Campaign Groups and Pairs
Pape applying the ‘cuffs’ to ‘Ali’, after Sim Harris has identified him “Don’t hurt him. Don’t hurt him. He’s a nice boy.”
The girl was crying and pleading with an S.A.S. man [Pape] to leave Ali alone. The soldier screamed into her face. “Is he a terrorist or a hostage?” The girl refused to answer and continued to sob. “Don’t hurt him, please don’t hurt him.” She turned her head away. Sim shouted out across the lawn. “He’s a terrorist. There’s no doubt about it.”
The man ran over to Sim. He was dressed scruffily in jeans and a sweatshirt. He knelt down. “Are you sure. Are you positive he’s one of the terrorists?” “There’s no mistake,” said Sim, “He’s definitely one of them.” “Who are you? Harris?” “Yes.”
Three or four men stepped forward and grabbed hold of Ali, ripping his bound hands from the girl’s shoulder. They held him upside down by his arms and legs. Ali was screaming with fright. Next to him the girl was still sobbing.
The men started to move with Ali and were joined by a uniformed police officer with an Alsatian dog on a lead. He spoke to them briefly and then together with another policeman, led Ali away, across the garden and round to the front of the Embassy.’
Botswana - a training exercise with tragic results
Following the success of the Iranian Embassy Siege, Pape continued to serve with the SAS including service during the Falklands War and postings to Northern Ireland, as well as training specialist units around the world in the art of counter terrorism.
Pape was posted as part of B Squadron to Botswana in June 1985. The Squadron was posted in consequence of a series of cross-border attacks carried out by South African forces, all of which culminated ‘in June 1985 [when] South African forces carried out a raid on Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. Several homes were raided and twelve men, allegedly ANC members, were killed in their sleep. The South African government alleged that Botswana territory was used by ANC guerillas to launch attacks inside South Africa, including recent mine blasts which had killed white farmers near the border. Botswana rejected the claims, arguing that it did its utmost to prevent ANC military activities inside its territory.
Botswana appealed to the British for help; the appeal was approved by Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe and a Regiment squadron of eighty men was to be sent to train Botswana’s soldiers to defend their country against border raids by Big Brother. Selected soldiers from the BDF (Botswana Defence Force) would be given special training, including techniques of aggressive counter-attack to neutralise South African raiding parties. We were told the training would take place in the north of the country, well away from the South African border. We would not be involved in any contact with the SADF (South African Defence Force).’ (Immediate Action by Andy McNab refers)
Pape was serving with 9 Troop up in the Tsodilo Hills, when an accident occurred during a training exercise. Two of the troop were stranded up one of the mountains, and the following is recorded about the incident by Andy McNab (who was there as part of 7 Troop) in Immediate Action:
‘We could hear on the radio that Ivor [the pseudonym used for Pape in the book] was now with them on the mountain and needed everyone’s help. About 5’7” and wiry, Ivor was a mountain goat from somewhere up north. He came from an armoured regiment and had been at the Embassy and the Falklands. He wasn’t one to mince his words on the net.
“Joe is dead,” he said. “The boss is going to be taken down by Harry and George. This is what I want to happen.”
He wanted everyone to get as far up the mountain as possible and meet him coming down. How he was going to do it we had no idea, but we started up towards him.
The storm now looked as if it was just teasing us. There was a little rain but nothing to worry about, apart from time. The heli didn’t want to leave at night; we had to get a move on or it would leave without Joe, Slaphead [injured earlier in the day] being the main priority now.
It was about two hours before Ivor got to us. He was in shit state; he was sweating heavily and covered in grime, he had cuts on his elbows and knees, and his face and arms were bruised from the effort of moving a very heavy Joe off the mountain. He had put Joe into a mountain stretcher and then started to abseil down. It was a major feat of strength to kick himself and Joe over the overhangs. He should have got a medal that day. We took the body the rest of the way down. The heli then had two bodies on board instead of the one they had expected.
We learned that a device used to attach a person to the rock face had given way, and Joe had gone bouncing down the hill until he got stopped by his next ‘safety’. The Boss had climbed down to Joe and tried to save him but it was too late. However a casualty is not dead until he is confirmed dead, so he tried anyway.’
Pape advanced to Acting Staff Sergeant, and was discharged, 22 June 1990, having served 14 years and 50 days with the Army.
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