Stirling became commander of the original SAS, which carried out sabotage missions that destroyed dozens of enemy aircraft, as well as fuel tankers, trucks, communications and everything else to support larger operations in North Africa and disrupt enemy supply lines. The legend of Stirling’s SAS is the stuff of swashbucking adventure – daring, not-so-relentless raids achieved by surprise, bravado and straight-ahead raiding through enemy checkpoints. The British tabloids would nickname Stirling “the Ghost Major”. Captured in January 1943, Stirling spent the rest of the war escaping from POW camps and was eventually sent to Colditz. His story and the formation of the SAS is told in the new BBC series SAS Rogue Heroes by Peaky Blinders creator Stephen Knight. In the book that inspired the series, author Ben Macintyre described Stirling as “one of those people who thrives in war, having failed in peace”. From a clan of eccentric Scottish aristocrats, Stirling had tried his hand at various pursuits. He moved to Paris in a bid to become an artist, then vowed to be the first person to climb Mount Everest – despite zero climbing expertise or the number of actual climbers who had been lost there. Heading to America, he was working as a cowboy – a humble rancher – when war broke out. He joined the Scots Guards and then the Commandos. Posted to Cairo in early 1941, Stirling became frustrated and fed up with the lack of action and postponements. Sterling wanted to fight. As noted by Macintyre, Stirling was an unorthodox soldier – of luxurious military stock but without the requisite discipline. With no activity to occupy him, he drank, gambled and frequented clubs – then burst out of the doctor’s office to suck up oxygen and cure his hangover. He was duly investigated for abuse and given the nickname “the giant sloth”.
