why SAS and not Z Force ?

[jango]

During world war 2 Australia formed the Z Force and the British formed the SAS. AT wars end Australia disbanded the Z Force. Then in 1959 the Australian goverment decide to reform special forces in the army which they named the Special Air Service Regiment ( SASR ).

Why did they name the regiment the SAS and not name it Z force in keeping with the unit that Australia had in WW2 ?

Now this is just a question about the naming of the regiment and not about the different functions that the Z force and SAS carried out in WW2 if they differed in any way.

[digrar]

http://books.google.com/books?id=0Qs4sTnGeewC&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36&dq=sas+company&source=web&ots=U7MApzAqhp&sig=KjDDo08wIl8D9ckCrMCssTr5gP8#PPA43,M1

Have a look through Phantoms of War/Phantoms of the Jungle by David Horner. It probably won't directly answer your question, but it will give you a bit of a heads up.

[baboon6]

Z Special Unit was never an actual regiment with its own capbadge etc, it was a holding unit within the Services Reconnaissance Department (the cover name for Special Operations Australia-Aussie version of SOE) from which teams were drawn for operations. SRD was in turn part of AIB, Allied Intelligence Bureau, which also ended up comprising Secret Intelligence Australia (the Australian offshoot of SIS), the coast-watchers, and the Far East Liaison Office (a propaganda unit).

As to why the SAS name was adopted I would guess a) it was to be a specifically army unit, not combined services as in the WW2 spec-op units and b) there were already SAS units in the armies of Britain and New Zealand.

[TheBelgian]

Maybe it was decided that 'Z Force' sounds like something out of GI Joe, or the Power Rangers.

[Kilkenny]

Or G- Force. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoO5H_UKCrw


SAS was a wise decision.

[Scrim]

Maybe it was decided that 'Z Force' sounds like something out of GI Joe, or the Power Rangers.
Actually "Z(ZED) Force" was one of the "factions" of "Action Force" the British version of GI Joe. They battled Baron Ironblood and his Red Shadows, which were just casts of German WW2 soldiers painted red with cool helmets.
http://www.yojoe.com/archive/actfig/actionforce.shtml

[Laworkerbee]

Great Aussie movie "Attack Force Z"
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/812/attackforcezdvdmn8.jpg

[California Joe]

Whew, I'm glad we got that sorted. It's been bugging me for years.

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Australian special forces have since then kept some traditions. Naming vessels after poisenous snakes and ****.

[AIRBORNEJOCK]

is it maybe something to do with the aussies operating with the brits in malaya under the sas?thats why rhodesia had c sqn 22 sas it was still rhodesian but on the britsh orbat,and i think correct me if im wrong thats why the kiwis named there sf that?

[baboon6]

is it maybe something to do with the aussies operating with the brits in malaya under the sas?thats why rhodesia had c sqn 22 sas it was still rhodesian but on the britsh orbat,and i think correct me if im wrong thats why the kiwis named there sf that?

The Aussie SAS never operated in the Malayan Campaign, 1 SAS Company (as they were originally called) was only formed in 1957, shortly before 22 SAS Regt was withdrawn from Malaya. The original New Zealand SAS squadron was part of 22 SAS in Malaya from 1955 to 1957. They were disbanded on return to NZ and reformed a few years later. Both Aussie and Kiwi SAS sent elements to work with 22 SAS in the Borneo campaign.