The Origins of the Special Air Service Regiment can be found in North Africa during the earlier part of World War II. Lieutenant Colonel David Stirling succeeded in bluffing his way into an interview with Major General Neil Ritchie, the deputy commander in chief in the Middle East and North Africa, from who he gained authorisation to form a reconnaissance and demolition unit designed to operate behind the German and Italian lines. The Unit came into existence in July 1941 and was known as L detachment, Special Air Service Brigade. 17 November 1941 is regarded as the Regiments' birthday, however, as this was the date of the unit's first raid. L Detachment didn't officially become 1 SAS until October 1942.

The unit's first operation was an attack on two Axis airfields in the area of Gazala and Tmimi, as part of Operation 'Crusader'. 'Crusader' was General Claude Auchinleck's strategy to drive the German and Italian forces out of Cyrenaica on the western frontier of Egypt, where they posed a severe threat to Cairo and the Suez Canal. The 65 SAS troopers were dropped by parachute on the night of the 16/17th of November, but the mission was a total disaster as the men and supplies were dropped all over the drop zone due to heavy winds. Several men were wounded when they landed. AS a consequence it was abandoned.

It was a daunting set back, especially as it was the units' first operation. But the SAS continued to train for its harassment on airfields and supply depots deep into enemy territory. Stirling had decided that after the first unsuccessful mission tactics needed a rethink. He came to the conclusion that patrols should be inserted using the already operating Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) as their transport. This change in the operational procedure was immediately a great success: in December 1941 the SAS launched attacks against Axis sites at Sirte, Agheila, Tamit, Nofilia and 'Marble Arch'. The combined tally of these operations was 100 Axis aircraft. Although the weaknesses of this type of this new tactical approach was revealed when on the Nofilia operation under the command of Lieutenant 'Jock' Lewes succeeded in destroying only two Axis aircraft and was attacked by Italian aircraft and Jock was killed.

Paddy Mayne