Interview with David Stirling

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If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
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Accepted Non-commercial Use

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Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
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Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Description

Object description

British officer commanded with L Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade and 1st Special Air Service in North Africa, 1941-1943; prisoner of war in Germany and Austria, 1943-1945

Content description

REEL 1 Discussion of cocaine industry in South America. Recollections of period commanding L Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade in North Africa, 7/1941-8/1942: opinion of first unit operation, 11/1941; aims of unit when founded; problems with parachute drop and landing on first operation, 11/1941; loss of supplies; reasons for refusing to postpone operation; importance of carrying out first operation; background to pitching idea of specialised unit to General Ritchie and reason for needing to pitch idea to senior officers; recruitment for L Detachment; setting-up of camp at Kabrit, Egypt; training of troops; arrival of General Alan Cunningham; decision to move camp to Jalo Oasis, Libya; attitude of General Headquarters, Eight Army towards Special Air Service, including successful airfield raids and need for secrecy of unit; help from supporters of Special Air Service; period of hospitalisation. REEL 2 Continues: period with No 8 Commando prior to formation of L Detachment, including its disbandment and use as recruiting base; root of ideas for warfare practiced by Special Air Service and changes made; story of practice parachute jump, receiving injury on landing and hospitalisation in Alexandria, Egypt; paper written and presentation at General Headquarters, Eighth Army; recruitment of Lieutenant John 'Jock' Lewes; work of Lieutenant 'Jock' Lewes, including creation of Lewes Bomb; demonstrating Lewes Bomb to Royal Engineers; personalities of NCOs and troopers; recruitment and memories of Captain Robert 'Paddy' Mayne. Recollections of period commanding 1st Special Air Service in North Africa, 9/1942-1/1943: recruitment of Free French Forces troops in Beirut, Lebanon; reason for recruiting Free French and Greek Squadrons. REEL 3 Continues: story of near return to GB, 1/1943; activities of 1st Special Air Service after departure; clothing worn by Free French Sqdn; need for foreign troops; separation of Free French personnel; details of Greek personnel; story of capture by Axis forces in Tunisia, 24/1/1943; recruitment and training of Free French Forces troops by brother Lieutenant-Colonel William 'Bill' Stirling formation of 2nd Special Air Service, 5/1943; prior contact with brother Lieutenant-Colonel William 'Bill' Stirling in North Africa, including organisation of Special Operations Executive in Egypt; relations with senior British Army officers, including General Alan Ritchie; problems with former commandos recruited, 1941; recruitment of Lieutenant John 'Jock' Lewes. REEL 4 Continues: memories of John 'Jock' Lewes; reasons for use of parachutes on first operation, 11/1941; reasons for insisting on training troops to parachute; opinion of Long Range Desert Group; memories of Willis 'Mike' Saddler; initial naming of unit as L Detachment Special Air Service Brigade; use of booby-traps by commandos and influence on Special Air Service; reason for need to pitch idea of Special Air Service straight to a senior British Army officer; correspondence with brother Lieutenant-Colonel Bill Stirling; story of departure of Lieutenant-Colonel William 'Bill' Stirling from Special Air Service in GB, 4/6/1944; activities of brother Lieutenant-Colonel William 'Bill' Stirling prior to joining Special Air Service; memories of Lieutenant-Colonel Brian Franks. REEL 5 Continues: involvement with Special Air Service following Second World War; opinion of state of Special Air Service in 1987; memories of Lieutenant-Colonel Brian Franks; story of girlfriend in Cairo, Egypt; relationship between Special Air Service and Long Range Desert Group; discussion of leadership and development of new warfare practiced by Special Air Service. REEL 6 Continues: attempt to become artist; period in United States of America and activities following Second World War; final illness and death of brother Lieutenant-Colonel William 'Bill' Stirling in London, GB, 1982-1983; story of failed escape attempt whilst prisoner of war. Aspects of period as officer with Special Air Service in Norway, 1945: paper written as prisoners of war; promotion to lieutenant-colonel; move to Oflag IV-C, Colditz Castle, Germany whilst prisoner of war. Aspects of period as officer with L Detachment Special Air Service Bde and 1st Special Air Service in North Africa, 7/1941-1/1943: memories of Captain Robert 'Paddy' Mayne, including story of him being forced into training role and details of letters he sent home; reasons for not awarding many medals. REEL 7 Continues: further memories of Captain Robert 'Paddy' Mayne; activities of Special Air Service at Termoli, Italy, 1943; details of paper written on uses of Special Air Service whilst prisoner of war and its presentation to Prime Minister Winston Churchill; story of pillow thrown at Prime Minister Winston Churchill during discussions. REEL 8 Continues: Post-war life and career: details of Capricorn Africa Society's activities; politicians Capricorn Africa Society worked with; employment in television. Recollections of operations commanding L Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade and 1st Special Air Service in North Africa, 7/1941-1/1943: details of Operation Bigamy, a raid on Benghazi, Libya, 9/1942, including dummy run and Royal Air Force support; unit changes after introduction of Willys Jeep; opinion of need to have own unit transport; confusion caused among German forces by airfield raids; opinion of reason for German forces not chasing Special Air Service into desert; successes of raids against airfields; reason for drinking at night; difference between Special Air Service and Long Range Desert Group; priming of bombs during raids; further details of Operation Bigamy, a raid on Benghazi, Libya, 9/1942. REEL 9 Continues: role of operations; General Claude Auchinleck's plan for defence of Egypt; memories of General Bernard Montgomery; story of meeting with Prime Minster Winston Churchill. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Germany and Austria, 2/1943-4/1945: nature of journey from Tunisia to Berlin, Germany, via Italy, 2/1943; confusion with another prisoner of war named Stirling; attitude of Germans after his capture; German edict about execution of Special Air Service prisoners of war; memories of Captain John 'Jack' Pringle; escape attempts made from camps, including aim to join Czechoslovak Partisans in Czechoslovakia; application for escape; plan for activities after escape in Czechoslovakia; results and method of escape; journey to Brunswick, Germany; opinion of reason for transfer to another camp; escape planning; story of escape in Innsbruck, Austria. REEL 10 Continues: first night in GB after liberation; memories of David Lloyd Owen; details of operation led by Lieutenant Ambrose McGonigal; opinion of Special Boat Section; memories of troops under his command and continuing post-war contact with them.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: TVS (Production company)
Stevens, Gordon (Recorder)
Stirling, David (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1987
Dimensions: whole: Duration 275, Number Of Items 10
Catalogue number: 18540

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Interview with David Stirling

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