Falklands veteran Tony Shaw looks back on career in new book

In SAS South Georgia Boating Club, Tony Shaw chronicles his personal journey to make a success of life.

During the book's launch at Tranmere Rovers' Prenton Park, Tony told the Globe: "The book came about because I have a grown-up son who was aware that I had written a scrapbook about my time during the Falklands War and with his encouragement I turned it a book.

"The intention was really for the family, just for private consumption.

"As time went on and more and more family members and close friends read the manuscript, I was encouraged to seek a publisher. I then wrote an extended version to encompass my life story."

Tony Shaw with a copy of his book during launch at Prenton Park. Picture: Craig Manning

The book begins with Tony's upbringing in Birkenhead, describing his growing up in a run-down part of the town and enduring support for Tranmere Rovers.

Instead of following his brother into the shipyard, he took the decision to join the Army, finally opting to join the Royal Corps of Signals as a junior entrant.

It meant leaving school at the age of fifteen without any qualifications and taking a huge gamble with what he could hope to achieve with his life.

The book continues through thirty years in the British Army, including service in the Special Air Service and afterwards on commissioning as an officer in the Royal Corps of Signals.

The details of SAS Selection are described in a matter-of-fact way which makes you appreciate the personal sacrifices that have to be made if you aspire to join this world-famous unit.

The section on the Falklands War is based on the war diary Tony kept which became the nucleus for this memoir of an SAS trooper.

The direct-action role of D Squadron in the Falklands War jumps out at you from the pages as a series of recces, clearance patrols, skirmishes, diversionary raids and ambushes, all vital skills of an SAS trooper.

Tony writes: "You can also guarantee that wherever small boats are required, Boat Troop will be in the thick of the action."

The book finally describes what Tony has done since leaving the army and also an insight into life as a security consultant in various Middle East terrorist hotspots.

Tony Shaw with Tranmere Rovers chairman Mark Palios during book launch at Prenton Park. Picture: Tony Coombes

A promotional note for the book states "If you are expecting to read about any heroics you will be disappointed. The author was nothing more than an average SAS trooper, but then again there is no such thing as an average SAS trooper."

Tony joined the Royal Signals aged 15 as a junior entrant at the Army Apprentice College Harrogate.

He volunteered for 264 (SAS) Signal Squadron and after four years attached to D Squadron, 22 SAS and qualifying as a military parachutist, passed 'SAS Selection' in 1980.

He returned to D Squadron spending four years with 17 (Boat) Troop, serving in Northern Ireland and the Falklands. In due course he went on to spend three years commanding D Squadron’s Signals Troop.

During his military career he learnt five languages and was promoted through the ranks to WO1 and was commissioned in 1991.

After retiring as a major in 1999 he pursued a second career as a technical and security specialist in the Middle East. A lifelong Tranmere Rovers supporter, Tony enjoys mountain walking and running.

Tony continued: "Once I had written my story, I then needed someone to write the foreword. Normally, you would ask a senior officer to write the foreword, but being in the SAS people can be a bit more cagey and it was proving difficult to get somebody willing to do it without many, many caveats.

"So I thought well 'who else do I know whose well-known and has, perhaps, a local link' a then I thought of Mark Palios, chairman of Rovers.

"We have another link as we both went to the same school, St Anselms College. Mark was in the year above me and that led me to approach him.

"I couldn't have thought of a better personality really, as Mark has been really supportive from day one."

"I'm sure most people can appreciate that if you've been in the Special Air Service, it's not something you can discuss in any great detail with people.

"So, then I thought 'well I'm writing about events that took place 40 years ago, this is the 40 anniversary of the Falklands War, so it seemed to me that if I was ever going to do it, now was the right time."

"When the book was reviewed by the MOD Disclosure Committee, they've given me express prior authority in writing to publish - not approval, because they don't approve books.

"They ask authors, or budding authors, to consider national security, operational capability, personal security and of course other people's personal security.

"That led me to use pseudonyms throughout the book, for my former comrades, and to redact one or two items, but very few, and I don't think it's affected the continuity of the story."

He has no plans to pursue a writing career, adding: "This is most definitely a 'one off'. What I have tried to do is satisfy my son's request to write a book and listened to his encouragement to get it published.

"The book's got a broad appeal. First of all, if you're from Wirral it will appeal to you; even more so if you're a Tranmere Rovers fan.

"If, like me, you've been in the army cadets and you are thinking of a career in the Army, particularly Royal Signals or Special Air Service then there's many pointers in this book to guide your choice and make you think carefully before committing. "It may give you a few points on what to do to sort yourself out before making any kind of service decision."

"The book will also appeal to historians, to people who happen to live on the Falkland Islands and, don't forget, the opposition from Argentina.

"I'm talking to several Argentine veterans who are asking about the book and whether there will be a Spanish translation.

"At the moment, it's unlikely there will be a Spanish version of the book, but even so quite a few of the Argentine veterans have told me they intend to buy the English version."

Lingham's Booksellers in Heswall will be stocking the book.