Odd Unit Designations

[95th Rifleman]

There appears to be some confusion as to why the SAS where called the SAS.

Colonel David Stirling envisioned an elite, small unit of paratroopers to go behind enemy lines and cause confusion and distraction and they where trained as such.

Their first operational mission was a complete disaster, they lost 22 out of 65 men in an operation delvivered via parachute. Stirling went back to the drawing board and formed a relationship with the LRDG in which they transported his troops to target and a legen was born.

The Special Air Service designation was kept, even though their deployment method had been changed but the name was due to their origin as an airbourne commando force.

The SAS is the Grandfather of all modern, western special forces from the Israelis commandos to the American Green Berets.

[dragoon500ly]

In a never-ending search for oddball or little know units, how about this one?

The 201, 202 and 203 Battalions, The Home Guard Auxiliary.

Unlike the rest of the Home Guard (UK WWII), these three battalions were covering formations for a series of stay-behind units. Formed into patrols ranging in size from 4-10 men and provided with a carefully camouflaged underground bunker, their mission was to wait for the German invasion, and then conduct sabotage missions once the front lines had passed them by.

Equipment wise, these patrols had first calim on any new weapons. At a time when the Royal Army couldn't get their hands on a Thompson, the patrols often had 2-3 on hand as well as a selection of pistols and rifles and a rather impressive amount of demolition material.

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

In a never-ending search for oddball or little know units, how about this one?

The 201, 202 and 203 Battalions, The Home Guard Auxiliary.

Unlike the rest of the Home Guard (UK WWII), these three battalions were covering formations for a series of stay-behind units. Formed into patrols ranging in size from 4-10 men and provided with a carefully camouflaged underground bunker, their mission was to wait for the German invasion, and then conduct sabotage missions once the front lines had passed them by.

Equipment wise, these patrols had first calim on any new weapons. At a time when the Royal Army couldn't get their hands on a Thompson, the patrols often had 2-3 on hand as well as a selection of pistols and rifles and a rather impressive amount of demolition material.

The actor Anthony Quail was an intelligence officer in such a unit. There was a good documentary on them on Discovery a couple of years ago, unfortunately I can't remember the name of it.

[WallShadow]

Originally Posted by James Langham

The actor Anthony Quail was an intelligence officer in such a unit. There was a good documentary on them on Discovery a couple of years ago, unfortunately I can't remember the name of it.

The news recently reported a hitherto-forgotten stash of weapons, ammo, and grenades in an English attic or barn loft. Was apparently cached for the above reasons--to bring the war to Jerry when he invades! Caused quite a stir in a country with such stringent firearms laws.

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by WallShadow

The news recently reported a hitherto-forgotten stash of weapons, ammo, and grenades in an English attic or barn loft. Was apparently cached for the above reasons--to bring the war to Jerry when he invades! Caused quite a stir in a country with such stringent firearms laws.

I caught that newscast! It seems that one of the members of the HGA had moved its ammo stash from their underground bunker and stored in it his barn. Only recently, he notified the police of his little collection of stuff and by all reports, the police took one look and called for Bomb Disposal. The total cache came to something like 3,200kg of explosives and ammo.

Now THATS a lot of sabotage!

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

The 201, 202 and 203 Battalions, The Home Guard Auxiliary.

Unlike the rest of the Home Guard (UK WWII), these three battalions were covering formations for a series of stay-behind units. Formed into patrols ranging in size from 4-10 men and provided with a carefully camouflaged underground bunker, their mission was to wait for the German invasion, and then conduct sabotage missions once the front lines had passed them by.

Time Team (UK archaeological TV show) found one of their camouflaged bunkers in a London backyard in 2009 (near Shooters Hill). Apparently there's almost no records of their existence. Also, it was stated that the members of these units had orders to assassinate their recruiters as their first order of business should the Germans take control of Britain to eliminate their ability to identify them.

Life expectancy was about 2 weeks - if they were lucky.

[Targan]

Z Force, properly titled the Z Special Unit. A combined ANZAC and Allied forces special unit that operated in the Pacific theatre in WWII.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_Special_Unit

They conducted some seriously ballsy ops, particularly Operation Jaywick in which unit members disguised as Indonesian fishermen were able to sail to Singapore where they infiltrated the main harbour and used limpet mines to sink four Japanese ships.

One of their last surviving members, a Chinese-Australian man named Jack Sue, lived here in Perth and only died a couple of years ago.

[simonmark6]

My Grandfather talked about such units. I don't think there were many such units in Wales but Grandad was in the Home Guard and a notorious poacher as well as being a quarry blaster and he was in a group organised to act as guerrillas should the Germans reach as far. He had some chilling tales that included planning to kill the men that recruited them as you mentioned. In fact, his unit would have been busy butchering dozens of locals before they got to any Germans, that included people that might be useful to the enemy even if they were considered totally loyal.

I think it might have been one of Churchill's mistakes if it had happened and might have driven more people to consider the guerrillas as criminals rather than freedom fighters.

One mission he described highlights the cold blooded nature of the concept, a major rail line runs near us and the best place to block it for a long time was overlooked by a primary school. The squad not only planned how to destroy it but decided it would be best done in school time for the following reasons:
1) It would catch a major train carrying steel
2) They could plant secondary bombs to catch the rescuers of the children

Bastards. Necessary for victory perhaps, but bastards none the less.

[Cpl. Kalkwarf]

Originally Posted by Targan

Z Force, properly titled the Z Special Unit. A combined ANZAC and Allied forces special unit that operated in the Pacific theatre in WWII.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_Special_Unit

They conducted some seriously ballsy ops, particularly Operation Jaywick in which unit members disguised as Indonesian fishermen were able to sail to Singapore where they infiltrated the main harbour and used limpet mines to sink four Japanese ships.

One of their last surviving members, a Chinese-Australian man named Jack Sue, lived here in Perth and only died a couple of years ago.

Z force sounds more like it should have something to do with Zombies :P

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Time Team (UK archaeological TV show) found one of their camouflaged bunkers in a London backyard in 2009 (near Shooters Hill). Apparently there's almost no records of their existence. Also, it was stated that the members of these units had orders to assassinate their recruiters as their first order of business should the Germans take control of Britain to eliminate their ability to identify them.

Life expectancy was about 2 weeks - if they were lucky.

There is a group at undergrounduk.org, they have conducted excavations of some of the Home Guard Auxiliary patrol bases, its some pretty intresting stuff!

[rcaf_777]

I working on idea that the US would such an organization prior to the bombs dropping

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by rcaf_777

I working on idea that the US would such an organization prior to the bombs dropping

Most of NATO had similar networks. Gladio is the best known and a good starting point.

[rcaf_777]

Originally Posted by 95th Rifleman

The SAS is the Grandfather of all modern, western special forces from the Israelis commandos to the American Green Berets.

Sorry the American Green Berets and the Canadian Airborne Regt come the
1st Speical Serivce Force not the SAS