Benghazi Raid North Africa 1940 43 Landing in Sicily Sicily 1943 Termoli Valli di Comacchio Italy 1943 45 Greece 1944 45 Adriatic Middle East 1943 44 Falkland Islands 1982 Western Iraq Gulf 1991Order of precedence EditPreceded byLine Infantry and Rifles British Army Order of Precedence 171 Succeeded byArmy Air CorpsMemorials Edit Ascension memorial at Hereford Cathedral The names of those members of the Regular SAS who have died on duty were inscribed on the regimental clock tower at Stirling Lines 172 Originally funded by contributions of a day s pay by members of the regiment and a donation from Handley Page in memory of Cpl R K Norry who was killed in a freefall parachuting accident 173 174 this was rebuilt at the new barracks at Credenhill Those whose names are inscribed are said by surviving members to have failed to beat the clock 175 At the suggestion of the then Commanding Officer Dare Wilson inscribed on the base of the clock is a verse from The Golden Journey to Samarkand by James Elroy Flecker 176 We are the Pilgrims master we shall go Always a little further it may be Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow Across that angry or that glimmering sea The other main memorial is the SAS and Airborne Forces memorial in the cloisters at Westminster Abbey The SAS Brigade Memorial at Sennecey le Grand in France commemorates the wartime dead of the Belgian British and French SAS and recently a memorial plaque was added to the David Stirling Memorial in Scotland There are other smaller memorials scattered throughout Europe and in the Far East 177 The local church of St Martin s Hereford 178 has part of its graveyard set aside as an SAS memorial over twenty SAS soldiers are buried there There is also a wall of remembrance displaying memorial plaques to some who could not be buried including the 18 SAS men who lost their lives in the Sea King helicopter crash during the Falklands Campaign on 19 May 1982 179 and a sculpture and stained glass window dedicated to the SAS 180 On 17 October 2017 Ascension a new sculpture and window honouring the Special Air Service Regiment in Hereford Cathedral was dedicated by the Bishop of Hereford at a service attended by Prince William 181 In popular culture EditBooks and films about the SASEastern Approaches Fitzroy Maclean s memoir provides his personal experiences in the fledgling SAS in the Western Desert Campaign Bravo Two Zero a novel about a failed SAS mission by Andy McNab 182 Bravo Two Zero a film based on the novel of the same name by Andy McNab Red Notice a novel by Andy McNab part of his Tom Buckingham Series SAS Red Notice a 2021 film based on Andy McNab s novel Red Notice 183 The One That Got Away another novel about the Bravo Two Zero mission by Chris Ryan The One That Got Away a film based on the novel The Feather Men a novel by Sir Ranulph Fiennes claimed by the author to be a partly non fictional story involving the SAS Killer Elite film based on The Feathermen about a mercenary hired to kill SAS troopers fictional story surrounding real events and people from SAS history 6 Days film about the SAS involvement in the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980 Who Dares Wins 1982 film released in the United States as The Final OptionTelevision shows about the SASSAS Are You Tough Enough 2002 2004 184 SAS Who Dares Wins a reality quasi military training television programme which pits contestants against harsh environments in a two week long training course that is designed to replicate Special Air Service selection 185 Ultimate Force an ITV action drama series following the operations of the fictitious Red Troop of the Special Air Service 2002 2008 186 SAS Rogue Heroes a BBC historical drama series which depicts the formation of the Special Air Service during World War II 2022 187 Alliances Edit Australia Special Air Service Regiment 188 New Zealand New Zealand Special Air Service 188 See also EditList of military special forces unitsReferences EditFootnotes Edit On 31 July 1947 the 21st regiment SAS Regiment Artists Rifles Territorial Army was formed This was followed on 16 July 1952 when the 22 SAS Regiment was formed and the 23 Special Air Service Regiment Territorial Army was formed in February 1958 The 21 and 23 SAS are a part of the Army Reserve 4 5 6 The Regular reserve is made up of ex soldiers who have a mobilisation obligation by virtue of their former service in the regular army For the most part these reservists constitute a standby rather than ready reserve and are rarely mobilised except in times of national emergency or incipient war 98 Designed by Bob Tait in 1941 it is a flaming sword although it is often known as a winged dagger 166 Citations Edit a b Molinari p 22 a b c Shortt amp McBride p 16 a b Shortt amp McBride p 18 a b c d e f Rayment Sean 28 December 2003 Overstretched SAS calls up part time troops for Afghanistan The Daily Telegraph London Retrieved 18 March 2010 a b Brief history of the regiment Special Air Service Association Retrieved 21 January 2011 a b UK Defence Statistics 2009 Defence Analytical Services Agency Archived from the original on 10 June 2011 Retrieved 26 March 2010 Ryan p 216 a b c d e f g Griffin pp 150 152 Moreton Cole 11 November 2007 Lord Guthrie Tony s General turns defence into an attack The Independent London Archived from the original on 28 August 2009 Retrieved 18 March 2010 a b Prime Ministers Questions Special Forces Parliament of the United Kingdom Retrieved 14 April 2010 a b Special Forces Parliament of the United Kingdom Retrieved 14 April 2010 The UK can t stay mum over Russian bombing of Special Forces base in Syria DefenceReport 3 August 2016 Retrieved 3 January 2018 Thompson p 8 a b Haskew p 39 Thompson p 7 Thompson p 48 Lewis Damien 2022 SAS brothers in arms Churchill s desperadoes blood and guts defiance at Britain s darkest hour London p 231 ISBN 978 1 5294 1378 6 OCLC 1338681927 a b Haskew p 40 Molinari p 25 Haskew p 42 Morgan p 15 Obituary Lieutenant Colonel David Danger SAS radio operator The Times London 31 March 2009 Archived from the original on 23 May 2010 Retrieved 28 March 2010 Obituary Major Roy Farran The Times London 6 June 2006 Archived from the original on 31 May 2010 Retrieved 28 March 2010 Haskew pp 52 54 a b Shortt amp McBride p 15 Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum Oosterbeek Airborne Museum Oosterbeek Archived from the original on 25 April 2012 Retrieved 3 November 2010 Schorley Pete Forsyth Frederick 2008 Who Dares Wins Special Forces Heroes of the SAS Osprey Publishing page 50 a b Shortt amp McBride p 17 a b Obituary Major Alastair McGregor The Daily Telegraph London 3 October 2002 Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 Retrieved 19 March 2010 Rooney David 28 March 2007 Mad Mike A Life of Brigadier Michael Calvert Pen and Sword ISBN 978 1844155071 Shortt amp McBride p 19 Shortt amp McBride p 20 a b Shortt amp McBride p 22 Geraghty p 120 131 a b c d e f Scholey amp Forsyth p 12 Scholey amp Forsyth p 104 Scholey amp Forsyth p 57 Scholey amp Forsyth p 53 Scholey amp Forsyth p 11 Cormac Rory 2018 Disrupt and Deny Spies Special Forces and the Secret Pursuit of British Foreign Policy Oxford University Press pp 235 36 ISBN 978 0 19 878459 3 Scholey amp Forsyth p 212 Hawton Nick 2 April 2004 Karadzic escapes again as SAS swoops on church The Times London Retrieved 21 March 2010 Bellamy Christopher 11 April 1994 Ground attack is first in Nato history British SAS troops help US war planes to deliver a timely warning to Serbs that safe areas must be respected writes Christopher Bellamy in Split The Independent London Archived from the original on 24 May 2022 Retrieved 21 March 2010 War in Europe SAS teams fighting behind Serb lines 16 May 1999 Archived from the original on 24 May 2022 Retrieved 23 February 2015 Scholey amp Forsyth p 265 a b Neville Leigh Special Forces in the War on Terror General Military Osprey Publishing 2015 ISBN 978 1472807908 p 75 a b Neville Leigh The SAS 1983 2014 Elite Osprey Publishing 2016 ISBN 1472814037 ISBN 978 1472814036 Overstretched SAS calls up part time troops for Afghanistan Telegraph 23 March 2010 Archived from the original on 23 March 2010 Jennings p 187 Urban Mark Task Force Black The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq St Martin s Griffin 2012 ISBN 1 250 00696 1 ISBN 978 1 250 00696 7 Sean Rayment 25 April 2009 SAS and other special forces to be expanded to defeat al Qaeda Telegraph Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 Harding Thomas et al 24 August 2011 Libya SAS leads hunt for Gaddafi The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 Retrieved 26 August 2011 Norton Taylor Richard 23 August 2011 SAS troopers help co ordinate rebel attacks in Libya The Guardian London Retrieved 26 August 2011 Forze speciali in Iraq caccia ai Beatles La Repubblica in Italian 25 August 2014 Retrieved 17 September 2014 Former ISIS hostage identifies Foley executioner Al Arabiya 21 August 2014 Retrieved 18 September 2014 Rachel Browne 24 August 2014 Rapper identified as James Foley s executioner reports The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 18 September 2014 Breakfast with Frost interview BBC 30 March 2003 Retrieved 27 March 2010 Insurgents right to take on US BBC 3 May 2007 Retrieved 27 March 2010 Thompson Alice Sylvester Rachel 25 July 2009 Guthrie attacks Gordon Brown over helicopters for Afghanistan troops The Times London Retrieved 27 March 2010 Armed Forces officers Parliament of the United Kingdom Retrieved 27 March 2010 Asher Michael 2008 The Regiment The True Story of the SAS London Penguin UK ISBN 0141026529 p 359 360 Geraghty Tony Who Dares Wins the story of the SAS 1950 1982 p 15 Sinai Tamir 8 December 2020 Eyes on target Stay behind forces during the Cold War War in History 28 3 681 700 doi 10 1177 0968344520914345 Rayment Sean 28 December 2003 Overstretched SAS calls up part time troops for Afghanistan The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 23 March 2010 Smith Michael 20 November 2005 Part time SAS sent to tackle Taliban Sunday Times Jennings p 187 amp 246 Smith Michael Starkey Jerome 22 June 2008 Bryant was on secret mission in Afghanistan The Sunday Times Farrell p 246 247 A Military Enigma The Canadian Special Air Service Company 1948 1949 by Lieutenant Colonel Bernd Horn Assistant Professor of History Royal Military College Kingston Canadian Military History Volume 10 Number 1 Winter 2001 PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2016 www canadiansoldiers com www canadiansoldiers com History of New Zealand s Special Operations Forces New Zealand Defence Force 2 October 2014 Archived from the original on 17 July 2020 Retrieved 1 January 2017 Special Air Service Regiment Australian Army 14 December 2016 Archived from the original on 1 January 2017 Retrieved 1 January 2017 Abbott Peter Modern African Wars I Rhodesia 1965 80 Osprey Publishing London 2001 p 18 Special Forces Group 9 December 2013 Retrieved 21 July 2016 History sfg be Retrieved 3 May 2015 00 Retrieved 21 July 2016 Special Air Service Regimental Association Units Represented marsandminerva co uk Retrieved 3 May 2015 The Belgian SAS in WWII A Very Short History website of the Belgian SAS Reenactment Group Archived from the original on 16 August 2014 Retrieved 21 July 2016 Special Air Service National Army Museum www nam ac uk Archived from the original on 12 November 2013 1 Para 1 bn Parachutisten Diest ParaCommando com paracommando com Retrieved 3 May 2015 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 Demi brigade de parachutistes SAS Ministere de la Defense Archived from the original on 3 May 2010 Retrieved 14 April 2010 Distinguished member of the special forces regiment Colonel Charles A Beckwith PDF United States Army Special Operations Command 13 December 2012 Archived from the original on 21 December 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link McDonald Henry 23 December 2001 Elite Irish troops on standby to keep peace in Afghanistan The Guardian Retrieved 15 May 2014 History 21 October 2020 Archived from the original on 21 October 2020 THE BETTER HAMMER Soviet Special Operations Forces and Tactics in Afghanistan 1979 86 pages 93 94 Airborne Delivery Wing Royal Air Force Archived from the original on 8 October 2013 Retrieved 9 November 2022 Special Forces Parachute Support Squadron The role of the Special Forces Parachute Support Squadron is to advise the UK Special Forces Group on all operational training and developmental aspects of military parachuting More so the Parachute Support Squadron is tasked to deliver operational support and training to UK Special Forces troops to enable parachute insertion across the spectrum of parachute capabilities Redshaw Bernard August 2005 A New Royal Signals Unit PDF The wire The Magazine of the Royal Corps of Signals Vol 59 no 4 Portsmouth Holbrook Printers Ltd ISSN 1462 9259 Archived from the original PDF on 10 January 2007 UK Special Forces Accountability in Shadow War Oxford Research Group Retrieved 21 July 2016 Harnden Toby 23 March 2010 Gen Stanley McChrystal pays tribute to courage of British special forces The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 Retrieved 25 March 2010 a b c Fremont Barnes p 62 Finlan Alistair 2009 The arrested development of UK special forces and the global war on terror Review of International Studies Cambridge University Press 35 4 971 982 doi 10 1017 S0260210509990398 S2CID 59450530 Retrieved 17 March 2010 a b c Neville Leigh The SAS 1983 2014 Elite Osprey Publishing 2016 ISBN 1472814037 ISBN 978 1472814036 p 4 5 Urban Mark Task 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9781847378149 An eighteen year veteran of 22 SAS Regiment John had done it all assault and sniper team commander for the Regiment s counter terror wing Fremont Barnes p 3 Fremont Barnes p 10 Thompson p 91 Rogoway Tyler 4 June 2017 About That Blue Thunder Counter Terror Chopper That Landed On London Bridge The Drive Retrieved 10 September 2022 tasked with supporting the Special Air Service on domestic counter terror ops Ryan pp 38 39 a b de B Taillon p 38 Neville Leigh The SAS 1983 2014 Elite Osprey Publishing 2016 ISBN 1472814037 ISBN 978 1472814036 p 9 p 11 Geraghty p 24 Geraghty p 28 a b Geraghty p 31 Lieutenant General Sir George Lea KCB DSO MBE Lancashire Fusiliers Retrieved 8 June 2015 Geraghty p 34 Geraghty p 109 R Dare Wilson ParaData www paradata org uk Geraghty p 44 Obituary Brigadier Mike Wingate Gray Herald Scotland 11 November 1995 Obituary Viscount Slim distinguished SAS commander and president of the Burma Star Association HeraldScotland Ex SAS commander Sir John Watts 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Bureau Archived from the original on 17 September 2016 Retrieved 24 July 2016 Kiley Sam 2010 Desperate Glory Bloomsbury ISBN 978 1408801239 Team amp Board About The Vimy Foundation vimyfoundation ca Williams Richard specialforcesroh com Retrieved 2 December 2022 Officers at Extra Regimental Employment ERE PDF Journal of the King s Royal Hussars 2012 p 145 Archived from the original PDF on 5 September 2021 Retrieved 5 September 2021 Evans Michael 5 January 2008 Special forces win the right to take their secrets to the grave The Times London Retrieved 25 March 2010 Badge Notes PDF 1 February 2021 Janes International Defence Review May 2014 page 4 Army Briefing Note 120 14 NEWLY FORMED FORCE TROOPS COMMAND SPECIALIST BRIGADES Quote It commands all of the Army s Intelligence Surveillance and EW assets and is made up of units specifically from the former 1 MI Bde and 1 Arty Bde as well as 14 Sig Regt 21 and 23 SAS R 21 amp 23 SAS Reserve www army mod uk Retrieved 29 December 2020 Force Troops Command Handbook Ministry of Defence Retrieved 11 January 2021 a b c d e Ryan p 17 21 amp 23 SAS Reserve www army mod uk Retrieved 3 June 2020 Ryan p 15 PT booklet PDF format PDF Ministry of Defence United Kingdom Archived from the original PDF on 10 December 2009 Retrieved 4 June 2010 Ryan p 19 Ryan p 21 Ryan p 23 Ryan p 24 D Costa Ian 24 April 2020 This Is What Makes SAS Selection the Toughest in the World Military com Retrieved 19 September 2022 Ryan p 25 21 amp 23 SAS Reserve www army mod uk Men still pick blue jobs and women pink jobs The Economist 16 February 2019 Retrieved 13 February 2023 Two women up for SAS selection for first time ever Forces Network Retrieved 24 April 2022 Profile The SAS BBC News 2 November 2001 Retrieved 9 January 2011 Stevens p 57 Davis p 67 Griffin p 187 Chant p 265 Gulf Battle Honours Parliament of the United Kingdom Retrieved 26 March 2010 Telegraph style book the Services The Daily Telegraph London 12 April 2008 Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 Retrieved 25 March 2010 Staff 19 May 1980 World Britain s SAS Who Dares Wins Time Archived from the original on 23 April 2007 Retrieved 9 January 2011 Tempting the Fates Dare Wilson Geordie Fighting Legend of the Modern SAS Hardcoverby Mike Morgan and Geordie Doran Collins Tim 22 September 2011 The making of the SAS the men who dare The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 25 March 2012 Retrieved 23 May 2012 T Popham Peter 30 May 1996 SAS confronts its enemy within The Independent London Archived from the original on 24 May 2022 Retrieved 9 January 2011 Staff Special Air Service Regimental Association Retrieved 15 April 2010 Phillip Brown Home St Martin s Church Hereford stmartinshereford org uk Retrieved 3 May 2015 SAS Falklands dead remembered at service BBC News 20 May 2012 Retrieved 3 May 2015 Ben Goddard Sculpture will be more relevant for today s regiment says veteran s wife From Hereford Times Herefordtimes com Retrieved 18 November 2016 Ascension memorial dedicated Hereford Cathedral Archived from the original on 7 November 2017 Retrieved 5 November 2017 Hennessey Patrick 23 May 2013 Twenty years of Bravo Two Zero Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 Thompson Simon Andy Serkis And Outlander Sam Heughan Talk SAS Red Notice And Franchises Forbes Retrieved 19 September 2021 SAS are you tough enough BBC 18 February 2003 Retrieved 28 May 2020 SAS Who Dares Wins at IMDb Ultimate Force at IMDb First full length trailer and new pictures released for SAS Rogue Heroes coming soon to BBC One and iPlayer BBC Retrieved 31 October 2022 a b Mills T F Special Air Service Regiment Regiments org Archived from the original on 11 August 2007 Retrieved 4 February 2011 Bibliography EditAdams James 1987 Secret Armies Hutchinson ISBN 0 553 28162 3 Breuer William B 2001 Daring missions of World War II John Wiley and Sons ISBN 978 0 471 40419 4 Chant Christopher 1988 The Handbook of British Regiments Routledge ISBN 0 415 00241 9 Davis Brian Leigh 1983 British Army Uniforms and Insignia of World War Two Arms and Armour Press ISBN 0 85368 609 2 Downie Nick 2006 Passing the SAS Selection Course from the Inside h2g2 de B Taillon J Paul 2000 The evolution of Special Forces in Counter Terrorism The British and American Experiences Greenwood ISBN 0 275 96922 3 Edgeworth Anthony De St Jorre John 1981 The Guards Ridge Press Crown Publishers ISBN 0 517 54376 1 Farrell Theo 2017 Unwinnable Britain s War in Afghanistan 2001 2014 Bodley Head ISBN 978 1847923462 Geraghty Tony 1980 Who Dares Wins The Story of the Special Air Service 1950 1980 Book Club Association ISBN 085368457X Griffin P D 2006 Encyclopedia of Modern British Army Regiments Sutton Publishing ISBN 0 7509 3929 X Fremont Barnes Gregory 2009 Who Dares Wins The SAS and the Iranian Embassy Siege 1980 Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84603 395 7 Haskew Michael E 2007 Encyclopaedia of Elite Forces in the Second World War Pen and Sword ISBN 978 1 84415 577 4 Jennings Christian 2005 Midnight in some burning town British Special Forces Operations from Belgrade to Baghdad Cassell ISBN 0 3043 6708 7 Kemp Anthony 1993 The SAS at War 1941 1945 Signet ISBN 0451174569 Molinari Andrea 2007 Desert Raiders Axis and Allied Special Forces 1940 43 Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84603 006 2 Morgan Mike 2000 Daggers Drawn Second World War heroes of the SAS and SBS Sutton ISBN 0 7509 2509 4 Otway Lieutenant Colonel T B H 1990 The Second World War 1939 1945 Army Airborne Forces Imperial War Museum ISBN 0 901627 57 7 Ryan Chris 2009 Fight to Win Century ISBN 978 1 84605 666 6 Scholey Pete Forsyth Frederick 2008 Who Dares Wins Special Forces Heroes of the SAS Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84603 311 7 Shortt James McBride Angus 1981 The Special Air Service Osprey Publishing ISBN 0 85045 396 8 Stevens Gordon 2005 The Originals The Secret History of the Birth of the SAS in Their Own Words Ebury Press ISBN 978 0 09 190177 6 Thompson Leroy 1994 SAS Great Britain s Elite Special Air Service Zenith Imprint ISBN 0 87938 940 0 External links Edit Media related to Special Air Service at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Special Air Service amp oldid 1143128577, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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