William Stirling

Lieutenant-Colonel William Joseph Stirling of Keir (9 May 1911 – 1 January 1983) was a Scottish officer of the British Army who served during the Second World War. Initially joining the Special Operations Executive, he would go on to command No. 62 Commando and then the 2nd Special Air Service (2 SAS). He was the elder brother of David Stirling, one of the founders of the SAS, but Bill has been described as the "real brains behind the operation". His parents had married in 1910 when his father was 42 and his mother was 29. He was educated at Ampleforth College, an all-boys independent Catholic boarding school in Yorkshire, where he "shone academically and on the sports field". He went on to study history at Trinity College, Cambridge. On 1 November 1929, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Lovat Scouts, Territorial Army. On 3 September 1932, he transferred to the Scots Guards, with seniority in the rank of second lieutenant from 29 January 1931. In both units he had served alongside his cousin Simon Fraser, Master of Lovat (later the 15th Lord Lovat). He was promoted to lieutenant on 29 January 1934. He transferred to the Regular Army Reserve of Officers on 25 January 1936, with seniority in the rank of lieutenant from 29 January 1934. He then resigned his commission on 25 January 1936, to dedicate himself to the family estate. In April 1940, he was part of a six-man sabotage team tasked with guerrilla warfare on mainland Europe, but the operation was aborted when their submarine hit a mine on the way to Norway. Bill disembarked in Britain in January 1942, and, having given an account of his time in North Africa to the SOE and the War officer, was given four months leave. His role was "not to lead in the field but to direct from the sidelines"; one he would also fulfill in his later command. On 4 June 1944, two days before D-Day, Stirling was removed as commanding officer of 2 SAS and replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Brian Franks;

As a member of the Regular Army Reserve of Officers, he was promoted from lieutenant (war substantive major) to be major on 1 January 1949. Having reached the age limit, he relinquished his commission on 1 July 1961, and was granted the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel.

Later life

Stirling had succeeded his father as laird of Keir upon his death in 1931. He could have lived a life of luxury, but as it states in his obituary in The Times; "Born to huge possessions he could have sat still and enjoyed good fortune but there was in his character a streak of the Scottish adventurer scorning ease and plenty".

On 27 July 1945, Stirling was appointed a Forestry Commissioner by King George VI. In addition to his estate in Scotland, he also farmed in Tanzania. The house had been in the Stirling family for 570 years but, controversially, he "had not consulted his family before the sale was agreed". He subsequently died on 1 January 1983, aged 71, at King Edward VII's Hospital for Officers. On 8 March 1983, a requiem mass was held for him at the Guards' Chapel, Wellington Barracks in London; this was attended by representatives of the royal family, nobility and veterans who had served with him.

Personal life Stirling was married to Susan Rachel Bligh (1916–1983), daughter of Noel Bligh, son of the 8th Earl of Darnley; she was a model before they married. They had four children together. His eldest son, Archibald, was married to Diana Rigg.

In popular culture Bill Stirling is depicted by Gwilym Lee in Season 2 (2025) of the television historical drama SAS: Rogue Heroes.