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Incredible Facts About UK Special Forces

The United Kingdom’s special forces are not necessarily quite as well known as some of the United States special forces, and are often not as lauded around the world, but this is not because of lack of competence. The truth is that the United States tends to more heavily advertise it’s military in popular culture, and is known for being a bit flashy, whereas the British quietly do what needs to be done, and make less of a big deal about it.

Most people spend their time applauding the SEALs or other American units, but the major British special forces, such as the Special Air Service and the Special Boat Service, not only predated American special forces, but also inspired many of them to be what they are today. Without the inspiration of the SAS, a regiment known for one of the most grueling selection trials in the world, we likely wouldn’t have most of the modern special forces around the world that we have today.

1. The SAS Was Only a Detachment of the Army During WW2 and Was Initially Disbanded

The Special Air Service, commonly called the SAS, are now synonymous with the best of the best of the British military, and are something that most in the UK couldn’t imagine living without. However, there was a time when they were not considered nearly as important as they are today. They were founded as a regiment of the army known as L Detachment, a code name meant to fool the Germans, and were tasked with the kind of missions you would expect elite commandos to be asked to undertake. Surprisingly, after the end of World War II, the powers that be in the British government saw fit to disband the burgeoning SAS entirely.

However, just about one year after the SAS was disbanded, they were reformed as a new regiment, since the government realized that having an elite commando squad around was actually a very good idea on a long term basis. The need was in fact so great that over the years, more regiments have been added to the SAS to expand their size and capabilities. It seems that disbanding them even shortly was likely a mistake, however, it is an understandable one. After World War II many nations were trying to focus their efforts on rebuilding, and not necessarily on ramping up defense spending.

2. The UK Have Their Own Version of the Navy SEALS Called the Special Boat Service

Those who are from the UK will not be surprised by this, but many Americans may not realize that the British have their own version of the Navy SEALs, an elite Special Forces unit that is especially adept at swimming, boating, and anything that involves water at all – although like the Navy SEALS, they are adept at operations in any climate or terrain. Many Americans may be surprised to know that it was not the US that inspired the British, but likely the other way around, as the Special Boat Service predates the United States Navy SEALs.

The Special Boat Service holds its roots in the days of World War II, where the antics of a daring British commando gave rise to an entirely new unit that exists to this day. The legends say a British commando named Roger Courtney was trying to convince his superiors of his excellent way to sneak across the water undetected to get to enemy territory. They weren’t listening to his idea, so he actually snuck onto a nearby British ship – the HMS Glengyle – stole a gun cover from the deck, and cheekily wrote his initials on the captain’s door. He then presented his findings to his superiors, who decided that he needed his own men to command, and it was from these snarky and daring beginnings that the Special Boat Service was born.

3. The Special Air Service Became Increasingly Involved in the Troubles in Northern Ireland

It’s always controversial when actual military units are engaged in civilian matters in the homeland, even when it is terrorist related. Usually the police or intelligence and other agencies deal with such situations, but as the troubles in Northern Ireland got worse, the SAS was actually called in to help with the situation. At first it started with them only advising regular units, but as time went on, their involvement increased. They abducted several IRA leaders from their homes, and dumped them across the border so that they could be formally arrested.

In multiple embarrassing incidents, cars full of SAS soldiers actually accidentally ended up going across the Irish border and were arrested by Irish police, which was a political nightmare. Unfortunately, things eventually went from a little wacky and heavy handed to tragic. On multiple occasions innocent bystanders ended up gunned down due to the heavy handed tactics of the SAS. 

This is not to fault them specifically, but perhaps the government did not make the best decision to employ Special Forces trained for fighting wars to deal with domestic terrorism and unrest. It should also be said that despite their reputation, the SAS were remarkably restrained, and there were only a handful of actual civilian casualties over the course of their involvement in the troubles.

4. The SAS Selection Process is So Tough Some Have Died Attempting It

There are many very elite special forces units throughout the world, and many of them would argue about who is better at what, or who, overall, is the most well trained. However, the SAS arguably has, at the very least, the toughest final selection process to get through. Military special forces tend not to tell the public all the details, but what has been told to the public is insanely rigorous. It involves a 26 mile endurance march near Wales, while carrying heavy gear, often in harsh weather. Even passing this alone is not enough, as those who are looking to join later have to also pass an endurance march in the jungles of Belize.

The selection process actually lasts for sixth months of grueling training exercises, and has about a 10% pass rate. Keep in mind that the people who sign up to attempt the selection process are generally already soldiers at the peak of their physical fitness. In fact, the process is so grueling that it came under fire a few years ago when three recruits died during a training march from the brutality of the conditions. The grieving parents accused the SAS of having a “culture of death” and felt that they did not do enough to prevent the death, and encouraged people to push themselves too far past their own limits.

5. During the Early Days of Iraq, Former SAS Members Found Lucrative Work as Bodyguards

During the early days of Iraq, right after the government was toppled, many people thought that the area was now safe. President Bush had declared that Iraq was now free and we had won, and many people felt that if nothing else, we only had mopping up action left to do. However, the truth was much, much more complicated, as we all soon learned. Sectarian violence became a big issue immediately and various terrorist groups started trying to take advantage of the chaos. Each sectarian group wanted to control the government and persecute the other groups.

However, the American government, despite the chaos, had a responsibility to rebuild the mess that it had left. This meant there was a need to hire all kinds of contractors, experts, and businessmen to help with the rebuilding. Unfortunately, many of these people would not come despite their employers urging unless their company paid for bodyguards, as many described Iraq as being like the “Wild West.” Many of the more important or richer businessmen, or those contractors who were working for richer companies, sometimes had a cadre of multiple bodyguards. And some of the richer individuals simply paid for their own, as almost everyone was now on their own for protection, with no proper governmental structure. Former members of the SAS quickly found themselves offered very lucrative work opportunities to act as bodyguards in Iraq, some of them getting paid as much as 1,000 pounds a day for their work. When the rich in Iraq were looking for bodyguards, British Special Forces commanded a very premium price and were highly sought after.