John McAleese: The SAS soldier who was the man behind the mask

Years after the raid, Scots soldier McAleese was revealed as the man who blasted the SAS into the Iranian embassy

In 1980, millions of people watched on live television as an SAS soldier, armed with explosives and a sub-machine gun, blasted his way into the Iranian embassy in London.

The man in black was Sergeant John McAleese - who led the frontal assault that brought a dramatic end to the hostage crisis that had been gripping the nation for six days.

It would be years until McAleese - with his trademark moustache - would be revealed to the public as the steely Scottish soldier behind the gas mask.

Now a memorial is being unveiled on the 10th anniversary of his death, in his home village of Laurieston, near Falkirk.

The bronze statue is a tribute to McAleese and Operation Nimrod - the codename for the daring raid on the embassy by the British Army's special forces unit.

Hidden behind their gas masks, SAS blue team cross the embassy balconies

"The memorial is a bust of John, but it is not just about him," says Tommy Davidson of the Ancre Somme Association Scotland - the charity behind the project.

"It's to remember him and the contribution of everyone who was a part of Operation Nimrod.

"John is a national hero for Scotland, so we want to create a fitting memorial for him and everyone involved."

McAleese was one of about 30 SAS soldiers who took part in the assault on 5 May 1980.

It came six days after Iranian gunmen walked into the embassy at Princes Gate, South Kensington, taking 26 people hostage.

Millions watched live on television as Operation Nimrod was carried out in full view of news cameras

Most of them were embassy staff, but among the captives were policeman PC Trevor Lock, two BBC journalists and tourists who were collecting visas.

Days of meticulous planning followed as the elite troops prepared for their rescue.

The SAS took up positions in neighbouring buildings. Aircraft were asked to fly low over the embassy to cover the noise of drilling as they inserted listening devices into the walls

The government finally ordered the raid when the gunmen shot Iranian press attaché Abbas Lavasani and dumped his body outside the building.

Two SAS teams launched a simultaneous assault.

The red team abseiled down the back wall of the embassy. McAleese and the blue team crossed the tall stone pillars out front to reach the first floor balcony.

Millions watched what happened next as the BBC interrupted the evening schedules for a live news broadcast.

Viewers saw the shadowy masked soldiers move quickly across the embassy's white facade.

Then there was an explosion. McAleese had set off a charge to blow out the front window. A giant cloud of smoke obscured the entire building.

The SAS were in. Gunshots and screams could be heard from inside. It was all over in just 17 minutes.

McAleese left the military as a sergeant in 1992, then worked in security in Iraq and Afghanistan

The Iranians killed one hostage and wounded two during the raid - the rest were freed safely by the special forces troops.

Five of the six gunmen were killed. The survivor was jailed for 28 years.

In an interview years after the operation, McAleese said: "Our task was to find the hostages, rescue them, and deal with the terrorists as we see fit."

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited the SAS at Regent's Park barracks to congratulate the men.

Operation Nimrod was hailed as a great success - bringing immediate global fame to the SAS - which had kept a low profile since its beginnings in World War 2.

A bronze bust of McAleese will be unveiled in tribute to Operation Nimrod

McAleese's SAS career continued until 1992, serving in the Falklands and Northern Ireland, and as a bodyguard for three British prime ministers.

He later worked as a security consultant in Iraq and Afghanistan, before finding television fame in the early 2000s through the BBC series SAS: Are you tough enough?

McAleese was struck by personal tragedy in 2009. His 29-year-old son Sgt Paul McAleese was killed by a roadside bomb while serving in Helmand, Afghanistan.

He was devastated by the loss. He moved to Thessaloniki in Greece, where he died of a heart attack on 26 August 2011, aged 62.

McAleese's twin brother Billy and nephew James at the Laurieston war memorial with a miniature of the bust

McAleese, who married twice, was survived by another son and two daughters. Many of his relatives still live in the Lauriston area, including his twin brother Billy.

They have given their full support to the ASA Scotland campaign - which raised £30,000 for the memorial.

The bronze bust of McAleese, created by Scottish sculptor Helen Runciman, will be installed on a stone plinth alongside Laurieston's existing war memorial.

The village site has been regenerated with new benches and flagpoles also funded by the campaign.

ASA Scotland patron Colin MacLachlan and sculptor Helen Runciman with a clay model of McAleese

"John's family are overwhelmed that this has been done," says ASA Scotland's Tommy Davidson.

"We first approached them two years ago with the idea for a memorial in the place where he grew up.

"It's been difficult fundraising during Covid. We've had to do it all online instead of being able to holding real-life events.

"It should have been unveiled last year to mark 40 years since Operation Nimrod, but it's fitting we can do it now to mark the 10th anniversary of John's death."

ASA Scotland financed the project through a series of online efforts, including the sale of miniature McAleese busts, limited edition coins, lapel badges, books and signed photos.

The charity was founded five years ago as an armed forces education group, with former SAS soldier Colin MacLachlan serving as patron.

The McAleese memorial will be unveiled at a ceremony in Laurieston later by Falkirk Lord Provost, William Buchanan, and Lord Lieutenant Alan Simpson.