David Stirling
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Col Sir David Stirling DSO OBE |
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|---|---|
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| Birth name | Archibald David Stirling |
| Nickname(s) | The Phantom Major |
| Born |
15 November 1915 Lecropt, Perthshire, Scotland |
| Died | 4 November 1990 (aged 74) Westminster, London, England |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
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| Years of service | 1937-1965 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Service number | 72647 |
| Unit | Scots Guards |
| Commands held | Special Air Service |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Knight Bachelor Distinguished Service Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire Mention in Despatches (2) |
Colonel Sir Archibald David Stirling DSO OBE (15 November 1915 – 4 November 1990) was a British mountaineer, World War II British Army officer, and the founder of the Special Air Service.
Stirling was born at his family's ancestral home, Keir House in the parish of Lecropt, Perthshire. He was the son of Brigadier General Archibald Stirling, of Keir, and Margaret Fraser, daughter of Simon Fraser, the Lord Lovat, (a descendant of Charles II, King of Scots). His cousin was Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, and his paternal grandparents were Sir William Stirling-Maxwell, 9th Baronet and Lady Anna Maria Leslie-Melville. Raised in the Roman Catholic faith of his mother, he was educated at the Benedictine Ampleforth College and Trinity College, Cambridge. A tall and athletic figure—he was 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) tall—he was training to climb Mount Everest when World War II broke out.
Stirling was commissioned into the Scots Guards from Ampleforth College Contingent Officer Training Corps on 24 July 1937. In June 1940, he volunteered for the new No. 8 Commando under Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Laycock which became part of Force Z (later named "Layforce"). After Layforce (and No.8 Commando) were disbanded on 1 August 1941, Stirling remained convinced that due to the mechanised nature of war, a small team of highly trained soldiers with the advantage of surprise could exact greater damage to the enemy's ability to fight than an entire battalion.
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