Wreath for every SAS grave in the world

Wreath for every SAS grave in the world By Alastair McQueen

THE SAS has been secretly honouring its dead all over the world for the past three months.

Members of the elite regiment have quietly slipped into cemeteries, laid their wreaths, saluted and vanished as part of an operation to visit the grave of every one of its 404 members killed in action since it was formed in 1941. SAS Association president, Lord Jellicoe, a highly-decorated founder member of the regiment, said: "Where there is no known grave a wreath will be laid on the nearest memorial commemorating that soldier."

The decision to try, for the first time, to lay a wreath on the grave of every member killed in action was taken this year after discussions with SAS soldiers who served in the Second World War. They were concerned that the graves of fallen comrades would be forgotten as the numbers of old soldiers dwindled. They have now been assured that every known grave will be visited this year, and that the exercise will be repeated regularly.

Graves of the 275 behind-the-lines soldiers killed in North Africa, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily and the Greek Islands are being visited by veterans of those campaigns. Lord Jellicoe said: "Our wartime members were concerned about what would happen to the graves of their comrades after they died. They were concerned that the people who gave their lives would be forgotten. We were happy to assure them this would not happen. We decided that as well as our wartime comrades we should also remember those who have fallen in campaigns since. They, too, are very important."

Veterans of later campaigns, including serving members, have been laying wreaths in memory of the 129 soldiers killed fighting "little campaigns" since the Second World War. Tributes are being paid to those killed in Malaya, Borneo, Aden, Oman, the Falklands, Northern Ireland, the Gulf and Bosnia.

The bodies of all the SAS men killed on secret operations in Ulster, the Gulf and Bosnia were returned to England for burial in the SAS plot near their Hereford headquarters or near their family homes. The regiment is also trying to track down the widows and children of all members killed in action to invite them to a special memorial service later this year. And for the first time it is to produce a Roll of Honour listing all its dead in a book as a permanent memorial.