[1980s] Background and Parent Unit for Female in 14 Co in the British Armed Forces

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Farmer

In addition to SRU (later 14 Company), women were seconded from MI5 or MI6, plus allied intelligence services (in particular Commonwealth allies) for intelligence gathering, undercover, counter-terrorism, and support roles.

Sure, but contrary to cinema, SIS and the Security Service were neither armed nor trained with firearms, for the most part. MI5 would operate with RUC Special Branch and the RUC are armed, most likely not the Security Service personnel. Shots fired during an RUC operation means testimonies in open court and it's infinitely preferable to have the legally constituted officer, with training and the legal authority to carry a weapon, sitting there in that witness dock.

As for SIS, I don't see the benefit. If conspiracies within British politics, civil service, intelligence or security services wanted to commit crimes in Northern Ireland, they'd probably have special military units, police or security services recruit an agent within sectarian militias, and then use such agents for whatever extrajudicial activities they are doing. Sending an actual SIS officer to Northern Ireland for professional purposes is just as illegal, but has no upside. RUC SB Inpectors already know how to turn informants and as for 'pseudo-terrorist' operations and the PRU, that was apparently organized under the auspices of the military, as 14 Company was, just as it was in Borneo, Malay, Aden and Kenya.

I'm not looking for where women can learn to become Jane Bond in the 1980s, because 14 Company teach exactly the skill set needed, and has a pre-set duration of secondment, after which the operator is 'returned to their parent unit'.

I need to know what jobs women who volunteer for 14 Company were doing in the British Armed Forces before they found out about a chance to volunteer for dangerous duties. And I want to know what parent units they would have returned to after their 14 Company rotation and whether any of them perhaps took stock of their life, thought about doing that job for the next two years, and might instead be recruitable for another adventure.