SAS: Rogue Warriors: BBC2 9pm.

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Discussion

55palfers

5,893 posts

163 months

Friday 10th February 2017
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Just bought the book.

DJMC

3,431 posts

102 months

Friday 10th February 2017
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I picked up the book "Rogue Heroes" the other week at the airport. The first authorised biography of the SAS.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SAS-Heroes-Authorized-War...

The TV program contains some of the same history.

Absolutely unputdownable!!


LordHaveMurci

12,034 posts

168 months

Friday 10th February 2017
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Dropped a few hints about the book before my recent birthday but to no avail so will have to buy it myself!

rambo19

2,737 posts

136 months

Friday 10th February 2017
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DoubleSix said:
I've passed the info suggested above to my mother in the hope she'll do some digging.

Apparently my cousins have all his medals etc frown

Mum said he was tortured and came home broken - aged 26. Sad, as it obviously led to the drinking and violence that undermined their relationship.

Do you have much hard info on your grandfather or just what's been recounted?
My aunt has all his medals and service record, sadly she will not let anyone near it!

My dad told me alot of stories about him, the one that always comes to mind is this;

The LRDG were so impressed with him they made him a honorary member and allowed him to wear the LRDG capbadge, so he always wore 2 capbadges.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 10th February 2017
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rambo19 said:
My grandad was REME attatched to the LRDG, fought with them through the whole western desert campaign.
Arte et marte beer

Zanderman

1,090 posts

211 months

Saturday 11th February 2017
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Similarly my granfather was apparently a RSM in the Black Watch during the war and also found himself in the Desert Rats. Horribly violent drunk by all accounts, I met him once and he was not a nice man. Shame considering what he must have gone through...........

Really enjoyed the show though, Sterling was one hell of a man!!



DoubleSix said:
I've passed the info suggested above to my mother in the hope she'll do some digging.

Apparently my cousins have all his medals etc frown

Mum said he was tortured and came home broken - aged 26. Sad, as it obviously led to the drinking and violence that undermined their relationship.

Do you have much hard info on your grandfather or just what's been recounted?
Edited by Zanderman on Saturday 11th February 07:55

PurpleAki

1,601 posts

86 months

Monday 13th February 2017
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Heads up, part 2 in an hour.

mcelliott

8,626 posts

180 months

Monday 13th February 2017
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Ooh thanks almost forgot.

louiechevy

644 posts

192 months

Monday 13th February 2017
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A family friend was in the LRDG I can remember him telling me of one occasion in the desert they waved at bunch of British army vehicles going the other way only to realise they had German markings and where made up of captured British trucks!

PurpleAki

1,601 posts

86 months

Monday 13th February 2017
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Hit and run takes on a different meaning with these boys.

The balls on him forging a Churchill letter!

After every episode, my admiration for these amazing men grows. Not much else to be said.

Edited by PurpleAki on Monday 13th February 22:02

RichB

51,433 posts

283 months

Monday 13th February 2017
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All these places, Alexandria, Benghazi, Cairo - all places my dad talked about. He was out during these years. I've got his letters a diary in the garage, I'll dig it out and narrate some of his stories.

williamp

19,213 posts

272 months

Monday 13th February 2017
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Yes please Rich.

There's also the dark history of the SAS: when they p/ex the LRDG Chevrolet trucks for pink land rovers... paperbag

LordHaveMurci

12,034 posts

168 months

Tuesday 14th February 2017
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RichB said:
All these places, Alexandria, Benghazi, Cairo - all places my dad talked about. He was out during these years. I've got his letters a diary in the garage, I'll dig it out and narrate some of his stories.
That would be great, please do.

Shaw Tarse

31,543 posts

202 months

Tuesday 14th February 2017
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LordHaveMurci said:
RichB said:
All these places, Alexandria, Benghazi, Cairo - all places my dad talked about. He was out during these years. I've got his letters a diary in the garage, I'll dig it out and narrate some of his stories.
That would be great, please do.
Worthy of its own thread, but post a link here.

Mothersruin

8,573 posts

98 months

Tuesday 14th February 2017
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bmw535i said:
rambo19 said:
My grandad was REME attatched to the LRDG, fought with them through the whole western desert campaign.
Arte et marte beer
Indeed mate - Arte et Marte beer

One of my Grandfather was there as well - I had the pleasure of being in Libya (West coast, Benghazi & Beyda) not long ago and while it would have been unwise to go off sightseeing, I was very aware of the history of what had rolled through there - plus the Roman stuff which is virtually untouched.

Edited by Mothersruin on Tuesday 14th February 13:14

Hosenbugler

1,854 posts

101 months

Tuesday 14th February 2017
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Evanivitch said:
DoubleSix said:
Like I say I'd like to find out more about his role.

All I have is an obit (which cites SAS) and stories of desert operations in North Africa handed down.

If there is a source for research I'd love to know where to start.
IF you have a name and DOB, plus a unit and maybe a service number, then you can request his service records. Best bet would be to call into your local county archives and talk to an archivist. They'll either have access to the information or be able to provide the forms necessary.
You can request his service record via FOI , I *think* you will need a copy of his death certificate , assuming he is no longer with us. At one stage they would not release records untill they had been deceased for 25 years, but I think thats changed. The address, is/was here :

E1 Disclosures APC - (ARMY Personnel Centre)
Civil Secretariat,
Mail Point 515
Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
Glasgow
G2 8EX

I'm unsure if thats still valid (dates from 2010) . But I beleive a google search relating to Service records , MOD and Freedom of information act , should yield directions. Cost is/was £30..

andy_s

19,397 posts

258 months

Saturday 18th February 2017
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Hosenbugler said:
Evanivitch said:
DoubleSix said:
Like I say I'd like to find out more about his role.

All I have is an obit (which cites SAS) and stories of desert operations in North Africa handed down.

If there is a source for research I'd love to know where to start.
IF you have a name and DOB, plus a unit and maybe a service number, then you can request his service records. Best bet would be to call into your local county archives and talk to an archivist. They'll either have access to the information or be able to provide the forms necessary.
You can request his service record via FOI , I *think* you will need a copy of his death certificate , assuming he is no longer with us. At one stage they would not release records untill they had been deceased for 25 years, but I think thats changed. The address, is/was here :

E1 Disclosures APC - (ARMY Personnel Centre)
Civil Secretariat,
Mail Point 515
Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
Glasgow
G2 8EX

I'm unsure if thats still valid (dates from 2010) . But I beleive a google search relating to Service records , MOD and Freedom of information act , should yield directions. Cost is/was £30..
I've the LRDG/SAS Roll of Honour which features all 374 casualties over that period if it's any help, chuck a PM if so. http://www.sas-lrdg-roh.com/

The book 'The Originals' published about ten years ago covers much of this series and is a great read.

The founder of the LRDG, Ralph Bagnold, was a fascinating character as well, a proper desert explorer in the 30's who laid the foundations for much (pre-GPS) desert navigation and travel. His book on the physics of blown sand is a bit dry though...

The series is doing these guys excellent justice, excellent viewing, no raised voices.

PurpleAki

1,601 posts

86 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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No.3 in half an hour

Bunfighter

37,010 posts

210 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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Wow. Just wow. 31 executed and Tonkins found those responsible and called in a airstrike?

There's also a book?

Adam B

27,142 posts

253 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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This sounds excellent, anyone know where episodes 1 and 2 are available? Can't see them on iplayer