Former SAS soldier Rusty Firmin enthralled a packed audience at Dumfries’ Crichton Central with anecdotes from the famous Iran Embassy raid by the elite squad.
The talk was sold out and Rusty showed footage and photos from the 1980 assault in London to rescue 26 hostages while killing five of the six terrorists.
They were Iranian Arabs campaigning for sovereignty of Khuzestan Province and brought bloodshed to the capital.
Rusty left the SAS and landed on “The Circuit” where ex-military men and women are hired as private security. He is also a TV, radio and newspaper pundit.
One of his most famous clients was film star Mel Gibson, and his family, when the actor made the movie Braveheart in Scotland.
Rusty said of his Dumfries gig: “I enjoyed it,
“I enjoyed telling the real story behind it (the raid) and stories people have never heard before instead of the bulls*** that has been put about.
“I was in the army, with the 49th, during several tours of Northern Ireland through the 70s and 80s at the height of The Troubles.
“We had bombs and bricks thrown at us in the province and there were some long hours and periods of time patrolling at the time.
“I was back with the SAS but cannot say anything about it other than I took part in high value (surveillance) operations.
“I was also in Afghanistan but that was when I left the army and was on The Circuit and doing general protection and security.
“I was in Kabul and working at the Japanese Embassy. They were a very nice bunch.
“A friend of mine, from the SAS, got me the job with Mel Gibson which was very interesting.
“He was over making the film Braveheart and brought his wife and five of his six kids at the time plus a nanny.
“It was long hours because he was producing and editing the film so it could be 18 or 19 hour days including filming and then go through it all editing the rushes.
“He’s a really nice man and our job was to keep the paparazzi photographers away from him and his family.”
Rusty posed for photos with fans and signed copies of his books before staging a question and answer session with the crowd.
And it was during that time he revealed how Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher thanked the SAS for their efforts to free the hostages in the Iranian Embassy raid. He also told how it saved the unit which was, incredibly, under threat during plans for military cutbacks.
