Shaw, Tony SAS South Georgia Boating Club

An SAS Trooper's Memoir and Falklands War Diary

Many aspire to serve in the Special Air Servicearguably the world's most prestigious regimentyet few ever achieve this goal. In these inspiring memoirs, the author recounts how he left school without a single qualification and embarked on a thirty-year career, spent largely in Herefordincluding four years within "The Regiment" itself. Against all odds, he rose through the ranks, eventually earning his commission and retiring with the rank of Major. Initially assigned to the 22 SAS as a radio operator, he volunteered for the "Selection" processarguably the toughest and most demanding of all military testsand passed it successfully. He was subsequently posted to the "Boat Troop" of D Squadron, with which he saw active service during the Falklands War, in Northern Ireland, and as part of the UK's counter-terrorism team. Thanks to a diary he kept during the Falklands War, the reader is treated to a gripping, first-hand account of the intense combat operations he and his comrades experiencedincluding reconnaissance missions, diversionary attacks, commando raids, and ambusheson both South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Later, he commanded the Royal Signals unit supporting D Squadron of the 22 SAS; this was followed by his commissioning as an officer and, subsequently, a second career as a security consultant in various crisis regions across the Middle East. It is a privilege to read this admirably humble account of the unique career of a man who offers a fascinating insight into the life and work of an elite Special Forces soldier.