2. ibid., p. 96.
3. ibid., p. 100.
85. ‘Never a happy hunting-ground’
1. John Parker, Secret Hero: The life and mysterious death of Captain Robert Nairac, London, 2004, p. 161.
2. Raymond Murray, The SAS in Ireland, Dublin, 1990, p. 164.
3. John Parker, Secret Hero, p. 148.
4. ibid., p. 154.
5. Murray, The SAS in Ireland, p. 182.
6. Parker, Secret Hero, p. 163.
86. ‘What the SAS are employed to do’
1. Lofty Large, Soldier Against the Odds: From Korean war to SAS, Edinburgh, 1999, p. 264.
2. Barry Davies, SAS: Shadow Warriors of the 21st Century: The SAS Anti-Terrorist Team, Staplehurst, 2002, p. 112.
3. Scott Graham, Shoot to Kill: The true story of an SAS hero’s love for an IRA killer, London, 2002, p. 137.
4. ibid.
5. ibid., p. 139.
6. ibid.
7. ibid.
8. ibid., p. 269.
9. Mark Urban, Big Boys’ Rules: The secret struggle against the IRA, London, 1992, p. 65.
10. Ken Connor, Ghost Force – the Secret History of the SAS, London, 1998, p. 281.
87. ‘Blind or not, we’re going in’
1. Nigel West, The Secret War for the Falklands: The SAS, MI6 and the war Whitehall nearly lost, London, 1997, p. 145.
2. Peter Ratcliffe, with Noel Botham and Brian Hitchen, Eye of the Storm: Twenty-five Years in Action with the SAS, London, 2000, p. 141.
3. Johnny Cooper, One of the Originals: The Story of a Founder Member of the SAS, London, 1991, p. 346.
4. Horsfall, Fighting Scared, p. 192.
88. ‘Eleven, repeat eleven aircraft. Believed real’
1. Peter Ratcliffe, with Noel Botham and Brian Hitchen, Eye of the Storm: Twenty-five Years in Action with the SAS, London, 2000, p. 145.
2. ibid., p. 144.
3. ibid., p. 137.
4. ibid., p. 143.
89. ‘Long nosed kamikazes’
1. Peter Ratcliffe, with Noel Botham and Brian Hitchen, Eye of the Storm: Twenty-five Years in Action with the SAS, London, 2000, p. 147.
2. Scott Graham, Shoot to Kill: The true story of an SAS hero’s love for an IRA killer, London, 2002, p. 159.
3. Ken Connor, Ghost Force – the Secret History of the SAS, London, 1998, p. 399.
4. Robin Horsfall, Fighting Scared, London, 2002, p. 202.
5. ibid.
6. ibid.
7. ibid.
90. ‘A bloody milestone in the struggle for freedom’
1. Scott Graham, Shoot to Kill: The true story of an SAS hero’s love for an IRA killer, London, 2002, p. 264.
2. Raymond Murray, The SAS in Ireland, Dublin, 1990, p. 383.
3. Mark Urban, Big Boys’ Rules: The secret struggle against the IRA, London, 1992, p. 234.
91. ‘Unholy priesthood of violence’
1. Raymond Murray, The SAS in Ireland, Dublin, 1990, p. 410.
2. Tony Geraghty, Who Dares Wins: The story of the SAS 1950–1992, London, 1993, p. 303.
3. Murray, The SAS in Ireland, p. 415.
4. Geraghty, Who Dares Wins, p. 308.
5. Murray, The SAS in Ireland, p. 410.
6. Geraghty, Who Dares Wins p. 291.
92. Sow fears in the mind of the enemy
1. Michael Asher, The Real Bravo Two Zero: The truth behind Bravo Two Zero, London, 2003, p. 34.
2. ibid., p. 35.
93. ‘If it comes to a firefight it could well save your arse’
1. Peter Ratcliffe, with Noel Botham and Brian Hitchen, Eye of the Storm: Twenty-five Years in Action with the SAS, London, 2000, p. 199.
2. ibid., p. 199.
94. ‘High possibility compromise’
1. Michael Asher, The Real Bravo Two Zero: The truth behind Bravo Two Zero, London, 2003, p. 65.
2. ibid., p. 74.
95. ‘No pain, only shock’
1. McNab, Andy, Bravo Two Zero: The true story of an SAS patrol behind enemy lines in Iraq, London, 1993, p. 136.
2. ibid., p. 167.
3. Michael Asher, The Real Bravo Two Zero: The truth behind Bravo Two Zero, London, 2003, p. 147.
4. Mike Coburn, Soldier Five: The real truth about the Bravo Two Zero mission, Edinburgh, 2004, p. 115.
5. Asher, The Real Bravo Two Zero, p. 155.
6. ibid.
7. Coburn, Soldier Five, p. 185.
96. ‘The right bloke to have around if it’s action you’re looking for’
1. Cameron Spence, Sabre Squadron, London, 1997, p. 127.
2. Peter Ratcliffe, with Noel Botham and Brian Hitchen, Eye of the Storm: Twenty-five Years in Action with the SAS, London, 2000, p. 212.
3. ibid.
4. Spence, Sabre Squadron, p. 169.
97. ‘Shut the fuck up and keep shooting!’
1. Peter Ratcliffe, with Noel Botham and Brian Hitchen, Eye of the Storm: Twenty-five Years in Action with the SAS, London, 2000, p. 93.
98. ‘The SAS had some new curtains to choose. Saddam could go swivel’
1. Cameron Spence, Sabre Squadron, London, 1997, p. 337.
2. ibid.
99. ‘More than a Regiment’
1. John Lewes, Jock Lewes: Co-Founder of the SAS, Barnsley, 2000, p. 225.
2. Ken Connor, Ghost Force – the Secret History of the SAS, London, 1998, p. 526.
3. Gordon Stevens, The Originals: The secret history of the birth of the SAS in their own words, London, 2005, p. 338.
4. ibid.
Acknowledgements
My sincere thanks to David List, formerly of 21 SAS Regiment (Artists’), currently the leading authority on the SAS and one of very few SAS historians to appreciate the distinction between history and hagiography. Much of the new material presented here on the early years of the Regiment is due to his refusal to accept myths at face value, and his painstaking research over many years.
I am also grateful to Nigel Morris, for his interviews, especially with Major Clive Fairweather, former second-in-command, 22 SAS Regiment. I would like to thank Major General Tony Jeapes, CB OBE MC, former commanding officer, 22 SAS Regiment, for his assistance. I am grateful for the help of Lorna Almonds Windmill, both in correspondence and for the diary of her father, Major Jim Almonds MC and bar, of L Detachment and 1 SAS Regiment. I would like to thank Major Peter Ratcliffe DCM, former Regimental Sergeant Major, 22 SAS Regiment, both for Eye of the Storm – possibly the best book of memoirs ever written on 22 SAS – and for personal contributions. My thanks also go to John Kerbotson, formerly of B Squadron, 23 SAS Regiment, for his support.
My deepest thanks to my long-standing editor at Penguin, supreme professional Eleo Gordon, and to my ever-patient agent, Anthony Goff of David Higham Associates, and his assistant Georgia Glover. I would also like to thank my wife, Mariantonietta, and my children, Burton and Jade, for their understanding.
Michael Asher
Frazione Agnata, Sardinia
and Langata, Nairobi
THE BEGINNING
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VIKING
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Published in 2007
Copyright © Michael Asher, 2007
Copyright © David List 2007 References, traces, emendation and elucidation of original 1941–2 signals traffic
and signals intelligence material relating to ‘L’ Detachment operations.
The moral rights of Michael Asher and David List have been asserted,
each and severally, by them in accordance with CDPA 1988 (as amended)
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-0-141-88943-6
The Regiment Page 61