Special Air Service of New Zealand

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Special Air Service of New Zealand

Cap Badge of the Special Air Service of New Zealand
Active 7 July 1955 - current
Country New Zealand
Branch Army
Type Special Forces
Role Counter-Revolutionary Warfare
Close Target Reconnaissance
Size One regiment
Garrison/HQ Papakura, New Zealand
Motto Who Dares Wins
Battles/wars Malayan Emergency
Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation
Vietnam War
Operation Desert Thunder
INTERFET
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Anaconda
Decorations Presidential Unit Citation

The New Zealand Special Air Service (NZ SAS) was formed on 7 July 1955 as an elite New Zealand Army unit capable of undertaking special missions. It was modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS).

The New Zealand Government states that NZ SAS is the "premier combat unit of the New Zealand Defence Force", is based in Auckland, and has the motto “who dares wins”.

The elite unit is "capable of undertaking unconventional warfare". Its key roles are to undertake overseas missions and respond to domestic terrorist attacks.

The New Zealand SAS is held in high regard internationally - as demonstrated by the United States Presidential Citation awarded to the NZSAS on 7 December 2004.

Contents

In June 1955 it was decided that the New Zealand Army required an elite unit capable of unconventional warfare, to contribute to the British counter-insurgency effort in Malaya, and Major Frank Rennie was appointed to form and command the unit. Modeled on the British Special Air Service, the NZ SAS was quickly seen to be both effective and professional. The very arduous selection process, as then, only has a success rate of approximately 2%. Even after being "badged", the probationary period can see further applicants returned to their original units.

The NZ SAS can trace its roots back to the famous Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), a British/Commonwealth army unit which fought in the North African desert in World War 2. This unit, which had a close relationship with the British SAS, was initially formed around New Zealand soldiers. This was because British officers believed New Zealanders, with their largely farming backgrounds, would be able to handle machinery and desert conditions better than other troops. The LRDG was nicknamed "the Mosquito Army" by General Wavell. Special Air Service soldiers would refer to it as the "Libyan Desert Taxi Service."

In 1955 the NZSAS Squadron was attached to the British SAS in Malaya. It fought against Malaysian Communists with great success, spending 18 of the 24 months it was in Malaya operating in the jungle[1]. As well as being tasked with fighting the communist guerrilla forces they were also charged with collecting up and training villagers to fight as well. In over a dozen major engagements only one NZSAS trooper was killed. Soon after the unit was disbanded, having been operationally replaced by an Infantry Battalion. Still, it did not take long for the SAS unit to be reformed.

The NZSAS also had the job of countering Indonesian Communist insurgents in Borneo. Here in the harsh jungle environments the Kiwis' tracking skills were called upon. Alongside their British and Australian counterparts, "Hearts and Minds" operations were very effective here and a major element of Special Forces operations.

Based in Nui Dat, Vietnam, the NZ SAS 4th Platoon served under Australian command in November 1968, attached to the Australian SASR. Here NZSAS was named 1st Ranger Squadron. Most tasks involved ambush of enemy forces and conducting recce missions observing the enemy. The NZ SAS troopers were involved in the South Asia conflict from 1968 to the early 1970s.

Trained by New Zealand's elite Special Air Services, Combat Tracker Teams were intended to give American units a decisive edge over Viet Cong in the jungle. NZ SAS trackers are considered some of the best in the western world.

Starting in late 2001, the NZ SAS began operations assisting in the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. Three 6-month rotations of between 40 and 65 soldiers from the NZ SAS served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom before the unit was withdrawn in November 2005.[1] On 17 June 2004, two NZ SAS soldiers were wounded in a predawn gun-battle in central Afghanistan.[citation needed]

Secrecy still surrounds much of the NZ SAS's operations in Afghanistan, although a Radio New Zealand news piece claimed the service had maintained a mission success rate of 100%.[citation needed]

According to a New Zealand government fact sheet released in July 2007, the NZ SAS soldiers routinely patrolled enemy territory for three weeks or more at a time, often on foot, after being inserted by helicopter.

There were "casualties on both sides" during gun battles, but no New Zealanders were killed.

In December 2004, the United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to those units that comprised the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-SOUTH/Task Force K-BAR between 17 October 2001 and 30 March 2002 for "extraordinary heroism" in action. One of these units was the Special Air Service of New Zealand.[2]

The citation said SAS units helped "neutralise" Taliban and al Qaeda in "extremely high risk missions, including search and rescue, special reconnaissance, sensitive site exploitation, direct action missions, destruction of multiple cave and tunnel complexes, identification and destruction of several known al Qaeda training camps, explosions of thousands of pounds of enemy ordnance."

"They established benchmark standards of professionalism, tenacity, courage, tactical brilliance and operational excellence while demonstrating superb esprit de corps and maintaining the highest measures of combat readiness."

It was announced on 2 July 2007 that Corporal Bill (Willie) Apiata of the NZ SAS, aged 35, had been awarded the Victoria Cross for New Zealand for carrying a severely injured comrade 70 metres "under heavy fire" from machine-guns and grenades after their vehicle was destroyed in an ambush and then joined the rest of his comrades in a counter attack.

Three other SAS soldiers won awards for actions during the same mission.

New Zealand's Prime Minister, Helen Clark, said: "Corporal Apiata carried a severely wounded fellow soldier across ... broken, rocky and fire-swept ground, fully exposed in the glare of battle to heavy opposing fire, and into the face of returning fire from the main New Zealand troop position.”

The citation said: "The troop could now concentrate entirely on prevailing in the battle itself. After an engagement lasting approximately twenty minutes, the assault was broken up and the numerically superior attackers were routed with significant casualties, with the Troop in pursuit."

The announcement was unusual, because the NZ SAS is a very secretive organisation that almost never reveals the names of its members. Helen Clark said Apiata's name was revealed because it was only the 14th time since World War 2 that the Victoria Cross had been awarded among the 53 nations of the Commonwealth, and the first to a serving SAS soldier anywhere, and it would be almost impossible to keep secret.

Although not confirmed, it seems that this action was the one on 17 June 2004, in which two New Zealanders were reported wounded.[citation needed]

Counter-Terrorist Tactical Assault Group members training in CQB.
Counter-Terrorist Tactical Assault Group members training in CQB.

Note - Teams of about 4 to 6 soldiers, led by a captain or sergeant, are the basic operational elements of the NZSAS.

The Counter-Terrorist Tactical Assault Group consists of 18 soldiers. Though officially part of the SAS these soldiers do not pass through the SAS selection course and are not permitted to wear the SAS's 'winged dagger' badge. The CTTAG has the role of responding to terrorist incidents in New Zealand.[2][3]

To join the SAS, Army, Navy or Air Force personnel must undergo a fourteen-day (including pre-selection) selection course described to the Weekend Herald by a participant as "mental and physical torture".

Among other exercises, is the notorious fifth day, exercise Von Tempsky, which is 24 hours of marching in either a swamp or sand dunes while carrying rifles, and alternatly one or two 20-litre jerrycans and a 35kg backpack. The final exercise is a 60km march, carrying a 35kg pack, web gear and rifle.

Even if they make it through, they still might not be chosen for the nine-month SAS training course.

  1. ^ Rennie, Frank Regular Soldier Endeavour Press (1986) p.225
  2. ^ "Approval for the acceptance and wear of the United States Navy Presidential Citation by the NZ SAS in Afghanistan", New Zealand Defence Force, 2006-05-19. Retrieved on 2007-07-03. 
  3. ^ Mills, T.F.. New Zealand Special Air Service. Regiments.org. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Air_Service_of_New_Zealand"
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