Iv met three retired SAS soldiers and everyone of them are unassuming and humble. One of them I never knew I was talking with a elite soldier for over a hour during a dinner party. I found them to focus on conversation and speak with accuracy and purpose. Much respect to them.
@@timwhale9434 I was in the Air Cadets,so was lucky to visit a lot of battlefields,I've been to see the prison at Amien were the resistance were kept,I've also been to see the bridges at Arnhem and Nijmegen,once the 'China virus,and conflict in Ukraine' is over,my best friend and I are going to do the Kampfgruppe Pieper route to the bulge/river mouse.
When I was in the RAF, one of our PT instructors applied for the SAS. He was an absolute fanatic about physical training, mentally as hard as nails, and played rugby for the RAF. He went to Hereford for the two week initial selection process. First day, 4am, instructor taps him on the shoulder, says very quietly; "Time to go" - and it was flat out, manic, non-stop right through until the late evening. Next morning, 4am, tap on the shoulder, "Time to go", same routine. And the next morning, and the next . . . On day 13, he broke. 4am, tap on the shoulder, "Time to go" - and he said, "I'm sorry, I can't take any more." Far from yelling at him, the instructor says, very quietly, "Okay, mate - go back to sleep; breakfast in the mess, 08:00" - and that was it. But he said the thing that stuck with him was that NOBODY at Hereford looked down their noses at people who failed the course; they'd all done it themselves and knew what a killer it was. Come to that; he said that when he got back to the RAF camp we were on, nobody there looked down at him for failing to qualify, either.
A sailing buddy of my dad and I was a retiree from "the regiment" as it's affectionately referred to. One of the kindest, most humble and toughest guys ever. Pride wasnt a thing for him, he had nothing left to prove and he knew it, so he didnt need the gratification of anyone else but his closest friends even knowing that was his background. Even for those of us who did know it, he made it real easy to forget about it, until the shit hit the fan - then he was the guy you wanted to have your back, no question. We ended up losing him in a freak accident that happened only about 800 yards offshore. There were a dozen other boats within 100 yards and the people on those boats included at least five lifeboat crew, but none of us could get to him fast enough.
I was in the RAF for 12 years and one base that i worked at was, for reasons of geography, often visited by SAS units on training missions. We were usually aware of such visits before they happened and as many as were able would apply for leave passes for the duration of the visit, mainly due to the behaviour of the visitors when off duty. Our on-base bars and clubs became virtual no-go zones! These guys worked hard and played hard.
I have worked with 3 ex SAS troopers. The first was an Australian, I had been working with him for a couple of years but never know he was ex military, anyway, I had just seen a film, The Boys in Company C, 1978, and was talking about how this group of young American GIs were on night patrol in Vietnam, and had radios playing music, flash photography, etc, and remarked that they couldn’t be that stupid. Anyway, he says, no that was very accurate, as he had served in Vietnam, and whenever a local American unit was going on night patrol you knew you would be in for a rough night because of what they got up to. And it wasn’t until a couple of weeks later that I found out he had served in the Australian SAS 2nd Squadron. The second, I had been working with for around 2 years, my younger brother had just picked a book on the SAS, just been published, it had black and white and colour photos numbered in the centre with no descriptions, they were in a section at the back. I was flicking through the book when he walked past, stopped and asked what I was looking at and I let him have a look, we were looking at the photos when he started naming the SAS men in the photos, I thought he was pulling my leg but, when I checked the back, there were all the names of the men he had pointed to, I looked at him, dumbfounded, and he just smiled and walked away. The next day he showed us his beret and over lunch talked about how as a sergeant in the SAS he had trained and served with all of those men he had pointed out. He said that he was surprised the regiment had allowed the photos to be published as he thought that all were still active within the regiment at that time. He had left full time military and had done a few years with 21 squadron but had by then retired from duty. The third was a Scotsman, knew he had a military background, but not who he had served with, he was my supervisor, anyway, we were on a tea break one day and I happened to mention about a cousin who had just been on leave from the Royal Marines, he remarked that they were a good bunch of blokes,and had done training with them and the occasional missions. A day or two latter he showed some photos of his time in the military, joined straight from school at 16, served 21 years, 9 of those in the SAS. Those that serve in the SAS and make it through to the end, are said to have “beaten the clock”, throes that die have their name inscribed on the clocks plinth.
A lot of people who think they do don’t either. Many think that just because they are man mountains and physically fit, they have what it takes - they don’t - because their state of mind is all wrong. I served 15 years in the armed forces (not SF!) and it changed the way I think. Oddly, this came in useful when I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. I was given six weeks to live. The treatment battered me physically. I had 11 injections in my spine and 13 bone marrow samples pulled from my pelvis. I refused gas and air for those and used a method I call bubbling which I learned during marksmanship training - you shut out all the shouting and explosions around you and go into a mental bubble which focuses you on your target. I breezed through my treatment in hospital by having a reason to get up every morning instead of lying in my pit all day and gave myself a routine including eating and exercise, no matter how 💩 I felt. I had a bone marrow transplant which hammered me even more resulting in my entire digestive system becoming ulcerated so had to force myself to eat. I refused a feed tube because I vomited it up. I lived off protein shakes and Ready Brek for three and a half weeks. The consultant said I could be in hospital for six weeks and when I left, I would almost certainly be admitted back in with problems and infections. I left hospital after eleven days and never went back in again. One person I got to know through my treatment went back to work five years after his diagnosis. I had the same type of cancer as him and went back to work after fourteen months. I like to think that even with all the medical help I had that my mental attitude helped a little.
I remember watching the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980 on TV and see the SAS storm the building. To see them in action was incredible. Top elite soldiers in the world.
One of the most inspiring moments of my teenage life was watching the conclusion to that seige. "Kill the killers.." was never more apt than in that action. All the hostages would have been dead were it not for the SAS action that day.
@@frankbrodie5168 I couldn’t agree more. I wasn’t even born then but have seen the footage and watch countless documentary’s on it. Truly a fantastic achievement and as far as I’m aware we’ve not had another hostage situation in this country since then.
They were still but a myth until that siege. After that, the whole world felt respect of the SAS. They did not piss about, job done in excellent time and so neatly done.
@@georgehaha6969 Definitely agree,only studied the unit and their history after that event! NB Their wartime founder Sir David Stirling(alongside his distant cousin Sir Fitzroy Maclean of Dunconnel 'The Balkan Brigadier'),was/were believed to be real-life inspiration(s) for Ian Fleming's James Bond. 👌
@@MrSinclairn I remember watching the whole thing unfold on BBC NEWS and next thing there was these men in black scurry along the roof, down the front façade, bang, bang, bang, wee bit of smoke and it was all over. The finest land based unit on this earth with their sister unit the SBS being masters of the oceans. The original name for the unit was the SOE; the Special Operations Executive along with the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. One of their top opps was the actor Christopher Lee. When filming Count Dracula it is reputed that when he was asked to imagine what it would sound like for someone's spine being ripped out with a knife, he replied "No need to imagine!!". He was another unsung British war hero.
I have a number of friends who have been in the Forces, all of them have the utmost respect and admiration for those in the SAS or SBS. These guys are the best of our best, not only tough, but smart too!
In a part of West Wales that I lived in for a decade, in remote hillside farms and homesteads, equipment - and clothes on washing lines hung out to dry - would go missing overnight and be returned by the military soon after, where possible. It was put down to SAS training. Rubbish (trash) emptied, the contents dumped and the bags gone, for instance - probably to be worn.
Escape and Evasion - I did a cut down version over 36 hours, for the first day we were made to do tasks like build shelters, compete for food, carry heavy packs up a hill, those that didn't so their share were highlighted to be binned. Then there was the bit when we were keeping warm around a fire we had to start and fuel before being "bumped". Flash bangs and shouting.. we had to stick with our group to make to an emergency rendezvous (RV) at which point we were given the next RV, a small torch, hand written map and button compass. We were greatcoats, t-shirts, military trousers and boots. Soaking wet my in autumn (fall) in Wales, the team I was in made it to the last RV after several hours during the night... sacks put over our head and zipped tidied were were transported back, dragged out of the vehicles and "processed". I found out later I had water dumped on me but petrol in a mess tin was held under my hood so I could smell the fumes while someone was trying to strike a lighter. Then stress positions, static, crying babies and more stress positions before interrogation... they you had to give Name, DoB and the cover story... if it was broken by someone else then you gave limited facts and tried to appear co-operative. Somehow I passed the course... it was a taster of what actual SAS/SBS E&E is and it was enough... must thank my then company sending me on this as we were being sent to an area of the world he were considered high risk for kidnap!
Being a normal Crap hat, I never had anything to do with the SAS/ SBS or the American Navy Seals, but I do know that in Afghanistan and Iraq they worked very well together. I was always happy to know they were the good guy’s on our side. God Bless our Special Forces where ever they are operating.
God Bless?? You think your God approve of this?? Afaik he apparently wrote down 10 commandments for "us" to follow, of which one is "Thou shall not kill".. or did i misunderstand..... is it only "your own" you are no supposed to kill????
@@dockingtroll6801 If you don’t understand who is the enemy in Afghanistan, who are the ones committing the atrocities there and why we have special forces instead of just bombing the place and the enemy, then no one can help you. You are the sort of person who would not intervene when a woman is being murdered or raped. Crawl back into your gutter you cowardly excuse for a human being and let real men protect your children and your family, because you won’t.
@@jambarreturns9060 You know nothing about me or what life I have lived.. and yes I have been there and done that, and clearly understand more of that than you ever will, just having heard about it... but thats not my point... my point is Whats God got to do with it? Question was Do yo think your God approve of it?... Dont get God involved in Warfare and dont hold his name in vane...God, any of them, have no interest in war and seing us kill each other, no matter what side of the fence you are on---if english is really that hard for you to read and understand, maybe you should refrain from commenting on public media... Ignorance is after all toxic and you are as toxic and they come, so you have compartmentalized properly... ignorant git...
@@dockingtroll6801 I’d rather be an ignorant git than someone like you who stands by and watches innocents being raped, abused or murdered. Keep on turning a blind eye or the other cheek to atrocities being carried out in the name of their God. I can sleep at night knowing I have always lead a Christian life and tried to protect the weak, where as you just turned and walked away leaving the weak to defend themselves. This conversation is over, don’t try to quantify your cowardice with lame excuses.
UK special forces come under 2 main branches SAS (special air service) SBS (special boat service) Which go through the same selection. Mostly drawn from Parachute Regiment,Royal Marines and Special Forces Support Group (mixture of both) Selection generally goes on for around 6 months long. That's just to get to your unit and begin proper training!
@@adamwildish1748 All of Britain's special forces come under the overall umbrella of the Strategic Command at Norwood, but within that overall command the Royal Marines and S.B.S are part of the Royal Navy and answer to The Admiralty, the S.A.S are a part of The Army and answer to the Ministry Of Defence. I can assure you that the training of the S.A.S and S.B.S are very different, the S.B.S train at Pool In Dorset, the S.A.S mainly in the Brecon Beacons in Wales.
There are a tiny minority of people who can be in the SAS, apart from the physical and mental attributes they must also be able to take a command from their superiors with our reasoning or questions, no matter what they are told to do. The training isn’t just about making them a killing machine it’s also about giving them advanced survival techniques to give them the best possible chance to accomplish their mission and get home safe. Yes I do know an ex SAS guy quite well but he will never discuss what he had to do during his active time in them; all he would ever say was that it was tough! His time in was during the Falklands war, and he was active there!
To know that's rubbish, just read Bravo Two Zero (where a patrol led by a Sgt ignores the recommendations of his Lt Col & RSM) or Peter Ratcliffe (that same RSM)'s memoirs. The expert is expected to be the guy on the ground.
A lot of people claim to be a part of the regiment. I hope he has provided some evidence of his claim. I'm not military and I won't claim I know anyone from the SAS as I don't (unless someone I know is keeping that secret). From what I have read of the official history of the unit, the idea of obeying orders without question is nonsense. You make it sound like they are robots who would kill an innocent child at random if they are ordered. The known history of the SAS does not suggest such a thing. I am sure there are times when they have to do awful things for the greater good but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. I know most awful acts will not be recorded but again the known history doesn't suggest they are a group of unthinking murderers.
Shut up Darrell, your ignorance is showing. They dont just take command do whatever without reasoning or questioning lmao what are you on about? Those guys and all special forces are highly trained, tough and intelligent soilders.
The UK has 3 Special Forces units. The SAS, the Special Boat Service (which recruits from the Royal Marines) & the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. The SRR is the only one to take females. You have to be already a member of HM Armed forces to be in our SF. The SRR is the youngest unit in the army being formed in 2005. It came out of an under cover plain clothes unit in Northern Ireland called 14 Intelligence Company or The Detachment or The Det. I'm ex infantry. Hope this helps Amanda. One other thing, the standard on selection is, "do I want to serve with this man." They reject you just because they don't like you sometimes.
They didn't mention the Special Boat Service (SBS) which is the Royal Navy's elite force. If you have seen the Channel 4 series Who Dares Wins, Ant Middleton who used to host it was ex-SBS having been a Royal Marine before that. Also on the show, Mark Billingham was ex-SAS having been a Paratrooper prior to that.
reasons for failed even though the course was completed. answers to questions during a event, frequently resting during event , removing boots during an event, being startled by a trainer during an event, consuming your "safe" water too quickly during an event are just some. but its usually a combination minor things that during a mission would hold up the squad or give away your position to the enemy. In essance remove likely problems for the next stage so those participating have the best possible chance as A team.
Amanda , in modern times the Iranian Embassy is the iconic SAS mission that people recognise but look up the battle of Mirbat which pretty much encapsulates what a fighting force the SAS is. A modern day Rourkes Drift ( Zulu)
The Men selected for the SAS are incredible British soldiers who set the standard that other nations fall short of. This elite band is operational around the world all the time, you can look for them but you won't find them. I have worked in some terrible and very dangerous conditions but I would never be able to do the things that they are capable of but that's why the test is so tough, you need to be an exceptional Man to do the things that they do every day.
Great vid, I had not seen this particular animation. It should be noted that when it states 'would you survive' it should be noted that over the years several candidates die. A few years back SAS was reprimanded for allowing candidates to die from dehydration. One candidate only found out that he had a very rare heart condition when he felt unwell in one of the training course to be recruited., His father later thanked the SAS for the fact the they discovered the condition through the intensity of the recruitment process. I think they carry out training in such diverse places as 'Belize' and Dartmoor. The breaking process post capture is necessary harsh, in TV doc. a reporting 'did' most of the training but was not question after capture, he did not see his 'real colleagues' till next morning to say they were completely different men would be understatement.
Major Mike Kealy died while 'tagging along' on an SAS Selection, in 1979. The significance of that is he (as a Captain) commanded the BATT (British Army Training Team) at Mirbat, in 1972 - which is the last century's equivalent to the Battle of Rorkes Drift. They were outnumbered by around 40:1, but the British Government played it down at the time, because they didn't want it known what they were doing in Oman. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mirbat
The fifteen out of two hundred is not out of ordinary people but out of two hundred highly trained British Soldiers who have applied and then been specially selected by their units as suitable. So there has been intense selection to even get on the SAS course.
I might have passed the training as a young man Amanda, I did indeed pass the seven month Royal Marine Commando course, but that was more than fifty years ago, , it takes me all my time now to walk to the corner shop.
Not sure if someone has also mentioned it, there is the SAS which is very well known but there is also the SBS (Special Boat Service) I think that video might have crossed over from SAS to SBS. Love the videos and hats off to all soldiers, let alone the elites who never really get a mention in the news for their accomplishments.
Special Forces is rather an umbrella term which covers similar fields but different specialities. One guy said tests route out the macho types that want to prestige as it's mentally grueling just as much as physically exhausting. He said, you've really got to want it. A lot of the U.S. special forces have spoken very highly of the SAS, etc... with one former SEAL saying how envious he was of them and speaking of the camaraderie within the units and extended to similar units they are working with.
Family member was in SAS, now he works as a guard for a known banking director in the UK. Even though it's tough, you'll get a a good reward when you leave. I'm not far from where they train in the black mountains, here in Wales.
When I was at work (now retired), our Security Adviser was ex Para and ex SAS. He had been at Goose Green, Falklands with the Paras, so had seen some pretty tough action He was also previously a Close Protection Officer for the Royal Family. Lovely guy, but would not want to cross him!
I was in the Air Despatch in the 1970s and we worked with the SAS a lot, as it was a large part of our role. Some of our guys did the selection and passed, but stayed in our unit, as we had to maintain a certain number to be inserted with them on the ground at short notice. Not many, just two or three. It struck me that it was always the quiet, unassuming ones that applied for it, never the big "I am" ones. I always found the SAS blokes among the nicest people you could meet.
You have to had served 3 years in the army, royal marines, paratroopers, before u can apply for the SAS! Even though a soldier will have already done well surviving the Royal Marine or Paratrooper training as many don't even make that and end up in regular army units! But even the best Royal Marines and Paratroopers, our toughest regular army units! Only a few will make it through SAS selection, but their is a higher emphasis on the mind, ingenuity, reasoning, ability to survive torture etc not just being a physical warrior......they expect that already! 🙏
A big part of the SAS is always mentality and generaly how you behave.. So alot of people actully fail because they get to exited to have passed the first faze... You are not supposed to let people know how you feel, thats just standard. You are supposed to be able to operate in any situation without anyone even knowing that you are an SAS soldier, thats a large key to it all
3:20 Washing out is no disgrace. You have be pretty special to be even accepted for consideration. Washouts are not sacked but simply return to their home units. Very few actually leave the Services. 6:50 The trainers are SAS themselves. Indeed they are the best the SAS have, they're the elite of this already hyper-elite group. 13:00 You don't want people who cannot pass the intake to join the SAS. The tests are based on actual incidents faced by captives in the past (whether special forces or not). These people need to be able to resist that [mis]-treatment and still function. Great video once again. Keep up the good work.
@@jeffarmstrong1308 You can apply for selection again but after the 3rd attempt you have to accept your not right for the unit. Even if you complete the selection process it doesn't mean your in, if your face doesn't fit its RTU I'm afraid!
@@Dan-zb7vn I had a feeling there was a limit. When you think on it, they want people who can think for themselves and NOT be the typical unthinking grunt. I say this as a former grunt myself. After three goes you should be able to see that you just can't wash it to their level. I am always happy to be corrected - politely (as you have)
Its not about physical, its also about how you are as a person. How well you communicate with others, your mental state etc. my friend went in for the SAS and passed all physical tests but they said his mind was not to standard 😂
Hi Amanda. I was going to comment about different UK special forces, but others already have. So I'll just say thanks for another great video. Always a treat to see an Amanda Rae video pop up ❤ xxx
If fact, the training is so tough it came under serious scrutiny several years ago when trainees actually died during the first stage of training in the Brecon Beacons. It's no joke when they say the training is tough!
The FINAL March is called the FAN DANCE,where you have climb the pen y fan mountain,you have 20hrs to complete the March,carrying around 55lb of equipment
@@LADYRAEUK that's then Special Air Service,the closest the Americans have is Delta Force,when their founder Charles Beckwith was trained by the SAS.He used his training to good use in Vietnam,and then formed Delta force.
@@charliegeorge9393 14 Int was around a lot longer than that - and the SRR is able to do things the SBS/SAS can't. Horses for courses. The SAS are NOT super-soldiers - most don't pretend to be.
My Father was based at the Hereford Camp HQ before the Iranian Embassy siege. I’ve known a few. A good friend who served with the Guards was a Major before transferring to the SAS. Many come from the Paratroop regiment and other regiments. It’s a hard life with little reward, but an amazing brotherhood. Several pubs in Hereford are run by ex SAS, obviously there is hardly ever trouble there. My one thriller series is based on an ex SAS entering civilian life, many become security experts, as their history although mostly secret, speaks volumes.
When I was 18 I was in the paratroopers, I was sent to the Falkland’s and that was wet cold windy and muddy , it was very hard and scary ,but nothing like the sas they are. Proper men ….
Our school had an old boy who was military and had done a stint as an SAS officer in the 70’s. He came to talk to those of us in the cadet force by which time (early 90’s) he’d returned to the regular army and recently retired. He said that the hardest thing about SAS training was the knowledge that at any time, at any time at all, you could say words to the effect of “no more” and receive and immediate soft bed, full meal, two week’s leave and then a return to your unit with not only no shame but actual honour, for the course was so tough that even trying and failing was considered magnificent. He then told us some of the things he’d done in the SAS (obviously with no mission identifiable details) and these were literally at the pinacle of bravery and endurance (though no doubt that this was the MoD approved for teenagers tame version). The weirdest thing was that, throughout it all, he never referred to himself as anything more than an “ordinary chap” who was simply “doing what was necessary and no more.” He didn’t wear his medals to do this talk (he was in an ordinary suit) but our teacher had introduced him with all his letters (much to his embrasement) and from that we understood he was far from an “ordinary chap” but when directly asked about one of his medals he just said “other people made the decision to award it, I just did what was necessary at the time.”
As far as I remember you have to be recommended by superior officers to take part in the initial SAS course If you fail any part at any time you’re returned to unit and will never be allowed to reapply
@@garethreece just checked with a friend of mine who’s done the training but was returned to unit If your first application isn’t accepted you can reapply if you fail any part of the training you cannot reapply
The SAS are a special force but there are several others - like the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment and others we rarely hear about or don't actually know about. All the elite regiments like the Paras and the Marines carry our special forces type work. There is a lot of crossover through time-limited secondments and joint working so some members of regiments (especially the Paras and the Marines) not technically special forces may be former special forces and still up to speed. Of course now I've told you all this something fatal may happen to me so it's been nice knowing you. Personally I think I would survive special forces training - for about ten seconds.
At one time there was 14Int, but I think they are now the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. They are, I believe, the only Special Forces group whom employ some female operatives......
When I was working for a private security company my boss was ex-SAS. He trained us in unarmed combat because of the work we were assigned to do, and let me tell you, I'm 6"3' and he threw me around like a rag doll for 2 weeks. But this came in handy when someone tried to mug me one night with a 10" kitchen knife. I dislocated his shoulder and slammed him onto his face before he knew what was happening. He's mate ran off and once my girlfriend stopped screaming she called the police and away he went to prison. I only sampled what training I was legally allowed to know as a civilian, but that was enough for me. I definitely wouldn't have made the grade. ✌️♥️🇬🇧
My cousin went through training, and was doing quite well. He got dismissed though as he went through intensive medical testing and not only found out there was issues with people's knees within the family, but he was showing very early signs of having this issue, so wasn't allowed to continue. He had no idea until then, and was doing the heavily loaded walks and marches with relative ease (well as easy as it could ever be possible to someone training to be part of the elite!), but since he could have issues in the future, wasn't able to continue. Is a shame though, as his dream had always been to be part of the SBS side of the reginemnt.
When you think of SEALS , DELTA FORCE ,RANGERS etc you automatically picture big , fit muscular guys. A lot of the SAS / SBS guys you wouldn't look twice at. It's all about mental strength and capability with those lads...
The SAS training is the hardest special forces training on the planet as only ten percent make it. I recommend that you read about or try to watch something about the Battle of Mirbat in Oman 1972 where just 9 SAS soldiers were outnumbered by hundreds of enemy soldiers. This battle is legendary.
Did you see the documentary called Special Forces in their own words ( I think). One of them mentioned that he was in this battle and that 8 SAS were totally surrounded by 300 insurgents, then he said the insurgents only made one mistake and that was " they didn't bring enough men"
@@ianpodmore9666 I saw that documentary. 9 SAS soldiers . against hundreds of insurgents and win just shows how badass they really are. As their motto says., WHO DARES WINS.
i can remember reading an account of a battle in iraq where four sas were surrounded by approximately 100 soldiers and they attacked the larger force simply because its not what they would have expect they, killed or wounded about forty and the rest ran away.
264 Signal Squadron 264 (SAS) Squadron provides dedicated communications support to 22 Special Air Service. Often deploying alongside the Sabre Squadrons, these signallers ensure that the SAS can communicate in a secure and reliable fashion not just within the Squadron's area of operations but also with Hereford, their home base.
I had a friend who was in the UK Army and had applied to join SAS. One of the tests was 'up to' hours looking down a snipers rifle, with one shot when the target pops up. My friends reaction was 'What? hours without having aw*nk? I couldnt do it'
Amanda, you should read the book “Bravo Two Zero” by SAS veteran Andy McNab. It was turned into a movie starring Sean Bean. It was about an operation during the 1991 Iraq war that went wrong.
They're quite common really! Hang around a pub long enough and you'll meet one.....most were 'on the balcony' at Princes Gate in 1980...7000 at the last count! 😋
Amanda it takes about 18-20 months to complete the Training Cycle for the Australian SAS Regiment. It is just as hard as the British one too. The Brit SBS guys I worked with were also very good. And not to forget the Special Recce Regt. SAS and SBS are like DEVGRU or as they used to be known as,the old Seal Team 6, and the Delta are known as Tier 1 Spec Forces Units,. However Green Berets and Marines, Paras etc and even normal SEALS are not Tier 1, being Tier 2, yes there are rankings even in the SF world. Australian and New Zealand SAS are Tier 1 too.
Actually it's NOT a winged dagger...although it does kind of look like one...it's actually a depiction of a sword...a very particular sword...Excalibur, Which ( according to legend ) had 'flames' coming from it when it was wielded.
My late father was in 2nd para in ww2 and trained with several sas,and soe agents. They would talk about football,rugby or going down the pub but that's all. Dad said if anyone tells you they were in the sas don't believe them. They are what's known as Walters.
Biggest regiment in the world that one. Every Pub in Britain has a regular who was "definitely" a member and "was definitely second man on the Balcony".
they go through a lot more than this.. a Few mistakes in that video the SBS which is the Royal Navy version of the SAS the Special Boat Service would have that relationship more with the Seals since they are almost the same type of unit. And also they didn't mention one of the SAS tests and that is they sit you in a dark room with just a chair in the middle, you are to sit on the chair and then they will chuck thunderflashes and fire live ammo "supposedly" near you or close enough to you and if you flinch you are out. Ex-PM Maggie Thatcher did the same test and she did not move a single cm and stayed perfectly still on that chair and the video forgot to add that people have died trying to do the SAS fitness and endurance test on Brecon Beacons Wales
@@LADYRAEUK your welcome. There are things that you hear in where I grew up and especially when there was an exchange between British Para's and the US Airbourne lol
They cross pollinate. I can't remember which squadron, I think it was G got bollocked off the mod for wearing the punisher skull patches they got from seal team 6. They've done it with SFSG for year's now as well, at least as far back a herrick but may have even been during telic. 1 para tens to work more with the abs and the boot necks with sas because they want a cross pollination of skills and seeing as delta is pretty much sas it's kind of pointless having them together. With that said boat troop as is my limited understanding so the same thing as the sbs so maybe they're the ones who work with the seals but seals. Don't forget we we in a war in a desert for 20 years so there wasn't really much use for water soldiers
@@me5969 but it was the Seals who were in Seal team 6 that killed old Binny. I know knew of someone who was trying to get into 22 reg whilst in Browing and also worked with this girl who told me her dad used to be in the Amy and then told me they lived in Hereford lol
Err... not quite. It's a room set up for VIPs to simulate a hostage rescue. it's called "The Killing House". Definitely not part of training, but a simulation, staffed by the trainers. However, Thatcher's response did earn the respect of those present.
To get a chance at selection, you apply in your parent unit, have an interview with your CO and be recommended by your CO. SAS are Special Forces (SF), but the other British SF aren't really put in the same class. You only get 2 chances at SAS selection, this is usually because of injury incurred during the 1st attempt.
Incredible physical fitness is assumed as the absolute basic prerequisite. SAS training is about testing mental toughness and fortitude. It’s about your attitude and determination under the most extreme pressure. It’s about being willing to break through the fear barrier. Everyone has a weakness, that’s not an issue in selection; it’s how you react once your weakness is placed under a microscope that will determine if you pass or fail. The physical tests are designed to strip away all the ego and highlight any character flaws. Contrary to popular belief the SAS aren’t supermen; they are just the best equipped humans to overcome real extended pressure and adversity lasting for long periods of time, enduring conditions that most would crumble under is a very short time.
Founded by David Stirling during WW2 in Northern Africa. These guys are on a whole other level !! One of the reasons why people fail could be that they don't pass the psycholigical evaluation.
@@jeroenschoondergang5923 From the pictures I have seen of the LRDG they travelled on land rovers, mounted with machine guns, and raided German airfields, ammo dumps etc causing havoc behind enemy lines is in the desert., Dressed in Arab type gear, unshaven and no uniforms, and lived on whatever they could find to eat, or German stores...much like today's SAS...So, more than 6 soldiers then!
I don't think i would ever survive this ive seen celebrity SAS on tv and they go through hell i think you need to be super human to do this Amanda ❤❤❤❤❤❤
I have heard that the first task is to actually find the SAS barracks. It’s apparently not listed anywhere, nor has it any signs outside saying This is the SAS!
Not exactly hard to find! Nudge! Nudge! But it’s a good little test though isn’t it! You want to join, come find us! Classic school playground games that’s works every time!
It really is surprising how obvious the place is tbf. May not have the big signs like most bases but the village is well known and the camp is rather hard to miss as you drive through it...
In April 1985, Arriving for Trade Training at my R.A.F Station on the Bus, I had an old Lady tell me that my Station was next door to the SAS training Center , when I mentioned it to my Instructor his comment was "that's not something that's talked about Airman, especially with them being next door " 😁
A lot of people who think they have what it takes don’t. Many think that just because they are man mountains and physically fit, they have what it takes - they don’t - because their state of mind is all wrong. I served 15 years in the armed forces (not SF!) and it changed the way I think. Oddly, this came in useful when I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. I was given six weeks to live. The treatment battered me physically. I had 11 injections in my spine and 13 bone marrow samples pulled from my pelvis. I refused gas and air for those and used a method I call bubbling which I learned during marksmanship training - you shut out all the shouting and explosions around you and go into a mental bubble which focuses you on your target. I breezed through my treatment in hospital by having a reason to get up every morning instead of lying in my pit all day and gave myself a routine including eating and exercise, no matter how 💩 I felt. I had a bone marrow transplant which hammered me even more resulting in my entire digestive system becoming ulcerated so had to force myself to eat. I refused a feed tube because I vomited it up. I lived off protein shakes and Ready Brek for three and a half weeks. The consultant said I could be in hospital for six weeks and when I left, I would almost certainly be admitted back in with problems and infections. I left hospital after eleven days and never went back in again. One person I got to know through my treatment went back to work five years after his diagnosis. I had the same type of cancer as him and went back to work after fourteen months. I like to think that even with all the medical help I had that my mental attitude from my time in the British armed forces helped. I served in the Falklands, Bosnia, two tours in the Gulf and Cyprus.
About half the SAS come from the paratroopers but they can be from any military unit including the Territorial Army (The British version of the US National Guard.)
I knew someone in the TA SAS which seemed a bit of a strange thing to exist but he prepared very hard for selection and was always going off for crazy long runs with a backpack on with weights from his dumbbells in it. He also went for weekends in Dartmoor which seemed to involve a lot of running about and sleeping outdoors in a sleeping bag but he didn't go into too much detail.
The origins of the WW2 British Special Forces are very interesting Amanda, they were all started by young junior officers many of them from aristocratic families indeed David Sterling the originator of the S.A.S. was a Scottish lord, both he and other aristocratic young officers were bored with the conventional type of war they had to fight and were seeking adventure, the senior officers of the regular army were dead against their tactical ideas and their "private armies" and they were starved of resources. The S.B.S. had its origins in the Royal Marines and a young R.M major called Blondie Hasler who before the war had been a keen canoeist who realized that a small force of marines in canoes could silently creep up on the enemy undetected and do a great deal of damage
The S.B.S were, in fact, a unit of the British Army during the early days of ww2. They were formed before the SAS. The S.B.S carried out coastal infiltration around the Mediterranean insertion by cannoe from British submarines. The operatives usually carried out information on beaches as to whether or not amphibious operations could be carried out. Sabotage was also part of their job, getting agents ashore to help assist resistance groups. However, the Royal Marines were given the green light to carry out one of the most daring raids of the war operation Frankton. It consisted of 12 hand-picked Marines who were intensively trained to be inserted into the French occupied port of Bordueax by cannoe to blow up german shipping .Although the raid was a success, it ultimately came at a high price with only two survivors, Marine Bill Sparks and Major 'Blondie 'Hasler. Raids continued in the Far East with S.B.S teams raiding Japanese occupied islands. The Australians during this time had a unit of men called Z special force, which carried out raids against the Japanese. Two operations were put into place the infiltration and destruction of shipping in Japanese occupied Singapore harbour code named operation 'jaywick ' again, similar to operation Frankton in involved insertion by cannoe and blowing up enemy shipping. Jaywick was a huge success. However, the second raid code named Rimau was a disaster .Both raids were led a British army officer named Ivon Lyon, who, along with another companion, would be shot by the Japanese whilst trying to evade capture after the failure of the mission. The rest of the force consisted of Australian army and naval personnel were captured or drowned. Those who were captured eventually faced a Japanese military court and were beheaded . The SBS were put under direct control of the Royal Navy and remained so since the end of the ww2. Yes, it's true the SBS recruit mainly from the Marines, but just like ww2, it's now open to all branches of British forces just like their counterparts in the S.A.S.
As an ex British soldier, I know of only one person from my battalion who tried the SAS and made it in. Think of hard, then x it by 10. The UK have quite a few different special forces units.
Operation Nimrod on the 5th May 1980 was the first public display of the SAS capabilites on UK soil. Their original plan was to silently enter the Embassy, using silenced weapons and eliminate the threats while rescuing the primary target PC Never Lock and Sim Harris (BBC Journalist)... they had already entered the embassy by peeling the lead of a glass roof and moved around. The then Prime Minister Margret Thatcher refused this plan stating she "wanted a show of British force". Hence what became the famous forceful entrance on multiple points on the Iranian Embassy. John McCleese who built the frame charge that took the windows out on the balcony at the front of the building had been told the glass had been recently replaced with bombproof glass... he told me he built the biggest frame charge he could climbed onto the balcony only to find strong glass, held in with fresh putty in rotting wood frames... the frame was attached and blew it. The force broke the seal on his gas mask so he had to stop a couple of times to let the vomit out as he was being affected by the deployed CS gas. This is what they are made of...
Not a bad SAS video. It was a little muddled though. The escape and evasion phase happens before the jungle training. The final 40 mile hike is known in the SAS as the Fan Dance, as the run is over the Pen-Y-Fan mountain in Brecon Beacons / Black Mountains in South Wales. A really good book if you want more info is called "Seven Troop" written by retired SAS operative Andy McNab. It goes through how he got through each part, and how he survived the jungle training and eventually ended up in Air Troop, where he learnt parachute jumps, etc. Some of the members of his "troop" were those seen taking part in the Iranian Embassy hostage situation. Just for interest. There is a race in Wales known as the Dragon's Back Marathon! You have 5 days, have to run 300km and climb 17,000 meters in height. It goes from North Wales to South Wales. Regarded as one of the hardest ultra marathons in the world. There are videos on UA-cam you could do a reaction video to. Would be fun to see that. Look for "Dragon's Back Marathon". Cheers (I only mentioned the Dragon's Back Marathon as they too run over Pen-Y-Fan).
The escape and evasion phase is actually at the end of the course, before they go on to do their parachuting, HALO and HAHO course. I’m not full sure how accurate this is but I’ve heard that the course starts with the hills phase which lasts 4 weeks. They then spend 2 weeks at Hereford to prepare them for the jungle where they spend a month there. They then come back have some time down at Hereford again to acclimatise where they then learn all CQB drills, rappelling etc. and then obviously the escape and evasion. They also teach them all surveillance skills such as civilian clothes and personal surveillance techniques and coms and parachuting.
Sometimes, it looks simple when you see it on TV but I've no doubt it's absolutely back breaking. I definitely wouldn't survive. Heck I probably wouldn't last an hour 😅 Great video as always Amanda!
A 4 man SAS unit allegedly went to Vietnam as observers and while they were there they got bored and sneaked out one night and set up an ambush and caught a North Vietnamese patrol and killed them all with no losses to themselves, they crept back in and the American troops went on patrol the next morning and found the ambush site, but because they used American weapons it was empty American bullet cases found everywhere so nobody new who had done it.
Even more 'below the public radar' are the Special Reconaissance Service. The SRS are trained to be just as lethal as the SAS - if they have to - but their speciality is covert intel gathering. Getting in somewhere that should be as watertight as a duck's bum, gathering the required intel, and leaving - but doing the whole op so well that they not only evade being spotted (let alone captured), but doing it so that the opposition don't even know they were there at all. I understand that, in the trade, they're referred to as "Her Majesty's Burglars"!
You could get kicked out for many reasons regardless of how fit and strong you are. Not a team player, bad attitude, too flash, etc etc A sas man has to be completely in the gray. Not showy, analytical, independent but not a loner, intelligent as well as super fit, and above all never ever give up. That is what they are looking for the most. Someone with an iron will who will only stop is if they are dead
There is a programme on British tv at the mo, they do a celebrity one too, and they don’t go easy on them. Most people will give up on their own, the ones that finish are talked about and then they decide if the pas or not.
Check out the royal marines mountain leaders, their training is harder then the sas,sbs and lead the special forces behind enemy lines they are actually the best of the best.
Crawling along a muddy ditch in the middle of winter is not my idea of a 'Fun Weekend', so I joined the Royal Navy instead and avoided outdoor exercises like they were the plague.. 😊😊😊
The majority of soldiers who pass selection are said to have come from broken families and brought up in hard times which is said to give them that edge mentally . If you grow up in a tough environment it must have some baring on how you are as an adult in extreme situations . Not a job for the faint hearted . Great reaction .
Its more that they cannot behave at school and its not because they arent bright its because school cant keep them entertained enough and arent strict enough either, its the ones who act up at school that respond to high discipline more than kids who willingly go along with what the teachers have prepared that makes for a good SAS soldier.
Here's a breakdown of UKSF (SAS and SBS selection)... PHASE ONE 1. Aptitude; Navigation & Endurance (commonly referred to as Hills Phase) 4 weeks of *DAILY* mountain marches navigating by map from point to point against an *unspecified* time limit. Typical schedule as follows (remember, these marches are EVERY DAY)... Week 1 15-20 km 40lbs weight+weapon, water etc. Week 2 18-24 km 45lbs weight+weapon, water etc. Week 3 20-32 km 50lbs weight+weapon, water etc. Week 4, Test Week; consists of 5 marches over 7 days march 1, 2 & 3; 30 km 60lbs weight+weapon, water etc. march 4; 35 km 60lbs weight+weapon, water etc. THEN, 4 hours rest and start the final march; Long Drag; *65* km 70lbs weight+weapon, water etc. 20-24 hour time limit (weather dependent). --------------- PHASE TWO 2. Jungle warfare, tactics, navigation ALL LIVE FIRE TRAINING. 6 weeks. Those who have passed phase one have to then pass jungle training. Training takes place in Belize or Brunei, deep in jungles. Candidates learn the basics of surviving and patrolling in the harsh conditions. UKSF jungle patrols have to live for weeks behind enemy lines, in 4 man patrols, living on rations. This includes yet more days of marches point to point. Jungle training weeds out those who can't handle the discipline required to keep themselves and their kit in good condition whilst on long range patrols in difficult conditions. Again, there is a mental component being tested, not just a physical. Special Forces teams need men who can work under relentless pressure, in horrendous environments for weeks on end, without a lifeline back to home base. ---------------- PHASE THREE Continuation; Foreign and new weapons skills, CQB training and testing in the world-renowned SAS Killing House where live ammo is used. Advanced infantry and marksmanship skills etc. Escape & Evasion & Tactical Questioning/Resistance to Interrogation The small number of candidates who have made it through endurance and jungle training now enter the final phase of selection. The likelihood of a special operation going wrong behind enemy lines is quite high, given the risks involved. UKSF want soldiers who have the wherewithal and spirit required to escape and evade capture and resist interrogation. For the escape and evasion (E&E) portion of the course, the candidates are given brief instructions on appropriate techniques. This may include talks from former POWs or special forces soldiers who have been in E&E situations in the real world. Next, the candidates are let loose in the countryside, wearing World War 2 vintage coats with instructions to make their way to a series of waypoints without being captured by the hunter force of other soldiers. This portion lasts for 3-5 days after which, captured or not, all candidates report for TQ. Tactical Questioning (TQ) tests the prospective UKSF men's ability to resist interrogation. They are treated roughly by their interrogators, often made to stand in 'stress positions' for hours at a time, while disorientating white noise is blasted at them. When their turn for questioning comes, they must only answer with the so-called 'big 4' (name, rank, serial number and date of birth). All other questions must be answered with 'I'm sorry but I cannot answer that question.' Failure to do so results in failing the course. The questioners will use all sorts of tricks to try and get a reaction from the candidates. They may act friendly and try to get their subjects chatting; or they stand inches away from their subjects and scream unfavourable remarks about the sexual habits of their mothers. Female interrogators may laugh at the size of their subject's manhood. Of course, a real interrogation would be a lot more harsh and the subject would not know that they get to leave alive when it's all over. That said, days of interrogations and enduring the stress positions and white noise break down a man's sense of time and reality. UKSF are looking for men who can withstand such treatment long enough so that the effects of revealing any operational information they might have can be lessoned by HQ. ------------------------------------------------------------ This is 6 months in, successful candidates for the SAS are now badged and report to Hereford, the home of 22 SAS. The SBS candidates still have a further selection/continuation phase to complete before being badged and report Royal Marines Poole, the home of the SBS. Completion of this 6 month selection course is NOT the end. They then start SF training (which never ends) and for the 1st year in particular are on probation; they can be sent back to their original unit at any time.
The SAS were the FIRST into Iraq in the first Iraq War - they took out scud missile mobile units of the Iraqi army to stop them firing into Israel and Kuwait to help the Coalition forces advance. Gen Swartzkof US and Coalition Commander asked Margaret Thatcher that he be able to meet the SAS to thank them personally.Which he did.
@@davidpage4005 Yes, spot on ! As usual in a US mind only their Special Forces are " Special Forces" but to be fair, at least he did personally congratulate the SAS personnel involved and he mentions it in his own book about the conflict.
The US equivalent of the SAS is DELTA FORCE, the US equivalent of the SBS is DEVGRU (OLD SEAL TEAM 6) all these units are classed I the US as tier 1 units regular NAVY SEALS are tier 2 units Hope this helps
Iv met three retired SAS soldiers and everyone of them are unassuming and humble. One of them I never knew I was talking with a elite soldier for over a hour during a dinner party. I found them to focus on conversation and speak with accuracy and purpose. Much respect to them.
American special forces took on the SAS training course and only one passed. The SAS and SBS are the best in the world.
Totally. They are tough, and we're very proud of them!
The S A S may be the granddad of special forces,but they are,and will always be the greatest special forces.
Don’t forget the SBS. 🤩
@@michellee7465 have you read Duncan Falconers book,first into action,great read,from Royal marine to SBS.
@@Lee0568 Spean Bridge is well worth a visit. The raid on St. Nazaire is a phenomenal raid. I lift my hats also to the Royal Marine Commandos.
@@timwhale9434 I was in the Air Cadets,so was lucky to visit a lot of battlefields,I've been to see the prison at Amien were the resistance were kept,I've also been to see the bridges at Arnhem and Nijmegen,once the 'China virus,and conflict in Ukraine' is over,my best friend and I are going to do the Kampfgruppe Pieper route to the bulge/river mouse.
@@Lee0568 Excellent to hear. I am ex military and spent many hours in Welsh mountains on exercise, as well other interesting locations.
When I was in the RAF, one of our PT instructors applied for the SAS. He was an absolute fanatic about physical training, mentally as hard as nails, and played rugby for the RAF. He went to Hereford for the two week initial selection process. First day, 4am, instructor taps him on the shoulder, says very quietly; "Time to go" - and it was flat out, manic, non-stop right through until the late evening. Next morning, 4am, tap on the shoulder, "Time to go", same routine. And the next morning, and the next . . .
On day 13, he broke. 4am, tap on the shoulder, "Time to go" - and he said, "I'm sorry, I can't take any more." Far from yelling at him, the instructor says, very quietly, "Okay, mate - go back to sleep; breakfast in the mess, 08:00" - and that was it. But he said the thing that stuck with him was that NOBODY at Hereford looked down their noses at people who failed the course; they'd all done it themselves and knew what a killer it was. Come to that; he said that when he got back to the RAF camp we were on, nobody there looked down at him for failing to qualify, either.
If you are rejected. You are normally told "Platform two" the platform that sends you back to London then you get an RTU.
Lasting 13 days is an achievement in of itself
A sailing buddy of my dad and I was a retiree from "the regiment" as it's affectionately referred to. One of the kindest, most humble and toughest guys ever. Pride wasnt a thing for him, he had nothing left to prove and he knew it, so he didnt need the gratification of anyone else but his closest friends even knowing that was his background. Even for those of us who did know it, he made it real easy to forget about it, until the shit hit the fan - then he was the guy you wanted to have your back, no question.
We ended up losing him in a freak accident that happened only about 800 yards offshore. There were a dozen other boats within 100 yards and the people on those boats included at least five lifeboat crew, but none of us could get to him fast enough.
R.I.P, sounds like he was a Great guy not just an absolute fucking WARRIOR💪🏻🇬🇧
I was in the RAF for 12 years and one base that i worked at was, for reasons of geography, often visited by SAS units on training missions. We were usually aware of such visits before they happened and as many as were able would apply for leave passes for the duration of the visit, mainly due to the behaviour of the visitors when off duty. Our on-base bars and clubs became virtual no-go zones! These guys worked hard and played hard.
I have worked with 3 ex SAS troopers. The first was an Australian, I had been working with him for a couple of years but never know he was ex military, anyway, I had just seen a film, The Boys in Company C, 1978, and was talking about how this group of young American GIs were on night patrol in Vietnam, and had radios playing music, flash photography, etc, and remarked that they couldn’t be that stupid.
Anyway, he says, no that was very accurate, as he had served in Vietnam, and whenever a local American unit was going on night patrol you knew you would be in for a rough night because of what they got up to. And it wasn’t until a couple of weeks later that I found out he had served in the Australian SAS 2nd Squadron.
The second, I had been working with for around 2 years, my younger brother had just picked a book on the SAS, just been published, it had black and white and colour photos numbered in the centre with no descriptions, they were in a section at the back. I was flicking through the book when he walked past, stopped and asked what I was looking at and I let him have a look, we were looking at the photos when he started naming the SAS men in the photos, I thought he was pulling my leg but, when I checked the back, there were all the names of the men he had pointed to, I looked at him, dumbfounded, and he just smiled and walked away. The next day he showed us his beret and over lunch talked about how as a sergeant in the SAS he had trained and served with all of those men he had pointed out. He said that he was surprised the regiment had allowed the photos to be published as he thought that all were still active within the regiment at that time. He had left full time military and had done a few years with 21 squadron but had by then retired from duty.
The third was a Scotsman, knew he had a military background, but not who he had served with, he was my supervisor, anyway, we were on a tea break one day and I happened to mention about a cousin who had just been on leave from the Royal Marines, he remarked that they were a good bunch of blokes,and had done training with them and the occasional missions. A day or two latter he showed some photos of his time in the military, joined straight from school at 16, served 21 years, 9 of those in the SAS.
Those that serve in the SAS and make it through to the end, are said to have “beaten the clock”, throes that die have their name inscribed on the clocks plinth.
Worked with these boys when I was in. Good bunch of lads. Not bad at making tea either.
I definitely do not have what it takes, I am a lightweight. Respect to those who do have what it takes in serving in any branch of our Armed Forces.
🙌
A lot of people who think they do don’t either. Many think that just because they are man mountains and physically fit, they have what it takes - they don’t - because their state of mind is all wrong. I served 15 years in the armed forces (not SF!) and it changed the way I think. Oddly, this came in useful when I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. I was given six weeks to live. The treatment battered me physically. I had 11 injections in my spine and 13 bone marrow samples pulled from my pelvis. I refused gas and air for those and used a method I call bubbling which I learned during marksmanship training - you shut out all the shouting and explosions around you and go into a mental bubble which focuses you on your target. I breezed through my treatment in hospital by having a reason to get up every morning instead of lying in my pit all day and gave myself a routine including eating and exercise, no matter how 💩 I felt. I had a bone marrow transplant which hammered me even more resulting in my entire digestive system becoming ulcerated so had to force myself to eat. I refused a feed tube because I vomited it up. I lived off protein shakes and Ready Brek for three and a half weeks. The consultant said I could be in hospital for six weeks and when I left, I would almost certainly be admitted back in with problems and infections. I left hospital after eleven days and never went back in again. One person I got to know through my treatment went back to work five years after his diagnosis. I had the same type of cancer as him and went back to work after fourteen months. I like to think that even with all the medical help I had that my mental attitude helped a little.
@@user-xh3wr1do7k That is absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing.
@@awall1701 Thanks but I’m just a regular guy - there’s hundreds if not thousands just like me - and you. We’re all amazing in our own way. 💪🤝😎
I remember watching the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980 on TV and see the SAS storm the building. To see them in action was incredible. Top elite soldiers in the world.
One of the most inspiring moments of my teenage life was watching the conclusion to that seige. "Kill the killers.." was never more apt than in that action. All the hostages would have been dead were it not for the SAS action that day.
@@frankbrodie5168 I couldn’t agree more. I wasn’t even born then but have seen the footage and watch countless documentary’s on it. Truly a fantastic achievement and as far as I’m aware we’ve not had another hostage situation in this country since then.
They were still but a myth until that siege. After that, the whole world felt respect of the SAS. They did not piss about, job done in excellent time and so neatly done.
@@georgehaha6969 Definitely agree,only studied the unit and their history after that event!
NB Their wartime founder Sir David Stirling(alongside his distant cousin Sir Fitzroy Maclean of Dunconnel 'The Balkan Brigadier'),was/were believed to be real-life inspiration(s) for Ian Fleming's James Bond. 👌
@@MrSinclairn I remember watching the whole thing unfold on BBC NEWS and next thing there was these men in black scurry along the roof, down the front façade, bang, bang, bang, wee bit of smoke and it was all over. The finest land based unit on this earth with their sister unit the SBS being masters of the oceans.
The original name for the unit was the SOE; the Special Operations Executive along with the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. One of their top opps was the actor Christopher Lee. When filming Count Dracula it is reputed that when he was asked to imagine what it would sound like for someone's spine being ripped out with a knife, he replied "No need to imagine!!". He was another unsung British war hero.
I have a number of friends who have been in the Forces, all of them have the utmost respect and admiration for those in the SAS or SBS. These guys are the best of our best, not only tough, but smart too!
🙌🙌
In a part of West Wales that I lived in for a decade, in remote hillside farms and homesteads, equipment - and clothes on washing lines hung out to dry - would go missing overnight and be returned by the military soon after, where possible. It was put down to SAS training. Rubbish (trash) emptied, the contents dumped and the bags gone, for instance - probably to be worn.
"Who dares wins"
Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.
Escape and Evasion - I did a cut down version over 36 hours, for the first day we were made to do tasks like build shelters, compete for food, carry heavy packs up a hill, those that didn't so their share were highlighted to be binned. Then there was the bit when we were keeping warm around a fire we had to start and fuel before being "bumped". Flash bangs and shouting.. we had to stick with our group to make to an emergency rendezvous (RV) at which point we were given the next RV, a small torch, hand written map and button compass. We were greatcoats, t-shirts, military trousers and boots. Soaking wet my in autumn (fall) in Wales, the team I was in made it to the last RV after several hours during the night... sacks put over our head and zipped tidied were were transported back, dragged out of the vehicles and "processed".
I found out later I had water dumped on me but petrol in a mess tin was held under my hood so I could smell the fumes while someone was trying to strike a lighter.
Then stress positions, static, crying babies and more stress positions before interrogation... they you had to give Name, DoB and the cover story... if it was broken by someone else then you gave limited facts and tried to appear co-operative.
Somehow I passed the course... it was a taster of what actual SAS/SBS E&E is and it was enough... must thank my then company sending me on this as we were being sent to an area of the world he were considered high risk for kidnap!
Being a normal Crap hat, I never had anything to do with the SAS/ SBS or the American Navy Seals, but I do know that in Afghanistan and Iraq they worked very well together. I was always happy to know they were the good guy’s on our side. God Bless our Special Forces where ever they are operating.
Yes 🙌🙌🙌
God Bless?? You think your God approve of this?? Afaik he apparently wrote down 10 commandments for "us" to follow, of which one is "Thou shall not kill".. or did i misunderstand..... is it only "your own" you are no supposed to kill????
@@dockingtroll6801 If you don’t understand who is the enemy in Afghanistan, who are the ones committing the atrocities there and why we have special forces instead of just bombing the place and the enemy, then no one can help you. You are the sort of person who would not intervene when a woman is being murdered or raped. Crawl back into your gutter you cowardly excuse for a human being and let real men protect your children and your family, because you won’t.
@@jambarreturns9060 You know nothing about me or what life I have lived.. and yes I have been there and done that, and clearly understand more of that than you ever will, just having heard about it... but thats not my point... my point is Whats God got to do with it? Question was Do yo think your God approve of it?... Dont get God involved in Warfare and dont hold his name in vane...God, any of them, have no interest in war and seing us kill each other, no matter what side of the fence you are on---if english is really that hard for you to read and understand, maybe you should refrain from commenting on public media... Ignorance is after all toxic and you are as toxic and they come, so you have compartmentalized properly... ignorant git...
@@dockingtroll6801 I’d rather be an ignorant git than someone like you who stands by and watches innocents being raped, abused or murdered. Keep on turning a blind eye or the other cheek to atrocities being carried out in the name of their God. I can sleep at night knowing I have always lead a Christian life and tried to protect the weak, where as you just turned and walked away leaving the weak to defend themselves. This conversation is over, don’t try to quantify your cowardice with lame excuses.
UK special forces come under 2 main branches
SAS (special air service)
SBS (special boat service)
Which go through the same selection. Mostly drawn from Parachute Regiment,Royal Marines and Special Forces Support Group (mixture of both)
Selection generally goes on for around 6 months long. That's just to get to your unit and begin proper training!
SBS shaky boat service. That's was the SAS guys call them.
Don't forget 3rd Battalion Parachute regiment...otherwise known as the 'Special reconnaissance group'.
That's not true, the S.B.S are nothing to do with the S.A.S they are part of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines.
@@mugshot749 which all come under the same branch of United Kingdom Special Forces.
SAS, SBS, SRR and Joint special forces aviation wing 👍👍
@@adamwildish1748 All of Britain's special forces come under the overall umbrella of the Strategic Command at Norwood, but within that overall command the Royal Marines and S.B.S are part of the Royal Navy and answer to The Admiralty, the S.A.S are a part of The Army and answer to the Ministry Of Defence.
I can assure you that the training of the S.A.S and S.B.S are very different, the S.B.S train at Pool In Dorset, the S.A.S mainly in the Brecon Beacons in Wales.
There are a tiny minority of people who can be in the SAS, apart from the physical and mental attributes they must also be able to take a command from their superiors with our reasoning or questions, no matter what they are told to do. The training isn’t just about making them a killing machine it’s also about giving them advanced survival techniques to give them the best possible chance to accomplish their mission and get home safe. Yes I do know an ex SAS guy quite well but he will never discuss what he had to do during his active time in them; all he would ever say was that it was tough! His time in was during the Falklands war, and he was active there!
To know that's rubbish, just read Bravo Two Zero (where a patrol led by a Sgt ignores the recommendations of his Lt Col & RSM) or Peter Ratcliffe (that same RSM)'s memoirs. The expert is expected to be the guy on the ground.
A lot of people claim to be a part of the regiment. I hope he has provided some evidence of his claim.
I'm not military and I won't claim I know anyone from the SAS as I don't (unless someone I know is keeping that secret). From what I have read of the official history of the unit, the idea of obeying orders without question is nonsense. You make it sound like they are robots who would kill an innocent child at random if they are ordered. The known history of the SAS does not suggest such a thing. I am sure there are times when they have to do awful things for the greater good but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. I know most awful acts will not be recorded but again the known history doesn't suggest they are a group of unthinking murderers.
The SAS were on the Falklands for weeks before the main force arrived. They had been inserted by submarine..
Shut up Darrell, your ignorance is showing. They dont just take command do whatever without reasoning or questioning lmao what are you on about? Those guys and all special forces are highly trained, tough and intelligent soilders.
The UK has 3 Special Forces units. The SAS, the Special Boat Service (which recruits from the Royal Marines) & the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. The SRR is the only one to take females. You have to be already a member of HM Armed forces to be in our SF. The SRR is the youngest unit in the army being formed in 2005. It came out of an under cover plain clothes unit in Northern Ireland called 14 Intelligence Company or The Detachment or The Det. I'm ex infantry. Hope this helps Amanda. One other thing, the standard on selection is, "do I want to serve with this man." They reject you just because they don't like you sometimes.
Ah okay👍🏻
They didn't mention the Special Boat Service (SBS) which is the Royal Navy's elite force. If you have seen the Channel 4 series Who Dares Wins, Ant Middleton who used to host it was ex-SBS having been a Royal Marine before that. Also on the show, Mark Billingham was ex-SAS having been a Paratrooper prior to that.
The SBS are nails .. fact
reasons for failed even though the course was completed. answers to questions during a event, frequently resting during event , removing boots during an event, being startled by a trainer during an event, consuming your "safe" water too quickly during an event are just some. but its usually a combination minor things that during a mission would hold up the squad or give away your position to the enemy. In essance remove likely problems for the next stage so those participating have the best possible chance as A team.
Amanda , in modern times the Iranian Embassy is the iconic SAS mission that people recognise but look up the battle of Mirbat which pretty much encapsulates what a fighting force the SAS is. A modern day Rourkes Drift ( Zulu)
You really do have THE most calming voice, Amanda. You would make a fortune reading ASMR text.
Thank you very much! 😊
The Men selected for the SAS are incredible British soldiers who set the standard that other nations fall short of. This elite band is operational around the world all the time, you can look for them but you won't find them. I have worked in some terrible and very dangerous conditions but I would never be able to do the things that they are capable of but that's why the test is so tough, you need to be an exceptional Man to do the things that they do every day.
Great vid, I had not seen this particular animation. It should be noted that when it states 'would you survive' it should be noted that over the years several candidates die. A few years back SAS was reprimanded for allowing candidates to die from dehydration.
One candidate only found out that he had a very rare heart condition when he felt unwell in one of the training course to be recruited., His father later thanked the SAS for the fact the they discovered the condition through the intensity of the recruitment process.
I think they carry out training in such diverse places as 'Belize' and Dartmoor.
The breaking process post capture is necessary harsh, in TV doc. a reporting 'did' most of the training but was not question after capture, he did not see his 'real colleagues' till next morning to say they were completely different men would be understatement.
I didn’t know people died, it’s sounds like such an intense process
Major Mike Kealy died while 'tagging along' on an SAS Selection, in 1979. The significance of that is he (as a Captain) commanded the BATT (British Army Training Team) at Mirbat, in 1972 - which is the last century's equivalent to the Battle of Rorkes Drift. They were outnumbered by around 40:1, but the British Government played it down at the time, because they didn't want it known what they were doing in Oman.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mirbat
@@LADYRAEUK there was two or three deaths on SAS selection a few years ago due to heat exposure in the summer.
The fifteen out of two hundred is not out of ordinary people but out of two hundred highly trained British Soldiers who have applied and then been specially selected by their units as suitable. So there has been intense selection to even get on the SAS course.
I might have passed the training as a young man Amanda, I did indeed pass the seven month Royal Marine Commando course, but that was more than fifty years ago, , it takes me all my time now to walk to the corner shop.
Not sure if someone has also mentioned it, there is the SAS which is very well known but there is also the SBS (Special Boat Service) I think that video might have crossed over from SAS to SBS. Love the videos and hats off to all soldiers, let alone the elites who never really get a mention in the news for their accomplishments.
Special Forces is rather an umbrella term which covers similar fields but different specialities.
One guy said tests route out the macho types that want to prestige as it's mentally grueling just as much as physically exhausting. He said, you've really got to want it.
A lot of the U.S. special forces have spoken very highly of the SAS, etc... with one former SEAL saying how envious he was of them and speaking of the camaraderie within the units and extended to similar units they are working with.
Family member was in SAS, now he works as a guard for a known banking director in the UK. Even though it's tough, you'll get a a good reward when you leave. I'm not far from where they train in the black mountains, here in Wales.
When I was at work (now retired), our Security Adviser was ex Para and ex SAS. He had been at Goose Green, Falklands with the Paras, so had seen some pretty tough action He was also previously a Close Protection Officer for the Royal Family. Lovely guy, but would not want to cross him!
I was in the Air Despatch in the 1970s and we worked with the SAS a lot, as it was a large part of our role. Some of our guys did the selection and passed, but stayed in our unit, as we had to maintain a certain number to be inserted with them on the ground at short notice. Not many, just two or three.
It struck me that it was always the quiet, unassuming ones that applied for it, never the big "I am" ones. I always found the SAS blokes among the nicest people you could meet.
You have to had served 3 years in the army, royal marines, paratroopers, before u can apply for the SAS! Even though a soldier will have already done well surviving the Royal Marine or Paratrooper training as many don't even make that and end up in regular army units! But even the best Royal Marines and Paratroopers, our toughest regular army units! Only a few will make it through SAS selection, but their is a higher emphasis on the mind, ingenuity, reasoning, ability to survive torture etc not just being a physical warrior......they expect that already! 🙏
A big part of the SAS is always mentality and generaly how you behave.. So alot of people actully fail because they get to exited to have passed the first faze... You are not supposed to let people know how you feel, thats just standard. You are supposed to be able to operate in any situation without anyone even knowing that you are an SAS soldier, thats a large key to it all
Ah okay, that makes sense 👍🏻
3:20 Washing out is no disgrace. You have be pretty special to be even accepted for consideration. Washouts are not sacked but simply return to their home units. Very few actually leave the Services.
6:50 The trainers are SAS themselves. Indeed they are the best the SAS have, they're the elite of this already hyper-elite group.
13:00 You don't want people who cannot pass the intake to join the SAS. The tests are based on actual incidents faced by captives in the past (whether special forces or not). These people need to be able to resist that [mis]-treatment and still function.
Great video once again. Keep up the good work.
Thank you! 😊
Out of interest, can soldiers try the process again, in the future, or are they barred from retrying?
@@leesurridge2947 It is my understanding that they can try again as often as they like but I may be wrong about this.
@@jeffarmstrong1308 You can apply for selection again but after the 3rd attempt you have to accept your not right for the unit. Even if you complete the selection process it doesn't mean your in, if your face doesn't fit its RTU I'm afraid!
@@Dan-zb7vn I had a feeling there was a limit. When you think on it, they want people who can think for themselves and NOT be the typical unthinking grunt. I say this as a former grunt myself. After three goes you should be able to see that you just can't wash it to their level.
I am always happy to be corrected - politely (as you have)
Its not about physical, its also about how you are as a person. How well you communicate with others, your mental state etc. my friend went in for the SAS and passed all physical tests but they said his mind was not to standard 😂
Check out the SBS, just as tough but lesser known. Both are great compliment to our armed services
Hi Amanda. I was going to comment about different UK special forces, but others already have. So I'll just say thanks for another great video. Always a treat to see an Amanda Rae video pop up ❤ xxx
I’m glad you enjoyed it, I hope you’re staying well
@@LADYRAEUK all good here, thanks. Hope you and yours are all well xxx
If fact, the training is so tough it came under serious scrutiny several years ago when trainees actually died during the first stage of training in the Brecon Beacons. It's no joke when they say the training is tough!
I can only imagine what it’s actually like
The FINAL March is called the FAN DANCE,where you have climb the pen y fan mountain,you have 20hrs to complete the March,carrying around 55lb of equipment
That’s insane
@@LADYRAEUK that's then Special Air Service,the closest the Americans have is Delta Force,when their founder Charles Beckwith was trained by the SAS.He used his training to good use in Vietnam,and then formed Delta force.
It takes 9 months to be accepted into the special forces but to join the SBS you have to pass a further 3 month course
I didn’t realise it took that long! It’s intense!
@@LADYRAEUK basically a year! And it’s worse then you expect
And then there is the SRR.
@@wessexdruid7598 less than 20 years old, not a patch on SAS and SBS.
@@charliegeorge9393 14 Int was around a lot longer than that - and the SRR is able to do things the SBS/SAS can't. Horses for courses. The SAS are NOT super-soldiers - most don't pretend to be.
My Father was based at the Hereford Camp HQ before the Iranian Embassy siege. I’ve known a few. A good friend who served with the Guards was a Major before transferring to the SAS. Many come from the Paratroop regiment and other regiments. It’s a hard life with little reward, but an amazing brotherhood. Several pubs in Hereford are run by ex SAS, obviously there is hardly ever trouble there. My one thriller series is based on an ex SAS entering civilian life, many become security experts, as their history although mostly secret, speaks volumes.
When I was 18 I was in the paratroopers, I was sent to the Falkland’s and that was wet cold windy and muddy , it was very hard and scary ,but nothing like the sas they are. Proper men ….
+Been there done that and got the beret got medically discharged for a landmine incident during the Falklands war.
Our school had an old boy who was military and had done a stint as an SAS officer in the 70’s. He came to talk to those of us in the cadet force by which time (early 90’s) he’d returned to the regular army and recently retired. He said that the hardest thing about SAS training was the knowledge that at any time, at any time at all, you could say words to the effect of “no more” and receive and immediate soft bed, full meal, two week’s leave and then a return to your unit with not only no shame but actual honour, for the course was so tough that even trying and failing was considered magnificent. He then told us some of the things he’d done in the SAS (obviously with no mission identifiable details) and these were literally at the pinacle of bravery and endurance (though no doubt that this was the MoD approved for teenagers tame version). The weirdest thing was that, throughout it all, he never referred to himself as anything more than an “ordinary chap” who was simply “doing what was necessary and no more.” He didn’t wear his medals to do this talk (he was in an ordinary suit) but our teacher had introduced him with all his letters (much to his embrasement) and from that we understood he was far from an “ordinary chap” but when directly asked about one of his medals he just said “other people made the decision to award it, I just did what was necessary at the time.”
As far as I remember you have to be recommended by superior officers to take part in the initial SAS course
If you fail any part at any time you’re returned to unit and will never be allowed to reapply
I seem to remember reading you get two goes at it
@@garethreece just checked with a friend of mine who’s done the training but was returned to unit
If your first application isn’t accepted you can reapply if you fail any part of the training you cannot reapply
@@garethreece also medical reasons I.e. if you have to stop training for hospital let’s say for appendicitis you can then reapply
The SAS are a special force but there are several others - like the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment and others we rarely hear about or don't actually know about. All the elite regiments like the Paras and the Marines carry our special forces type work. There is a lot of crossover through time-limited secondments and joint working so some members of regiments (especially the Paras and the Marines) not technically special forces may be former special forces and still up to speed. Of course now I've told you all this something fatal may happen to me so it's been nice knowing you. Personally I think I would survive special forces training - for about ten seconds.
I bet!
Royal Marines !
Royal Marines if you could be so kind, not Marines.
@@georgehaha6969 I do apologise. If a former Royal Marine friend knew I had said that I would have to leave town.
At one time there was 14Int, but I think they are now the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. They are, I believe, the only Special Forces group whom employ some female operatives......
When I was working for a private security company my boss was ex-SAS. He trained us in unarmed combat because of the work we were assigned to do, and let me tell you, I'm 6"3' and he threw me around like a rag doll for 2 weeks. But this came in handy when someone tried to mug me one night with a 10" kitchen knife. I dislocated his shoulder and slammed him onto his face before he knew what was happening. He's mate ran off and once my girlfriend stopped screaming she called the police and away he went to prison. I only sampled what training I was legally allowed to know as a civilian, but that was enough for me. I definitely wouldn't have made the grade. ✌️♥️🇬🇧
My cousin went through training, and was doing quite well. He got dismissed though as he went through intensive medical testing and not only found out there was issues with people's knees within the family, but he was showing very early signs of having this issue, so wasn't allowed to continue. He had no idea until then, and was doing the heavily loaded walks and marches with relative ease (well as easy as it could ever be possible to someone training to be part of the elite!), but since he could have issues in the future, wasn't able to continue. Is a shame though, as his dream had always been to be part of the SBS side of the reginemnt.
When you think of SEALS , DELTA FORCE ,RANGERS etc you automatically picture big , fit muscular guys. A lot of the SAS / SBS guys you wouldn't look twice at. It's all about mental strength and capability with those lads...
The SAS training is the hardest special forces training on the planet as only ten percent make it. I recommend that you read about or try to watch something about the Battle of Mirbat in Oman 1972 where just 9 SAS soldiers were outnumbered by hundreds of enemy soldiers. This battle is legendary.
I’ll have a look 😊
And in the mid to late 70’s, just 2 SAS troops saved all the passengers on a Lufthansa flight which had been hijacked. Truly crazy stuff.
Did you see the documentary called Special Forces in their own words ( I think). One of them mentioned that he was in this battle and that 8 SAS were totally surrounded by 300 insurgents, then he said the insurgents only made one mistake and that was " they didn't bring enough men"
@@ianpodmore9666 I saw that documentary. 9 SAS soldiers . against hundreds of insurgents and win just shows how badass they really are. As their motto says., WHO DARES WINS.
After a 12 hour shift, I spent this evening nursing a small blister as if it were a traumatic amputation. So, no, I am not suitable for the SAS. 😂
i can remember reading an account of a battle in iraq where four sas were surrounded by approximately 100 soldiers and they attacked the larger force simply because its not what they would have expect they, killed or wounded about forty and the rest ran away.
264 Signal Squadron
264 (SAS) Squadron provides dedicated communications support to 22 Special Air Service. Often deploying alongside the Sabre Squadrons, these signallers ensure that the SAS can communicate in a secure and reliable fashion not just within the Squadron's area of operations but also with Hereford, their home base.
I had a friend who was in the UK Army and had applied to join SAS. One of the tests was 'up to' hours looking down a snipers rifle, with one shot when the target pops up. My friends reaction was 'What? hours without having aw*nk? I couldnt do it'
This is why they're the best!
Amanda, you should read the book “Bravo Two Zero” by SAS veteran Andy McNab. It was turned into a movie starring Sean Bean. It was about an operation during the 1991 Iraq war that went wrong.
Watch SAS Rogue Heroes which shows why and how the SAS were first introduced into war fair. Enjoy.
Respect.
Every Regiment guy i have met has been a proper dude, nice fellas.
They're quite common really! Hang around a pub long enough and you'll meet one.....most were 'on the balcony' at Princes Gate in 1980...7000 at the last count! 😋
Amanda it takes about 18-20 months to complete the Training Cycle for the Australian SAS Regiment. It is just as hard as the British one too. The Brit SBS guys I worked with were also very good. And not to forget the Special Recce Regt. SAS and SBS are like DEVGRU or as they used to be known as,the old Seal Team 6, and the Delta are known as Tier 1 Spec Forces Units,. However Green Berets and Marines, Paras etc and even normal SEALS are not Tier 1, being Tier 2, yes there are rankings even in the SF world. Australian and New Zealand SAS are Tier 1 too.
Before the sas there was and still is commandos check out Jeremy Clarkson the greatest raid it really is worth watching
I don't like Clarkson, but his documentaries on the St Nazaire raid that you referred to, and the VC were superb
Actually it's NOT a winged dagger...although it does kind of look like one...it's actually a depiction of a sword...a very particular sword...Excalibur, Which ( according to legend ) had 'flames' coming from it when it was wielded.
Not the sword of Damocles?
@@reidycruise Prahaps it SHOULD have been...but no...Excalibur.
@@ramadaxl cool film that’s marvellous to know and grand 🙂
Love how the SBS get a tiny mention... they do so much
👍🏻
My late father was in 2nd para in ww2 and trained with several sas,and soe agents. They would talk about football,rugby or going down the pub but that's all. Dad said if anyone tells you they were in the sas don't believe them. They are what's known as Walters.
They train in the Brecon Beacons which is about 20 miles away from where I live
Biggest regiment in the world that one. Every Pub in Britain has a regular who was "definitely" a member and "was definitely second man on the Balcony".
they go through a lot more than this.. a Few mistakes in that video the SBS which is the Royal Navy version of the SAS the Special Boat Service would have that relationship more with the Seals since they are almost the same type of unit. And also they didn't mention one of the SAS tests and that is they sit you in a dark room with just a chair in the middle, you are to sit on the chair and then they will chuck thunderflashes and fire live ammo "supposedly" near you or close enough to you and if you flinch you are out. Ex-PM Maggie Thatcher did the same test and she did not move a single cm and stayed perfectly still on that chair and the video forgot to add that people have died trying to do the SAS fitness and endurance test on Brecon Beacons Wales
Really?? I didn’t know that, thanks so much for sharing
@@LADYRAEUK your welcome. There are things that you hear in where I grew up and especially when there was an exchange between British Para's and the US Airbourne lol
They cross pollinate. I can't remember which squadron, I think it was G got bollocked off the mod for wearing the punisher skull patches they got from seal team 6. They've done it with SFSG for year's now as well, at least as far back a herrick but may have even been during telic. 1 para tens to work more with the abs and the boot necks with sas because they want a cross pollination of skills and seeing as delta is pretty much sas it's kind of pointless having them together. With that said boat troop as is my limited understanding so the same thing as the sbs so maybe they're the ones who work with the seals but seals. Don't forget we we in a war in a desert for 20 years so there wasn't really much use for water soldiers
@@me5969 but it was the Seals who were in Seal team 6 that killed old Binny. I know knew of someone who was trying to get into 22 reg whilst in Browing and also worked with this girl who told me her dad used to be in the Amy and then told me they lived in Hereford lol
Err... not quite. It's a room set up for VIPs to simulate a hostage rescue. it's called "The Killing House". Definitely not part of training, but a simulation, staffed by the trainers.
However, Thatcher's response did earn the respect of those present.
To get a chance at selection, you apply in your parent unit, have an interview with your CO and be recommended by your CO.
SAS are Special Forces (SF), but the other British SF aren't really put in the same class.
You only get 2 chances at SAS selection, this is usually because of injury incurred during the 1st attempt.
Incredible physical fitness is assumed as the absolute basic prerequisite. SAS training is about testing mental toughness and fortitude. It’s about your attitude and determination under the most extreme pressure. It’s about being willing to break through the fear barrier. Everyone has a weakness, that’s not an issue in selection; it’s how you react once your weakness is placed under a microscope that will determine if you pass or fail. The physical tests are designed to strip away all the ego and highlight any character flaws. Contrary to popular belief the SAS aren’t supermen; they are just the best equipped humans to overcome real extended pressure and adversity lasting for long periods of time, enduring conditions that most would crumble under is a very short time.
Founded by David Stirling during WW2 in Northern Africa. These guys are on a whole other level !! One of the reasons why people fail could be that they don't pass the psycholigical evaluation.
I think it was originally called the Long Range Desert Group LRDG, and sanctioned by Churchill?
Plus the SBS - Special Boat Service.
@@Trillock-hy1cf I believe that they were sort of sanctioned by Churchill. A group of six soldiers?
@@jeroenschoondergang5923
From the pictures I have seen of the LRDG they travelled on land rovers, mounted with machine guns, and raided German airfields, ammo dumps etc causing havoc behind enemy lines is in the desert., Dressed in Arab type gear, unshaven and no uniforms, and lived on whatever they could find to eat, or German stores...much like today's SAS...So, more than 6 soldiers then!
@@Trillock-hy1cf
The LRDG were formed by Ralph Bagnold and we're a completely different unit to the SAS.
@@Trillock-hy1cf
They mainly used 30 CWT Chevrolet trucks and Willey's Jeeps.
Land Rovers didn't exist until 1948.
I don't think i would ever survive this ive seen celebrity SAS on tv and they go through hell i think you need to be super human to do this Amanda ❤❤❤❤❤❤
I agree!! Lol
I have heard that the first task is to actually find the SAS barracks.
It’s apparently not listed anywhere, nor has it any signs outside saying This is the SAS!
Stirling lines...not far from Hereford ( but you didn't hear it from me ;-) )
Not exactly hard to find!
Nudge! Nudge!
But it’s a good little test though isn’t it!
You want to join, come find us!
Classic school playground games that’s works every time!
It really is surprising how obvious the place is tbf. May not have the big signs like most bases but the village is well known and the camp is rather hard to miss as you drive through it...
@@garethreece but some still won’t be able to find it!🤫🤦🏻
In April 1985, Arriving for Trade Training at my R.A.F Station on the Bus, I had an old Lady tell me that my Station was next door to the SAS training Center , when I mentioned it to my Instructor his comment was "that's not something that's talked about Airman, especially with them being next door " 😁
Amanda if you read check out a book called the one that got away by chris Ryan.. what these guys do is unreal
A lot of people who think they have what it takes don’t. Many think that just because they are man mountains and physically fit, they have what it takes - they don’t - because their state of mind is all wrong. I served 15 years in the armed forces (not SF!) and it changed the way I think. Oddly, this came in useful when I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. I was given six weeks to live. The treatment battered me physically. I had 11 injections in my spine and 13 bone marrow samples pulled from my pelvis. I refused gas and air for those and used a method I call bubbling which I learned during marksmanship training - you shut out all the shouting and explosions around you and go into a mental bubble which focuses you on your target. I breezed through my treatment in hospital by having a reason to get up every morning instead of lying in my pit all day and gave myself a routine including eating and exercise, no matter how 💩 I felt. I had a bone marrow transplant which hammered me even more resulting in my entire digestive system becoming ulcerated so had to force myself to eat. I refused a feed tube because I vomited it up. I lived off protein shakes and Ready Brek for three and a half weeks. The consultant said I could be in hospital for six weeks and when I left, I would almost certainly be admitted back in with problems and infections. I left hospital after eleven days and never went back in again. One person I got to know through my treatment went back to work five years after his diagnosis. I had the same type of cancer as him and went back to work after fourteen months. I like to think that even with all the medical help I had that my mental attitude from my time in the British armed forces helped. I served in the Falklands, Bosnia, two tours in the Gulf and Cyprus.
About half the SAS come from the paratroopers but they can be from any military unit including the Territorial Army (The British version of the US National Guard.)
I knew someone in the TA SAS which seemed a bit of a strange thing to exist but he prepared very hard for selection and was always going off for crazy long runs with a backpack on with weights from his dumbbells in it. He also went for weekends in Dartmoor which seemed to involve a lot of running about and sleeping outdoors in a sleeping bag but he didn't go into too much detail.
The TA are no more, they fall under the reserve forces banner now. Been many years now, covers all three services.
And…..the SBS mostly to come from The Royal Marine Commando’s. 😃
They won't let you know. Classified information. Luv Yer. ❤️💪🙏
The origins of the WW2 British Special Forces are very interesting Amanda, they were all started by young junior officers many of them from aristocratic families indeed David Sterling the originator of the S.A.S. was a Scottish lord, both he and other aristocratic young officers were bored with the conventional type of war they had to fight and were seeking adventure, the senior officers of the regular army were dead against their tactical ideas and their "private armies" and they were starved of resources.
The S.B.S. had its origins in the Royal Marines and a young R.M major called Blondie Hasler who before the war had been a keen canoeist who realized that a small force of marines in canoes could silently creep up on the enemy undetected and do a great deal of damage
The S.B.S were, in fact, a unit of the British Army during the early days of ww2. They were formed before the SAS. The S.B.S carried out coastal infiltration around the Mediterranean insertion by cannoe from British submarines. The operatives usually carried out information on beaches as to whether or not amphibious operations could be carried out.
Sabotage was also part of their job, getting agents ashore to help assist resistance groups.
However, the Royal Marines were given the green light to carry out one of the most daring raids of the war operation Frankton.
It consisted of 12 hand-picked Marines who were intensively trained to be inserted into the French occupied port of Bordueax by cannoe to blow up german shipping .Although the raid was a success, it ultimately came at a high price with only two survivors, Marine Bill Sparks and Major 'Blondie 'Hasler.
Raids continued in the Far East with S.B.S teams raiding Japanese occupied islands.
The Australians during this time had a unit of men called Z special force, which carried out raids against the Japanese.
Two operations were put into place the infiltration and destruction of shipping in Japanese occupied Singapore harbour code named operation 'jaywick ' again, similar to operation Frankton in involved insertion by cannoe and blowing up enemy shipping. Jaywick was a huge success. However, the second raid code named Rimau was a disaster .Both raids were led a British army officer named Ivon Lyon, who, along with another companion, would be shot by the Japanese whilst trying to evade capture after the failure of the mission.
The rest of the force consisted of Australian army and naval personnel were captured or drowned.
Those who were captured eventually faced a Japanese military court and were beheaded .
The SBS were put under direct control of the Royal Navy and remained so since the end of the ww2.
Yes, it's true the SBS recruit mainly from the Marines, but just like ww2, it's now open to all branches of British forces just like their counterparts in the S.A.S.
As an ex British soldier, I know of only one person from my battalion who tried the SAS and made it in. Think of hard, then x it by 10. The UK have quite a few different special forces units.
The elite of the elite ! 👍🏻
@@LADYRAEUK Like the American Delta Force ( Elite of the Elite )
Operation Nimrod on the 5th May 1980 was the first public display of the SAS capabilites on UK soil.
Their original plan was to silently enter the Embassy, using silenced weapons and eliminate the threats while rescuing the primary target PC Never Lock and Sim Harris (BBC Journalist)... they had already entered the embassy by peeling the lead of a glass roof and moved around.
The then Prime Minister Margret Thatcher refused this plan stating she "wanted a show of British force".
Hence what became the famous forceful entrance on multiple points on the Iranian Embassy.
John McCleese who built the frame charge that took the windows out on the balcony at the front of the building had been told the glass had been recently replaced with bombproof glass... he told me he built the biggest frame charge he could climbed onto the balcony only to find strong glass, held in with fresh putty in rotting wood frames... the frame was attached and blew it. The force broke the seal on his gas mask so he had to stop a couple of times to let the vomit out as he was being affected by the deployed CS gas.
This is what they are made of...
Not a bad SAS video. It was a little muddled though. The escape and evasion phase happens before the jungle training. The final 40 mile hike is known in the SAS as the Fan Dance, as the run is over the Pen-Y-Fan mountain in Brecon Beacons / Black Mountains in South Wales.
A really good book if you want more info is called "Seven Troop" written by retired SAS operative Andy McNab. It goes through how he got through each part, and how he survived the jungle training and eventually ended up in Air Troop, where he learnt parachute jumps, etc. Some of the members of his "troop" were those seen taking part in the Iranian Embassy hostage situation.
Just for interest. There is a race in Wales known as the Dragon's Back Marathon! You have 5 days, have to run 300km and climb 17,000 meters in height. It goes from North Wales to South Wales. Regarded as one of the hardest ultra marathons in the world. There are videos on UA-cam you could do a reaction video to. Would be fun to see that. Look for "Dragon's Back Marathon". Cheers
(I only mentioned the Dragon's Back Marathon as they too run over Pen-Y-Fan).
The escape and evasion phase is actually at the end of the course, before they go on to do their parachuting, HALO and HAHO course. I’m not full sure how accurate this is but I’ve heard that the course starts with the hills phase which lasts 4 weeks. They then spend 2 weeks at Hereford to prepare them for the jungle where they spend a month there. They then come back have some time down at Hereford again to acclimatise where they then learn all CQB drills, rappelling etc. and then obviously the escape and evasion. They also teach them all surveillance skills such as civilian clothes and personal surveillance techniques and coms and parachuting.
Sometimes, it looks simple when you see it on TV but I've no doubt it's absolutely back breaking. I definitely wouldn't survive. Heck I probably wouldn't last an hour 😅 Great video as always Amanda!
Same for me lol
you have to already be in an army division of some sort before you apply for the sas unlike the navy seals.
A 4 man SAS unit allegedly went to Vietnam as observers and while they were there they got bored and sneaked out one night and set up an ambush and caught a North Vietnamese patrol and killed them all with no losses to themselves, they crept back in and the American troops went on patrol the next morning and found the ambush site, but because they used American weapons it was empty American bullet cases found everywhere so nobody new who had done it.
Even more 'below the public radar' are the Special Reconaissance Service. The SRS are trained to be just as lethal as the SAS - if they have to - but their speciality is covert intel gathering. Getting in somewhere that should be as watertight as a duck's bum, gathering the required intel, and leaving - but doing the whole op so well that they not only evade being spotted (let alone captured), but doing it so that the opposition don't even know they were there at all.
I understand that, in the trade, they're referred to as "Her Majesty's Burglars"!
I’ve never heard of them, thanks for sharing. 😊😊
You need to watch the SAS Iranian Siege documentary - Operation Nimrod This will show them in action (Was shown live on tv)
You could get kicked out for many reasons regardless of how fit and strong you are. Not a team player, bad attitude, too flash, etc etc
A sas man has to be completely in the gray. Not showy, analytical, independent but not a loner, intelligent as well as super fit, and above all never ever give up. That is what they are looking for the most. Someone with an iron will who will only stop is if they are dead
I can see why it’s so difficult to make the cut
There is a programme on British tv at the mo, they do a celebrity one too, and they don’t go easy on them. Most people will give up on their own, the ones that finish are talked about and then they decide if the pas or not.
Thanks respect to you for doing this video.
🙌🙌😊
Check out the royal marines mountain leaders, their training is harder then the sas,sbs and lead the special forces behind enemy lines they are actually the best of the best.
I wouldn't make it past the first minute!, you have to be something very special both mentally and physically to get in the SAS!
Crawling along a muddy ditch in the middle of winter is not my idea of a 'Fun Weekend', so I joined the Royal Navy instead and avoided outdoor exercises like they were the plague.. 😊😊😊
The majority of soldiers who pass selection are said to have come from broken families and brought up in hard times which is said to give them that edge mentally . If you grow up in a tough environment it must have some baring on how you are as an adult in extreme situations . Not a job for the faint hearted . Great reaction .
Its more that they cannot behave at school and its not because they arent bright its because school cant keep them entertained enough and arent strict enough either, its the ones who act up at school that respond to high discipline more than kids who willingly go along with what the teachers have prepared that makes for a good SAS soldier.
They also have to be multilingual. also, no matter your rank, you start again.
Here's a breakdown of UKSF (SAS and SBS selection)...
PHASE ONE
1. Aptitude; Navigation & Endurance (commonly referred to as Hills Phase) 4 weeks of *DAILY* mountain marches navigating by map from point to point against an *unspecified* time limit. Typical schedule as follows (remember, these marches are EVERY DAY)...
Week 1 15-20 km 40lbs weight+weapon, water etc.
Week 2 18-24 km 45lbs weight+weapon, water etc.
Week 3 20-32 km 50lbs weight+weapon, water etc.
Week 4, Test Week; consists of 5 marches over 7 days
march 1, 2 & 3; 30 km 60lbs weight+weapon, water etc.
march 4; 35 km 60lbs weight+weapon, water etc.
THEN, 4 hours rest and start the final march; Long Drag; *65* km 70lbs weight+weapon, water etc. 20-24 hour time limit (weather dependent).
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PHASE TWO
2. Jungle warfare, tactics, navigation ALL LIVE FIRE TRAINING. 6 weeks.
Those who have passed phase one have to then pass jungle training. Training takes place in Belize or Brunei, deep in jungles. Candidates learn the basics of surviving and patrolling in the harsh conditions. UKSF jungle patrols have to live for weeks behind enemy lines, in 4 man patrols, living on rations. This includes yet more days of marches point to point. Jungle training weeds out those who can't handle the discipline required to keep themselves and their kit in good condition whilst on long range patrols in difficult conditions. Again, there is a mental component being tested, not just a physical. Special Forces teams need men who can work under relentless pressure, in horrendous environments for weeks on end, without a lifeline back to home base.
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PHASE THREE
Continuation; Foreign and new weapons skills, CQB training and testing in the world-renowned SAS Killing House where live ammo is used. Advanced infantry and marksmanship skills etc.
Escape & Evasion & Tactical Questioning/Resistance to Interrogation
The small number of candidates who have made it through endurance and jungle training now enter the final phase of selection. The likelihood of a special operation going wrong behind enemy lines is quite high, given the risks involved. UKSF want soldiers who have the wherewithal and spirit required to escape and evade capture and resist interrogation.
For the escape and evasion (E&E) portion of the course, the candidates are given brief instructions on appropriate techniques. This may include talks from former POWs or special forces soldiers who have been in E&E situations in the real world.
Next, the candidates are let loose in the countryside, wearing World War 2 vintage coats with instructions to make their way to a series of waypoints without being captured by the hunter force of other soldiers. This portion lasts for 3-5 days after which, captured or not, all candidates report for TQ.
Tactical Questioning (TQ) tests the prospective UKSF men's ability to resist interrogation. They are treated roughly by their interrogators, often made to stand in 'stress positions' for hours at a time, while disorientating white noise is blasted at them. When their turn for questioning comes, they must only answer with the so-called 'big 4' (name, rank, serial number and date of birth). All other questions must be answered with 'I'm sorry but I cannot answer that question.' Failure to do so results in failing the course. The questioners will use all sorts of tricks to try and get a reaction from the candidates. They may act friendly and try to get their subjects chatting; or they stand inches away from their subjects and scream unfavourable remarks about the sexual habits of their mothers. Female interrogators may laugh at the size of their subject's manhood. Of course, a real interrogation would be a lot more harsh and the subject would not know that they get to leave alive when it's all over. That said, days of interrogations and enduring the stress positions and white noise break down a man's sense of time and reality. UKSF are looking for men who can withstand such treatment long enough so that the effects of revealing any operational information they might have can be lessoned by HQ.
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This is 6 months in, successful candidates for the SAS are now badged and report to Hereford, the home of 22 SAS.
The SBS candidates still have a further selection/continuation phase to complete before being badged and report Royal Marines Poole, the home of the SBS.
Completion of this 6 month selection course is NOT the end. They then start SF training (which never ends) and for the 1st year in particular are on probation; they can be sent back to their original unit at any time.
Wow thank you so much for taking the time to share that with me. I truly appreciate it, you’re so incredibly knowledgable 😊
@@LADYRAEUK 👍
The SAS were the FIRST into Iraq in the first Iraq War - they took out scud missile mobile units of the Iraqi army to stop them firing into Israel and Kuwait to help the Coalition forces advance. Gen Swartzkof US and Coalition Commander asked Margaret Thatcher that he be able to meet the SAS to thank them personally.Which he did.
But Schwarztkoff didn't want anything to do with them at first, and the "Scud Hunts" just evolved. He soon changed his mind after their successes.!!
@@davidpage4005 Yes, spot on ! As usual in a US mind only their Special Forces are " Special Forces" but to be fair, at least he did personally congratulate the SAS personnel involved and he mentions it in his own book about the conflict.
Don’t forget the LRDG! look them up Amanda👍
Will do 😊
The US equivalent of the SAS is DELTA FORCE, the US equivalent of the SBS is DEVGRU (OLD SEAL TEAM 6) all these units are classed I the US as tier 1 units regular NAVY SEALS are tier 2 units Hope this helps
SAS Who Dares Wins on Channel 4 shows some of the things these guys go through, including the interrogation part.
I’ll check it out 👍🏻
Don't forget the SBS (Special Boat Service) love your channel
Thank you!