History

WATCH: British Pathfinders Take Skills From World War II Into Afghanistan

October 26, 2021Matt Fratus
Ben Garwood Pathfinders SAS coffee or die

Ben Garwood, right, joined the British military in 1997 and retired rather recently. He is the owner of HR4K, a lifestyle brand based in Herefordshire, England. He is also a former member of the Pathfinders as well as the tier one British Special Air Service. Photo courtesy of Ben Garwood.

Ben Garwood, a former British pathfinder, describes his wartime experiences in Afghanistan in the 2015 documentary Pathfinders: Into the Heart of Afghanistan.


“I did an Afghanistan tour there where we did some brilliant stuff,” Garwood, who served more than 11 years with the British Special Air Service, told the Late Night History podcast about his experiences. “A lot of missions were long-range mobility that probably hasn’t seen the extent of that sort of mobility since the back end of the Second World War.”


The pathfinders are a reconnaissance platoon for the British 16th Air Assault Brigade. Similarly to British special operators who located and marked drop zones from Europe to North Africa ahead of invasion forces in World War II, modern-day pathfinders acted as the eyes and ears for NATO forces in Afghanistan.


Ben Garwood HR4K SAS Pathfinders coffee or die
“Homemade M79, made from some spare offcuts of aluminum and the butt of an LSW.” Photo courtesy of Ben Garwood/HR4K.

“The interesting fact from the heritage of the Second World War is the way we patrol on the ground and the way we do our contact drills stems from cavalry and tank units,” Garwood explained. “And we still use that practice today. When we get into a contact and have to fall out or maneuver, always ensure we’ve got essentially one foot on the ground. That still comes from old school mobo.’”


These missions into the central badlands of Helmand Province, the largest and most remote area of the country, were arduous and brutally effective. 


“We were getting resupplied to support those patrols,” Garwood explained. “The information you’re gaining was massively critical to the strategic effect of that brigade.”


Watch the documentary on YouTube below to learn more about the deployment that granted the first access into this elite British Pathfinder Platoon.


Read Next: How a British Officer Disabled a German Armoured Vehicle With an Umbrella in the Heat of Battle



Matt Fratus
Matt Fratus

Matt Fratus is a history staff writer for Coffee or Die. He prides himself on uncovering the most fascinating tales of history by sharing them through any means of engaging storytelling. He writes for his micro-blog @LateNightHistory on Instagram, where he shares the story behind the image. He is also the host of the Late Night History podcast. When not writing about history, Matt enjoys volunteering for One More Wave and rooting for Boston sports teams.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway: Where America's March to Victory Began

The US Navy outwitted and outfought the Imperial Japanese Navy to secure victory in the do-or-die Battle of Midway.

ukraine russia stalemate
Ukraine Tries To End Stalemate; Russia Says It Repelled Attacks

Ukrainian forces were making a major effort to end months of a battlefield stalemate and punch throu...

dad
Mustaches, Short-Shorts, and MP5s: Rad Dad Operators

With Father’s Day rapidly approaching, take a look back at some of the raddest dads to ever walk the planet.

world war II vets utah beach
World War II Veterans Return to Utah Beach To Commemorate D-Day

Dozens of World War II veterans, mostly Americans and British, traveled to Normandy this week to mar...

Pastrana
Wounded Veterans Gather for an Epic Day at Pastranaland

Keeping up his family tradition, action sports legend Travis Pastrana hosted wounded veterans at his 65-acre ‘Pastranaland’ over Memorial Day weekend.

fort bragg fort liberty
Fort Bragg Drops Confederate Namesake for Fort Liberty

Fort Bragg shed its Confederate namesake Friday to become Fort Liberty in a ceremony some veterans s...

father's day
Father’s Day Gift Guide: Don’t Disappoint Your Dad … Again

It’s less than two weeks until Father’s Day, and last-minute gifts for Dad are harder to come by tha...

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved