Books / Documentaries.

[Redders]

Might be really dim here! but I'm little confused on what the Household Division and Parachute Regiment Centralised Courses (HDPRCC) are these promotion courses? And not part of depot?

No. Nothing to do with ITC. The PARAs and the Guards do all their courses together under a training command called HDPRCC - Household Division Parachute Regiment Centralised Courses. Everything from JNCO cadres to Snipers.

 

[ASNT]

No. Nothing to do with ITC. The PARAs and the Guards do all their courses together under a training command called HDPRCC - Household Division Parachute Regiment Centralised Courses. Everything from JNCO cadres to Snipers.

Ahh ok thanks for explaining

 

[Alec_Lomas]

I'd suggest - 'No Mean Soldier' by Peter McAleese.

A quick resume - Peter served in 1 Para before moving on to 22SAS in 1964. An A grade Brecon student when it was still the 'Para. Battle School'. On leaving HM Forces he found himself with other Aldershot personalities in Angola, a phase which he elucidates on with honesty and forthrightness. He moved on to Rhodesia and in turn onto South Africa, episodes he describes,in Brecon 'style' language as opposed to the hype and vinegar seen in many of this genre. He subsequently got back into the world of PMC's accepting a contract to kill a South American drug baron.

I've known Peter for some 40 years, we still communicate daily. He's one of the most honest, straightforward personalities I know. More uniquely, a Sgt. Major in three foreign armies.

 

[Dot]

I'd suggest - 'No Mean Soldier' by Peter McAleese.

A quick resume - Peter served in 1 Para before moving on to 22SAS in 1964. An A grade Brecon student when it was still the 'Para. Battle School'. On leaving HM Forces he found himself with other Aldershot in Angola, a phase which he elucidates on with honesty and forthrightness. He moved on to Rhodesia and in turn onto South Africa, episodes he describes,in Brecon 'style' language as opposed to the hype and vinegar seen in many of this genre. He subsequently got back into the world of PMC's accepting a contract to kill a South American drug baron.

I've known Peter for some 40 years, we still communicate daily. He's one of the most honest, straightforward personalities I know. Most uniquely a Sgt. Major in three foreign armies.

I’ll be looking this up and ordering it ASAP!

 

[Alec_Lomas]

'They Stood in the Door' - Don McNaughton. I met Don when I was a PJI at Pitts Road. Don was on the Red Devils Display team. As a keen sport jumper, I managed to get on the team for a number of demos as a guest jumper. I can't recall just now, which battalion he was with.

 

[Mad Frank]

'They Stood in the Door' - Don McNaughton. I met Don when I was a PJI at Pitts Road. Don was on the Red Devils Display team. As a keen sport jumper, I managed to get on the team for a number of demos as a guest jumper. I can't recall just now, which battalion he was with.

He was 2 PARA Alec mate.

 

[Grasshead]

I'd suggest - 'No Mean Soldier' by Peter McAleese.

A quick resume - Peter served in 1 Para before moving on to 22SAS in 1964. An A grade Brecon student when it was still the 'Para. Battle School'. On leaving HM Forces he found himself with other Aldershot personalities in Angola, a phase which he elucidates on with honesty and forthrightness. He moved on to Rhodesia and in turn onto South Africa, episodes he describes,in Brecon 'style' language as opposed to the hype and vinegar seen in many of this genre. He subsequently got back into the world of PMC's accepting a contract to kill a South American drug baron.

I've known Peter for some 40 years, we still communicate daily. He's one of the most honest, straightforward personalities I know. More uniquely, a Sgt. Major in three foreign armies.

Is this the book @Alec_Lomas

https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Mean-Soldier-Peter-McAleese/dp/1857972503

 

[Alec_Lomas]

Is this the book @Alec_Lomas

https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Mean-Soldier-Peter-McAleese/dp/1857972503

Yes indeed, it's the 1999 version. My bad by the way......... Peter updated this version in 2015 to ' Beyond No Mean Soldier '. There were matters in the earlier version that he felt he couldn't get too much into.

 

[LLB]

Out of interest how are there so many SAS books despite them being bound by a confidentiality agreement? Is it rarely enforced?

 

[Alec_Lomas]

Out of interest how are there so many SAS books despite them being bound by a confidentiality agreement? Is it rarely enforced?

I'm not current and I can only comment on how the 'book' affairs were formally processed.

Firstly, to keep a perspective, 22 are not the only members of the SF community to be bound by the 'confidentiality agreement'. The matter also applied to predominantly NI based groups such as FRU and 14Int ( both since re-named ). Books emanated from the latter which are still keeping a host of NI lawyers busy. Is it enforced? It most certainly is. However, as background...............

The Confidentiality Agreement first came into real effect post Gulf 1. Those covered by this were initially "requested" to sign a non-disclosure form. This gathered momentum to the stage it became "compulsory" for regular serving personnel to sign. Some SF either chose not to or managed to deftly avoid the issue. Past members (now civvies) of these units also received a copy to complete and return.

An argument raised by the author Andy McNabb ( Steve) was that officers were permitted to write about campaigns under a 'Memoire' ruling while soldiers' writing efforts were described as being 'kill and tell'. In an effort to ameliorate the situation a department was set up within the MOD, known as the Disclosure Committee to vet ( redact? ) intended books. There are, for example, matters pertinent to NI that have - 30yr. 50yr, 100yr markers on incidents before they can arise for public viewing. Sensible personalities will proffer their manuscripts for review.

As for "enforced". The Hereford element who fell from grace were banned from ever entering camp/ MOD property. No big deal in several instances as gents tended to meet in local pubs and clubs, however, there were particular squadron and other festive occasions on camp which were out of bounds to them. That remains in place. On the humorous side, those PNG'd felt they should create a 'club' tie to display as a badge of honour.

 

[Chelonian]

What is the motivation behind writing a book about personal exploits? I guess that there might be several but undoubtedly one motivation is to sell the book. Sexing-up an already impressive tale might be necessary if aiming for the best-seller lists and a subsequent media career.

From memory there are about six books about the Bravo Two Zero patrol. If one reads all six books perhaps a wider perspective is gained. But that's down to each reader's interpretation.

I like the sound of the Persona Non Grata club.

 

[Nutter]

For a while there the SF book became a very crowed market. I remember reading one called The Nemesis File which turned out to be complete fantasy!

 

[Chelonian]

For a while there the SF book became a very crowed market.

Go back thirty years and it was compulsory for every SF book to have a cover illustration of orange flames on a black background with a prominent SAS cap badge just in case anyone mistook the book's contents.

These days the genre is illustrated with a monochrome, looming, close-up photograph of the author's unshaven face.

 

[Collieryboy]

For a while there the SF book became a very crowed market. I remember reading one called The Nemesis File which turned out to be complete fantasy!

I read about this bloke. Thankfully not the book though.

 

[Collieryboy]

Go back thirty years and it was compulsory for every SF book to have a cover illustration of orange flames on a black background with a prominent SAS cap badge just in case anyone mistook the book's contents.

These days the genre is illustrated with a monochrome, looming, close-up photograph of the author's unshaven face.

This is scarily accurate.

 

[Collieryboy]

Theres fairly popular author whos done fairly well in this sort of genre in the last few years. Ive seen group WhatsApps chats from legit people who absolutely tear this bloke to bits. He doesn't get the lickings of a dog by people who worked with him or people who know people he worked with. I don't want to plaster accusations on the Internet so i won't elaborate, but everytime I see his work being publicised and by respectable people i get irritated.

 

[Alec_Lomas]

Theres fairly popular author whos done fairly well in this sort of genre in the last few years. Ive seen group WhatsApps chats from legit people who absolutely tear this bloke to bits. He doesn't get the lickings of a dog by people who worked with him or people who know people he worked with. I don't want to plaster accusations on the Internet so i won't elaborate, but everytime I see his work being publicised and by respectable people i get irritated.

Taking two authors as an example, 'Andy McNab' & 'Chris Ryan' don't actually write the volume of literature credited to them. Following their fame from Gulf1 escapades their pseudo-names have become company titles. In the past it was traditional for company name to roll along the conventional - 'Authors-R-Us Ltd' as an example. That's changed.

Publishing houses now have a collection of would-be ( but not quite good enough yet ) authors who can write a potentially good adventure yarn but not enough to make it commercially viable. Enter Andy & Chris who go over the detail of the characters, invariably former SAS / MI6 troubled individuals. Weapons, vehicles, tactics, environment are studied and corrected by them and published under the McNab / Ryan business names.

Established authors in the spook genre have been doing this for years, relying on recently retired personalities to keep them technically up to date. Everybody wins, the publishing houses, the authors and their 'technical' advisors.

 

[Snows]

Everybody wins, the publishing houses, the authors and their 'technical' advisors.

Except, possibly, the readers.

 

[Collieryboy]

In relation to the vetting process @Alec_Lomas mentioned. The big breach by Richard Tomlinson is worth a read. There's no other books like it by a recent MI6 officer. He did end up in a high security prison for it and mentions the full story in the book. It's not James bond but imo far more interesting as its actually real. I have a PDF of it I think. After his, Katherine Gunn's and Edward snowden's revelations the DV clearance from scratch got much more stringent and if anyone on here has done it without upgrading from SC I think they'll agree it's one of the most uncomfortable situations you can find yourself in.

 

[Chelonian]

Arguably, disclosure and vetting is irrelevant to to the success of a military-themed book because factual accuracy is not an important factor to 99% of readers. What matters to the reader is the illusion of reality and that the book is a good read. Books paint a picture; that's all.

My only caveat is that care should be taken by authors to not hide behind a fictional name and yet trash the professional reputations of those individuals who die on a patrol and who are not in a position to contest allegations in a published narrative.