HAUGH WOODS’ HARRIERS

Mid 1980s 22 SAS Training Wing Staff

Back in the mid 70s to the mid 90s, at some point in an SAS soldier’s career, he had to leave the squadron and spend a couple of years elsewhere within the SAS system…it may be within 22 SAS, or as an instructor with 21(V) or 23(V) SAS, or at an SAS tied post somewhere within the UK armed forces such as the jungle warfare school as chief instructor for example. This will happen periodically throughout an SAS soldier’s full career as he moves up the ladder.

My first time away from my squadron was with training wing, instructing on SAS selection. It was fun, I loved every minute. But it was tough too. Over 100 students twice a year have their eyes on you from day 1! Make a wrong move and they all get to hear about it, if indeed they didn’t see it for themselves. You had to be on top of your game, every minute of every day. Fitness was a big part of being a TW instructor, but then, fitness is a big part of 22 SAS anyway. Being the hare on the Fan Dance for example, leading around a group of 30 students from the front, and carrying a few pounds in your Bergen more than them was always a big deal for me personally. There’s always someone who wants to fly past you, and there’s always someone who could fly past you…the UK military is full of flyers wanting the chance to prove themselves on selection, and using the early days Fan Dance to do just that.

During my time there, we formed a running team and called ourselves the Haugh Woods’ Harriers. It was a training wing team, and at the time from the late 70s through the 80s, we would use a running route through Haugh Woods in Herefordshire as a stepping stone to see and assess the students during the early weeks of selection. Haugh woods apparently has over 600 species of butterflies and moths, I only ever saw the track that I was running on…a really tough undulating course planned out by a masochist. However, I always knew just how fit I was by my running performance on the Haugh Woods’ run, always a great tester.

The photo above was taken one early and rainy Sunday morning just before lining up to run the Regimental marathon. We didn’t do too badly either as a team, given that we were just back in country, having spent 8 weeks in the jungle.

Different lads have different ways of preparing the night before a marathon.

I had 8 jam donuts carb loading, and was in bed for 8pm. Mick (standing extreme right) had 8 Guinness’s carb loading, and was in bed for 2 pm…he still beat me.

The Training Wing team after a shave and brush up awaiting the choppers to get out from the jungle, mid 1980s.

Wearing the Haugh Woods’ Harriers jersey meant way more than being part of a minor running team. It represented being part of the training wing team too, serving alongside some awesome individuals from the different squadrons of 22 SAS.

A wee dram to awesome memories!