The present SAS is made up of four fighting squadrons: Each is sub-divided into four troops specialising in air, boat, mobility and mountain tactics. He lives in Hereford with his wife Carolyn. He's actively campaigned for more recognition of the work done by the men of the SAS in past conflicts. He is the author of 'The Joker' and 'SAS Heroes: Remarkable Soldiers, Extraordinary Men'. Pete Scholey, joined the regiment in 1963 and fought in all the major conflicts until 1986. He's the best-selling author of The SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea. He also ran the SAS selection course, until he retired from active service in 1985.Īfter retiring from 22 Special Air Service Regiment, John set up the Survival School at Hereford. He was with the SAS for 26 years and saw active service in every special operation between 19. He applied for service with the Special Air Service Regiment in 1959 and set a record as the youngest person ever to pass selection at the age of 18. John 'Lofty' Wiseman joined the Parachute Regiment in 1958. Len successfully campaigned for a memorial to the villagers which was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum.

He was part of the Phantom Signals team, who hid in the forest at Moussey in France with the SAS, and were protected by the villagers.ġ40 of the men and boys from the local area were killed by the Germans, after they refused to betray them. Len Owen fought alongside the SAS in World War II. Rusty is now an author, and has told the story of the siege and its dramatic end in his book 'Go, Go, Go!' Live TV pictures were broadcast to millions of people across the world, who watched as the SAS went in through the front balcony. They then threatened to kill the rest of the hostages and blow up the embassy if their demands were not met, and so the call was made to send in the SAS.

On the sixth day the gunmen shot dead Iranian press attaché Abbas Lavasani, and dumped his body outside the building.

The terrorists had entered the embassy on 30 April, and for six days the world watched and waited. Rusty Firmin was third in command of the troops that stormed the Iranian Embassy in London, killing five terrorist gunmen, and rescuing 19 hostages.

Listen to interviews, by BBC Hereford & Worcester's Nicola Goodwin, with former members of the Special Air Service, and their wives, about life in this elite regiment, and their base at Credenhill in Hereford: BBC - Hereford - SAS: Troopers tell their stories

Joker by Pete Scholey