Ex-SAS Neil Laughton has scaled Everest , traced Shackleton ’ s footsteps , flown a car to Timbuktu and crossed the Sinai Desert with 40 teenagers . But that ’ s nothing compared to fighting French bureaucracy on behalf of the new Shoreham to Paris airline .
Bravo
Two Hero
Ex-SAS Neil Laughton has scaled Everest , traced Shackleton ’ s footsteps , flown a car to Timbuktu and crossed the Sinai Desert with 40 teenagers . But that ’ s nothing compared to fighting French bureaucracy on behalf of the new Shoreham to Paris airline .
You ’ ve been a Royal Marine Commando and in the SAS . Was that a boyhood dream for you ?
I was twelve when my dad , who was a navy Commander , helicoptered me and my three best friends to his aircraft carrier . It wasn ’ t the navy that attracted me , but the Royal Marines all camouflaged up with rifles slung round their shoulders going off to do a mission ashore . Eight years later I was amongst them and it was a defining moment in my life .
Life ’ s all about ups and downs and as I became a Royal Marine Commando my dad was diagnosed with cancer , a terrible time and eventually he died . Mentally I went off the rails a bit with the trauma and sadness of losing my dad who was my one and only mentor . It affected my leadership and that was spotted by the Marines so I was let go .
It took me a few years to recover . I became a door to door salesman paid on commission only , I didn ’ t sell anything . I stayed at the YMCA . It took two years to become reasonably successful selling office supplies but I felt that I had unfinished business put myself through the tough one year SAS selection process . I served for twelve years , first as a trooper - the lowest rank in the British army . Then I was promoted back to officer and ended up as Captain and Troop Commander .
Are there any postings you can mention ?
Not really because I signed the Official Secrets Act , but I can tell you one story . We were on a simulated , but realistic , live training exercise in a European city . It had a harbour and our task was placing dummy limpet mines on two ships . The local defence force were looking for us and they were going to bang us up in jail should we get caught . So we parachuted in and had to speed-march about 10 miles with heavy equipment and a canoe . We canoed across a stretch of water , linked up with our patrol boat , stashed the canoes , slept in a wood for three nights and swam across the harbour with rifles over our shoulders . When the dummy exploded the alarm went up and we were chased across the harbour . I was caught by two Alsatians and banged up for two days . It didn ’ t go very well .
How did your years of service change you ?
I changed an awful lot since the age of 16 . I was a desperately shy boy . My mates would do debating society and stand up in front of the class but I wouldn ’ t say boo to a goose . I was a slow learner , academically challenged and majorly lacking in confidence as a young man . All these experiences from the Marines , to the SAS , to being a salesman forced me to grow up very quickly and to develop my confidence and communication skills to where I am today .
What would you say to a young person considering becoming a Commando ?
If you really feel it ’ s what you ’ d like to do and you have the commitment to see it through and the determination to overcome the physical and mental challenges , I ’ d highly recommend giving it a go and not having any regrets by not doing so .
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