The Special Air Service then returned to the United Kingdom and was formed into a brigade with two British, two French and one Belgian regiment, and went on to conduct operations in France, Italy again, the Low Countries and finally into Germany. His idea was for small teams of parachute-trained soldiers to operate behind enemy lines to gain intelligence, destroy enemy aircraft, and attack their supply and reinforcement routes.
Auchinleck liked the plan and it was endorsed by the Army High Command. At that time, there was already a deception organisation in the Middle East area, which wished to create a phantom airborne brigade to act as a threat to enemy planning. The force initially consisted of five officers and 60 other ranks. This parachute drop behind Axis lines was launched in support of Operation Crusader. Due to Axis resistance and adverse weather conditions, the mission was a disaster with 22 men killed or captured one-third of the men.
Their second mission was more successful; transported by the Long Range Desert Group LRDG , they attacked three airfields in Libya , destroying 60 aircraft without loss. In October , David Stirling had asked the men to come up with ideas for insignia designs for the new unit. Bob Tait, who had accompanied Stirling on the first raid, produced the winning entry: the flaming sword of Excalibur , the legendary weapon of King Arthur.
This motif would later be misinterpreted as a winged dagger. In regard to mottoes, "Strike and Destroy" was rejected as being too blunt. Finally, Stirling settled on " Who Dares Wins ," which seemed to strike the right balance of valour and confidence.
SAS pattern parachute wings , designed by Lieutenant Jock Lewes and depicted the wings of a scarab beetle with a parachute. The wings were to be worn the right shoulder upon completion of parachute training. After three missions, they were worn on the left breast above medal ribbons. The wings, Stirling noted, "Were treated as medals in their own right. Their first mission in was an attack on Bouerat.
