David Stirling is the name synonymous with the wartime SAS, but the real brains behind the operation was, in fact, Bill Stirling, David’s eldest brother.
Having originally joined the SOE in March 1940, Bill Stirling sailed for Cairo in 1941 and there had the idea for a small special forces unit to be led by his mercurial brother. But despite some success, David allowed the legendary 1SAS to drift under his leadership. Following his capture, Bill re-directed 2SAS, under his personal command, to the strategy he had originally envisaged: parachuting behind enemy lines to gather intelligence.
Joining me is Gavin Mortimer.
Gavin is the author of several books focusing on the SAS, including a biography of David Sterling. His latest book is 2SAS: Bill Stirling and the forgotten special forces unit of World War II.
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206 - The Extraordinary Life of Journalist Wallace Carroll
205 - Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918-40
204 - Armour in the Pacific
203 - The Battle of Britain, July 1940
202 - Leningrad, 1941-42
201 - Japanese Americans in WWII
200 - The Life of Mrs George S Patton
199 - Patton, August - December 1944
198 - Kesselring
197 - Kohima
196 - Winthrop Bell: Cracking the Code
195 - Their Finest Hour Project
194 - The Battle of Leyte Gulf
193 - London Underground
192 - 'The Angels', The 11th Airborne Division
191 - US Glider Pilots of World War II
190 - Mussolini's Last 10 Days
189 - The Stalingrad Airlift
188 - Company of Heroes
187 - Desert Armour: Tank Warfare in North Africa
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