MEET the Carlisle-born, SAS hero, who has been at the heart of the action in some of the world’s most iconic moments.
From the Iranian Embassy Siege and patrolling the streets in Northern Ireland in the early 70s to performing covert operations in the Falklands and working as security for Mel Gibson on the set of Braveheart, Rusty Firmin has seen it all.
“I never wanted to join the Army, I was a Rolling Stones fan, long hair and tight blue jeans – but I’m not sure I’d be alive if it wasn’t for the Army, considering the tracks I was on,” said Rusty who is returning to his hometown next month for a talk at the Harraby Theatre.
Rusty joined the Junior Leaders Royal Artillery at age 15, then after 2 years, he joined the 49 Field Regiment Royal Artillery, but his real love was football, and he went onto represent the British Army football team at top amateur level.
One of his most awe-inspiring moments however, was his role during the famous Iranian Siege in the 1980s – the week in which six armed men stormed and took hostages within the Iranian embassy in London.
From that moment on, Rusty became famously photographed as the ‘man with no gloves’.
After the sixth day of siege, SAS team leader Rusty and his men abseiled from the roof, breaching the embassy windows.
“The story behind the ‘no gloves’ was we were watching the snooker final in between negotiations, all dressed in black. We sat down had a cup of tea as we waited on the call.
“When hostage Lavasani had been executed and his body was thrown on the street, we sprung to action.”
That day Rusty and his team rescued 19 hostages and killed five of the six terrorists.
“We went back that day and my gloves were still sat on the table.
“I was also supposed to playing a cup final in Kidderminster Harriers in West Midlands. There would’ve been a couple of hundred watching us there that day, so to end up with a couple million watching me on TV – when I look back, it’s been a strange life I’ll tell you that, but I wouldn’t change it,” he said.
His exploits that day helped inspire hit Netflix movie, starring Jamie Bell, 6 Days – of which Rusty was an advisor on set.
Rusty's talk will take place on Sunday, March 20. “I’m looking forward to going to Carlisle. I really don’t know who I’ll get to meet from my past,” he said.
The event is being organised by IM Events.
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