[P/O W. 'Moggy' Cattermole]

I spoke to an ex (1970's) member of the Special Air Service (my father's second wife's own father), and enevitably asked which of these he thought was the most elite unit of the British Army: SAS, SBS, Royal Marines, Gurkhas, Parachute Regiment. I forget how the order of the last 3 but he was very definite in this:

The SBS is the most elite unit in the British Armed Forces. They are far more covert in what they do than the SAS; selection and training is even harder than the SAS's own one (they put the recruits through the SAS scheme and then more). The SAS is an elite; it picks the cream of the Army's regiments; the Royal Marines are also an elite. The SBS picks members from the SAS and Royal Marines and is therefore an elite of an elite.