Ian Lapraik

Colonel Ian Lapraik BL (13 September 1915 – 15 March 1985) was a distinguished officer in the Special Air Service Regiment, despite potentially crippling childhood illness.

Early life Lapraik was born in Edinburgh, but lived most of his early life in Glasgow. He suffered from tuberculosis of the knee at age seven and had been crippled for five years including two years with his leg in plaster. When he was at university, he was still thought to be too "fragile" for vigorous sports, although he had worked on his strength by running. He was also excluded from the Officer Training Corps, despite having achieved distinction as a runner in international inter-student games.

He was six times mentioned in despatches; wounded six times; captured three times but always escaped. After the war, the SAS and the SBS were disbanded from the regular establishment, but in 1947 the SAS returned, as a unit of the Territorial Army. This unit was 21 SAS (V) and Major Lapraik now commanded B Squadron, whose senior ranks were composed mostly of veterans of the SBS. Between 1973 and 1983, Ian Lapraik was the Honorary Colonel of 21 SAS. The Army Reserve Centre at Bramley Training Area is named Lapraik House and the base for C Sqn.

In his civilian life, Ian Lapraik worked in publishing. He died in Buckinghamshire on 15 March 1985.