First Into Action: A Dramatic Personal Account of Life Inside the SBS

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Hydes Brewery Limited is delighted to announce the acquisition of Chester-based pub company Woodward and Falconer. We would like to thank our bankers, RBS and our professional advisors, DWF, BDO and KPMG for their considerable support on the transaction. It would not be until the 1961-62 campaign that he would make a real impact, ending the season as the Easter Road side’s top scorer with 12 goals from just 18 appearances.

First Into Action: A Dramatic Personal Account of Life Inside First Into Action: A Dramatic Personal Account of Life Inside

Duncan says: “He was armed to the teeth, famous for walking with his rifle held out in front of him. He would shoot you as soon as he saw you. It was a baptism of fire.” Woodward and Falconer was founded in 2001 and has built up a group of 6 high quality food-led pubs located in Chester, the Wirral and North Wales. On 25 February 2015 Simon West was hired to direct the film, which was fully financed by GFM Films. [4] Five days before the filming was set to begin, Cavill exited the film due to creative differences with the script. [5] Later it was announced that Dominic Cooper would take over the title role. Despite all these things I have bitched and moaned about, it was still a good novel, but unfortunately for Duncan Falconer all his works are compared against his John Stratton series. Everything else pales in comparison. Maybe if I had read his stand alone novels first I would have enjoyed this book more, and maybe it would have been a four star instead of a three star.Stratton review – acting's all-time low". the Guardian. 3 September 2017 . Retrieved 7 September 2021. In just over five seasons at Easter Road, Falconer would make 63 appearances in all competitions for the first team.

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Falconer joined the British Royal Marines at the age of 18. At 19 years of age, he attended SBS selection in Poole Dorset and was one of nine Marines to successfully complete the course out of 147 men. Most candidates are required to serve some time in a Commando unit before applying, however Duncan was given an exception. This was due to many SBS operatives leaving to instead work as deep sea divers in the North Sea for the lucrative salaries. The SBS briefly allowed recruits from CTCRM to apply for selection before serving the usual minimum time in a commando unit. Later he was posted to 42 Commando as a career broadening opportunity. [2] Principal photography on the film began on 15 July 2015 in Brindisi, Lecce, Squinzano and Casalabate, Italy, and then the shooting would move to Rome and then to London. [7] Filming was previously set to begin on 2 June, but was rescheduled after Cavill left the film. [5] Critical response [ edit ] Falconer served the majority of his military service with the SBS. During his time in the military, he also served with the SAS, and 14 Intelligence Detachment, deployed to Northern Ireland with each for one year and two and a half years respectively. After he left the Detachment he took a sabbatical for a year before returning to the SBS where he was posted to MAT ("Maritime Anti-Terrorism") operations in which he was involved in a number of exercises retaking oil rigs and tankers. [3] After the SBS [ edit ] We were saddened to learn of the passing of Duncan Falconer, who featured for The Hibees in the late 1950s and early 60s. On 3 November 2014 it was announced that Henry Cavill would next star in the action thriller film Stratton, to be produced by his own banner Promethean Productions, Amber Entertainment, and GFM Films. [3] It would be based on Duncan Falconer's eight-novel series of the same name, featuring the lead character John Stratton, an SBS soldier working for the Intelligence Detachment in Northern Ireland. [3] The film, produced by Ileen Maisel and Lawrence Elman, who also bought the film rights to the novel, would be set in Southern Italy, Rome and London. [3]Duncan Falconer is the chosen pseudonym of a popular British author of the popular John Stratton series. His real name is unknown as well as parental origin. Falconer was an orphan. He was abandoned at birth and raised in an orphanage in the North London area. Later, he was adopted by a British couple and spent the rest of his childhood in the Battersea. Although he had accompanied the side on the close-season tour of Germany and Yugoslavia in 1960, Falconer would have great difficulty in securing a regular place in the first team and it would not be until the 1961-62 campaign that he would make a real impact, ending the season as the Easter Road side’s top scorer with 12 goals from just 18 appearances, two more than the recently signed Gerry Baker. His autobiography, and first literary publication, First into Action included accounts of the actions carried out by the SBS and 14 Intelligence Detachment. The tone of this work was in contrast to a number of biographies of other ex- special forces personnel at the time – the tales not just about the heroic actions of those he served alongside, but also showed the more humorous, realistic side of the troops. The book also highlighted the rivalry and antagonism between the Special Boat Service and Special Air Service and the history behind their conflict. Although he had accompanied the side on the close-season tour of Germany and Yugoslavia in 1960, Falconer would have great difficulty in securing a regular place in the first team. Stephen Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter was critical of the "creaky script and dim-witted plot" saying the film "offers little but dusty old thriller cliches borrowed from better films." [14]

Duncan Falconer - Fantastic Fiction

At the age of 18, Falconer found another family. He joined the British Royal Marines. At age 19 he went to the SBS (special boat services) selection in Poole Dorset and was only one of nine Marines (out of a class of 147 other men) to successfully complete the challenging SBS course. His mastery of the course and military knowledge impressed his superiors. Even though the military required most candidates are rto serve time as a Commando before applying to the Special Boat Services, Falconer was chosen as an exception to this requirement. To broaden his career, his superiors posted him as the 42 Commando at a later date. Duncan Falconer decided to continue his pursuit of a writing career in the United Kingdom. His first literary publication was First into Action. The military thriller was about Falconer’s adventures in the military. Most of the plotline are semi-biographical accounts of his actions in the Special Boat Services and in the 14 Intelligence Detachment. Although there were other ex-military novelists in the market, Falconer’s work was distinctive. He not only provided striking visualizations about his military escapades, he also depicted the relationships formed between comrades along with the humorous aspects of military life. There didn't seem to be much of a resolution to the romantic subplot either, which, lets face it, no one who reads these types of novels does so for the romantic plots that are often thrown into the mix, but this romance seemed to be unfinished, and after the importance that it had during the story, that was surprising.

Publication Order of John Stratton Books

Then from 150 hopefuls, he was one of only nine to pass the SBS selection course. And, aged 19, was the only one of the new recruits to last more than a few months of active service. He says: “That usually happened when operations went a bit wrong. You would end up with bullets flying and bodies everywhere.” a b McNary, Dave (28 May 2015). "Henry Cavill Ditches Action-Thriller 'Stratton' ". Variety . Retrieved 9 July 2015. His last appearance for the first team was a 5-2 home victory against Queen of the South on March 7, 1964.