Rusty Firmin was born in Carlisle in 1950. He joined the Royal Artillery at an early age and was then posted to 49 Field Regiment RA and subsequently to the 29 Commando RA. Getting a taste for commando ops, Rusty passed the SAS gruelling selection and joined B-Squadron 22 (SAS) Regiment in 1977. Following covert tours in Northern Ireland with the SAS, Rusty then led part of the iconic assault to rescue the hostages from the Iranian embassy in 1980. A fitness fanatic who represented the British Army at football, Rusty lives in rural Herefordshire.
