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SAS - Origins
"The boy Stirling is quite mad, quite, quite mad.
However, in a war there is often a place for mad people."
Field Marshal Montgomery
The idea and the man
In 1941 a Scots officer, David Stirling, had an idea to start a small, highly trained, extremely motivated, dedicated raiding force working in groups of 4 or 5 so as to better avoid detection. (German supply lines were long and difficult to guard.) Stirling took his idea right to the top and received the go ahead to start training 100 men.
Most of the recruits were already commandos but still got a hard training in endurance and weapon skills.
Camp and training was at Kabrit near the Suez Canal where, although most of the recruits were already commandos, they were given hard training in endurance and weapon skills.
By trial and error special men were selected and methods researched. Parachute training was a must. 'Jump-practice' was done by jumping from Bedford 15cwt. trucks moving at 30 mph. The new unit was called, ‘L detachment’, and was accredited to a non- existent Special Air Service Brigade so as to fool the Germans.
The first task was to "arrange" camp items from the New Zealand forces. Stirling could not afford to wait six months for supplies.
A special bomb was needed which would be both incendiary and explosive. A specialist sapper told the men it was impossible, but after two weeks of experimentation Jock Lewis came up with the solution - a mixture of plastic, used oil and thermite did the trick. It was called the Lewis bomb.
Their first mission was in November 1941. Due to very bad weather and high winds only 22 of the 66 "originals" survived. Lessons were learned and contact made with the Long Range Desert Group, professionals who knew the desert, and had learned to cope with it’s many problems. They invented a sun-compass because an ordinary compass proved ineffective in the desert. They fitted a condenser to the vehicle’s radiators to create a vacuum to allow steam to cool off and the resultant coolant to be sucked back in.
From the oasis at Jalo the LRDG was to ferry the SAS to and from their targets.
In December `41 the next raid took place with 12 men over a distance of 350 miles. This time they succeeded and managed to destroy 24 planes and a fuel dump. Running out of bombs Paddy Mayne pulled an instrument panel out of a cockpit with his bare hands.The next day Fraser and three other raiders demonstrated Sterling's ideas. In one attack the four men destroyed 37 planes at Agedabia. Within two weeks 90 planes alone where destroyed.

Stirling took part in a raid at the harbour of Benghazi. Later on 50 Free French parachutist joined.

The winged dagger, symbolising the sword Excalibur, with the motto: ‘Who Dares Wins’ was to be worn on the beret. At first the beret was white, later changed to a sand colour. The SAS had distinctive ‘wings’ which where worn on the right arm and earned after seven jumps.
If a man distinguished himself in battle he could wear the wings on the left breast.
In June `42 Stirling managed to get 15 jeeps,
had them fitted with Vickers K machineguns, usually in twin mountings.
Later the .50 Browning was added to some jeeps.

The airfield of Sidi Haneish was attacked by 18 jeeps with a total of 64 guns blazing away at the airplanes. It was damned effective. The attack started with the airfield in lights and aeroplanes landing.
It was a stunning success, though three jeeps where lost and some men got killed.

The SAS grew.
The Greek Sacred Squadron and the Special Boat Section was added into the command.
Official regimental status was given in the autumn of `42.

The SAS took part in a large raids on Benghazi and Tobruk which turned into a disaster, and proved a lesson in how not to use the SAS. The scale was too large and the enemy knew they where coming.

It was a blow for The Regiment when, in February`43, David Stirling was captured while hiding in a cave.
Paddy Mayne took over 1 SAS which was re-designated Special Raiding Force.
The SBS became the Special Boat Service under command of Earl Jellicoe.
In April `43 2 SAS was formed.

The SAS destroyed nearly 400 aeroplanes in Africa, and hitting numerous fuel dumps, lorries, workshops, spares and equipment. The railway was sabotaged many times.
In Europe the fighting continued.
The SAS was active in Sicily, Italy, France, Norway and the rest of Europe.

In Italy the SAS took part ahead of the landings and captured coastal batteries but the SAS was most effective behind enemy lines. Operation Speedwell, September '43, was aimed at destroying railway lines. In december '44 again action in Italy this time with the partisans.

In France there was a lot of action behind the lines as SAS men made contact with the Maqius (French resistance). Enemy convoys were attacked and bridges and railway lines destroyed. The jeeps were also used in France. Various Operations, Houndsworth, Gian, Loyton took place.
Another operation was "Bullbasket". To get some insight about the bravery and sacrifice I get deeper into this one below.
When some of the Lewis bombs failed to explode due to bad pre-handling firing at planes with their guns was tried.
It was a success that caused the Germans to put a guard next to every plane. so a change in tactics was needed. The Germans were more alert and camouflage during the day became more important.
Into battle
Changing tactics
Formations 1944: After 1945:
1 SAS (British) disbanded
2 SAS (British) disbanded
3 SAS (French) into French army ( 2e Régiment Chasseur Parachutistes)
4 SAS (French) into French army ( 3e Régiment Chasseur Parachutistes)
5 SAS (Belgian) into Belgian army (1st Battalion Belgian Para Commandos)
SAS badge
03-09-2002
Home
Several operations were to harass the Germans and slow down the movement of reinforcements to Normandy just after the invasion in June 1944. Another goal was to support the French resistance, the Maquis.

Operation Bulbasket started on 6 June 1944.
By the end of June it totalled 56 men of all ranks, mostly men from B squadron 1 SAS.
They made 12 attacks on the railway running north to Tours from Poitiers and to this rail centre from Limoges to the south-east.

Also intelligence and detailed targets for allied bombing were given.
I.e. 12 Mosquito bombers successfully bombed a very large petrol depot at Chatelherault following the given intelligence.

But nearly a month after successful operations they were betrayed by German agents infiltrated into the Maquis. An SS battalion (500 men) encircled the SAS base near Verrieres on the night of 2/3 July, searching the woods at first light with mortar and artillery fire.
The SAS men made a break attempt. 34 men kept together in moving down a forest track and were ambushed and captured. One wounded officer was clubbed to death with rifle butts before villagers.
Three wounded men were taken to hospital and never seen again. The other prisoners disappeared as well.

Those who managed to break out of the woods eventually were evacuated to England.

In the autumn 31 bodies were discovered in the woods near the SAS base.
30 SAS men and one shot down allied fighter pilot that managed to reach the base and stayed there.

Later the real events could be traced:
After capture the prisoners were handed over to the Sicherheids Dienst (SD) led by Kieffer (security service of the Germans). The men were held prison in Paris for a month.

The death records were fudged and Kieffer had the prisoners dressed in civilian clothes and they were taken back to the woods near their base and shot with stenguns to make it look like a misunderstanding between Allies.

One SAS trooper managed to escape and after the war gave evidence that led to a death sentence at the Nuremberg trail for Kieffer.
Operation "Bulbasket".
As they would say "may you always walk in the sun"..........
SAS Wings with the (rowing)blue of Oxford and Cambridge
David Stirling, founder of the SAS in `41
Practicing parachute drills by jumping of lorry`s
Wrecked planes, proof of a visit of the SAS
Looking through the barrels of the twin Vickers K
Jeep, used after june `42
SAS Wings with the (rowing)blue of Oxford and Cambridge
Typical desertgear
The SAS badge
Blair ' Paddy' Mayne who earned four times the DSO
1942: Bill and David Stirling and Randolph (son of) Churchill