SAS hero jailed 'like a drug dealer' over Falklands trophy pistol

THOUSANDS of readers signed The Sun’s petition calling for the release of jailed SAS hero Albert Patterson within hours of its launch yesterday. The Falklands veteran, 65, was given 15 months this week for keeping a handgun from the conflict as a trophy. The Sun has been joined by the soldier’s family, ex-comrades and former military chiefs in calling for him to be freed immediately. Former Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan Colonel Richard Kemp said: “He has been treated like a common criminal, not like the hero he is.“Albert Patterson risked his life countless times over two decades of courageous service. Is this the way he should be repaid? By going to a prison cell?” Gulf War hero John Nicol called the sentence staggeringly harsh. He said: “You see thugs, burglars and wife beaters getting away with almost no sentence. There needs to be flexibility and understanding.” Former Chief of the Defence Staff and SAS legend Field Marshal Sir Charles Guthrie called the punishment totally inappropriate. And Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy, said: “It does seem a harsh sentence for someone who is clearly not collecting weapons for use. “For someone who is not a present threat to society maybe a suspended sentence is better.” Read More Here

(RG) I found an enemy pistol on the ground when I was in the Falklands War, I took it on board ship with me and was going to take it back to the UK, when our officers told us we would all be going through metal detectors and anyone found with an illegal weapon would go to jail for up to eight years, so I reluctantly threw it over board, so this could quite easily have been me, but if I had brought it back I know that I would have killed myself with it.

SAS Fight for Lives Boxing

Further information SAS Fight Night. Special Air Service legends to fight at a Black Tie Boxing for charity on 8th April 2016 at the Ageas Bowl Southampton. https://www.facebook.com/HiltonatTheAgeasBowl/ Joining instructions Please contact the web site for tickets and tables and visit the facebook build up page.  Contact The Ageas Bowl Read more HERE

SAS embassy siege sniper zeroes in on Standard campaign for veterans

A former SAS sniper who stormed the  Iranian embassy London in 1980 revealed today how his mental health suffered after he returned from battle as a mercenary. Speaking in support of the Standard’s charity appeal to help homeless ex-servicemen and women, Robin Horsfall said he had been asked to mentor comrades who had fallen on hard times. Mr Horsfall was 23 when he and members of his black-clad Special Air Service team were watched on TV by millions of people around the world as they entered the South Kensington embassy to rescue 25 hostages.Read more HERE



(RG) I would love to have a few beers with Robin and hear some of his stories.

SAS legend John 'Brummie' Stokes dies

ONE of the most famous members of Hereford's SAS regiment has died.John 'Brummie' Stokes helped to make the elite unit famous on an international scale after climbing Everest in the 1970s.The soldier, who received an MBE, was also well known for his work with the Taste for Adventure centre in Credenhill.He was born in 1945 in the mining village of Hamstead, just outside Birmingham and it was at 17-years-old that he became a military man and after three years service with the Royal Green Jackets he enlisted into the SAS regiment. During the next 23 years, he was to take part in active duty all over the world including the Falkland Islands, and was several times decorated. He always loved mountaineering and with another SAS climber, Bronco Lane, they both joined an expedition to Nuptse, Everest’s near neighbour in 1975- four men died on that trip. The following year on an army expedition to Mount Everest, Brummie and Bronco went on to make it to the summit. On the way down, they faced appalling conditions, which resulted in both of them losing their toes through frostbite.Read more HERE  R.I.P.

SAS veteran of Iranian Embassy siege and Falklands War puts medals up for sale

Bob Curry was the first man to go in when commandos stormed the London building, forcing an end to the 1980 hostage crisis.An SAS hero of the Iranian Embassy siege has put his medals up for sale for £25,000. Bob Curry was one of the first commandos to break into the London building where 26 hostages were being held by gunmen. The special forces soldier, then aged 27, had to use a sledgehammer to smash through a window after an explosive failed to detonate. Despite the risk that the device could still explode, Bob ran forward, kicked the charge out of the way, and was the first to climb inside. The soldier earned campaign medals for his service in Northern Ireland and the Falklands War. They are being sold alongside his SAS beret, belt and winged badge. Read more HERE

Secret death toll of SAS war in the Falklands

FIFTEEN Argentine soldiers died in gun battles with British Special Forces in Argentina during the Falklands campaign, a book endorsed by Prince Andrew claims.The secret war has been covered up by both sides but the book’s author says he was contacted by Argentinian conscripts who were desperate to have their story told.

Special Forces helicopter pilot Col­onel Richard Hutchings says: “They claim their war against the British enemy took place on the Argentinian mainland in Patagonia, where 3,000 conscripts operated alongside regulars to protect airfields and aviation fuel dumps at Rio Grande and Rio Gallegos air bases from covert sabotage operations by British Special Forces.

“These conscripts alleged they fought against the SAS and SBS on Argentina’s mainland and say their war service has never been recognised because the very existence of British Special Forces on Argentine soil has long been denied.”Read more   HERE 

(RG) I knew of an aborted mission on mainland Argentina by Special Forces, but I have my doubts about this?

Falklands War: SAS role in the conflict

When HMS Sheffield was destroyed by an Exocet missile 30 years ago, Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) was mobilised to take out the Argentine aircraft which carried them - one of a number of daring missions at the heart of the Falklands War. Here, those at the sharp end of the special forces operations recall the highs and lows. After 30 years of counter-terrorism work in minor conflicts, the SAS grabbed the chance to engage in its first large-scale conflict since World War II with both hands. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote If you're not prepared to die, you're a bluffer” Robin Horsfall Former SAS soldier HMS Sheffield was patrolling at the edge of the British fleet in the South Atlantic on 4 May 1982 when it was hit by the Exocet, killing 20 of its crew. The newly acquired French-made weapons were highly effective and threatened a humiliating defeat for the British fleet. To counter the threat, the SAS was called in to destroy the Super Etendard aircraft which carried the Exocets. They were based at Rio Grande on the Argentine mainland, 400 miles west of the Falkland Islands. Operation Mikado aimed to fly 55 SAS men on to the heavily defended base in two C130 Hercules transport aircraft, keeping the engines running while they carried out the attack. It was a daring mission. If they were able to take off again, they would head for a base in Chile; if not, the surviving SAS and aircrew would have to flee into the mountains on foot. HERE

British Special Forces scandal as officers are held 'for trying to leak secrets

Two senior Special Forces officers suspected of leaking details of highly sensitive covert operations have been arrested under the Official Secrets Act, the Daily Mail can reveal. The unprecedented arrests came as members of the SAS and SBS were deployed in Libya in preparation for airstrikes and to liaise with rebels and identify stranded British oil workers for rescue. It was unclear last night what the officers are suspected of leaking, but it is understood it involves attempts to pass it to a major broadcaster. The investigation is focused primarily on information relating to the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. But it is also looking at secret information the men had access to about Libya and other countries where Special Forces have been operating. Such is the sensitivity of the case that the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office are being regularly briefed on its progress by anti-terrorist officers. Whitehall officials last night described the allegations against the men, who would have had a high security clearance, as ‘extremely serious’. Neither officer has been named. One was based in the heart of the MoD headquarters in central London where the Libyan operation was being planned. As the crisis in Libya developed, Britain moved in SAS men. They were joined later by members of the SBS and soldiers from the Special Services Support Group, including communications specialists. The arrests on March 2 took place two days before an MI6 officer and several members of the SAS were held by rebel forces near the centre of anti-Gaddafi operations in the eastern port city of Benghazi. The humiliating detention, after they had been flown in by a Chinook helicopter under the cover of darkness in an operation sanctioned by Foreign Secretary William Hague, was a huge embarrassment for Britain and the SAS. The arrested officers were held for 24 hours as detectives and specialists from Scotland Yard’s SO15 Counter Terrorism Command carried out searches. Read More HERE

"The SAS probably have the real list of MPs expenses."

SAS crack team kill 30 Taliban in night-time desert firefight

The soldiers were sent in after a Taliban attack on a fort in Helmand province manned by Afghan government forces British special forces troops killed around 30 Afghan Taliban fighters in a night-time desert battle. The crack team of SAS soldiers were sent in after a Taliban attack on a fort manned by Afghan government forces. A US pilotless drone aircraft spotted the attackers and fired missiles at their convoy of trucks, blowing up two. The survivors fled into the desert and the SAS were quickly flown in to hunt them down. They set up an ambush and after the rebel fighters opened fire, a battle raged through the night. One SAS man survived a “quick-draw” shoot-out when he stumbled across a Taliban fighter. He pulled his gun and shot the rebel dead as a bullet from an AK47 hit him in the chest. His body armour stopped it and saved his life. The battle last Wednesday in Helmand province was one of the most successful by special forces in recent years. And it came as 80 troops from the 4th Battalion, The Rifles were also sent into Sangin province to take on insurgents. Read more HERE

Good Drills.

OPERATION NIMROD

SAS soldier about to storm the Iranian embassy in London on Operation Nimrod.

Drawn by Ash Fuller.

The drunken yob thought he was threatening a tramp - not an ex-SAS officer

Spending a night on the streets for a Panorama documentary brought a new challenge for Colonel Tim Collins, whose eve-of-battle speech inspired the nation before the Iraq War. Now he must rally former comrades facing a very different threat  -  drink, drugs and homelessness...
I was dressed for the occasion: my old army boots, an Arran jumper and a battered leather jacket. I was permitted a sleeping bag, a warm hat and £3.
After a ham sandwich and a cup of tea provided by a church charity, I bedded down on discarded cardboard in the doorway of a former electrical shop.
My companion was Mark, an ex-soldier who had descended into crime, alcoholism and homelessness after a narrow escape from the Omagh bomb. Mark has now turned his life around, but he agreed to return to the streets for one night to show me what homelessness was like.Read more HERE  



The Article says it all, the drunken idiot doesn't know how lucky he was that night.
 

Fan Dance fundraising page TALKING2MINDS

Hi, thanks for visiting our page. Through Virgin Money Giving, you can sponsor us and donations will be quickly processed and passed to charities like TALKING2MINDS. Virgin Money Giving is a not for profit organisation and will claim gift aid on a charity's behalf where the donor is eligible for this. We really appreciate all your support and thank you for any donations. Read More HERE 

Brecon Beacons: Third SAS Hopeful Dies

An Army reservist who died after falling ill during SAS selection training in the Brecon Beacons earlier this month "adored the Army" and believed passionately in his duty, his family have said.Corporal James Dunsby, 31, died yesterday in hospital where he had been in a serious condition after falling ill during the exercise on 13 July, one of the hottest days of the year.His death follows that of colleagues Edward John Maher and Lance Corporal Craig John Roberts, who also lost their lives after collapsing during the military exercise on south Wales' highest mountain.In a statement issued through the Ministry of Defence (MoD) today the family of Cpl Dunsby, who was a member of the Army Reserves (The Royal Yeomanry), said the 31-year-old had the "most infectious enthusiasm for life".

"He was the most loving and dependable husband, not to mention the most handsome of men of whom could not be more cherished," they said. Read More Here R.I.P.

Second Territorial Army soldier who died on SAS selection exercise in sweltering heat is named by the Ministry of Defence

The second of two reservists who died during a selection exercise in the Brecon Beacons for the Territorial Army's SAS section has been named as Edward Maher. Mr Maher died alongside Lance Corporal Craig Roberts after they collapsed in soaring temperatures while scaling south Wales's highest mountain Pen Y Fan on July 13. Naming Mr Maher, whose identity had not been known until now, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. 'Investigations are being carried out by Powys police and the army. We cannot comment any further until these investigations are complete.' In a brief statement released through the MoD, Mr Maher's family said: 'At this time of great sadness, Edward’s family has asked that they be left alone to grieve in private.' Inquests of both reservists are due to be opened and adjourned this afternoon by Powys coroner Louise Hunt. Although the full facts of the case will not be heard, the hearing will see the issuing of interim death certificates - allowing the bereaved families to begin funeral preparations. It is also anticipated that a brief medical cause of death will be read into the public record for both cases.Read More HERE  R.I.P.

Soldiers 'marched to death' during SAS selection

We are Pilgrims, master: we shall go

Always a little further: it may be

Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow

Across that angry or that glimmering sea.

R.I.P.                                                                          LINK 

SAS Raiders of the Falklands War

SAS fake sells his 17 bogus medals on eBay for £386

SAS fantasist Roger Day has caused outrage by selling his fake medals on eBay for £386. Day aroused suspicion last November when he attended a Remembrance Day parade wearing an impossible array of 17 medals and an SAS beret. But the 62-year-old, who works as a carpenter, has now sold the 'famous' medals for £386 - an average of £22.75 each. The medals were purchased by Day's fourth wife Maxine Bunyan, 38, who fell for him after he lied about being a decorated war hero. Selling them on his behalf, Ms Bunyan boasted about her husband's notoriety to attract eBay bidders. Advertising the medals as 'Militaria', she wrote in the item description: 'These are the actual medals worn by Roger Day at the Bedworth Remembrance Day Parade on 11th November 2009, as seen in most of the national newspapers and TV etc. 'These medals were all purchased by me (his wife) over a period of about 2 years and cost over £600 in total. 'The DSO alone was £150 as it is a 'dual face', i.e it has the enamelling and proper emblems on both sides. Maxine, who bought the medals for her husband after he told her an elaborate story about how he lost them, also boasted that the medals were 'replacement quality medals not cheap copies.' She added: 'However, they have cost me a great deal more than just money and so I am keen to get rid of them.' Yesterday, many war veterans called on Day to donate the cash to charity while the Royal British Legion branded him 'an utter disgrace'.Read More HERE

The good thing about all of this is this nob head will hopefully never again pretend he was a soldier, I just hope that some other Walter doesn't buy the medals on e-bay. Roger Day is obviously psychologically disturbed , perhaps he lost out on being a milk monitor while at school?

Falklands War Sub HMS 'Onyx'

Oberon class submarine HMS 'Onyx' in Buccleuch Dock, Barrow-in-Furness waiting to be prepared as an exhibit in the town's Dock Museum. HMS Onyx was an Oberon class submarine of the Royal Navy. Originally ordered for the Royal Canadian Navy, Onyx was transferred to the Royal Navy whilst under construction at Cammell Laird shipbuilders in Birkenhead, England. She was launched on August 1966 and commissioned into the Royal Navy in September 1967. The first commission of the Onyx saw her visit Swansea in South Wales for the investiture of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. She also attended the bicentennial celebrations of the United States of America in 1976. Falklands War: HMS Onyx was the only non-nuclear submarine of the Royal Navy to take part in the Falklands War. The smaller displacement of Onyx compared to the nuclear submarines made her ideal for landing SAS and SBS troops close to the islands in shallow waters. During one of these missions, Onyx ran aground and suffered minor damage to its bow. After British officers scrapped Operation Mikado, the replacement plan consisted of Onyx dropping SAS operatives several miles offshore at night for them to make their way to the coast aboard rubber inflatables in order to destroy Argentina's remaining stockpile of Exocet missiles. HMS Onyx sank the hulk of the landing ship Sir Galahad after she was badly damaged at Bluff Cove. Striking Off: HMS Onyx and other ships at Birkenhead in 2005 Defence cuts in the UK saw the Royal Navy dispense with its diesel-powered submarines to concentrate on nuclear attack submarines. In 1991, the Onyx was decommissioned from the navy. She was then cared for by the Warship Preservation Trust and was on public display alongside several other ships in Birkenhead, UK. In May 2006 HMS Onyx was sold to the Barrow-in-Furness businessman Joe Mullen, for a reported £100,000 as a 'gift to the people of Barrow'. She left Birkenhead on 13 June 2006[4] to form the centrepiece of The Submarine Heritage Centre, a new heritage museum in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, as a celebration to the town's illustrious Submarine-building history.

Its nice to see the old girl has been saved thanks to Joe Mullen, keeping a valuable reminder of the 1982 Falklands War in the home of submarine building Barrow-in-Furness.

BRAVO TWO ZERO

BRAVO TWO ZERO