THE last founding member of the SAS left a £1.8million fortune to his family.
Major Mike Sadler, 103, died last January and is depicted in BBC show SAS Rogue Heroes.
BBCTom Glynn-Carney plays Mike Sadler in BBC show SAS Rogue Heroes[/caption]
Prince William attended his funeral at Hereford Cathedral last April.
Maj Sadler was the regiment’s chief navigator in World War Two and used the sun and stars to launch raids on the Nazis.
In December 1941, he and five others destroyed 24 planes at the German-held Wadi Tamet airstrip, Libya.
He parachuted into France after the 1944 D-Day landings, worked as an MI6 spy and had part of the Antarctic named in his honour.
He won the Military Cross and was portrayed in the BBC hit by Tom Glynn-Carney.
The pair met in 2022 when the actor admitted portraying an expert navigator was a challenge.
Maj Sadler, who by then had lost his sight, laughed: “It’s not that difficult.”
The Londoner added of the regiment: “We were conscious of doing something different from the Army.
“We didn’t regard it as more dangerous. The tank battles were much worse. Our adventures make for good stories, no denying. They were very exciting and frightening in some cases.”
Maj Sadler, who spent his final years in a nursing home near Cambridge, was married twice and is survived by daughter Sally.
His fortune will be put in trust for her, his brother-in-law’s family and charity.
THE Royal British Legion is calling for World War Two veterans to share their stories for the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 8 and VJ Day on August 15.
Times Newspapers LtdMajor Mike Sadler, the last founding member of the SAS, left a £1.8million fortune to his family[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
