MELVYN DOWNES SAS | THE DEBRIEF | Former 22 SAS Sergeant Major Melvyn Downes
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- In this episode of The Debrief, former 22 SAS Trooper Big Phil Campion speaks to Melvyn Downes.
A tough childhood in Stoke in the 1960/70's meant Melvyn would have to stand up against bullies from a very young age, even alternating his routes home from school to avoid altercations. Finding his passion for the Armed Forces when he was a small child kept him motivated and out of trouble in his teenage years, rising up the ranks in the Army Cadets before joining junior leaders aged 16. Multiple tours of Northern Ireland & a deployment to the Gulf War later, Melvyn passed SAS Selection in 1994 and served 12 years in D Squadron, alongside our host Phil Campion. Melvyn went on to train UAE Special Forces in the middle east for a number of years, before appearing on Channel 4's 'SAS Who Dares Wins' as a DS. Melvyn is passionate about his hometown of Stoke, and now delivers motivational talks and arranges charitable events with Stoke City FC, to help those that need it.
Melvyn is in the process of writing a book, and has a CZcams Channel that can be found HERE: / @exsasmelvyndownes
Melvyn's Socials:
Instagram: @MelvynDownes
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Salt of the earth... no ego... hard as bloody nails... British through and through... his dad must of been some man and the proudest man on the planet!!
Melvyn is a real working class hero and someone for the youth of today to look up to and be inspired by. Thanks for this interview.
Another soldier who needed to join. The best soldier ever
The last bit of pride I have in my country, comes from blokes like Melvyn and Phil. Real British heroes 🇬🇧
Thank you for sharing 🇬🇧
I’m a simple man, I see Melvyn Downes being interviewed by big Phil and I click.
Easy decision 👏⚔️
Think you speak for about 99.9% of people on here
Cringe 🤮🤮🤮🤮
Watched it with my 17 year old lad tonight, he usually lasts ten minutes on these podcasts before he's back on the PS4. Not tonight, he did the full 1hr 46mins. Best thing we've seen on CZcams in a long time. Well done lads.
Thank you both, we hope you enjoy some of our other SF pods, SBS & another old school SAS guest coming out next 2 episodes ⚔️🫡
Fair play to the lad, and to you also for showing him this. You just never know too, I joined up after seeing the coverage of the Falklands War, maybe something will click with your lad.
Cheers pal, he's already in the cadets, but this podcast has got rid of any doubts he had. Cos no one listens to their dad at 17 do they!
@@jamesroundthebend8495 Get you belt out mate. 🤣
@@Sidney1WGI joined up after hearing some of my family stories about being in the forces my uncle was a search and rescue member for the raf during the Falklands. my grandad was sas in Brunei I think it was, I had another uncle who was an rsm in the military police and my dad was a pti in the durham light infantry .I was a pioneer and my younger brother was in the reme oh I had a great uncle who was part of the air assault brigade that jumped at one of the famous bridge battles.my family have served in almost every conflict since ww1 and I couldn't be prouder it's just a shame us vets get let down so badly by our government when we leave the forces you would think we would get put top of housing lists after sacrificing so much for our countries
What a genuine nice guy, i could listen to him speak all day.
Cracking show......Melvyn Downes is one of the nicest fellas around,no ego,polite,jovial & no chip on his shoulder.........not brash or a loudmouth,he's been there/done it & OWN'S SEVERAL FUCKING TEE SHIRTS.
A PROPER TOUGH GUY.
NO SURRENDER MELVYN 🇬🇧🇯🇲
How this podcast isn’t on the top charts I don’t know. All the episodes are so insightful and a good laugh
We did make it onto the UK Society & Culture chart last week, but plenty of spaces to make up to get the top spot 🎯 🏆
I know. What's not to love. It's brilliant.
Fantastic interview - a genuine bloke and what a character. Life lessons here. Thanks both.
Class show..2 top blokes..Racism wont win..best mate at school in 80s was only black lad in town..was happy to fight his battles everyday..still mates now 40 years later..mint show as always brother 👍
Now there’s only one White kid in a town
@@billybrand9976 no there isn't you'd have been one of the racist bullies back in the day. Sort it out.
@@NosyFella well said man👍..obviously a bellend😂
Two top inspirational blokes.
Mel just comes across as a lovely man. He seems like the type of guy who has time for everyone. But at the same time is tough as nails.
Another great one Phil. Best podcast channel by far for me. 👍
Thanks for the support, and the kind words 🫡🙏
Melvyn is inspirational … what a man!
As another Bloke from Stoke, it was great to watch this chat. In the 70’s I used to work with a lad who was ex Staffords, he said that when they were out in the desert their next of kin used to post out supplies of North Staffs Oatcakes to keep up morale.
We were sending my brother shampoo bottles with vodka in them. Gw1
Can’t beat an oatcake, bacon and cheese with tomatoes sauce is my favourite, when I was based at raf akrotiri in Cyprus, my mum sent them over to me, just something that reminded me of home in the potteries.
Thanks for watching!
Thank god we have lads like that guarding us they are the bestand quite mad laighing at near death experiences thank you and god bless
I've been waiting for this interview. Mel is the wo2 and father figure / all round bloke that the British army needs so many more of. Retention - sorted, morale - high, standards - exceptional.
I don't normally comment on videos but this was great. and as an American(Black) this is inspirational. Kudos to you two!!!
Thank you so much!
Two outstanding human beings, who clearly enjoy each other’s company. Refreshing.
I can relate to Melvyn’s stories about growing up in Britain in the 60’s and 70’s.
I have respect for Melvyn’s ability to focus on positives vs the negatives in life. I am still trying to figure it out.
We need more of this today. Kids need strong role models like these blokes.
Best interview yet for me to watch. What a great guy Melvyn is. My only issue is I start watching the interviews too late. It's now 0100 and I have work tomorrow.
Army cadets was the making of me. When you were on about the Lee Enfield I remembered feeling like that, remembered Otterburn, Strensall etc, route marches and camping. I couldn't get toecap boots so I had to get grained work boots and spooned the caps flat over weeks. Learntbto sew, iron, make a bed box. Follow orders without question and look after my kit. Proudest day of my young life was when I got my uniform complete with puttees. What I learnt then has made me a more useful man for the rest of my life.
Nice one! Thanks for watching!
Worked on and off in the Middle East since 1984= MELVYN is spot on with his comments.
Thank you for watching
If I had the opportunity to sit next to Melvin on a train I wouldn’t want the journey to end I would have so many questions, he is so much more than a soldier he is a fascinating person with so much to give, and we are both from Staffs
Thanks for watching!
Creepy pyh
Jocko, Shawn Ryan, Mike Ritland, are my staples for great stories. And now I’ve found this jewel.
It’s said “you can’t take it with you” when we go, but that’s not entirely accurate, is it?
All of these stories would be lost to time were it not for people like Phil.
Thank you for all you do.
Thanks for watching! We appreciate your support
ForceRadioHQ Really enjoyed this podcast. Thank you gentlemen for your service to the country, you’re both the people we should all aspire to be. 🇬🇧🏴
Thanks for listening🫡
Another great listen....
I like how guests allowed to talk freely uninterrupted.
Top marks ✅
Great interview from you both , Hopefully more people will appreciate what the Military is all about after seeing and listening to these great ambassadors , like Melvyn I was born in a council estate in 64 just up the road from him , went in the army at 16 , JLR RAC did 9 years came out had a career in the staffs Fire Service , the Army was the making of me .
Great to hear you both go at it ….
So good to see Melvyn getting recognised for his career, a career often kept in the dark and forgotten about.
Top man he is. Met him at the football he is so humble considering what he has achieved.
Just watched Mel and Phil's interviews on the Team house in the last 7 days so this is perfect timing lol
Thanks for the support, we’ve shared some excellent guests with the guys over at Team House 🎥⚔️
Both Of These Men Deserve Respect❤❤❤❤
Love watching these, find myself fascinated by the fact you've got 2 absolutely sound and respectable people that also have seen and done the toughest most bad ass shit normal people could possibly imagine. Passing the test of life that we all have is quite something, throw in exceeding in the special forces its just unreal.
We(3 royal anglian) advance party spent some time with the Staffords at BATUS 1988. They were finishing their battlegroup tour.....a great bunch of lads they were the staffs ❤
I remember the 303 😆. I was about 4” 10’ and the rifle was bigger than me 😆. Cadets in the village hall , great memories. 50p at the tuck shop .
Looking forward to Mel’s book. He comes across as a great guy. Really enjoyed it Phil 👍
Cracking character that Lad…
Infectious humour.
Great pod Phil
I’ve always been intrigued by the SAS as an American anytime I speak to my friends that have entered SOF which is 3 kids I grew up surfing with they always say the best training experience they have is with the 22 SAS
Thanks for watching!
Mel is one of my favourite interviewees, such a down to earth guy and so modest about all hes achieved. Hes got a way about him where I could listen to him all day long
Phil you are one of the best interviewer's out there. Always give the interviewee the ability to give the story which is always an incredible one!!
I have passed this onto the big fella. Thank you for your support ⚔️
When big Phil says to Mel that he was one of the blokes, he looked up to in the squadron, says a lot about Mel. Especially the amount of people that look upto Phil. The real O.Gs.🇬🇧
Well said! 👏🏻
What a lovely humble man melvyn is , I loved this Interview some great story's from his life . Well done Phil good interview.
Thanks for watching! 😁
One of the nicest genuine guys ive ever watched on a podcast a really interesting man loved this
Thanks for watching! 😎
@@ForceRadioHQpleasure keep up the great content 👍🏻
I love this man, A Stokie myself and we also share a first name! What a bloke. One of the best to come out of Stoke.
What a fine interview. Thank you! 2 of the bravest, toughest men the UK can produce. Melvyn is a wonderful man.
Thanks for watching 😎
What a treat to listen too, thank you both for your service & to Phill and team for the Pod!
What a brilliant man a true gentleman in every sense
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed this episode 😁
A truly fearless man & probably the best Sgt the British military ever had.
The perfect combination of humility & leadership! 👍
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed this episode 😁
Great interview, Mel chatting about the column of smashed vehicles leaving Kuwait city brought back some memories. The smell and sight of driving through that is something that will stay with me forever.
Melvyn is one of the best from the potteries, and makes me proud to be a fellow stokie, I came from a council estate in Stoke and joined the military
Top guy Melvyn is proper inspiration I’ve been waiting for this one 👍🏽
It’s worth the wait… ⚔️
What a great tale ……..both guys are awesome
Thanks for watching!
Great interview Melvyn came accross really well
Best interview I've seen in ages, great chemistry between two old mates with a hell of a lot in common. Mel and Phil - two of the nicest lads you'll ever meet. Well done on this one Big Phil !
What an inspiration, respect to you both Sirs. Thank you for your service.
Extremly interesting, an eye opening intreview!!! In my opinion the Best intreview. What a personality what a great Man.
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a thoroughly enjoyable podcast that was, one of the best I have ever listened too. what an interesting humble guy.
Thank you for watching 😁
God this is fantastic 👌 I could listen to Melvyn and Phil for hours absolute legends the best of the best 🇬🇧 what characters.👌
Another great interview, reckon this could have gone on for hours. Good Luck Melvin in your future endeavours!
Part 2 anyone????
Deffo, great if we could here tales of the stuff they did together
One of the best podcasts I've listened to 👌 two great blokes. A few great points I've took away from that for life as well. Especially the ones about classlesness and integrity in the SAS. Keep em coming big lad
Wow! Thank you for watching 😁
Another blinder, thank you both for taking the time, and for your service. Excellent interview!
Glad you enjoyed it!
These Interviews are Gold Man.. average dudes that have done some Extraordinary shit. And they’re just telling old stories. I Love It. 🤙🏼
Thanks for watching! 😎
Probably the best military podcast I’ve heard such a nice down to earth bloke
Wow, Thank you for your support
What a fantastic couple of blokes ..Big Phil and Melvyn .Awesome.
The Adventure Kit was the survival pack Mel got. I had one complete with binos and a compass and the water bottle....all on a crappy belt.
Bloody loved that😊
Thanks for watching!
Great conversation listening to Melvyn’s journey, as it happens the unit I was serving with picked up the Staffords Belfast tour in 90/91 when they were pinged for the Gulf. All the best lads
All you guys make me so proud, I went to the army careers office in 1982 at 17 years old but had no idea what I wanted to do, they told me to join the TA for 12 months to get a better idea so I did that, but I was talked out of joining the regs by my mum who's friend was from Ireland and made my old dear believe the moment I got there I'd be killed, then 1 thing led to another and unfortunately my hopes and ambitions of joining went down the lav, my only real regret in life was I didn't follow my own dreams. Stay happy and be proud lads.
Thank you for your support
Splendid Friday of travelling with this podcast in the headphones 🙌🔥
Good drills brother, Spotify pinned link incoming…
Absolutely glued from start to finish, this interview resinated with me so much, total legend!
Thanks so much for watching! 😁
Great interview - Melvin seems a geniunely humble guy as does Phil - respect to you both
Thanks for watching!
Melvyn your a Top soldier. Thank you fella.👍🇬🇧
Got the Notification, saw it was Phil's, then that was the end of my working day 😂.
Sat down, coffee in hand, then saw it was Malvyn, what a bonuse! Fantastic interview!
What an amazing life. You can just tell he is so experienced and how Professional he is.
What amazing People our SF are and I am very proud that we have these guys on our side.
Thank you for your videos. Massive respect!
P.s. I would love to hear about the first time you guys met.
Elite mindset in everything he does! Jealous that your work day ends with Phil, ours begins when he walks in! 😂⚔️
@@ForceRadioHQ 😂🤣
Best operator I've ever listened to .
Thanks for listening!
In my opinion Melvyn should be PM. He’s a fantastic leader . A superb human and a total inspiration
He get's our vote!
A very interesting interview with Melvyn Downs. An inspirational man. And as far as I know the Army Cadets have their own .223" Single shot copy of the SA80 which has a cocking lever on the left of the weapon. I had a couple of shots with one on the ranges at Purfleet back in the 90's.
Thanks for sharing!
It's been upgraded to semi auto now
Inspirational ❤. Why are our leader not like this man?
Phil big fan from Rus, will you ever interview one of our boys from spetsnaz? That will be a bucket listing
Not many left now from Ukraine bro ahaha
Absolutely spectacular and inspirational interview,Phil and Melvyn. What you about the ethos of the Regiment and its potential application to society is so true. Much love and respect.
Thanks for watching!
A night on the beer with these two, would be epic. Brilliant thanks for what you did and continue to do.
Thanks so much for your support!
Showed my dad this interview, then went on to tell me that he knew him from his days of serving in the Staffords, great interview by the way, love all these interviews!!!
City’s are different now and won’t find much racism but I’m 24 and grow up in Somerset only mixed race kid in my town growing up and a definitely got it. Good to see someone like Mel tho representing working class black/mixed British
Yeah all my family are from London and never saw racism.. but my sister moved down to Chichester and I saw my nephew's get a load of racist abuse.
One time my nephew when he was about 7 years old was beaten up on the beach by a couple of local teenage lads with sticks and calling him the N word... So my Dad lent me and my brother his van and then we went down there and bundled them into the back of the van and sorted em out for a couple of hours.
My nephew never got any trouble after that 😂
Great interview Phil, fab to see and hear from Melvyn. Thanks for posting up. Also, spent 13 years in the UAE, similar stuff, all sounds very familiar - an exit strategy is the first thing you sort out.
Thanks for watching!
Great podcast. When you were talking about action man I brought back a memory of my brother getting the helicopter and my dad stood on it on Christmas morning and broke it my brother was in tears.
🫢
A fascinating interview of Mal, thank you! An inspirational man.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely loved this chat. Cracking bloke from stoke👊👊😎
😘
What a fantastic watch, thank you both very much much inspirational, Sir you should be going to talk to schools and teaching them about real life, Thank you
Thank you so much for your kind words!
Just found this channel.
Thank you guys.
Thanks for the support!
What a great career and life. Cheers Phil and thank you both.
Thank you both, on so many levels....
Thanks for your support! We'd love it if you could share this video.
@@ForceRadioHQ done.
@@ForceRadioHQ I remember hearing for the first time how important a good sense of humour was and spending ages pondering it. I started noticing other special ops people mention how funny the brits were and smiling every time they did.
I guess.
Billy said something about selection where he was surprised that people who he considered way better than himself didn't get selected and realised that was a key element he had in buckets. He is a funny fooker.
Incredible podcast, what an inspiration. Put these two in charge of forces recruitment - problem solved! Loved the attitude throughout, they were so right about politics and a desire for everyone to find excuses these days.
Thanks for watching!
Melvyn seems so happy... great story! Always a Stafford! Great programme!
Thanks for your support!
What a nice down to earth bloke Melvyn Downes is, spoke nothing but the truth and common sense 👍🫶 looking forward to his book coming out. Thanks for your service men 🫡🇬🇧🍻
Top Tier Brit. Legend.
2 working class heroes....RESPECT!!. Thank you.
Legend of a man.
Agree!
Knocking them out the park Phil another awesome interview...melvyn is such a down to earth bloke.
Thank you for your support ⚔️⚔️
Great ..Mel and Phil...made me smile..you both salt of the earth..
From bishops stortford herts..
Have to say Phil, really enjoy your mannerism and ability to let your guests speak, great guests , the likes of Mel and Tom recently, they are great ambassadors, offering real pragmatic advice for young people.
Another great episode, Phil! Thank you and hello from Vegas.
Hello there!
You boys are so inspirational , love the channel 🎉
What a great chat really enjoyed another one Big phil Thank you...👍🤝🫶
Glad you enjoyed it!
Melvyns Mum and Dad sounded great folk. They gave him the foundations for what he became. Lindsay Bruce. (Who was on this show) and Colin McClaughlan talked very highly of this hero.
I think you’d struggle to find anyone with anything but praise for Melvyn, a genuine top bloke ⚔️ thanks for your support
@ForceRadioHQ Keep up the good work guys.
One of the most charismatic storytelling and interesting stories I've ever heard! What a career!
Thank you for watching!
@@ForceRadioHQ with content like this…too easy!