Episode 1
The remarkable story behind an extraordinary fighting force. Episode one tells the story of the founding of the SAS in the heat of the north African desert in 1941.
The Special Air Service is the world's most famous combat unit, with the motto Who Dares Wins, but the story of how it came into existence has been, until now, a closely guarded secret.
For the first time, the SAS has agreed to open up its archive and allow Ben Macintyre to reveal the true story of their formation during the darkest days of World War Two.
With unprecedented access to the SAS secret files, unseen footage and exclusive interviews with its founder members, this series tells the remarkable story behind an extraordinary fighting force.
Episode one tells the story of the founding of the SAS in the heat of the north African desert in 1941. David Archibald Stirling is an aristocratic dreamer who had once held ambitions to be an artist or perhaps a famous mountaineer but now, with the war in the desert reaching its most desperate stage, Stirling has a vision for a new kind of war: attacking the enemy where they least expect it - from behind their own lines. But Stirling is up against the many in British High Command who do not want to see him succeed with his radical new way of warfare. Against the odds, Stirling wins through and helps the Allies towards victory in the desert. The cost is high. In combat, Stirling loses lieutenant Jock Lewes, his right-hand man. With his brilliant training methods and invention of a new weapon, Lewes has proved vital to making Stirling's dream of a crack fighting force a reality. Stirling must soldier on alone.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
You are at the first episode
Next
Clips
-
Jock Lewes' convoy is spotted and attacked by a German plane.
Duration: 00:46
-
SAS Veteran Mike Sadler describes navigating with a sun compass.
Duration: 01:49
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
-
00:20
Berk and The Virtual Band
Change
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Ben Macintyre |
Producer | Matthew Whiteman |
Director | Matthew Whiteman |
Executive Producer | Eamon Hardy |
Broadcasts
- Mon 6 Feb 2017 21:00
- Thu 9 Feb 2017 23:1591热爆 Two except Northern Ireland
- Wed 15 Mar 2017 01:15
- Thu 16 Nov 2017 20:00
- Fri 17 Nov 2017 00:45
- Sat 19 May 2018 11:00
- Tue 30 Jul 2019 20:00
- Wed 31 Jul 2019 01:30
- Wed 3 Jun 2020 21:00
- Sun 30 Oct 2022 22:00