Peaky BlinderscreatorSteven Knight’s BBC One drama seriesRogue Heroesborrows heavily from the real history captured in British authorBen Macintyre’s bookSAS: Rogue Heroes. In the first season, the series delved into the background behind the formation of theBritish special forces unit Special Air Service (SAS)and their action-packed adventures in the African continent in the early years of World War II, particularly focused on the Siege of Tobruk. In the much-awaited second season, which premiered in January this year,Rogue Heroeshas taken the action to the European theater of war, where efforts continued for the impending liberation of France.
As for any war story,Rogue Heroesis deeply rooted in the historical events it presents, but it does not imply that it is devoid of any fictionalization. However, regardless of the extent of creative liberty taken by Knight,Rogue Heroesbanks heavily on the larger-than-life true story of the characters brought to life by this World War II drama.
Which Characters in ‘Rogue Heroes’ Are Based on Real Historical Figures?
Themajority of the character list ofRogue Heroesfeatures real-life heroes, including the founding members of the SAS - David Stirling (Connor Swindells), Jock Lewes (Alfie Allen), and Paddy Mayne (Jack O’Connell). According to theBBC,the characterization of these three central characters is heavily based on their depiction in Macintyre’s source material, which includes a broadly accurate representation of the historical figures. As depicted in the series, David Stirling was born into the house of Brigadier-General Archibald Stirling, who also served as a Member of Parliament.Jock Lewes indeed shared a romantic relationship with a womannamed Mirren Barford (played byIsobel Laidler). O’Connell’s Paddy Mayne, who ends up leading theSAS in Season 2, was rumored to be homosexual. In the show, Mayne is shown to have a close relationship withDónal Finn’s Eoin McGonigal.
The other characters, including Bill Stirling (Gwilym Lee), Reg Seekings (Theo Barklem-Biggs), John Tonkin (Jack Barton), and Dudley Clarke (Dominic West), were all based on real characters (via theRadio Times). However, one entirely fictional character that the show introduces isSofia Boutella’s Eve Mansour, a French Intelligence agent who develops a romantic relationship with David Stirling (viaThe Guardian). While the character is not based on any one real person,the character is a tribute to the women who contributed to the warefforts during World War II, according to Boutella.
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“Don’t be defeatist, dear, it’s very middle class.”
‘Rogue Heroes’ Blends History With Fiction To Bring to Life the Story of SAS
In terms of the big events the series focuses on, largely everything is inspired by real history. From the rebellious nature of the SAS’s origin story to their crucial part in the Invasion of Sicily,Rogue Heroescapture the heroic and gruesome history of theSecond World War in detail. David, in reality, suffered a serious injury when he tried to parachute his way into the African desert in a bid to sway opinion in favor of the establishment of the SAS unit (viaGQ). As shown in Season 1’s finale,he was indeed eventually captured by German Forcesin January 1943, according toThe Standard). David escaped multiple times throughout the remainder of the war, but he spent much of his time in Prisoner of War camps. After David’s capture,Paddy Mayne took over the leadership of the SAS, spearheading the adventure exploits throughout Season 2 of the show. According toKnight, the help of the SAS Regimental Association was sought to keep things as accurately close to history as possible.
Along with trying to bring history to life in a true manner,Rogue Heroesalso fictionalizes a few details to bring realism to the story. For instance, in the scene where Stirling throws a grenade at a snooker table to clear it, the events panned out as shown in the series. However, whilethe real-life Stirling uses a real grenade(which is insane for a true story), the character in the show uses a dummy grenade to bring more believability to the entire scene (viaGQ). Another interesting real-life event that may seem outrageous but is unbelievably true revolves around Dominic West’s Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Clarke wearing a Chanel frock and scarlet lipstick. According to theBBC,the officer was arrested in Madrid while he wore a dress.
By including Eve Mansour as an important character,Rogue Heroesestablishes that the show is not only driven by the shocking historical events it capturesbut also brings to the forefront the contributions that often go unrecognized in historical retellings. In its approach,Rogue Heroestries to balance the celebration of the heroics of the brave SAS officers with the occasional highlighting of the questionable moral choices made by the officers in the context of a ruthless war ensuing in the background. In its entirety,Rogue Heroesrides gloriously on the inspiring true story that etched the name of the SAS and the officers behind it forever in the annals of history.
Both seasons ofRogue Heroes areavailable to stream on MGM+ in the U.S.
SAS: Rogue Heroes
