Douglas Arnold no 7 commando, L-detachment SAS

This message was edited 8 times. Last update was at 13/11/2018 17:53:36

Pictures of Douglas Arnold army number 2932428 Liverpool Scottish, no 7 commando, L-detachment SAS, 1stSAS. Doug was with No 7 commando at Crete when the German paratroopers invaded. When British troops surrendered he led a spectacular escape in a boat with 13 men and arrived in Sidi Barani (3 men died) Doug is an SAS original one of the 66 first recruits selected by David Stirling who had heard of his escape.Doug took part in the first SAS operation Squatter the intended raid on Axis aerodromes at Tmimi and Gazala airport on 16 November 1941. The raid was a complete failure no sabotage took place and of the 65 SAS men only 22 returned. Doug was in the Tmimi party led by Lt. Paddy Maine and injured his ankle and left behind and after three cold nights was taken prisoner by Italian troops and evacuated to an Italian POW camp.He escaped 2 times and after helping Italian partisans with sabotage he rejoined 1stSAS and took part in SAS operations in NW Europe. Theres is an interview with Douglas Arnold in the IWM collection.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80019733

Douglas was a bycicle legend he went by bike to SAS renunions in London from his home in North Wales to London until his seventies and still sleeping in the rough. He wanted to revive his escape experiences
during ww2.

Douglas served in 7 Commando in GB and Crete, 1940-1941; served with Special Air Service in North Africa, 1941; POW in Italy, 1941-1943; escaped and joined Italians Partisans in Italy, 9/1943-9/1944; served with Special Air Service in North West Europe, 1945