John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman
John “Lofty” Wiseman joined the Parachute Regiment in 1958.
He applied for service with the Special Air Service Regiment in 1959 and set a record as the youngest person ever to pass selection at the age of 18.
John served with 22 SAS for 26 years (and, as he likes to point out, 55 days)!
He saw active service worldwide, in every theatre of operations and special operations required of the British Army between 1959 and 1985.
- Amongst other things, John was:
- Sergeant Major, B Squadron (Sabre Sqn)
- 22 SAS Sergeant Major
- 22 SAS Training Wing Head of Operational Research
- 22 SAS Set up the SP Team (Counter Hi-Jack) Set up the SAS Counter-Terrorist Team (you know…those chaps who ended the Iranian Embassy siege)
- Trained the first members of the US Green Berets to return to the USA to form the famous Delta Force (US Special Forces).
- Lofty also ran the famous SAS Selection Course, deciding who was fit to join the Regiment.
By the time he retired from active service in 1985, he was held in such high esteem that it could be said of him, to directly quote the Commanding Officer of 22 SAS at the time, “Lofty is a legend in this Regiment”.