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I was watching an Inspector Gently last night and there is an ex Mosquito involved. When that term is identified, the DS misidentifies him as a commando until he, the Mosquito, clarifies that he was SAS. Okay, the show is portraying the 60s so the misidentification is not so much out of place.
I first came across the term SAS (btw, Special Air Service) in a modeling magazine in the 70s with this MRC model https://www.ebay.com/p/710157176 . From then on, came across the term here and there, Dempsey & Makepeace, counter poachers in Africa, embassy sieges, so I knew what they were talking about.
So the question is, in the Americas, how soon, by what age would one recognize the term, be able to tell who is who when a description without the term comes up? Further, I would imagine that in Europe, one would know the term by a much earlier age....right?
EDIT: I did type the thread title as SAS......but I guess the autocorrect just doesn't know.
I was watching an Inspector Gently last night and there is an ex Mosquito involved. When that term is identified, the DS misidentifies him as a commando until he, the Mosquito, clarifies that he was SAS. Okay, the show is portraying the 60s so the misidentification is not so much out of place.
I first came across the term SAS (btw, Special Air Service) in a modeling magazine in the 70s with this MRC model https://www.ebay.com/p/710157176 . From then on, came across the term here and there, Dempsey & Makepeace, counter poachers in Africa, embassy sieges, so I knew what they were talking about.
So the question is, in the Americas, how soon, by what age would one recognize the term, be able to tell who is who when a description without the term comes up? Further, I would imagine that in Europe, one would know the term by a much earlier age....right?
EDIT: I did type the thread title as SAS......but I guess the autocorrect just doesn't know.
I believe I first read about the elite British Special Air Service (SAS)* when I was nine or ten when I first developed an interest in WWII history. But I'm probably not typical of most Americans. Most people that have never served in the military and some that have know very little about the elite units that serve within SOCOM let alone those in foreign militaries. Of course nearly everyone has heard of the Navy SEAL's and Army Special Forces or even DELTA. But most Americans have no idea that the Marine Corps now has a Raider regiment, the has Navy Special Warfare Combat Crewmen and that the Air Force has Pararecuemen, Combat Controllers, Special Reconnaissance and Tactical Air Control operators. Like the SAS and Special Boat Squadrons these guys don't get the publicity that the SEAL and SF community does and they like it that way.
Growing up in the 70s WWII movies and themed TV series would rotate onto the 4 syndicated TV stations I had. And the World at War documentary series would rotate onto Public Broadcasting yearly. So it would be a combination of looking up the roots of The Rat Patrol series and just the general history of the North African campaign which would be the first.
Jump forward to a young adult and there was the Iranian Embassy in London rescue and then Colonel Beckwith's book on the Delta Force.
As to general American knowledge of US Special Operations Forces in the Vietnam and later era I think it follows their usage by pop culture producers. So first "Green Berets" from John Wayne's movie to John Rambo. Followed by Delta Force and Navy SEALs in the 80s with Magnum PI, the Chuck Norris and Navy SEAL movies. Being alone for a single hero USMC scout/snipers from the movie Sniper and Shooter novels then started showing up in other productions, there being no USMC "special operators", just the we are all elite in special operations capable battalions ethic before this century. USAF PJ's from the Perfect Storm were beginning to show up in novels when 911.
Since the Raider name has been reinstituted, only been used during a WWII years produced Gung Ho I guess we will shortly see more of the ex Marines in fiction haven been Raiders instead of say scout/snipers turned MP turned NCIS Agents
Former SAS Sergeant Andy McNabb* has written some excellent books about years in the regiment while deployed in Northern Ireland and Iraq. His first book Bravo Two Zero recounts the training that he endured to become a member of the SAS was well this deployment to Iraq during the Gulf War and the patrol the led to his 8 man unit being compromised by the Iraqis. 3 men were KIA, 4 men were captured and 1 man Chris Ryan escaped into Syria. The men were held, interrogated and tortured for 6 weeks before being released by the Iraqis. McNabb's second book Immediate Action recounts his experiences while deployed to Northern Ireland during the "Troubles". This is a list of McNabb's books:
Bravo Two Zero(1993) Immediate Action (1995) Seven Troop (2008) Spoken From The Front (2009) From The Front 2 (2011) The Good Psychopath's Guide To Success (2014 – co-writer Dr. Kevin Dutton) Sorted!:The Good Psychopath's Guide to Bossing Your Life (The Good Psychopath 2) (2015)
*His pseudonym and pen-name
Retired SAS Sergeant Chris Ryan is the author of The One That Got Away which recounts his escape from Iraq and into Syria.
Last edited by irishcopper; 12-23-2021 at 07:40 AM..
I was watching an Inspector Gently last night and there is an ex Mosquito involved. When that term is identified, the DS misidentifies him as a commando until he, the Mosquito, clarifies that he was SAS. Okay, the show is portraying the 60s so the misidentification is not so much out of place.
I first came across the term SAS (btw, Special Air Service) in a modeling magazine in the 70s with this MRC model https://www.ebay.com/p/710157176 . From then on, came across the term here and there, Dempsey & Makepeace, counter poachers in Africa, embassy sieges, so I knew what they were talking about.
So the question is, in the Americas, how soon, by what age would one recognize the term, be able to tell who is who when a description without the term comes up? Further, I would imagine that in Europe, one would know the term by a much earlier age....right?
EDIT: I did type the thread title as SAS......but I guess the autocorrect just doesn't know.
The SAS were not that well known until the events of the 5th May 1980, when they stormed the Iranian Embassy at Prince's Gate in South Kensington, London, as part of Operation Nimrod.
Most Special Forces units are not well known.
The British Government also won't make any comment regarding tier 1 UK special forces or intelligence units.
Other British special forces units include -
The Special Boat Service, which also has a history going back to WW2, and which is the equivalent of US Navy Seal Team 6.
The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), grew from other clandestine units such as the Military Reaction Force (MRF) and later 14 Field Security and Intelligence Company (known as "The Det") whch replaced the MRF.
The even more secretive Joint Support Group (JSG) replaced the former Force Research Unit (FRU) in 2007 and is tasked with obtaining intelligence by secretly penetrating terrorist organisations through the recruitment and running agents and informants. The JSG works closely with the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), the Security Service (MI5), and United Kingdom Special Forces.
There is also a secretive SAS unit known as SAS 'E' Squadron or the 'The Increment', which works closely with closely with The Secret Intelligence Service known as SIS or MI6 and the Security Service (MI5). It is believed that the Increment ranks feature SAS and SBS operatives who have been specially trained and selected to work with MI6. The Secretive unit is also manned by operatives from the Joint Support Group, the SRR and the Intelligence Corps.
The Increment has a secretive Royal Air Force (RAF) unit dedicated to supporting SIS/The Increment. Known as S&D Flight, and has a number of specialist assets and equipment.
Some sources state that the Increment work alongside another shadowing group known as UKN, a highly specialised surveillance unit, also run by SIS. UKN appear to specialise in surveillance in foreign countries and it has been speculated that they act as the increment's eyes and ears, identifying and tracking targets for operations.
The UK Special Forces Support Group, carries out a similar mission to the US Army Rangers, and is made up of a number of specially trained units.
18th Signals Regiment and the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing which includes No. 7 Squadron (Royal Air Force) and No. 658 Squadron (Army Air Corps, British Army) make up the remainder of UK Special Forces.
There are other British Special Operations Forces which also fall outside UKSF, such as the Pathfinder Platoon and the Brigade Patrol Troop and other Royal Marines mountain leaders of the Mountain Leader Training Cadre (formerly known as The Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre).
The latest specialist British unit is The Ranger Regiment (Rangers) a special operations regiment of the British Army which was formed on 1 December 2021 under the Future Soldier reform. It is intended to be used primarily in an unconventional warfare and foreign internal defence capacity in a similar manner to the US Green Berets.
It will form a the British Army Special Operations Brigade, which will be separate to The United Kingdom Special Forces directorate.
In terms of the UK police, the Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officer are trained to a special forces level and they work with the SAS Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) Wing and the SAS Special Projects Team.
Last edited by Brave New World; 12-23-2021 at 10:17 AM..
Former SAS Sergeant Andy McNabb* has written some excellent books about years in the regiment while deployed in Northern Ireland and Iraq. His first book Bravo Two Zero recounts the training that he endured to become a member of the SAS was well this deployment to Iraq during the Gulf War and the patrol the led to his 8 man unit being compromised by the Iraqis. 3 men were KIA, 4 men were captured and 1 man Chris Ryan escaped into Syria. The men were held, interrogated and tortured for 6 weeks before being released by the Iraqis. McNabb's second book Immediate Action recounts his experiences while deployed to Northern Ireland during the "Troubles". This is a list of McNabb's books:
Bravo Two Zero(1993) Immediate Action (1995) Seven Troop (2008) Spoken From The Front (2009) From The Front 2 (2011) The Good Psychopath's Guide To Success (2014 – co-writer Dr. Kevin Dutton) Sorted!:The Good Psychopath's Guide to Bossing Your Life (The Good Psychopath 2) (2015)
*His pseudonym and pen-name
Retired SAS Sergeant Chris Ryan is the author of The One That Got Away which recounts his escape from Iraq and into Syria.
McNabb’s books are fiction. Based on true stories but none of his books is considered fact. This is widely known.
McNabb’s books are fiction. Based on true stories but none of his books is considered fact. This is widely known.
Thank you for that Captain Obvious. McNabb's Bravo Two Zero and Immediate Action are partially fiction, some of that is for OPSEC reasons. But as you stated based on true stories. I never stated that they were entirely non fiction books.
Last edited by irishcopper; 12-24-2021 at 07:06 AM..
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