Colin Towell

After joining the Royal Navy in 1977, I qualified as a Combat Survival Instructor on a course ran by the Training Wing of 22 Regiment SAS. I have spent over 40 years teaching Land, Sea, Desert, Jungle, and Cold-Weather survival skills – as well as Survival and Conduct in Captivity – to UK and USA Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force personnel. I completed 22 years service in the Royal Navy and have served 20 years in the Royal Navy Reserves.

I was the Royal Navy's Chief Survival Instructor and also served three years as the Chief Instructor at the US Navy SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) School in Brunswick Maine. I have seen service in the Falklands, Germany, USA, Bosnia and Northern Ireland in addition to serving a tour with the Army Intelligence Corps. I still serve as a Royal Navy Reserve Chief Instructor with the UK Defence SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance & Extraction) Training Organisation, providing survival training for both instructors and students.

I provided the survival training, equipment, and rescue team for Sir Richard Branson’s balloon global circumnavigation attempts. I also trial, evaluate and instruct in the use of specialised survival equipment, both in the UK and abroad.

I am the author of several books on survival - published by Dorling Kindersley.