It had been a chastening experience, an abject failure from which only 21 of the 54 men who parachuted into Libya returned. Stirling gathered the survivors and with characteristic confidence promised them they would have better luck next time.
It coincided with a fierce storm, and of the 55 men who parachuted into Libya to attack German and Italian airfields, 34 were either killed or captured.
Its first mission, in November 1941, was a parachute drop in support of the Operation Crusader offensive, codenamed Operation Squatter. Due to German resistance and adverse weather conditions, the mission was a disaster; 22 men, a third of the unit, were killed or captured. Its second mission was a major success.
Blind veteran Mike, now 103, is the last surviving founder member of the SAS. The BBC One drama – SAS Rogue Heroes – features the real-life character of Mike Sadler. As well as being the last surviving founder member of the Special Air Service (SAS), Mike is also a blind veteran and has received our support since 2017.
Lance Corporal Borrie's death means that Mike Sadler, 102, is the only surviving member of the original SAS, which was formed in 1941 by Lieutenant-Colonel David Stirling.
The heroism of SAS soldier John McAleese is being brought to the screen in a new blockbuster six years after his death. McAleese was one of the British Army's most famous and decorated special forces soldiers.
Operation Canuck, January 1945 operation in Northern Italy. Operation Cold Comfort, February 1945 failed SAS raid on railway targets near Verona.
Women have been able to serve with the SAS after transferring from covert surveillance units – such as the Special Reconnaissance Regiment – since 2018. A handful have even donned the regiment's iconic badge: a winged dagger with the motto 'Who Dares Wins'.
Lieutenant-Colonel 'Paddy' Mayne is a legendary figure in the history of the Special Forces. A celebrated sportsman with a turbulent character, he played a vital role in the early successes of the Special Air Service (SAS), becoming one of its most important commanders.
Trained from a young age in martial arts, Grylls went on to spend three years as a soldier in the British Special Forces, as part of 21 SAS Regiment. It was here that he perfected many of the survival skills that his fans all over the world enjoy, as he pits himself against the worst of Mother Nature.
Iranian Embassy siege
One of the most famous counter-terrorism operations in history took place in 1980. Gunmen overran the Iranian Embassy in London and took hostages, but the crisis was resolved when the building was stormed by the SAS.
The two soldiers were arrested and taken to the Al Jameat police station. The two SAS operators were part of Operation Hathor whose objective was keeping an Iraqi Police officer (who ran a crime unit with rumoured links to corruption and brutality in the city) under surveillance.
The Free French squadron of the SAS are betrayed by Brückner, a German fighting on their side.
The SAS continued their raids in the spring of 1942 and by June they had destroyed 143 aircraft – more than the number shot down by the Royal Air Force.
The SAS's first mission really did end in disaster when they decided to parachute out of a plane during a sandstorm in November 1941. Their mission was to raid a German airfield but instead it resulted in several casualties with 34 killed, wounded or captured out of a team of 55 men.
Its highly trained men are renowned for their skills in covert surveillance, close-combat fighting and hostage rescue. The SAS was created during the Second World War, when small bands of soldiers were dropped behind enemy lines in North Africa and Europe. Since then, it has been deployed in most of Britain's wars.
Floyd Woodrow was one of the youngest soldiers ever to be selected for the UK's elite Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) at the age of 22.
The majority of the characters in SAS Rogue Heroes are based on real people - David Stirling, Paddy Mayne, Jock Lewes and Dudley Clarke were all real.
The SAS - the Special Air Service - is a special forces unit of the British Army which specialises in counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, and covert reconnaissance. SAS action is kept pretty secret (most people in the SAS don't tell anyone except their nearest and dearest).
Organisation. The strength of the SASR is over 700 personnel. Based at Campbell Barracks, it is a battalion-sized element and is known to be made up of a regimental headquarters, three sabre squadrons, an operational support squadron, a specialist support squadron, and a signals squadron.
If you're a civilian, you may consider joining the 21 and 23 SAS reserves (SAS(R)), the only SAS units that accept candidates from the general population. This includes civilians with no military experience. Joining a regular SAS unit is only possible if you're already a member of His Majesty's Armed Forces.
To earn a place on the course, recruits must nail a rigorous fitness assessment, but honing military-grade strength is only half the battle. SAS soldiers need to be quick-thinking, resourceful and resilient, so the training methodologies are designed to push candidates to breaking point in every sense.
The Special Air Service is the longest active special missions unit in existence and has remained one of the best. Staffed with the toughest and most resourceful enlisted and commissioned soldiers the United Kingdom has to offer, the SAS only accepts the cream of the crop.
Essner and Brückner actually belonged to another unit, the Special Interrogation Group, who were partnered with a detachment of French SAS for the Derna raid. “Brückner did betray them,” says Mortimer. “He said he was going off to do a quick recce but went to the Germans.