Lieutenant Colonel · British Army · Scots Guards and Special Air Service
1915–1990 | Aged 74
Died: 4 November 1990
Remembered for: Founding the SAS
David Stirling was born at Keir House in Perthshire, Scotland. He served with the Scots Guards and then the Commandos during the Second World War.
In North Africa, he developed plans for a small force that could strike behind enemy lines. In 1941, he established L Detachment Special Air Service Brigade in Egypt, working closely with Jock Lewes and other early members.
The unit’s first parachute operation suffered heavy losses. Its subsequent partnership with the Long Range Desert Group helped it reach targets by land and conduct raids against Axis airfields.
Stirling was captured in Tunisia in January 1943. After escape attempts, he was transferred to Colditz and remained a prisoner until the end of the war.
He survived the conflict and died in 1990, aged 74. The organisation he helped establish became an enduring part of British military history.
Sources: National Army Museum — https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/david-stirling ; Scots Guards — https://scotsguards.org/?soldier=sir-david-stirling