One for the history nerds

Interesting.
The WWII SAS was a different unit to the post war one, something not acknowledged often.
 
It has some interesting pix from the regiments own archives. From Africa, their liaison with the SBS in the Mediteranean, then Italy, France and Germany. Also mentions the Belgian and French contingents. I may have to plonk some hard earned on one, they're about $A40.00.
 
sas-north-africa.jpg


this has been one of my favorite pics from WWII.

How different is the WWII SAS from Post War SAS?
 
Interesting.
The WWII SAS was a different unit to the post war one, something not acknowledged often.

Do you mean the immediate post-war one (by immediate I mean when they were re-raised) or the cold war one? I'm not asking to have a go, just clarifying.
 
How different is the WWII SAS from Post War SAS?
Do you mean the immediate post-war one (by immediate I mean when they were re-raised) or the cold war one? I'm not asking to have a go, just clarifying.


I know Spitty, no worries. The whole thing from Malaya to now.

The post war SAS were as you may know reformed not by Stirling the original founder but by Mike Calvert, who was a Chindit leader and later commander of the SAS in 1945.

Stirling as a Guards Officer demanded strict discipline in the wartime SAS, something we know didn't and doesn't exist in the post war unit.
Calvert seemed to use the Chindit model to mold the post war SAS. They took some time to really develop and had a very rocky start.
 
Who are you calling nerds...? :-" :D Thank you for the link.

I have 'THE GIANT BOOK OF THE SAS & Special Forces'. So, I must pick that one up.

If you're a nerd and you know it clap your hands! :-)

There's a couple more I've seen. One on SAS in Greece and Palestine post war (sorry, can't recall the title) and another entitled Go! Go! Go! which literally goes hour by hour through the Iranian Embassy siege.
I guess it's been so long now that the cone of silence has even lifted.
 
Found it! It's called SAS. the first secret wars by Tim Jones. It fills in the post war years to Malaya and notes the units that it operated as, such as the Middle East Rangers and the Greek Sacred Regiment.
 
Found it! It's called SAS. the first secret wars by Tim Jones. It fills in the post war years to Malaya and notes the units that it operated as, such as the Middle East Rangers and the Greek Sacred Regiment.

Awesome, thanks mate!
 
Seeing that photo reminded me of another book on the SAS's doings during WWII.
Eastern Approaches by Fitzroy Maclean. It's more autobio than SAS history.
He was in the LRDG, if memory serves, and ended up leading the British Mission to Tito.
 
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