SBS – Silent Warriors: The Authorised Wartime History

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The decision had disastrous consequences. "They could have done with that offer of markers," wrote one historian. "The whole assault force set its predetermined course for the unseen shore from its start point 12 miles out to sea. Montanaro who, on April 12, 1942, pulled off one of the most astonishing missions of the war. Tasked with sinking a German tanker filled with copper ore in Boulogne Harbour, Montanaro and his paddler Sergeant Freddie Preece were dropped off by motor launch three miles from the harbour entrance just after midnight. Falconer served the majority of his military service with the SBS. During his time in the military, he also served with the SAS, and 14 Intelligence Detachment, deployed to Northern Ireland with each for one year and two and a half years respectively. After he left the Detachment he took a sabbatical for a year before returning to the SBS where he was posted to MAT ("Maritime Anti-Terrorism") operations in which he was involved in a number of exercises retaking oil rigs and tankers. [3] After the SBS [ edit ]

Falconer joined the British Royal Marines at the age of 18. At 19 years of age, he attended SBS selection in Poole Dorset and was one of nine Marines to successfully complete the course out of 147 men. Most candidates are required to serve some time in a Commando unit before applying, however Duncan was given an exception. This was due to many SBS operatives leaving to instead work as deep sea divers in the North Sea for the lucrative salaries. The SBS briefly allowed recruits from CTCRM to apply for selection before serving the usual minimum time in a commando unit. Later he was posted to 42 Commando as a career broadening opportunity. [2] There were, however, lighter moments. Determined to train his men how to live off the land, Courtney invited an elderly eccentric called Jim Branson, the great-uncle of Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, to show his men how to survive on plants. A week later, a "gnome-like old gentleman" arrived at Ardrossan on an ancient bicycle. You may know Asher from various tv documentaries, including Channel 4's ' The Real Bravo Two Zero' in which he demythologized the infamous Gulf War SAS foot patrol's mission. Unlike many other SAS authors, Asher pays a great deal of attention to the human story. Ever since Operation Nimrod in 1980, the British press have fostered a mythological image of the SAS as some super warrior elite with almost superhuman abilities. Asher's history of the SAS is a refreshing change from the norm. By focusing on the SAS men's humanity, by grounding the stories in reality, Asher shows their achievements to be even more remarkable. The section on World War 2 is especially interesting and well told and highlights the sheer determination and inventiveness of the SAS's founding fathers. When I tell him this he grins: "Lots of people say I sound just like my books, I take it as a compliment," revealing the immaculate false teeth that were installed after his Iraqi torturers extracted several of his real ones. His autobiography, and first literary publication, First into Action included accounts of the actions carried out by the SBS and 14 Intelligence Detachment. The tone of this work was in contrast to a number of biographies of other ex- special forces personnel at the time – the tales not just about the heroic actions of those he served alongside, but also showed the more humorous, realistic side of the troops. The book also highlighted the rivalry and antagonism between the Special Boat Service and Special Air Service and the history behind their conflict.

SBS History

In March 1941, the two men were transported by submarine from Alexandria in Egypt to a point off the coast of the Italian-held Rhodes where they paddled in by canoe and took it in turns to swim ashore and carry out a clandestine survey of the closely guarded shore as preparation for an amphibious assault. It would become one of the most effective fighting forces of the Second World War – and has served as a model for Special Forces ever since. The conflict has taught us, he says: "If you're gonna dominate ground, the tech isn't enough. You need boots on the ground. We've seen it on both sides - the tech has been a complement to the heavy stuff [tanks, self-propelled artillery and missile systems] we thought was redundant these days." Falconer continues to write books and screenplays. In 2017 the film Stratton, [4] based on the main character of his books, was released. It stars Dominic Cooper as Stratton as well as Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi and Thomas Kretschmann.

This is a terrific book, written with all the gusto, thrills and heady excitement these SBS operations richly deserve. It really is one of the most enjoyable histories I’ve read in many a year. Ashdown, a former SBS man himself, would be proud. The operation is recounted in a superbly detailed way. Nicols focuses on several key characters and the reader follows them through the battle. A terrific book … It really is one of the most enjoyable histories I’ve read in many a year’ JAMES HOLLAND Nigel Willmott’s Coppists did vital war work, losing several men in the process. But their finest hour was in preparing the ground for D-Day. First, during the night of New Year's Eve 1943, two of Willmott's best men ‑ Major Logan Scott-Bowden and Sergeant Bruce Ogden-Smith ‑ swam ashore in a highly risky mission to take samples from Gold Beach in Normandy to confirm the sand was firm enough for Allied vehicles to land.

A history of the Special Air Service by ex-23 SAS member, Michael Asher which covers the unit's first 50 years, including World War 2, campaigns in the Middle and Far East, The Falklands War and Operation Desert Storm. Two of Courtney's best operators were Lieutenant Robert "Tug" Wilson and Marine Wally Hughes who would, over eight months in 1941, execute a succession of daring operations. Its members launched in flimsy canoes from submarines and operating at night, though a small force the SBS and its forerunners played a key role in landings in the Mediterranean and of course D-day.

During the allied invasion of Iraq in 2003, SBS teams, working with US Navy Seals, secured and scouted the beaches on the Al Faw Peninsula, paving the way for amphibious landings. Other SBS teams secured the southern oil fields. One Land Rover column of around 60 SBS men, operating in the North, were ambushed by Iraqi forces and had to fight their way out of trouble. What does he mean? He answers by telling me about the time he went incognito with Kevin Dutton to Broadmoor: "He [Kevin] was asking this serial rapist about whether he felt confined. And he replied: 'No, you're the one who's in prison, Doctor. I'm free in here' - pointing at his head. And then he looked at me and said: 'Ask him, he knows.' It's true some psychopaths can just spot one another." Although I'm not terribly keen to get on the wrong side of McNab, for obvious reasons, I do feel obliged to mention claims he only carries on with the anonymity stuff all these years on because it's become his trademark.Having provided his superiors with proof of concept ‑ by paddling up to and then sneaking aboard a heavily guarded ship in Inveraray harbour in the Scottish Highlands ‑ he was allowed to form the Folbot Troop, later renamed the Special Boat Section. We discover recommendations for the best books to read in all sorts of places, whether it’s our bookworm friends, a Saturday morning spent browsing our favourite bookshop, the Richard & Judy Book Club, a new book-to-screen adaptation, or BookTok! The authors we find, the books we fall in love with and even the genres that we immerse ourselves in all have an impact and accompany us through life. An absolute must-read if you are a fan of derring-do and Andy McNab. I am going to be telling everyone to buy it’ McNab's gripping account of the troubled Bravo Two Zero patrol is full of fascinating detail, including insights into the planning and execution of SAS missions. Zero Six Bravo is a fantastic record of special forces soldiering but, more than that, it sets the record straight about this controversial operation. A must read.

Despite battling heavy winds, a rising swell and a hole in their canoe (a gash they tried to stem with one of their Commando woolly hats), they managed to breach the defences of a major enemy port, having reached their target, set the mines, escaped again and rendezvoused with the launch only minutes before their canoe sank.

SBS Roles

Riveting … Saul David has shown great skill in pulling the disparate threads of unit reports into a cohesive story. The knowledge of those involved, their bravery and jeopardy, will grip the general reader’ In regards to United States Special Operations Forces, it is the Army units that tend to be less vocal about their exploits (Rangers, Special Forces, and Delta Force, though popular media exists about all three), while the Navy units (particularly the SEAL Teams) are seen as glory hounds and media darlings due to the sheer volume of books, TV shows, films, and former SEALs turned celebrities that exist out there. The social mobility of a 19-year-old infantry soldier is incredible because the military education is so good. I met one guy who learned to speak Pashto in three months says, McNab. Killing Rommel is a fictionalized story, based on real events of World War 2. Told in the style of a first person memoir, the story features a mission by the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) to assassinate the German general before his Panzer divisions could sweep into the Middle East oil fields.