A former director of UK special services said three SAS candidates who died during a test march in the Brecon Beacons had pushed themselves “beyond their ability to endure” because they were so determined to make the grade. But he said there were shortcomings in the way they had been prepared for the exercise.
Giving evidence from behind a screen and identified only by the cipher EE, the man – a major-general and the highest ranking soldier to give evidence – also conceded there were problems with the way the candidates were monitored during the test and accepted the emergency response after the men’s collapse had been slow.
Giving a rare insight into the workings of the SAS, he said the decentralised nature of the organisation may have contributed to the failings and also pointed out that much of the focus at the time was on operations in Afghanistan.
Lance Corporals Craig Roberts and Edward Maher and Corporal James Dunsby all suffered fatal heat illness as temperatures soared on the Brecon Beacons, south Wales, in July 2013.
The inquest in Solihull, West Midlands, has heard claims the march was not called off despite the heat because a cancellation would have generated too much paperwork. Candidates have given vivid accounts of running out of water, collapsing in the heat and having to be helped by civilians.
EE, a former head of the SAS, said that – the heat aside – conditions in the hills that day were “perfect” with good visibility, access and an apparently very fit group of men taking part. He described the test at one point as a “rigorous march in the Welsh mountains”. He said the test was “well proven and well tried” and had been run for more than 40 years.
During his evidence, EE was reprimanded by the Birmingham coroner, Louise Hunt, for talking over her, not answering a question and for starting to tell an anecdote about his own selection march on the Brecon Beacons when he said he had stopped for 45 minutes, made himself a stew and changed his socks.
EE was allowed to give evidence anonymously on grounds of national security and personal safety. He described his job at the time of the test march as “director of specialist military units”, explaining that his role was overseeing operations in support of “Her Majesty’s foreign defence policy” and producing the soldiers capable of taking part in such operations.
EE told the inquest neither he nor those directly in charge that day were aware that the reservist candidates had stopped being given the same level of training before the test as their regular counterparts.
He said: “I think in the aftermath of the incident what struck me most forcibly was the fact that those responsible for conducting the exercise that day were not familiar either with the individuals or the preparatory training that the reservist cohort had undertaken.
“They were very familiar with the training undertaken by the regular candidates and they may have made the assumption that those who were sufficiently conditioned under their own training regime would have reflected the training by the reservists which was of course not the case. That was the result of a systematic dislocation in the training process.”
He said there was a “heavy degree of decentralisation” in the organisation with highly experienced individuals left to get on with their own duties. There was a monitoring system – but in 2013 this was dominated by operational concerns.
EE accepted that a “tracker” device designed to pick up if any of the candidates had stopped was not fit for purpose and accepted that communications were difficult on the mountain.
When Maher’s tracker device was examined it showed that he had not moved for almost two hours before it was noticed he was stationary. She told him: “That’s quite a serious situation.” EE replied: “I agree.”
The coroner asked EE if it would have been a serious omission if a “dynamic risk assessment” had not been made as soldiers began to suffer heat illness. EE suggested it would have been difficult for those in charge of the march to spot what things were going wrong and said the “full horror” had “emerged slowly and catastrophically”.
He added: “On the prevailing picture that exercise commander was getting he probably had a picture of an exercise that was proceeding according to plan.”
The coroner asked EE if he would expect three men to die that day.
He said: “Given the determination and the stamina of the three individuals, they ended up pushing themselves beyond their ability to endure.”
EE was asked by the coroner why a test march had gone on the day after the three men collapsed. He said it should have been cancelled.
The coroner said she was concerned by the “do or die” and “carry on whatever” attitude she has heard some candidates and staff appeared to have. EE replied that he understood her concerns but pointed out that candidates were volunteers who – if successful – would undertake high-intensity combat operations. But when asked if he was concerned that the management structure was not working, he replied: “It concerns me greatly.”
Dunsby’s widow, Bryher, and Robert’s father, Kelvin, were both allowed to sit at the front of the court so they could see behind the screen.
Alexandra Tampakopoulos, for Roberts’ parents, asked EE if he wished to say anything to them. He replied: “On behalf of the organisation and myself I would like to play public tribute to the memory of your three sons.
“Marvellous men taken down in the prime of their life, at the height of their ambition, undertaking an exception challenge to achieve an exceptional goal of joining the regiment of their choice. We, like you, mourn them greatly.”
Tampakopoulos said there were a “catalogue of failures”. EE said: “Clearly there were further provisions that might have been made.”
The inquest continues.
