Ian Lapraik
Encyclopedia
Colonel Ian Lapraik, DSO
, OBE, MC
& Bar
, TD
, (13 September 1915 – 15 March 1985) was a distinguished officer in the Special Air Service
Regiment, despite potentially crippling childhood illness.
.Born in Glasgow or Edinburgh, depending upon source. He suffered from tuberculosis
of the knee at age seven and had been crippled for five years including two years with his leg in plaster
. When he attended Glasgow University, he was still thought to be too "fragile" for vigorous sports, although he had worked on his strength by running. He was also excluded from the Officers Training Corps, despite having achieved distinction as a runner in international inter-student games.
Lapraik was educated at the High School of Glasgow
(1927–1934) and qualified as a lawyer.
on September 3, 1939, the day that war was declared against Germany. After training at the reputedly tough Officer Cadet Training Unit at Dunbar
, he was commissioned in the Cameron Highlanders
in 1941, and in that year he saw action with the Middle East Commando
in Ethiopia
and won the Military Cross and the Ethiopian Lion of Judah
. In June 1943, he joined the newly formed Special Boat Service
(SBS), based near Haifa
, commanded by Lord Jellicoe
. In 1943 he commanded an SBS unit operating from bases in Turkish waters. Notable among his successes was an attack with the Greek Sacred Squadron
on Symi
, when the German garrison was decimated and all their installations destroyed.
He once paddled a canoe from Malta
to Sicily
, a distance of 70 miles, and on one occasion even managed to control a canoe in a force-nine gale
. Lapraik remained attached to the Greek Sacred Squadron in the Aegean for the rest of the war.
In 1945 he was awarded the DSO
and OBE and the Greek Order of the Phoenix and War Cross. He was six times mentioned in despatches; wounded six times; captured three times but always escaped.
Post-war, he worked in publishing and between 1973 and 1983, Ian Lapraik was Honorary Colonel of 21 SAS.
Ian Lapraik died in Buckinghamshire on 15 March 1985.
Distinguished Service Order
18 October 1945
Officer of the Order of the British Empire 9 August 1945
Military Cross
19 August 1941, and Bar
3 February 1944
Territorial Efficiency Decoration 14 September 1956
Mentioned in Despatches 25.01.1945
Lion of Judah
(Abyssinia
Military Cross (Greece), Class B (14.10.1949)
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, OBE, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
& Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
, TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
, (13 September 1915 – 15 March 1985) was a distinguished officer in the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
Regiment, despite potentially crippling childhood illness.
Early life
Lapraik was born in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.Born in Glasgow or Edinburgh, depending upon source. He suffered from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
of the knee at age seven and had been crippled for five years including two years with his leg in plaster
Orthopedic cast
An orthopedic cast, body cast or surgical cast, is a shell, frequently made from plaster, encasing a limb to hold a broken bone in place until healing is confirmed...
. When he attended Glasgow University, he was still thought to be too "fragile" for vigorous sports, although he had worked on his strength by running. He was also excluded from the Officers Training Corps, despite having achieved distinction as a runner in international inter-student games.
Lapraik was educated at the High School of Glasgow
High School of Glasgow
The High School of Glasgow is an independent, co-educational day school in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded as the Choir School of Glasgow Cathedral in around 1124, it is the oldest school in Scotland, and the twelfth oldest in the United Kingdom. It remained part of the Church as the city's grammar...
(1927–1934) and qualified as a lawyer.
Military career
Lapraik enlisted in the Highland Light InfantryHighland Light Infantry
The Highland Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. In 1923 the regimental title was expanded to the Highland Light Infantry ...
on September 3, 1939, the day that war was declared against Germany. After training at the reputedly tough Officer Cadet Training Unit at Dunbar
Dunbar
Dunbar is a town in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English Border at Berwick-upon-Tweed....
, he was commissioned in the Cameron Highlanders
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1793. In 1961 it was merged with the Seaforth Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders...
in 1941, and in that year he saw action with the Middle East Commando
Middle East Commando
Middle East Commando was a battalion sized British Commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The Commando was formed in the Middle East from the survivors of the Layforce Commando unit partly to placate Winston Churchill who championed the commando idea...
in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and won the Military Cross and the Ethiopian Lion of Judah
Lion of Judah
The Lion of Judah was the symbol of the Israelite tribe of Judah in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible .-Lion of Judah and Judaism:...
. In June 1943, he joined the newly formed Special Boat Service
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
(SBS), based near Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, commanded by Lord Jellicoe
George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe
George Patrick John Rushworth Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, KBE, DSO, MC, PC, FRS was a British politician and statesman, diplomat and businessman....
. In 1943 he commanded an SBS unit operating from bases in Turkish waters. Notable among his successes was an attack with the Greek Sacred Squadron
Sacred Band (World War II)
The Sacred band was a Greek special forces unit formed in 1942 in the Middle East, composed entirely of Greek officers and officer cadets under the command of Col. Christodoulos Tsigantes. It fought alongside the SAS in the Libyan desert and the Aegean, as well as with General Leclerc's Free...
on Symi
Symi
Symi also transliterated Syme or Simi is a Greek island and municipality. It is mountainous and includes the harbor town of Symi and its adjacent upper town Ano Symi, as well as several smaller localities, beaches, and areas of significance in history and mythology...
, when the German garrison was decimated and all their installations destroyed.
He once paddled a canoe from Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, a distance of 70 miles, and on one occasion even managed to control a canoe in a force-nine gale
Beaufort scale
The Beaufort Scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort Wind Force Scale.-History:...
. Lapraik remained attached to the Greek Sacred Squadron in the Aegean for the rest of the war.
In 1945 he was awarded the DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and OBE and the Greek Order of the Phoenix and War Cross. He was six times mentioned in despatches; wounded six times; captured three times but always escaped.
Post-war, he worked in publishing and between 1973 and 1983, Ian Lapraik was Honorary Colonel of 21 SAS.
Ian Lapraik died in Buckinghamshire on 15 March 1985.
Honours and awards
(details)Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
18 October 1945
Officer of the Order of the British Empire 9 August 1945
Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
19 August 1941, and Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
3 February 1944
Territorial Efficiency Decoration 14 September 1956
Mentioned in Despatches 25.01.1945
Lion of Judah
Lion of Judah
The Lion of Judah was the symbol of the Israelite tribe of Judah in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible .-Lion of Judah and Judaism:...
(Abyssinia
Military Cross (Greece), Class B (14.10.1949)
External links
- Ian Lapraik at the Special Forces Roll of Honour