THIS is the top secret army base where the UK’s most elite killers can be deployed at a minute’s notice.
The headquarters of the Special Air Service (SAS) regiment, feared by terrorists and rogue militia around the world, sits deep in rural Herefordshire.
PA:Press AssociationThe so called Blue Thunder helicopter used by the SAS lands on London Bridge following a terror attack in June 2017[/caption]
Special forces supported police when homes were raided linked to the Manchester suicide bomber
Eamonn and James ClarkeThe dramatic raid took place on Elsmore Road in the Fallowfield area of south Manchester[/caption]
Today, their James Bond style base is home to the elite Blue Thunder squad and shrouded in mystique.
Now a civilian with knowledge of the shadowy site has spoken to The Sun about life behind the barbed wire.
He said: “So a key area has to the motorpool. It’s like a big garage with helicopters parked outside.
“So this is the Blue Thunder hub from where they are sent out on heavy jobs, like the taxi bomber in Liverpool.
“The lads that work here are all on pagers – so one will be allowed to be 24 hours from the motorpool, and another will be on one hour’s notice. Another will be a few minute’s away.
“So there is a big table full of uniforms – they can dress up as coppers or other emergency workers. They tend to normally dress as police.”
The covert unit uses a fleet of Dauphin helicopters, marked in blue and white, which appear to the untrained eye as civilian choppers.
Blue Thunder, on the front line of the UK’s war on terror, and can be deployed anywhere in the UK to respond to a critical incident.
Photographs released to the Mirror at the time showed the SAS in a Liverpool street after Al Swealmeen, 32, set of a homemade device in a taxi outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
The Hereford local, who is regular visitor to SAS headquarters, said: “So yes they were sent to Liverpool after the hospital bombing.
“They had to go through the door of addresses linked to the suicide bomber. Obviously that is particularly high risk work.
“Local forces have counter-terror units but in these situations you need SAS.
“I remember hearing the conditions inside one of the properties they searched were absolutely horrendous.
“They were also in the loop after the murder of Jo Cox MP. They were not sent out on that job, but they were kept informed as to what was going on, just in case they were needed.”
They often dress as coppers but are given away by their non-police issue firearms.
The man added: “You could normally differentiate the police from the SAS , because the special forces tend to use Diemaco.
GoogleThe approach to the infamous base in Herefordshire as it appears on Google Street View[/caption]
GoogleThe entrance to the base appears on Google Street View[/caption]
AFP – GettyParamedics tend to the victims after the London Bridge terror attack[/caption]
EPAThe dramatic moment a suspect was tasered by cops and apprehended after the Borough Market rampage[/caption]
“That is their weapon of choice.”
The dad, an expert in his chosen field, said that the popular image of the SAS as an action man type hero was a bit off the mark.
He said: “Don’t get me wrong they are trained killers, but they are also experts in technology, surveillance and intelligence.
“They have a stunning skill set.”
He said recruitment to the SAS had changed a bit due to the British Army’s exposure to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over
recent decades.
He said: “The recruits used to come in a bit green from the Marines and Paras. But now many of them are coming in as battle hardened
soldiers.
“They have seen it all out in Afghanistan and have clocked up scores of kills.”
How the SAS was established
The Special Air Service (SAS) has its origins in the North African desert
It was formed as L Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade, in July 1941 to undertake small-scale raids behind enemy lines, according to the National Army Museum.
The new unit initially drew its men from No 7 and No 8 Commando.
Later, troops from No 62 Commando (aka the Small Scale Raiding Force) joined the unit.
In October 1942, the unit was renamed 1st Special Air Service.
The following April it was reorganised into the Special Raiding Squadron and undertook raids in Sicily and Italy alongside the 2nd Special Air Service, which came into existence in May 1943 in Algeria.
The brigade’s formations took part in many operations, frequently behind enemy lines, from D-Day (June 1944) until the German surrender in May 1945.
Following the war it was disbanded but re-formed in 1947.
This time it consisted of just one Territorial Army (TA) unit – 21st Battalion, Special Air Service Regiment (Artists Rifles).
In 1959, a third SAS unit was formed – again a TA force – known as 23rd SAS Regiment.
This was a re-naming of the Reserve Reconnaissance Unit, successors to MI9, whose members were experts in escape and evasion.
He also revealed the SAS have a presence in central London which few knew about.
“Yes there is one famous tourist attraction in London where the SAS have a secret presence,” added the source.
“They seem to have full security clearance and can go wherever they want.
“They are armed and I think the view is that that it’s great to have them there in case of a major security incident in the capital. “
The shadowy unit has been spotted on the UK’s streets after major terror incidents, such as the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.
Members of the SAS were sent to the scene to hunt for associates of evil bomber Salman Abedi.
A Blue Thunder chopper was spotted landing near London Bridge after the 2017 Borough Market terror attack when eight innocent victims were murdered.
Nearby offices, including The Sun, went into lockdown as the area was sealed off.
Members of the SAS , said to be hunting for one of the attackers, carried out a forced entry into Southwark Cathedral.
Despite the sensitivity around the base its still visible on Google Street View and on Google Earth.
Street View provides a view of the entrance and perimeter fence, while Earth provides a birds eye view of the layout.
The famous regiment, founded in 1941, was seared into the public’s consciousness in 1980 when a crack unit stormed the Iranian Embassy in London, bringing a hostage siege to an end.
The footage, which showed armed figures in black climbing across the front of the building, were some of the most dramatic ever seen on British television.
The daring rescue was given the greenlight by then PM Margaret Thatcher after an official was murdered.
Special forces out on the streets
The UK’s special forces have been deployed within the UK on many occasions over recent years.
In April 2013 the SAS, SBS and members of the Special Reconnaissance Unit provided security at the funeral of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
In November 2015 members of the Special Reconnaissance Unit were seen on the streets of London after terror attacks in London.
In May 2017 members of the SAS wearing police uniform were seen in Manchester reported to have been hunting for accomplices of suicide bomber Abedi.
Members of the SAS and the Blue Thunder helicopter were seen in the London Bridge area in June 2017 after a terror attack .
In December 2018 members of the SAS supported police during a counter -terror operation in Newcastle.
Members of the Special Boat Squadron were deployed to the Grande Tema in the Thames Estuary after four stowaways seized armed bars.
In October 2020 members of the Special Boat Squadron were deployed after a group of stowaways seized control of a tanker off the Isle Of Wight.
In November 2021 members of the SAS were flown to Liverpool after a suicide bombing at the city’s Women’s Hospital.
AlamyA visitor to the SAS base in Hereford has revealed details about the James Bond style base[/caption]
Getty Images – GettyPolice counter-terrorism officers were supported by the SAS after the London Bridge attack[/caption]