David Stirling: The Phoney Major: The Life, Times and Truth about the Founder of the SAS

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Police probe after plaques stolen from SAS memorial". BBC News. 5 June 2014 . Retrieved 9 May 2018. Main article: Saar Offensive A French soldier outside a Reichskolonialbund office in Lauterbach during the Saar Offensive Gavin says David Stirling tried to portray himself in later life as a kind of “devil may care buccaneer – a gambler”. After his capture, Stirling’s war was over, despite a number of abortive escape attempts, which eventually led him to Colditz. The SAS thrived under Mayne for the rest of the war. Following Mayne’s untimely death in a car crash in 1955, Stirling once again used his powers of self-promotion to create his own myth, appropriating many of Mayne’s qualities and successes along the way. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.

There are parts of his closely guarded personal life that Mortimer briefly touches on towards the end of the book that help explain Stirling’s unease with himself and why he was such an awkward youth and unfulfilled adult. You can sympathise with why David Stirling so assiduously took most of the credit for the creation of the SAS for himself.The “Phoney War” refers to a period of relative inactivity and low-intensity military operations at the beginning of World War II. This is an important book that properly explains the early history of the SAS and David Stirling’s true role. It finally gives justified credit to Bill Stirling, Paddy Mayne, and others – not least the influence of the Long Range Desert Group, another one of the ‘private armies’ that sprung up in North Africa. It is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the SAS or the campaign in North Africa. David Stirling: the Phoney Major the life, times and truth about the founder of the SAS

From September 1939 to May 1940, apart from a few brief skirmishes, both sides were content to remain behind their defences. This contrast with the blitzkrieg ('lightning war') tactics of the Polish campaign resulted in the war being labelled as the 'sitzkrieg' and the 'Bore War'. A heavily armed patrol of L Detachment, Special Air Service troops in North Africa, 1943. David Stirling assiduously (and disingenuously) took credit for the creation of the service. Image: Wikimedia Commons. Mortimer also reveals the critical influence that David Stirling’s older brother, Bill, had on the formation of the unit. An early recruit to SOE, it was Bill Stirling who first understood the importance of excellent fieldcraft and training for irregular forces. He set up a training school in Scotland where he taught fledgling Commandos – many of whom would go on to be members of the nascent SAS, including David Stirling and Mayne – how to survive and fight behind enemy lines. Contrary to David’s tall tale of breaking into GHQ, it was Bill who ensured the memo proposing the formation of the SAS, which he had composed with David, landed on the right desks. ‘A disruptive influence’ The book's sub-title "The Phoney Major" and the opening chapter lay out the main theme of the book which is the credit given to David Stirling as the founder and leader of the SAS is mis-placed and not supported by the facts. McIntyre's book which had access to SAS records not previously allowed and which the BBC series follows differs considerably with that assessment. Author Gavin Mortimer however has a considerable advantage in making these claims which is many decades carrying out interviews with WW2 members of the SAS before they died (fully listed in the Appendices) plus his wider research and writing on Britain's "special forces" from inception to the current day. How on earth the forthcoming BBC television drama 'Rouge Heroes' can be anywhere near the actual facts will be amusing to discover, I'm sure.Saxon, Wolfgang (6 November 1990). "Sir David Stirling, 74, the Founder of Britain's Elite Commando Unit". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 1 February 2017. Jellicoe, George (2004). "Mayne, Robert Blair (1915–1955)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. The Phoney War was also referred to as the "Twilight War" (by Winston Churchill) and as the Sitzkrieg [6] ("the sitting war": a word play on blitzkrieg created by the British press). [7] [8] [9] In French, it is referred to as the drôle de guerre ("funny" or "strange" war). [a] Virginia Cowles. The Phantom Major: The Story of David Stirling and the SAS Regiment (Collins, 1958) ISBN 1848843860 ISBN 978-1848843868