Bravo Two Zero - Out in enemy territory

[blain2]

Not sure if others have read "The One that Got Away: My SAS Mission behind Enemy Lines", the story of SAS operator Chris Ryan who was stranded in Iraq all alone for 9 days and humped 180 miles back to friendlies. I have not read the book myself but got around to digging up some stuff on the web
Chris Ryan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here the article says the following:
"Chris Ryan made history with the "longest escape and evasion by an SAS trooper or any other soldier". This achievement was recognised by the award of the Military Medal. This feat had only ever been matched by another SAS trooper, Jack Sillito, while lost in the Sahara Desert in 1942. Ryan beat his distance by over 100 miles, but they were in entirely different circumstances."

One thing that amazed me is that this particular incident has gotten a lot of publicity all over the West even though its not unique.

I was thinking of one particular incident in which 6 operators from 1 Cdo Bn (Ebrahim Company), SSG humped almost 200 miles back from deep inside Indian Punjab and evaded multiple cordons, attempts to capture and returned to Pakistan with a captured IA jeep and 2 Indian Jawans as PoWs on the way back.

The operators survived on sugar-cane and some corn. The story is an amazing one and would easily match that of Chris Ryan.

The Pakistani officer leading the group of operators back into Pakistan was Late Captain Hazoor Husnain (SJ, later Brig).

 

[MastanKhan]

Blain,

How are you? It is the age old adage---our bottle of perfume stinks---and their fa--rts freshens up a garden full of roses---ain't that amazing.

 

[Keysersoze]

Blain,

How are you? It is the age old adage---our bottle of perfume stinks---and their fa--rts freshens up a garden full of roses---ain't that amazing.

Not really mastan

a) No one has heard of it.

b)South Asia is prone to some exaggeration shall we say?

 

[blain2]

Not really mastan

a) No one has heard of it.

b)South Asia is prone to some exaggeration shall we say?

Key,

Agree with "a" and to a certain extent "b" as well (however can't think of too many instances of over exaggeration), however in this case I think its predominantly the case of "a" and secondly nobody cares. I think there are more enthusiasts in the West who take an interest in such things but not so in Pakistan and the sub-continent.

Mastan sahib,

Doing very well. Thanks! Hope all is well with you too.

 

[chindit]

I was thinking of one particular incident in which 6 operators from 1 Cdo Bn (Ebrahim Company), SSG humped almost 200 miles back from deep inside Indian Punjab and evaded multiple cordons, attempts to capture and returned to Pakistan with a captured IA jeep and 2 Indian Jawans as PoWs on the way back.

The operators survived on sugar-cane and some corn. The story is an amazing one and would easily match that of Chris Ryan.

The Pakistani officer leading the group of operators back into Pakistan was Late Captain Hazoor Husnain (SJ, later Brig).

without taking anything away from the SSG story - I googled this link Pakistan Military Consortium :: PakDef. info which states

Captain Hasan Iftikhar) and a few jawans were able to commandeer an Indian Army jeep and made it back via Fazilka.

It appears that they were dropped at Halwara - and halwara is about 60 miles from the border. (and 100 miles from fazilka) plus the SSG team commandeered a jeep to make the trip.

While a commendable feat in the war, it cannot be compared to a 200 mile trek across the desert on foot.

Punjab is not a barren land - the trees, fields, grass provide ample cover. there is no dearth of water or food.

Ryan travelled over 200 miles (320 km) in eight days on foot, in both the freezing cold and baking sun. He suffered sleep deprivation, starvation, diarrhoea, severe dehydration and other such physical ailments including loss of all his toenails. He lost a considerable amount of weight (36 lbs), something that could have been fatal.

 

[Kasrkin]

Key,

Agree with "a" and to a certain extent "b" as well (however can't think of too many instances of over exaggeration), however in this case I think its predominantly the case of "a" and secondly nobody cares. I think there are more enthusiasts in the West who take an interest in such things but not so in Pakistan and the sub-continent.

Mastan sahib,

Doing very well. Thanks! Hope all is well with you too.

Not really, I have heard of the story. It is in my British written Special Forces book.

 

[Keysersoze]

Not really, I have heard of the story. It is in my British written Special Forces book.

whats the name of the book?

 

[Kasrkin]

ELITE FORCES OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN

 

[blain2]

without taking anything away from the SSG story - I googled this link Pakistan Military Consortium :: PakDef. info which states



It appears that they were dropped at Halwara - and halwara is about 60 miles from the border. (and 100 miles from fazilka) plus the SSG team commandeered a jeep to make the trip.

While a commendable feat in the war, it cannot be compared to a 200 mile trek across the desert on foot.

Punjab is not a barren land - the trees, fields, grass provide ample cover. there is no dearth of water or food.

Captain Hasan Iftikhar was the team lead and Capts Hazoor Husnain and Ghulam Ahmed were the two other officers assisting Hasan Iftikhar. The team lead and GA were captured, but Hazoor Husnain made it back through Fazilka.

Capt Hazoor Husnain and his team of 5 did not traverse the terrain in a straight line. They had to walk approx 175 miles to stay away from Indian troops and positions that were on extra alert once the hostilities started. There was a lot of walking done along the length of the IB (parallel) in this hump back home. There were Indian positions all around and to circumvent those and find refuge during the day, they took the circuitous route. At the very end, they captured the IA jeep.

Having been born in Punjab, I can tell you that not all of Punjab is trees & fields. There are cultivated areas, but for the SSG team, those areas were the most risky ones as they were populated and frequented by farmers etc.

To be very honest with you, the hard part here was escape and evasion. The distance is not even the big deal because the SSG guys have done double the distance in a week's time when on exercises.

 

[chindit]

Thanks for the details

I guess your point about escape and evasion being the key note of it is important. in the case of the original brave two zero story , it was also survival in addition to escape. exposure in desert can kill anyone in a few days.

Kasrkin,

The book that you mention does not have a single line about this. Which edition do you have?

 

[Kasrkin]

Hmm thats weird. Sorry, it doesn't have any edition written on it.

 

[blain2]

Thanks for the details

I guess your point about escape and evasion being the key note of it is important. in the case of the original brave two zero story , it was also survival in addition to escape. exposure in desert can kill anyone in a few days.

Yep. My point in posting the above is that stories like these are not unique. In the history of warfare, many different armies and nations have done some incredible things. I just wanted to highlight that in our neck of the woods, this type of stuff does not make it out much. However good, tough soldiers are found everywhere.

 

[chindit]

Hmm thats weird. Sorry, it doesn't have any edition written on it.

i am attaching the pages.

 

[dabong1]

Not sure if others have read "The One that Got Away: My SAS Mission behind Enemy Lines", the story of SAS operator Chris Ryan who was stranded in Iraq all alone for 9 days and humped 180 miles back to friendlies. I have not read the book myself but got around to digging up some stuff on the web
Chris Ryan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here the article says the following:
"Chris Ryan made history with the "longest escape and evasion by an SAS trooper or any other soldier". This achievement was recognised by the award of the Military Medal. This feat had only ever been matched by another SAS trooper, Jack Sillito, while lost in the Sahara Desert in 1942. Ryan beat his distance by over 100 miles, but they were in entirely different circumstances."

One thing that amazed me is that this particular incident has gotten a lot of publicity all over the West even though its not unique.

The actual Chris Ryan story turned out to be false....lies ,half truths and simple pure BS was the final outcome of a documentary on chris ryans mission.
I think it was one of the fathers of the dead SAS guys that helped a reporter get the true story.
The reporter followed chris ryans path in iraq and tracked down the actual people involved the book.

 

[Zero Bravo]

Not a miracle.

In guerrilla war you can stay behind the enemy lines for ages and nobody even can notice your disguised local appearance. SAS troopers mostly operate in local outfits and have flat armor vests.

However, on other hand the said Pakistani soldiers left behind in Indian territory were probably in their full military gear. I can call it a miracle and an act of bravery.