21 Special Air Service Regiment (V) Artists Rifles
British Army Reserve special forces regiment, 21 SAS (Artists Rifles)
21 Special Air Service Regiment (V) Artists Rifles is a unit of the UK Special Forces Reserves (UKSF(R)).[1] The British Army refers to it as 21 SAS(R);[2] its title preserves the name of the Victorian Artists Rifles volunteer regiment.[3]
History
According to the National Army Museum, the Artists Rifles regiment "was formed in 1860 by a group of painters, architects, poets, sculptors, musicians and actors concerned about a possible French invasion"; notable members included William Morris, Frederick Leighton and Noël Coward.[4] When the Special Air Service was re-formed in 1947, according to the Museum, it "consisted of just one Territorial Army (TA) unit - 21st Battalion, Special Air Service Regiment (Artists Rifles)". In 1951 Z Squadron of 21st SAS was deployed in the Malayan Emergency, fighting under the name of the Malayan Scouts; in 1952 it was absorbed into the regular Army as 22nd SAS Regiment, which the Museum calls "the only time a regular unit has ever been formed out of a TA unit".[3]
Current role
The British Army describes 21 and 23 SAS as "an integrated part of the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) group comprising regular and reserve units, operating at the strategic, and tactical level". Selection includes a five-week stage covering "Surveillance Reconnaissance, Signals and SERE (Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape)" and mandatory training in "Partner Resistance Operations". Their support squadron staff, who do not have to pass selection, include Intelligence Corps analysts, who "deploy in support of their SAS counterparts". The Army gives 21 SAS(R)'s recruiting areas as London and the South East, Wales, the M3/M4 corridor, East Anglia and the South West.[2]
1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade
Army Briefing Note 120/14, on the newly formed Force Troops Command specialist brigades, stated that the 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade "commands all of the Army's Intelligence, Surveillance and EW assets, and is made up of units specifically from the former 1 MI Bde and 1 Arty Bde, as well as 14 Sig Regt, 21 and 23 SAS(R)".[5] On that wording 21 SAS(R) was one of the units placed under the brigade, alongside 14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare); it was not itself described as commanding intelligence assets.[5]
See also
- Special Air Service
- 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade
- 14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare)
- Intelligence Corps
Notes
- ↑ C Squadron 21 Special Air Service Regiment (V) Artists Rifles, armyjobs.mod.uk, accessed 1 January 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 British Army, 21 and 23 Special Air Service (SAS) army.mod.uk, accessed 7 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 National Army Museum, Special Air Service nam.ac.uk, accessed 7 November 2026.
- ↑ National Army Museum, Behind the scenes: Artists Rifles event listing for 4 July 2018, nam.ac.uk, accessed 7 November 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Army Briefing Note 120/14, Newly Formed Force Troops Command Specialist Brigades (no public copy of the briefing note has been located; title and quotation as used in Army restructuring citations).