AUSTRALIAN SAS 50TH ANN. PNC COIN STAMP FIRST DAY ISSUE

VERY GOOD CONDITION 2007 LIMITED EDITION AUSTRALIAN ARMY SPECIAL AIR SERVICE REGIMENT FIRST DAY ISSUE STAMP & $1 COIN ENVELOPE SET. (PLEASE VIEW THE PICTURE AT BOTTOM OF BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN).

THESE WERE MADE BY AUSTRALIA POST IN 2007 AND SOLD

THESE WERE MADE BY AUSTRALIA POST IN 2007 AND SOLD AS A COMMEMORATIVE SET TO CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHEMENT OF THE S.A.S. IN AUSTRALIA ON THE 4TH SEPTEMBER 1957.

THE SET FEATURES:

*1 UNCIRCULATED 50TH ANNIVERSARY SAS $1 COIN (LEGAL TENDER IN AUSTRALIA)

*50TH ANNIVERSARY COLOURED ENVELOPE WITH S.A.S. MOTIFS AND SOLDIERS DISPLAY.

*50 CENT S.A.S. 50TH ANNIVERSARY STAMP AND POST MARK FROM SWANBOURNE, WA, THE HOME OF THE AUSTRALIAN S.A.S.

THE POST MARK IS DATED 4TH SEPTEMBER 2007, 50 YEARS TO THE DAY FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRST S.A.S. COMPANY OF THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY, SET UP RIGHT HERE IN PERTH. THESE SOLD OUT IN 2007 IN A MATTER OF DAYS, SO HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO PICK UP ONE OF THESE GREAT COLELCTOR ITEMS TODAY.

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50 YEARS OF THE AUSTRALIA SPECIAL AIR SERVICE REGIMENT

Early days

The Australian Special Air Service was established on 25 July 1957 as the 1st Special Air Service Company, Royal Australian Regiment. The SASR was expanded to three 'sabre squadrons and gained Regimental status on 20 August 1964 when the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) was established.

The SASR first saw action in 1965 as part of the British Commonwealth force stationed in north Borneo during the Indonesian Confrontation. The Australian SASR troopers operated alongside their British and New Zealand counterparts in operations aimed at stopping Indonesian infiltration into Malaysia, taking part in Operation Claret. Despite often being deployed in the reconnaissance role, SASR units inflicted at least 20 kills on Indonesian forces in a series of ambushes and contacts, on both sides of the border. Three SASR soldiers were killed during these operations, one gored by an elephant and the other two drowned during a river crossing.

Vietnam

The SASR's participation in the Vietnam War began when 3 Squadron deployed as part of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) in April 1966. The SASR's role in Vietnam was to act as the 'eyes and the ears' of the Australian Task Force through conducting reconnaissance patrols throughout 1 ATF's area of responsibility. As in Borneo the SASR operated closely with the New Zealand SAS, with a New Zealand SAS troop being attached to each Australian Squadron.

SASR Squadrons rotated through Vietnam on one year long deployments until the last Squadron was withdrawn in October 1971. During its time in Vietnam the Regiment was extremely successful in the reconnaissance role. Members of the Regiment became known as 'Phantoms of the Jungle' attributed to their fieldcraft.

The Australian and New Zealand SAS killed at least 492 and as many as 598 and losing only two men killed in action and three fatalities from friendly fire. The last remaining Australian digger who went Missing In Action in 1969 after falling into the jungle during a suspended rope extraction was found in August, 2008.

Australia's SASR also worked with U.S. SEAL Teams and U.S. Army Special Forces, and provided instructors to the LRRP School. Some members also served with the highly secret MACV-SOG Units.

After Vietnam

Members of the SASR's counter-terrorism Tactical Assault Group in 1980

The Australian withdrawal from Vietnam brought to an end the doctrine of 'forward defence' through involvement in South East Asian wars. Instead, the Australian military's new focus was on the defence of continental Australia against external attack. In line with this change, the SASR took the lead in developing the Australian Army's capability to conduct patrol operations in Northern Australia. This role is now filled by the Army's three Regional Force Surveillance Units.

Following the Sydney Hilton bombing in February 1978 the SASR was given responsibility for providing Australia's military counter-terrorism response force. n addition to being able to respond to terrorist attacks in Australian cities, the SASR counter-terrorism unit was also required to be capable of boarding ships and oil platforms.

Peacekeeping

The SASR has been at the forefront of numerous peacekeeping missions in recent years. The first SASR units to deploy on active service after the Vietnam War did so as part of Australian peacekeeping deployments. The first major deployment of SASR troops occurred when a squadron sized group deployed as part of the Commonwealth Monitoring Force in Rhodesia during the 1980 changeover to Zimbabwe. Small SASR units were attached to Australian forces in Somalia to provide an elite response and VIP protection and security. Contrary to some reports, SASR did not provide a security team for service in Cambodia although a number of SAS qualified signallers from 152 Signal Squadron were deployed as part of the Australian military contribution to the United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC) and FCU UNTAC. SASR Patrol Medics were also deployed as part of the contribution to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda, some of whom were present during the massacre at Kibeo. The current SOCOM RSM earned a Medal for Gallantry in Rwanda. There is a dedicated Security Sergeant's position within the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) allocated to SASR and several SAS qualified Signals Sergeants have also been deployed to MFO in Sinai. In addition, individual members of the SASR have been attached to a wide range of Australian peacekeeping deployments where their high levels of technical skills have proven invaluable.

The Blackhawk tragedy

Deaths during training accidents make up the majority of the SASR's fatalities. The worst accident in the Regiment's history occurred on 12 June 1996 when two S-70A Blackhawks from the 5th Aviation Regiment carrying SASR troopers collided during a live fire counter-terrorism/special recovery operation exercise at Fire Support Base Barbara in the High Range Training Area at Townsville, Queensland.

This activity was part of Exercise DAY ROTOR 96 and took place on the second day of the exercise sometime after 6:30pm in the evening requiring the pilots to use night vision goggles. Thirty seconds from the Landing Zone (LZ) one of the helicopters veered to the right, clipping the tail rotor of a second aircraft. Both aircraft caught fire, with one Black Hawk crashing immediately while the other was able to make a crash landing. The moments that followed were marked by outstanding heroism as crash survivors and soldiers from the other helicopters risked the flames and exploding ammunition to rescue their comrades and retrieve the bodies of the dead.

Fifteen members of the SASR and three members of the 5th Aviation Regiment lost their lives in the accident while 14 personnel were given official recognition for their part in the rescue and evacuation operations.

Broader horizons

In 1998 the SASR's made its first squadron strength deployment since Vietnam when 1 Squadron, with an attached New Zealand SAS troop, was deployed to Kuwait as part of the American-led Operation Desert Thunder. While this crisis was resolved peacefully, if military action had been taken the SASR's role would have been that of rescuing the crews of aircraft shot down by Iraqi air defences (CSAR).

The SASR played a key role in the Australian-led international peacekeeping force in East Timor between September 1999 and February 2000. 3 Squadron spearheaded most operations conducted by the international force during the early days of the intervention in East Timor and, as in Vietnam, served as the eyes and ears of the force. 1 Squadron replaced 3 Squadron in December 1999 and was subsequently replaced by 2 Squadron.

Domestic security and controversy

The SASR formed a key element of the security force in place for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. During the Games two SASR squadrons were available for Counter-Terrorist operations. The SASR's Counter-Terrorist role has increased in prominence since the September 11 terrorist attacks, and the SASR has since formed part of the security force for events such as the 2003 Rugby World Cup. The SASR currently provides one of Australia's two elite Tactical Assault Groups (designated TAG(West)), with the other TAG being provided by the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando).

The boarding of the MV Tampa in August 2001 is the most controversial incident in the SASR's history. In late August 2001 the Australian government ordered the then Counter-Terrorist squadron to deploy to Christmas Island and board the Tampa once it illegally entered Australian waters. While the members of the SASR involved did what they could to improve conditions on the Tampa, the use of an elite military unit to prevent refugees (who the Australian Government had labelled as illegal immigrants at the time) landing in Australia was not supported by all members of the Regiment and remains controversial. Less controversial, however, was the SASR's involvement in the boarding of the North Korean freighter MV Pong Su in 2003.

Afghanistan and Iraq

A SASR patrol in Iraq in 2003.

In October 2001 the Australian government announced that it was sending a Special Forces Task Group built around a SASR Squadron to participate in the campaign against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan (designated Operation Slipper) After staging through Kuwait, 1 Squadron arrived in Afghanistan in November 2001 with the other SASR squadrons rotating in at approximately 6 monthly intervals. Once again, a troop from the New Zealand SAS was attached to each Australian SASR squadron. The SASR's main role in Afghanistan was to conduct surveillance of al Qaeda and Taliban positions, though SASR Troopers also conducted a number of offensive operations. The SASR initially operated in southern Afghanistan with the US Marines before moving to eastern Afghanistan where it played an important role in Operation Anaconda. The SASR withdrew from Afghanistan in November 2002 after all three SASR squadrons had served in the country. One member of the SASR, Sergeant Andrew Russell, was killed during this deployment when the vehicle he was travelling in hit a land mine.

The SASR provided the majority of the ground force element of the Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The Australian Special Forces Task Group was built around 1 Squadron, with a platoon from the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and a troop from the Incident Response Regiment available to support the SASR. 1 Squadron operated in western Iraq where it was successful in securing its area of operations, including the huge Al Asad air base. 1 Squadron was withdrawn from Iraq without replacement shortly after the end of the war, though media reports have claimed that elements of the SASR have subsequently conducted counter-insurgency and training operations in Iraq.

The SASR was re-deployed to Afghanistan in August or September 2005. The Australian Special Forces Task Group in Afghanistan consisted of elements from the SASR, 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando), the Incident Response Regiment and logistic support personnel. This task group was withdrawn in September 2006. A Special Operations Task Group, including SASR, was redeployed to Afghanistan in April 2007. On 16 January 2009, it was announced that Trooper Mark Donaldson was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia, the highest award for gallantry in the Australian Honours system, for gallant acts performed whilst serving with the SAS in Afghanistan.