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When the Company arrived at Commando Training School, HMS Saunders, Kabrit beside the Suez Canal, they found 2 other units at Kabrit. A New Zealand infantry battalion and a small group of irregulars who were referred to as ‘L detachment’.

This bunch of veterans indulged in a training regime that seemed frighteningly difficult to the new arrivals. ‘L Detachment’ would go for hikes in the desert with a full load of 75 lbs on their backs. Watching them depart on their marches terrified the watching Sappers who wondered if they were about to embark on some very tough military training and wondered at the wisdom of turning craftsmen and artisans into storm-troopers.

The camp at Kabrit was used to prepare troops for depth attacks on the enemy including seaborne landings that were being planned. The distances in the desert meant that any advance ran out of air cover. Plans were being hatched to seize airfields behind the enemy lines to improve the support to forward troops.

After settling in for a day there was another briefing from where the 'invasion training' was explained. They would work with the New Zealanders who were already installed across the canal road. There was an assortment of barges and other queer looking craft designed, they were told, for landing behind enemy lines. These would transport them across the Great Bitter Lake and back as they practiced boarding and landing.

Two new skills were added to their repertoire. They learned to lay 'beach roads' made of rolls of wire netting. Laying was the easy part. But it took hours to wind it up in preparation for the next ‘assault’. A Company that had specialised in construction and repair were now required to master the use of explosives and demolition.

They were also required to wear battle-dress, rather than the hat, shorts and boots that was their normal working attire. To add to the discomfort of full military dress, for these exercises they would be in full marching order plus greatcoats and spare clothing in their packs. There would be no concession to the desert heat. Haversacks were crammed with towel, shaving kit, emergency rations of biscuits and concentrated chocolate and water bottles which the Sergeant Major decreed they were not allowed to drink.

They made the acquaintance of the neighbours who said they had moved in a couple of months before.
"They were a very fit and merry lot of men, many drawn from Commando Units and all volunteers. We got to know them very well, visiting their Recreation tent while their Sergeants came to our Mess. Although they said little of their previous exploits, their security was very tight, we heard of trips to Italy, and during November, of an unsuccessful raid in the desert. Many were old desert campaigners and we leaned a lot of desert lore from them" Bob Borthwick recalls.

When the Company arrived their neighbours had been busy with initial parachute training and were quickly persuaded to build a proper jump training facility to the design of the detachment commander, Capt David Sterling. The first structure was a tower for parachute jump and landing training. Later, ramps and slides were constructed to add variety and excitement to the training. Bob’s ability to conjure up construction material and arrange for its delivery in the desert impressed these hard men.

Just 2 weeks after making their acquaintance many of the neighbours left. Sadly, many were not to return. The mission was thwarted by sand storms and half the men were lost. This led to the cancellation of their own, suicidal mission. However, the SAS was born on this mission and the Regiment have adopted the 17 November 1941 as their birthday.

This story was submitted to the people’s War site by a volunteer from CSV Oxford on behalf of Alan Jones, the late Bill Harvey and Bob Borthwick. It is a transcript of his own diary and several interviews. He gave written permission for the material to be edited and published.

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