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From: bxr307@csc1.anu.edu.au
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Special troops and their purposes
Message-ID: <1991May8.034613.11385@amd.com>
Date: 7 May 91 21:03:31 GMT
References: <1991May7.062227.12192@amd.com>
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From: bxr307@csc1.anu.edu.au


a481@mindlink.bc.ca (J.D. Frazer) writes:
> 2) The British Guards (the fellows who wear the huge furry hats and stand guard
> at Buckingham Palace) are, I presume, an elite outfit. What is their basic
> role, and have they ever seen any action?

	The Guards are formed in seperate battalions which roughly
correspond to the geography of the United Kingdom.  There is a Scots
Guards, a Welsh Guards, an Irish Guards, and the Grenadier Guards (for
England).  These Infantry battalions, plus the cavalry Regiment, the
Lifeguards are then formed into a Brigade called The Brigade of
Guards.  The Brigade of Guards, as have the battalions individually,
seen service numerous times.  Their function is _not_ as you appear to
believe, purely ceremonial.  They are what could be considered an elite
and have extremely high standards of entrance and discipline.  They
have seen service in WWII, and several trouble spots around the world,
including for the Welsh Guards, the Falklands/Malvinas conflict in the
South Atlantic.

> 3) What is the difference between the SAS and the SBS? Where do the
> Royal Marines fit in?

	The SAS and the SBS belong to two different services.  The SAS
are part of the army and have a role, primarily of long range recce
(secondarily is such things as sabotage, counter-terrorism, etc),
operating deep inside the enemy's territory.  The SBS on the otherhand,
belongs to the Royal Marines and while part of their role is that of
recce, they have a much greater emphasis placed upon raids and sabotage
than do the SAS.  While the SAS recieves some small boat training, that
is the primary role of the SBS which is inserted usually by sea.

	The role of the Royal Marines, on the otherhand, is being the
main seaborne assault component of the British forces.  They are also
trained in raiding techniques and have a heritage drawn from the
Commando forces of WWII.  They are usually referred to not just as
Royal Marines, but rather as Royal Marine Commandos, as that is the
designation of their units.

-- 
Brian Ross