No, there are no original, founding members of the World War II SAS still alive; the last known surviving original member, Major Mike Sadler, passed away on January 4, 2024, at the age of 103. Sadler was a crucial navigator for the early SAS in North Africa and was considered the final link to the unit's inception.
Many of the original members of the SAS were either killed in action or betrayed and shot as spies. Mr Borrie served with the SAS for two years and then, upon his transition to civilian life, became a carpenter.
In October 2018, recruitment policy changed to allow women to become members of the SAS for the first time. In August 2021, two women became the first to pass the pre-selection course, making them eligible for the full course.
Paddy Mayne's reputation in the SAS: how his legend was born
Paddy Mayne went on to lead a series of successful desert raids in Africa, helping to build the SAS's reputation as an ever-present threat to the enemy's tail, while becoming an inspiration to the tough ex-commandos serving under him.
The SAS is a secret organisation. Its members often do not tell anyone except close family that they are in it.
While "most respected" is subjective, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne is widely considered a legendary and highly respected figure in the SAS for his incredible bravery, four Distinguished Service Orders (DSOs), and pivotal leadership in World War II, establishing the unit's success alongside founders like David Stirling, while figures like John McAleese and Andy McNab also hold legendary status for later operations like the Iranian Embassy siege.
BEAR GRYLLS OBE, has become known worldwide as one of the most recognized faces of survival and outdoor adventure. 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.
Neither SAS nor SBS is definitively "more elite"; they are equally elite but specialized, with the SAS focusing on land/air and the SBS on maritime/amphibious roles, both part of the UK's UK Special Forces (UKSF) and sharing the same rigorous Joint Special Forces Selection process, with SBS adding extra maritime training like swimmer-canoeist skills. Think of them as the Army's and Navy's top-tier counterparts within the same elite special forces framework.
In the 2022 BBC TV series SAS: Rogue Heroes, the failure of the Derna raid and its betrayal by Brueckner are depicted in one of the episodes.
WW2 soldiers carried condoms primarily for disease prevention (STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea) and for practical combat uses, such as keeping sand and mud out of their rifle barrels, protecting small items, or even as makeshift waterproof bags, although the weapon-protection use is sometimes exaggerated in popular culture. The military distributed them widely (often in "prophylactic kits") to maintain troop strength, recognizing the significant manpower lost to venereal diseases in past conflicts.
Applying for the SAS
Ex Regular and AR applicants must be no older than 48 years 364 days on commencement of the Aptitude phase of SAS(R) Selection. Applicants must be able to commit to intense and extended training demands, be willing to deploy overseas and commit to operations.
Four women have passed the grueling course to become Green Berets, and several are serving in those jobs.
Pay & benefits
On successful completion of Selection, the starting daily rate for an SAS Trooper is £134.89, plus all the usual Army Reserve service incentives, which includes an annual tax-free bounty, paid leave and pension.
John Wayne didn't serve in WWII due to a combination of age (34 at Pearl Harbor), family status (deferment for wife and kids), and, crucially, occupational deferments secured by his studio, Republic Pictures, who argued his films were vital for national morale, though he reportedly wanted to enlist, leading to lifelong guilt and a reputation as a "draft dodger" despite his patriotic image.
On September 28, 1918, in an incident that would go down in the lore of World War I history—although the details of the event are still unclear—Private Henry Tandey, a British soldier serving near the French village of Marcoing, reportedly encounters a wounded German soldier and declines to shoot him, sparing the life ...
A powerful mindset to carry is the Navy SEALs 40% Rule: When your mind says you're done, you're only actuallly about 40% done. Physical injuries aside, our bodies are often far stronger than we think - the mind usually quits first, acting as a protective barrier rather than reflecting true limits.
SAS troops comprise of 16 men, led by a captain. There are 4 troops within each squadron, each specialising in a different method of insertion. The troops are Air Troop, Boat Troop, Mountain Troop and Mobility Troop. Non-officers who pass SAS selection lose their previous rank and are assigned the rank of trooper.
10 of the Best Special Forces in the World
Bear Grylls Adventure at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre closed in December 2024 after six years. Merlin Entertainments – who ran the centre for thrill seekers – blamed "commercial challenges" and the lasting financial effects following the Covid pandemic.
On completion of training they are considered to be ready in most respects to deploy to any trouble spot the World over. Amphibious specialists. Extreme Cold Weather Warfare specialists. 43% of the 'badged' manpower in the UK's SF (SAS, SBS & SRR) belong to the Royal Marines.
TV adventurer Bear Grylls says his faith in Jesus changed him “from the inside out” and he encourages people to give Christ a chance just as he did. He wrote a recent column for British newspaper The Times titled: To be fully understood, the Christian faith must be tried.
During the period of its deployment 580 men served in the SASR in Vietnam. The remains of the last Australian soldier who went missing in action in 1969 after falling into the jungle during a suspended rope extraction were found in August 2008.
He served in the SBS, the naval wing of the special forces, the Royal Marines and 9 Parachute Squadron Royal, achieving what is known as the 'Holy Trinity' of the UK's Elite Forces. As a point man in the SBS, Ant was always the first man through the door, the first man into the dark, and the first man in harm's way.
The Free French squadron of the SAS are betrayed by Brückner, a German fighting on their side. This is essentially accurate: the real life Brückner was a traitor and Free French soldiers did fight alongside British SAS men.