Men made sas history

This is the story of the sinking of the SS Mendi during WW1, the bravery of the men on board and the ensuing inquiry conducted by the Board of Trade in London. The story follows the small band of survivors to France where they complete their tour of duty. The First World War rages in Europe, it is a white mans war, but when the British government calls for 10 000 black soldiers to be sent to France as a labour force, men from around South Africa volunteer for service. In the foothills of the Drakensberg, Kula Hlongwane, an amaNgwane prince steps forward, followed by a group of his tribesmen. Madondo is ordered to accompany them. For him it is a nightmare from which there is no escape. When crossing the English Channel on the troopship, the SS Mendi, lights loom out of the thick black fog, then a siren blasts. With no time to avoid the collision, the Mendi is struck a devastating blow on the starboard side where Kula and his men lie sleeping. Within minutes, the Mendi begins to sink. The book makes use of various historical documents and the transcripts from the inquiry held in London by the Board of Trade to establish causality for the large loss of life. On conclusion of the inquiry, these transcripts were declared secret and concealed from view for the next 50 years. Men of the Mendi gives an in depth account of the inquiry and the apparent reason for the cover-up.  At 5 am on 21 February 1917, in thick fog about 10 nautical miles (19 km) south of St. Catherine's Point on the Isle of Wight, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company cargo ship Darro accidentally rammed Mendi's starboard quarter, breaching her forward hold. Darro was an 11,484 GRT ship, much larger than Mendi, sailing in ballast to Argentina to load meat. Darro survived the collision but Mendi sank, killing 616 South Africans (607 of them black troops) and 30 crew. Some men were killed outright in the collision; others were trapped below decks. Many others gathered on Mendi's deck as she listed and sank. Oral history records that the men met their fate with great dignity. An interpreter, Isaac Williams Wauchope, who had previously served as a Minister in the Congregational Native Church of Fort Beaufort and Blinkwater, is reported to have calmed the panicked men by raising his arms aloft and crying out in a loud voice: "Be quiet and calm, my countrymen. What is happening now is what you came to do...you are going to die, but that is what you came to do. Brothers, we are drilling the death drill. I, a Xhosa, say you are my brothers...Swazis, Pondos, Basotho...so let us die like brothers. We are the sons of Africa. Raise your war-cries, brothers, for though they made us leave our assegais in the kraal, our voices are left with our bodies." The damaged Darro did not stay to assist. But Brisk lowered her boats, whose crews then rescued survivors. The investigation into the accident led to a formal hearing in summer 1917, held in Caxton Hall, Westminster. It opened on 24 July, sat for five days spread over the next fortnight, and concluded on 8 August. The court found Darro's Master, Henry W Stump, guilty of "having travelled at a dangerously high speed in thick fog, and of having failed to ensure that his ship emitted the necessary fog sound signals." It suspended Stump's licence for a year. Stump's decision not to help Mendi's survivors has been a source of controversy. One source states that it was because of the risk of attack by enemy submarines. Certainly Darro was vulnerable, both as a large merchant ship and having sustained damage that put her out of action for up to three months. But some historians have suggested that racial prejudice influenced Stump's decision, and others hold that he merely lost his nerve. Softcover, 320 pages. First published: February 2017

  Stirling's Men - the Inside Story of the SAS in WW2 by Gavin Mortimer   The first ever officially sanctioned history of the SAS in World War II, A riveting history book tha t reads like a novel, STIRLING'S MEN investigates the story of the SAS from its creation by David Stirling to the last battles of World War II. This is the first account of the SAS to be officially supported by the veterans and based on their unique first-hand testimony. Gavin Mortimer weaves their stories together to produce a fabulous page-turning narrative that will capture the imagination. Hardcover, first edition published 2004, no dust wrapper. Illustrated throughout with numerous black and white photographs, 376 pages, a nice clean, tight copy. Postnet to Postnet R110.00        

Until now little has been known about the Rhodesian contribution to the history of the SAS. Now at last the men themselves tell their own stories of the exploits of that Special Forces unit during the Bush War and the years before. SAS Rhodesia provides a comprehensive account of the origins and history of this famous Special Forces unit, as told by the men on the ground. This unique historical record features: Reminiscences by the men 10 chapters 624 pages full-colour litho print 1000 photographs 200 objects of militaria 200 documents 20 maps 10 tables 70 stories  Roll of honour Honours and awards table Citation of all awards Glossary Approved by the Rhodesian SAS Association   Third revised edition - January 2017

 A-Z OF THE SAS - BATTLES, WEAPONS, TRAINING, MEN - Peter Darman - 1993 - Paperback in good, clean and tight condition. This is an alphabetically-arranged reference to the unit's 50-year history with over 600 entries. All the regiment's battles and campaigns are listed. The weapons, equipment and techniques used by the SAS are examined. There are also biographies of leading personalities who have belonged to the regiment - including the man who commanded the British forces in the gulf, Lieutenant General Sir Peter de la Billiere.  

 Desert Raiders (SAS Operation) - Shaun Clarke - 2016 - Paperback as new. In the North African desert in 1941 the war is being won by the brilliant German commander General Rommel, and the British are in retreat on all fronts. A young British army lieutenant, David Stirling, believes that the only way to reverse this situation is to attack the enemy behind their own lines, using small groups of men who can insert by land, sea or air as required. The first of these men are dropped by parachute to attack enemy airfields in the Gazala area, but the raid is a disaster, with many lives lost. The following year, the survivors of that operation, now working hand in hand with the Long Range Desert Group, mount a series of spectacular raids in heavily armed jeeps against airfields in the Benghazi region, destroying nearly a hundred enemy aircraft, leaving the German army reeling, and reversing the course of the war. Desert Raiders is the colourful story of the birth of the SAS, the most renowned regiment in the history of the British Army – forged with fire and steel in the vast, sun-scorched plains of the North African desert, pitting themselves against the might of the formerly invincible German army, and gaining a reputation that will make them a legend in their own time.

The inside history of the SAS in World War II r esearched and written by Gavin Mortimer. Hardcover with dust jacket published 2004. 376 pages. Illustrated. Good condition. Tracked postage is R50.00.

The SAS is a disciplined and elite force in whichÂthe men are trained to operate deep behind enemy lines to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance operations, usually in very close proximity to the enemy, and are often involved in violent actions with that enemy. This history describes some of the most important operations in which the SAS has been involved including first action in Borneo, followed by confrontation in Vietnam, then Somalia, Kuwait, and East Timor in the 1990s. Based on firsthand reports and interviews with participants, this is an intriguing account of the regiment's first 40 years.

A-Z of the SAS - Peter Darman - Sidgwick & Jackson - 1993 - 192pp, color and black & white photographs, illustrations, maps - papetback in good condition - Internally clean and tightly bound.   The battles The weapons The training The men This is an alphabetically-arranged reference to the unit's 50-year history with over 600 entries. All the regiment's battles and campaigns are listed. The weapons, equipment and techniques used by the SAS are examined. There are also biographies of leading personalities who have belonged to the regiment - including the man who commanded the British forces in the Gulf, Lieutenant General Sir Peter de la Billiere.    

 Original period Rhodesian SAS Association tie and blazer badge as see in  the book SAS THE MEN SPEAK.SOLD AS A LOT.British made tie. LOCAL BUYER R100 POSTNET OVERSEAS BUYER SEE POSTAGE RATES TABLE FOR SHIPPING OPTIONS

 Weidenfeld & Nicholson 2004 hardcover. jacket has no tears, but is a bit rubbed, mostly on the back. Internally as new, pages clean and crisp and unmarked. The inside history of the SAS in World War Two.

Hardcover with d/j in very good condition. First published 2004 with 376 pages and illustrated with b/w photographs. Postage in RSA = R52.00.  

The first ever Special Forces for the SADF started with a small group of eleven men under the command of Commandant Jan Breytenbach all handpicked by him in 1970. They commenced their training in Oudtshoorn and all 11 men did specialised courses in something they were not qualified for in as yet. e.g. divers, demolition, parachute jumping. etc. The group was divided into two and also did courses in France in that year. Their first deployment took place into Angola. With the influx of more members, the group was changed to a Special Forces Unit in 1972 known as 1 Reconnaissance Commando. It was decided that the unit was to be moved and in December 1974 the unit relocated to the Bluff in Durban. The unit grew in numbers as more and more men qualified as Special Forces Operators. The decision was made to form three subunits: Airborne (Commandant Swart), Seaborne (Commandant Kinghorn) and Pseudo operators (Commandant Verster). The Seaborne group moved to Langebaan (4 Reconnaissance Commando) the Pseudo group to Dukuduku in Zululand (5 Reconnaissance Commando). A headquarter element was stationed in Pretoria, under command of General Loots. In 1982 they moved into their own Headquarter buildings just outside of Thaba Tshwane. In 1975 a Citizen Force unit 2 Reconnaissance Commando, under the command of Commandant Sybie van der Spuy, was formed to accommodate all members that had left the Permanent Forces units as citizen forces members. With the independence of Zimbabwe, members of the Selous Scouts and Rhodesian SAS were given a choice to join the SADF. The members that took this opportunity were transferred into two units: The Scouts as 3 Reconnaissance Commando in Phalaborwa and Rhodesian SAS as 6 Reconnaissance Commando in Durban. A year later these units amalgamated into the Permanent Force Units: 3 Reconnaissance Commando became part of 5 Reconnaissance Regiment and 6 Reconnaissance Commando became part of 1 Reconnaissance Regiment when the Commandos became Regiments in 1981. The volume of operations increased and more and more support personnel were transferred into Special Forces to support the operators in their task. The author served in Special Forces as a signaller for 5 Reconnaissance Regiment and then Special Forces Headquarter for a number of years. He did his parachute course with other support personnel at the age of 35. His responsibilities included the training of operators in communications radio and Morse code, the control of operational communications networks, plus all cryptography work. This book on South African Special Forces depicts the Pictorial History from the beginning up to 1994. It is the 4th edition, and the 1st pictorial version of the history of the South African Special Forces, Operators and Operations. There are more than 2000 pictures of 420 full color A4 pages bound in a hardcover showing pictures of events never before captured in one print.  FIRST EDITION, FIRST PRINT - NOVEMBER 2014

At last! The history of the Rhodesian Light Infantry. Weve seen the stories of the more glamorous Selous Scouts, the SAS and the Rhodesian Air Force, but very little about the RLI, often underrated, but arguably one of the most effective counter-insurgency units of all time. This was the unit that brought the Fireforce concept to the worlds attention - the devastatingly ruthless airborne envelopment and annihilation of a guerrilla enemy. Dubbed The Killing Machine by Charles D. Melson, chief historian of the US Marine Corps, the RLI was a veritable foreign legion with over 20 diverse nationalities serving in her ranks. The RLI, a truly international airborne battalion, comprising of over 20 nationalities, fought the bitter Zimbabwean bush war for 15 years against the overwhelming tide of communist-trained guerrillas. Kill rates dont win wars, but during its brief 19-year history, it is estimated that the RLI accounted for between 12,000 and 15,000 enemy guerrillas, for the loss of 135 men. RLI soldiers were recipients of four Silver Crosses and 42 Bronze Crosses of Rhodesia. An RLI trooper holds the world record for operational parachute descents - a staggering 73 op jumps - most under 500 feet! A glossy coffee-table, pictorial format with hundreds of colour photos, maps, rolls, honours and awards. It is not intended as a definitive history but, with more of a classic scrapbook feel, the presentation attempts to capture the essence of this fine unit - what it was like to be a troopie, one of the ouens. We have accessed a host of unique, previously unpublished photos and illustrative material and many former RLI members have embraced the project, generously contributing photos, memorabilia and anecdotes. Ian Smith has written his tribute in the front and the foreword is by the last CO, Lieutenant-Colonel Charlie Aust. PAPERBACK: 544 PAGES WITH  1,800 b/w illustrations & maps.  Published June 2007

2015 paperback with 356 pages in very good condition. R65 postage in SA. For three decades one of the most secretive units in the British military has not been the SAS or SBS: it has been a mystery force known variously as the Shadow Wing, the Black Unit or X Platoon. Officially there was no X Platoon. The sixty men in its elite number were culled from units across the Armed Forces, at which point they simply ceased to exist. X Platoon had no budget, no weaponry, no vehicles and no kit - apart from what its men could beg, borrow or steal from other military units. For the first time ever a highly decorated veteran of this shadow force - who served as its Platoon Sergeant - reveals its history. From anti-narcotics operations in the Guatemalan jungles, to hunting war criminals in the war-torn hills of the Balkans, from being sent to war against the Russian military to calling in the largest parachute-borne force since the Second World War, Steve Heaney was at the cutting edge of X Platoon operations. The first non-officer in the British Army ever to win the Military Cross, he reveals the extraordinary missions undertaken by this tiny force of elite operators.

  HarperCollins Publishers. Hardback. Book Condition: Very good, 2009, 1st edition. 388 pp. Alamein, Iain Gale, The superb novelist of men at war moves into the twentieth century and World War Two, telling the story of the eleven days in the sands of North Africa that would change history forever. There are some battles that change the course of history: Alamein is one of those. In October 1942, Britain and its allies were in real difficulties: Germany and its Axis partners seemed to be triumphant everywhere - in Europe, in Russia, in the Atlantic and were now poised to take the Suez Canal. It was in North Africa that the stand was made, that the tide of World War Two began to turn. It was a battle of strong characters: the famous battle commander Rommel and the relatively untested new British commander, Montgomery, leading men who fought through an extraordinary eleven day battle, in an unforgiving terrain, amid the swirling sandstorms and the desert winds. Iain Gale, author of the outstanding historical novel Four Days in June on the battle of Waterloo, tells the dramatic story through seven characters, almost all based on real people. Drawn from both sides of the conflict, they include a major from a Scottish brigade, the young lieutenant in the thick of the tank battle, the Australian sergeant with the infantry, the tank commander of the Panzer Division and the charismatic Italian commander of a parachute battalion. Through them and others we see the flow of battle, the strategies, the individual actions and skirmishes, the fear, the determination, the extraordinary courage on both sides.