The Feather Men: secret SAS committee?

[Jan Klimkowski]

Intriguing thread on the Army Rumour Service.

Here is one provocative snippet:

Many of you are asking whether or not the background to this book is true? Well I can offer two pieces of information which may well convince people of the truth and they are as follows: -

1. An author by the name of David Mason released his book 'Shadow Over Babylon' in 1993 which went on to be a best seller. At the time of publication David Mason was interviewed on the radio - I can't remember who interviewed him but having read 'The Feather Men' my ears pricked up when his name was mentioned, so I intently listened to the forthcoming interview, which took place about the time of his book being published. I remember quite clearly the interviewer asking about his book and a specific question as to how he managed to get the book published etc. (For those who have not read the book it is basically about Iraq and the would be assasination of Saddam). David Mason's went on to tell the story about his great friend Ranulph Fiennes who two years previously had penned a story called 'The Feather Men' which he submitted for publication. He met with the publisher who liked the treatment but was unsure as to the pedigree or background and suggested to Ranulph that if there was such a group then perhaps he could/would arrange a meeting with just such an individual, and what was deemed as part of the deal, Sir Ranulph was to present the individual at a luncheon date in the near future, and if this could happen then his book would almost certainly be published. With this in mind Sir Ranulph agreed and telephoned David Mason who he hadn't seen for a time and suggested that as he was going to be up in town on a certain date to meet with his publisher that perhaps David would care to join him and get a free lunch on the publisher, and afterwards they would get some time together to catch up on the past etc. David Mason readily agreed to this completely unaware of what was going on. At lunch David was introduced to the publisher and they chatted extensively over lunch about this and that, the publisher now and again posing certain questions that according to the story only a bone fide 'Feather Man' would know the answers (don't forget the book had not been published nor had David Mason or Sir Ranulph seen each other for some time) therefore the publisher was convinced. Later in the day David Mason asked Sir Ranulph what it was all about and Sir Ranulph then told him about how the publisher had wanted to meet a 'Feather Man' before he would agree to publish the book. So David Mason was set up! He didn't forget this and told the interviewer that he had said to Sir Ranulph that on that basis he now owed him a favour and left it at that. No more was said until 1993 when 'Shadow over Babylon' was ready for publication and David Mason contacted Sir Ranulph for a second introduction to Bloomsbury and in particular to his publisher in return for his being set-up by Sir Ranulph two years previously, and of course Sir Ranulph was only too pleased to return the favour.

2. The second pointer is that Sir Ranulph Fiennes in his book 'The Feather Men' published photographs of various members of the Regiment all of whom he stated had died, however he also reproduced a photograph of David Mason in the Middle East in 1977 which proves that David Mason was indeed well known to Sir Ranulph and possibly a good friend of his thus bearing out the fact that both men knew each other reasonably well and that as with anyone in the regiment they became good friends.

I think with both of these items that there is a very strong possibilty of such a group existing - in fact I would suggest that not only does such a group exist but it is probably also known to have another link that could be known as Group 13.

I hope this post goes some way to answer the speculation about 'The Feather Men'.

The DPF thread on Group 13, including some of David Guyatt's work, which mentions The Feather Men, can be seen here.