I could see a grenade in a terrorist’s hand. I fired a shot from my handgun at his head...
As one of the heroes of the Iran Embassy siege sells his medals, the explosive minute-by-minute story of the SAS’s finest hour
YESTERDAY, at a hotel in London’s Mayfair, an auction of medals and decorations was held. Although the star lot was the George Cross awarded to the SOE heroine Violette Szabo, which was snapped up by Lord Ashcroft for a record £260,000, the sharp-eyed saw the sale of Lot 649.
Primarily, it consisted of two decorations — a General Service Medal and a South Atlantic Medal. Unremarkable in themselves, they sold for £20,000. Normally, such a pair would have gone for little more than £1,000.
The reason? The man who won them, Sergeant Bob Curry, fought in one of the greatest raids in military history.
Codenamed Operation Nimrod, the raid took place just the other side of Hyde Park from where the auction was held.
It was May 5, 1980, and millions were settling down to watch the final of the World Snooker Championship or a John Wayne film.
Suddenly there came a news flash. Viewers were taken to live footage, which seemed to have come from an action film, of a smart London terrace. Men dressed in black combat gear were scaling the stuccoed walls of a building amid a cacophony of explosions, machine gun fire and screaming.
This was the climax to the six- day Iranian Embassy siege, during which six Arab terrorists, demanding autonomy for a region of Iran, had taken 26 people hostage — one of whom they had already killed. The men in black were members of the SAS. Until then, this elite regiment had operated in the shadows, but here it was in broad daylight, carrying out a spectacular operation in the rapt gaze of the public.
Since 1980, the fascination for the raid has endured. Next year will see the release of a film about the siege, called 6 Days. It will portray one of the SAS troopers, Rusty Firmin, whose book about his experiences is published this week.
Here, we piece together a minute-by-minute account of the raid using the testimony of those involved — from SAS soldiers, the terrified hostages, and even the terrorists themselves.
6.45PM
ON HER way from Chequers, Margaret Thatcher i s telephoned by Home Secretary Willie Whitelaw, who was first alerted by SAS secondin-command Clive Fairweather, later Scotland’s inspector of prisons. A hostage has been shot. It is clear that the time for negotiations is over.
Mrs Thatcher: ‘Willie wanted my permission to send in the SAS. “Yes, go in”,’ I said.’
6.47PM
FROM the Cabinet Office Briefing Room, Whitelaw passes on the order authorising the SAS to end the siege. Present is Brigadier Peter de la Billiere, the Director of Special Forces.
De la Billiere: ‘The SAS were going in, to resolve the situation or fail. The talk died away until no sound remained except that of the digital clock on the end wall. Snap! went the little flap as it fell, marking the passage of every minute. Snap . . . snap . . .’
7.07PM
IN A building next to the Embassy, the SAS ‘Pagoda Team’ receive orders from Major Hector Gullan. Among the team is Rusty Firmin.
Firmin: ‘I jumped up from my chair where I was watching the snooker and started to lead my team towards our f i nal assault position concealed behind a wall at the rear of the Embassy, moving carefully to avoid any chance of being seen and compromised.’
7.23PM
BY NOW, the team is positioned outside the Embassy. It i s split i nto three groups. One is to attack the building from the front of the first floor, while a second will abseil down the rear. The third team, which includes Firmin, is on the ground floor at the back of the Embassy. Firmin: ‘Suddenly, Hector came up: “Go! Go! Go!” This was followed by a huge explosion as a distraction charge was set off on the roof and the whole area seemed to rock as the blast wave rushed past.’
7.24PM
ON THE roof, SAS soldiers — including their leader, Tom Morrell — start their descent down the back of the Embassy. But some, including Robin Horsfall, see that it is not going smoothly. Horsfall: ‘The abseilers broke the windows and threw stun grenades into the room. Dangling on his rope about 12ft above the balcony and 20ft off the ground was one of the assault team. He was stuck with his rope jammed. The curtains beneath him had been set on fire by grenades.’
7.25PM
THE man is Morrell, and he is in danger of being burned alive. Meanwhile, those on the ground floor, including Firmin, Bob Curry and Peter Winner, press on. Winner: ‘We took up a position behind a low wall and one soldier ran forward and placed the explosive charge on the French windows. We then saw the abseiler swinging in the flames on the second floor. “Christ! It’s all going wrong,” I thought. “There’s no way we can blow that charge without injuring the abseiler.” Instant change of plan.’ Curry: ‘It was obvious we did not have time to hang around and wait, so I kicked the charge out of my way, thinking: “If it goes off, I won’t know anything about it. I’ll be all over the park.” And then I started to make an entry point through the window to my front.’
Using brute force, Curry successfully breaks down a door. Winner: ‘Eight soldiers rose to their feet as one and then we were sweeping in through the splintered door. All feelings of doubt and fear had now disappeared. I was blasted. The adrenalin was bursting through my bloodstream. Fearsome!’
But for Morrell, trapped on his abseil rope, the situation looks desperate. Horsfall: ‘Flames were now climbing higher and were now lapping against his legs. His screams of pain sounded over the radio.’
Mercifully, Morrell is cut down and he falls onto the balcony. Despite severe burns to his legs, he fights on.
7.26PM
WHILE the two teams attack the rear, at the front of the Embassy an SAS team place an explosive charge against a first-floor window. Inside, is hostage Sim Harris, a BBC soundman. Harris: ‘I opened the shutter and to my right was a man who looked like a frog man. He was all in black with a black mask on, a breathing mask, guns strapped to his thighs. He shouted to me: “Get down, get down!”
It is John McAleese, from Stirling, who is placing the charge. Harris: ‘ Then t here was one almighty explosion.’ McAleese: ‘The window just disappeared. There was just s*** everywhere. Smoke, dust, rubble. We stepped through, and there was this thing moving. It was old Sim Harris, just covered in dust. A few cuts.’
7.27PM
THREE of the six terrorists rush to the Telex room, where they attempt to execute the male hostages. Among the captives are Ron Morris, t he Embassy chauffeur, and Gholam-Ali Afrouz, the Embassy’s
Charge d’Affaires. The terrorists include Fowzi Nejad. Nejad: ‘After we were in the room, within a minute or so the building shook. I felt the explosion, but didn’t see anything. I threw my gun out of the window and fell f ace downwards on the f l oor. And I just lay on the floor between the hostages.’ Morris: ‘One of the gunmen, I don’t know which, pointed his gun at the Charge d’Affaires and said: “Now I have a chance to get you, Afrouz.” Then he started firing at the Iranians. I thought: “God, is there anything I can do? No.” ’ Gholam-Ali Afrouz: ‘I was sitting facing the door. One of the gunmen pointed at me and fired. My face was bleeding so I laid down and put a cloth over my face. Then I was shot in the legs.’
In the mayhem, one of the hostages is shot dead, and two, including Afrouz, are seriously injured. But help is on its way.
7.28PM
SeverAl SAS men burst into the room. Among them is Sergeant Tommy Palmer, whose Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun has jammed. He draws his Browning pistol and aims it at a terrorist. Palmer: ‘I could see the man was to my left and had a grenade in his hand. He was moving as if to detonate it. I fired one shot from my pistol at his head.’ Anonymous SAS trooper: ‘[It was] a well-aimed shot which killed him instantly and blew his brains all over the place.’
The SAS identify two terrorists among the hostages. One of the soldiers starts searching a terrorist, and as he pulls the man’s legs apart, a gun and a magazine holster are spotted. Morrell: ‘The suspect then threw his hands beneath his coat and I thought he was going to take a weapon. I shot him with a short burst in the small of the back area.’ Anonymous SAS trooper: ‘One terrorist was identified, pulled out of the line and made to lie on the floor. Then he moved suspiciously and was shot — can’t take any chances. His body was turned over; there was a Soviet hand grenade in his hand.’
In the Cabinet Office Briefing room, ministers can only wait. De la Billiere: ‘No one moved or said a word. Then, over my headphones, I heard shots, shouts, screams, and our soldiers calling to each other.’
7.29PM
THe SAS is keen to rescue PC Trevor lock, a member of the Diplomatic Protection Group. Soon after the attack starts, lock starts fighting a life-and- death struggle with the terrorist leader. But unbeknown to the terrorist, lock has managed to keep his pistol hidden since the start of the siege. Lock: ‘We both then ended up on the floor in the office. He rolled over on to his front and tried to crawl towards his gun. I laid across his back, put my left arm around his throat and pulled his head back.
‘He was kicking and struggling. I said: “You caused this!” I then drew my gun from my holster, forced the muzzle in his right ear and said: “It’s down to you. You’re the leader, aren’t you?”
‘He then said: “Don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me.” I took my gun and pointed it under his chin.’ Having heard the commotion, the SAS rush to the room. Anonymous SAS trooper: ‘ We hurried towards the noise and burst in to see one of the terrorists struggling with PC lock.’ Lock: ‘ I saw what l ooked l i ke lemons rolling beside me. They exploded and I was thrown off the terrorist. At that point, the door burst open and I heard someone shout: “Trevor, move over!” ’ Anonymous SAS trooper: ‘John Mac rushed forward and got lock away, then pumped a long burst from his MP5 into the terrorist. The bullets hit his head and chest, sending his lifeless body sprawling against the wall.’
7.33PM
BY NOW, four terrorists have been killed but two are unaccounted for. While some SAS men scour the building, others bundle the hostages down the stairs to safety. The building is on fire, and the heat is so intense that it is melting the rubber on the soldiers’ boots. Horsfall, Winner and Firmin are all on or near the stairs. Horsfall: ‘As we entered the f ront reception by the stairs, hostages started to tumble down, thrown from man to man until they reached me. “Watch out, he’s a terrorist!” shouted one of the men on the stairs.’
Peter Winner has spotted a terrorist among the hostages, but i s unable to shoot for fear of wounding the innocent. Winner: ‘Instinctively, I raised the MP5 above my head and in one swift, sharp movement brought the stock of the weapon down on the back of his neck.
‘I hit him as hard as I could. His head snapped backwards, and for one fleeting second I caught sight of his tortured, hate-filled face. He collapsed forward and rolled down the remaining few stairs.’
rusty Firmin is near the bottom. Firmin: ‘I looked straight into his eyes for an instant, then saw he was holding a Soviet-type grenade in his right hand. I was still holding him with my left hand but with my right hand I brought up my MP5 and fired two bursts into his centre of mass at point-blank range.
‘He fell to the bottom of the stairs like a sack of potatoes and lay there, as two more members of the team fired into him to make sure.’
7.37PM
THe hostages are hurried onto the lawn, where they are handcuffed and searched, as there is still one terrorist missing. Then comes a dramatic moment of identification. Horsfall: ‘Sim Harris was twisting to one side and looking at one of the handcuffed men. “He’s a terrorist!” he shouted.’
Harris is referring to Fowzi Nejad, one of the gunmen. Nejad: ‘The SAS were looking at photographs and they picked me up and were going to take me back inside when the women and the other hostages stopped them. Then the police came and took me away from the SAS.’
All but one of the hostages have been rescued, and all the terrorists are either dead or in custody. Operation Nimrod is i mmediately judged a huge success.
7.40PM
HuGe relief sweeps through the Cabinet Office Briefing room. De la Billiere: ‘Tension snapped. Papers flew in the air. everyone leapt up, shouting and laughing. A roar of talk broke out. Bottles of whisky appeared from some secret cupboard and we all had a muchneeded drink.’
8.07PM
THe SAS team arrive at regent’s Park Barracks. Firmin: ‘The first thing I did was ask the police sergeant running security at the holding area what the score in the snooker was, but he hadn’t been watching and didn’t know.’ Winner: ‘A look of total disbelief spread across the policeman’s face and he just stood there shaking his head from side to side.’
9PM
MArGAreT THATCHer visits the SAS team — her ‘boys’, as she calls them. Horsfall: ‘We were lined up and introduced to the PM one at a time. The older guys weren’t fazed by her at all. “When are we going t o get a pay r i se?” some of them asked.’
The Regiment: 15 Years in the SAS by Rusty Firmin is published by Osprey for £19.99.