John McAleese

John McAleese
Nickname(s)	Mac
Born	25 April 1949 Laurieston, Stirlingshire, Scotland, UK
Died	26 August 2011 (aged 62) Thessaloniki, Greece
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1969-1992
Rank	Staff Sergeant
Unit	22 SAS
Awards	Military Medal

John Thomas "Mac" McAleese, MM (25 April 1949 – 26 August 2011) was a British Army soldier who led an SAS team which stormed the Iranian embassy in London in May 1980 to end the Iranian Embassy siege (Operation Nimrod).^[1][2] He became known for retelling his story on TV and for taking part in the reality show SAS: Are You Tough Enough?.

McAleese was born in Stirling and grew up in Laurieston, Stirlingshire.^[3] He joined 59 Independent Commando, Royal Engineers, in 1969, aged 20. He moved to Hereford in 1975 after being accepted by the SAS. He was a lance corporal in 1980, serving in Pagoda Troop, B Squadron, 22 SAS Regiment, when he was famously seen with members of his team - Blue Team - on live television placing an explosive charge on the front first floor balcony of the Iranian Embassy prior to the assault on 5 May 1980.

McAleese later took part in the Falklands War in 1982, and was awarded the Military Medal in 1988 for service in Northern Ireland. He also served as a bodyguard for three British prime ministers.^[4] He was honourably discharged from the British Army on 8 February 1992 in the rank of staff sergeant.^[1][3] After that, he worked as a security consultant in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was also an airsoft instructor.

McAleese married twice. In 2009, his elder son, 29-year-old Sergeant Paul McAleese of 2 Battalion The Rifles, was killed on active duty in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb in Helmand Province.^[3] John McAleese suffered a heart attack and died in Thessaloniki, Greece. His funeral was held at Hereford Cathedral.^[5] He was survived by his second wife, a daughter by his first marriage, and two children by his second marriage.

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