Colonel Sir Archibald David Stirling DSO OBE founder of the Special Air Service. SCO 6866
Stirling was born at his family's ancestral home, Keir House in the parish of Lecropt in Perthshire (near Stirling). He was the son of Brigadier General Archibald Stirling of Keir and Margaret Fraser, daughter of Simon Fraser, the Lord Lovat, (a descendant of Charles II, King of Scots). His cousin was Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat. He was educated at Ampleforth College and Trinity College, Cambridge. A tall and athletic figure (he was 6 feet 6 inches ( m) tall), he was training to climb Mount Everest when World War II broke out. His unit was short of equipment at the outset, particularly tents and related gear. The first operation of the SAS was to relieve a well equipped New Zealand unit of some small tents, a large tent and its contents including a bar and a piano, using a truck and bluff to convince curious onlookers that all was well. His initial attempt at attacking by parachute landing was disastrous and resulted in a high percentage of his men being killed, wounded or captured. Escaping only with the help of the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) he decided that approaching by desert under the cover of night would not only be the safest but also the most effective means of approach. As quickly as possible he organised raids on ports using this simple method, often driving through checkposts at night using the language skills of some of his soldiers to bluff the guards. Under his leadership, the Lewes bomb was pioneered which was a combined explosive and incendiary device. He adapted to American jeeps, which were able to deal with the harsh desert terrain better than other transport, fitting them with adapted obsolete RAF machine guns. He also pioneered the use of small groups to escape detection. The SAS used jeeps on several occasions to drive on to enemy airfields and shoot up aircraft rather than attaching bombs to the aircraft on foot.
Size: 3732px × 5619px
Location: Hill of Row, Doune, Perthshire, Scotland.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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