Body guard for Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise Michael Caine, Kate Moss and others.

Awarded the Queens Commendation for Bravery. Awarded the MBE by the Queen at Windsor castle. 

Incredible story. He had a horrible upbringing in the West Midlands, not too far from where I came from, 25 miles away. I was lucky to be in a better neighbourhood. 

The Army was the best thing for him. 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 1, 20214 yr by martin-w

I'm trying to make the connection between this story and a flightsim info website. Isn't there another website where it would be better showcased?

Well, the hanger chat is a place where we come together as friends to just sit down and  chew things over.

The subjects are mainly unlimited apart from a few off limit subjects, it’s a good place to exchange views and opinions or get things off your chest.

Edited November 1, 20214 yr by jon b

As long as the conversation stays away from POLITICS, RELIGION, and SEX!  Also no arguing between members.

5 hours ago, Jovabra said:

I'm trying to make the connection between this story and a flightsim info website. Isn't there another website where it would be better showcased?

 

If you take a look around at all the topics discussed here, you will see  "The New Mercedes" and "Elon Musk's latest rocket" and astronomy, physics, favourite games, whether people are getting the new racing game etc.

It's general discussion. And it's great that Avsim allow it.

If I remember correctly Andy McNab also came from a poor family in the NE of England and was pretty rubbish at school. Joined the Army and eventually made his way through to SAS training at Hereford and passed with flying colours.

For those who don’t recall his name he was part of an SAS team that went into Iraq ahead of the main forces to cause mayhem. He later wrote of his experiences in the best selling Bravo Two Zero. A fellow soldier in the same team - Chris Ryan, a New Zealander - also became a successful author.

These guys were the elite of the British Army - equivalent to the US Delta Force. They were pretty much unknown to the British public until the Iranian embassy siege in London, May 1980.

BBC and ITV TV channels interrupted their broadcasts to show the end of the siege. Overnight everyone knew who the SAS was. Forty two years next year but it remains a memorable event.

On 11/1/2021 at 5:16 AM, Jovabra said:

I'm trying to make the connection between this story and a flightsim info website. Isn't there another website where it would be better showcased?

This is a forum where have fun and make new friends and chat about everything between this and that except politics and religion.  I have almost 2400 posts here and very few of them have to do with aviation and nobody has ever told me any of them were inappropriate from my boyhood stories to my bird pictures.

The wonderful thing about this forum is if there is a subject posted you have no interest in, or don't like, just leave it and scroll down until you find something of interest.

There are plenty of flightsim related forums of every description and color just for the looking.  I'm sure you could find one to interest you if this one is not your cup of tea.

Noel

Edited November 3, 20214 yr by birdguy

3 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

If I remember correctly Andy McNab also came from a poor family in the NE of England and was pretty rubbish at school.

 

It seems many of the highest performing SBS and SAS soldiers had other than normal backgrounds. There's a second interview by the same guys, with another SAS soldier, also from the TV show Who Dares Wins. Same scenario with him, although better home environment, but troubled, and in trouble with the law as a young man. Then excelled in the military. 

I remember the Iranian embassy siege well. I recall they diverted aircraft from Heathrow to disguise the sound of the helicopters over head. 

 

 

 

Edited November 3, 20214 yr by martin-w

@martin-w, we all excel at something and it’s great that people who may not be academically brilliant have very high skills in other aspects of their lives. Being mentally tough is clearly one of them because the selection process for the elite is very tough. I would include the Royal Marines and the Commandos in that group.

I was miffed when they broke away from the Snooker final but when the action started it was astounding what we were seeing.