A boxer, a Northern Ireland rugby star and reportedly an excellent shot, Robert Blair “Paddy” Mayne went into the Second World War with many ideal qualities for a soldier, and also had a reputation as a rambunctious personality. Two aspects of the series Lorna thinks members of the regiment, past and present, might not be happy with are the extent to which spymaster Dudley Clarke (Dominic West) is credited with inventing the SAS and the hint Paddy Mayne was gay. Even if Eve is a fictional character in comparison to David Stirling or Paddy Mayne, she is very much a character that existed at the time. There were spies like Noor Inayat Khan or Virginia Hall. So many incredible women who were a part of the liberation during the Second World War. Eve, like a lot of them, used methods that were born within her instinct and her intelligence.

a b "Commonwealth War Graves Commission – casualty details, John Steel Lewes". Commonwealth War Graves Commission . Retrieved 21 February 2008. In the show, Stirling, while bedbound, then formulates the plan for what becomes the SAS – a small airborne unit that can drop behind enemy lines and carry out sabotage missions. Still on crutches, he sneaks into British HQ in Cairo, evading the guards, and gets his plan in front of the appropriate general. The story is one of the most legendary SAS tales, but – according to Mortimer – the product of Stirling’s self-serving imagination.Reg Seekings is another of the SAS’ original members, and is involved in their first parachute drop operation. Theo Barklem-Biggs is best known for playing Ronnie Jr in White Gold, and also appeared in Sliced, The First Team and The Inbetweeners movie. Other cast We’ve got his pictures and I’ve been made to look like him. But to be honest I don’t, because he looked much better in a dress than me. I just don’t look good in a dress. According to regimental tradition, Mayne was recruited into the SAS from a prison cell, where he was awaiting court martial for striking his commanding officer. Whatever the truth of this story, Mayne proved to be a great asset to his new unit. The foundation story of Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) sounds stranger than fiction but from betrayals to covert missions, it's all true. Much like David Stirling last month, Lewes is a great officer option for a Western Desert SAS army, and as an SAS Officer his ‘team’ is also a serious asset on the tabletop, especially in up-close fighting with SMGs – just like in real life! His Explosive Surprise! special rule can be incredibly powerful, putting pins on enemy vehicles pre-game, severely limiting their ability to act in the first turn (or forcing them to spend a turn Rallying!) – just what your SAS troopers, who aren’t traditionally blessed with much in the way of anti-tank firepower, need to get in and start doing their dirty work. As befits the first training officer of the SAS, he can also Snap To one extra unit, allowing you to get as much of your force as possible in motion at the critical moment. SAS: Rogue Heroes

Hill, Amelia (23 July 2000). "SAS founder was a Nazi sympathiser". The Observer . Retrieved 2 March 2017. I play Eve Mansour - a spy, an intelligence officer, who is the Deputy Head of French intelligence in Cairo under General de Gaulle’s command. Dudley the man, when he wasn’t hatching plots and lies to tell the Germans, would sometimes wear delicious long gloves and dress up as a woman, and there are photographs of him doing that. He’s a fascinating, very complex character.Others who were key to the inception of the SAS included intelligence officer Clarke who worked out of a converted bathroom in a British Army office in Cairo. He is played by Dominic West in SAS: Rogue Heroes. Lorna's father "Gentleman" Jim Almonds - played on-screen by 29-year-old Corin Silva - was a key member of the early SAS and personally hand-built much of their basic parachute training equipment as well as jumping out of Jeeps at 30mph to practise parachute landings.

Sophie Evans (6 February 2017). "SAS founder was 'dazzled' by Third Reich and even fell in love with NAZI socialite in run-up to WW2". The Daily Mirror . Retrieved 11 November 2022. As seen in the series, the SAS were named by Dudley Clarke, who had already created the Special Air Service as a fictitious regiment – a clever ploy to confuse and misdirect the enemy (Dominic West’s Clarke is seen wearing women’s clothes and make-up in one scene – a reference to Clarke once being arrested in Madrid while dolled-up in ladies’ clothing). I think it’s an important bond between the three, and it was as the story tells. We’re three guys who love each other dearly. It was an amazing bonding experience to do a job that was so physically and mentally demanding. Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “The fantastic response and huge iPlayer figures for SAS Rogue Heroes is a testament to Steven Knight’s incredible skill for turning our history into modern, must-see TV. BBC viewers have really taken this series to their hearts, and we’re delighted to be working with Steven and Kudos to bring the Rogue Heroes’ exciting next chapter to life.”

The Phantom Major

Steven Knight’s critically-acclaimed, smash-hit BBC drama SAS Rogue Heroes will return for a second series. Omid Scobie's book is understood to include a volley of withering criticisms of the Royal Family. Here, Royal Correspondent NATASHA LIVINGSTONE sifts fact from fiction... And then we had to find David Stirling and I count myself quite fortunate that I was included in part of that process and was able to read with one or two actors for the role. When you saw Connor’s take there was no removing him from what you were hoping the project would end up being. Working with him has been one of the highlights of the job, just to see him step up to the mark and take it all in his stride. What he does when the cameras are on is spell-binding.