SAS TV star reveals he was rescued from Saddam thugs after army mutiny, in first inside account of dramatic mission that led to THAT iconic image of UK soldier on fire

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On Channel 4’s reality show, SAS: Who Dares Wins, he is the steely eyed soldier who strikes fear into recruits being put through a series of gruelling Special Forces selection tests.

But today The Mail on Sunday can reveal how Sergeant Colin Maclachlan, 41, was one of two soldiers whose capture in Iraq brought SAS officers to the brink of mutiny over the Ministry of Defence’s refusal to sanction a rescue attempt.

One of the most extraordinary chapters of the British Army’s involvement in Iraq culminated in the horrific moment a soldier threw himself from his armoured vehicle with his uniform in flames – an image that has become a defining moment of Britain’s occupation of the south of the country.

Iconic image: The Mail on Sunday can reveal how Sergeant Colin Maclachlan was one of two soldiers whose capture in Iraq brought SAS officers to the brink of mutiny over the Ministry of Defence’s refusal to sanction a rescue attempt. Above, Maclachlan's dramatic mission led to this iconic image of a UK soldier on fire

On September 19, 2005, Sgt Maclachlan, who served in the SAS for seven years, was returning to the city of Basra after dropping off two MI6 agents at the Kuwaiti border when his car broke down. He had to decide whether to wait for a military convoy to collect him or to hijack a taxi.

After waving his arms to attract attention, a taxi pulled up and Maclachlan trained his M4 automatic rifle at the driver’s head. The shocked driver froze and Maclachlan’s SAS colleague – here called ‘Al’ to protect his identity – bundled him into the back seat.

When they reached an Iraqi police checkpoint near Basra, Maclachlan was alarmed to see 20 uniformed officers there – twice as many as he was used to. By 2005, fears were growing that terrorist militias, intent on killing British troops, had infiltrated Iraqi police. But he still hoped he could talk his way through the situation.

Maclachlan said last night: ‘Usually I could flash my British Army identification card and get out of trouble. But it was like these officers had a different agenda. Then as we drove through a chicane a 4x4 vehicle pushed up behind us and a van drove across our path – we’d been “fronted and tailed”.

‘I told Al to stay calm, but inside I was worried because the Iraqi police could be very trigger-happy. They started tugging at the doors, insisting we got out. Then I heard gunshots and a rifle round ricocheted off the taxi’s roof.’

Maclachlan and Al got out but were quickly surrounded by angry police officers who attempted to grab their weapons. The SAS men fought back and fired warning shots in a bid to persuade them to back off.

Maclachlan endured six mock executions during the ordeal. He is now part of the team of Special Forces veterans on Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins (above)

Instead Maclachlan and Al were struck over the head with AK47 rifle butts and dragged to a nearby police building where they were stripped and tortured. Maclachlan said: ‘I started swinging punches and dishing out head-butts as they were ripping at my shirt, trousers and boots. So I cut a deal with myself; for every time they hit me on the head with the rifle butt I’d drop a layer of clothing, but only one.’

Six Iraqi officers eventually handcuffed Maclachlan and pushed him against a wall. The muzzle of a pistol pressed against the back of his skull. His captors wanted to execute him.

Meanwhile, at SAS HQ in Basra concern was growing for the missing men and a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) was assembling, including infantry soldiers and Warrior armoured vehicles, while intelligence officers frantically scanned satellite photos in a bid to establish Maclachlan and Al’s whereabouts. Knowing the militia posed such a threat to the missing soldiers, the SAS commander in Basra was willing to storm any building to save his men.

But there was a problem. He needed the approval of senior generals at Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), the UK’s nerve centre of the war. Top brass at the PJHQ told him a raid would compromise British-Iraqi relations and undermine the UK Government’s claim that Britain was successfully handing over power to the Iraqis.

The infuriated SAS commander stressed his men were in grave danger but he was told: ‘Permission not granted. There are more important things than the lives of the soldiers.’

At the police building, Maclachlan’s face remained pressed against the wall, while his naked, battered body was shaking in pain. Again a pistol was pressed against his head and an Iraqi police officer squeezed the trigger.

As he recalled: ‘At the time I thought, “Oh well, that’s me gone then.” Obviously I wasn’t happy about dying, but I feared for my parents. What would they be told about my last moments? The details of my ordeal would be too much to bear.’

Maclachlan endured six mock executions before the moment came when it appeared he was indeed to die.

However, two police officers started arguing over when to record a video of his death for propaganda purposes. The delay saved his life, for while the men disagreed a senior Iraqi policeman appeared and Maclachlan was told to put his clothes on.

The officer then told him: ‘I’m very sorry sir, this was a mistake. We thought you were Egyptian terrorists, we had some intelligence which proved to be wrong. We’ll take you back to Saddam’s Palace [where the men were quartered] now.’

But when Maclachlan asked if he could have his kit and weapons back the officer replied: ‘No, we’ll take it back for you. There’s a big mob outside we don’t want to make them angry. We’ll put the handcuffs back on you now, put you back in the police car and drive you back.’

Maclachlan was very suspicious of why the officer wanted to keep hold of his weapons if he intended to release him. He and Al were bundled into vehicles and driven to Jamiat police station in central Basra.

Peering beneath his blindfold Maclachlan recognised the various junctions and roundabouts he had memorised as part of his operational training. He recalled: ‘I was keeping myself mentally alert and I still had faith in my SAS colleagues coming to get me though. But being at the sharp end of this incident, I had no idea about the hoo-hah which went on.’

Meanwhile, the SAS commander put his career on the line – telling PJHQ top brass he would launch a rescue mission regardless of their concerns. His decision was apparently based on pictures recorded by a Predator ‘eye-in-the-sky’ drone of Maclachlan and Al being dragged inside Jamiat police station.

Maclachlan said: ‘Then they started interrogating us again, it was like I was back to square one, that they didn’t believe who I was.

‘But the moment I got really worried again was when they dragged me from the police station into a courtyard where an unmarked car was parked. The backdoor was then opened and I was pushed towards it.

‘I kicked off, Monty Python-style, still blindfolded and handcuffed, lashing out crazily, dishing out head-butts and kicks. I was taking a lot of blows too but butt stroke after butt stroke, I fought on.’ Somehow Maclachlan prevented the police pushing him into the car and he was marched back to the station.

By then the QRF had established where the missing men were being held. A huge crowd was gathered outside the compound surrounding the police station and youths were pelting British Warrior vehicles – deployed to rescue the SAS men – with petrol bombs. In total, 19 British soldiers were injured – it was considered a miracle that none died.

Among the wounded was the Warrior driver who was photographed throwing himself from his vehicle, his uniform ablaze. He was treated for burns but made a full recovery.

Then Maclachlan and Al had a stroke of luck. Somehow a British Royal Military Policeman (RMP) managed to get inside the station.

Maclachlan said: ‘I heard this English voice and cried out. Then there was a lot of commotion and the police officers who had been beating me up dispersed. I then found the RMP and explained my situation and who I was. But even though I was standing there with blood pouring from my wounds, he asked me to show some ID.

‘When he was finally convinced who I was, he told me that there was a huge, angry crowd outside and that Al and I would have to climb into his Land Rover and keep our heads down to prevent anyone recognising us. The last thing I can remember is the sounds of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) being fired as we were driven out of there.’

The Mail on Sunday understands that a Warrior vehicle was then used to crash through a wall of the compound. Special Forces soldiers formed up in two extended lines to protect the Land Rovers carrying the pair. Several RPGs exploded but no British troops were wounded.

Maclachlan consoled Al when they returned to Saddam’s Palace, as he told The Mail on Sunday: ‘He was pretty shaken up. He’d only just joined the SAS and this was his first operation. To this day I don’t know how badly he was affected by it because, you know, we leave [the SAS] and that’s it. And you know how much post-traumatic support you get, basically none. That’s it, you just deal with it however you can.

‘I hope he’s OK because it wasn’t a great situation for him. I told him we’d done the best in a difficult situation and that nothing was his fault. As his commander, I felt bad that he’d gone through that and that I’d lost a lot of regimental kit.

‘I read about all the apparent issues with the rescue mission afterwards but I know very little about it. When I was leaving the SAS the following year the commanding officer suggested there had been some talk of me getting a medal for that day.

‘But why would I get a medal for getting captured and losing kit? And for potentially putting another soldier’s life at risk? I certainly didn’t want one.’

... but for all his heroics, SAS have shunned ex-Sergeant

The Special Forces stars of Channel 4’s hit reality show, SAS: Who Dares Wins, were last night facing the prospect of being classified as persona non grata (PNG) by their former colleagues – for discussing secret operations.

According to defence sources, the elite troops who served in the Special Boat Service (SBS) and the Special Air Service (SAS) are expected to be banned from any social functions hosted by Special Forces personnel.

A source said: ‘I don’t expect I’ll see them drinking in the Sergeants’ Mess bar after this. Senior officers take a bit of a softer approach to guys doing media stuff these days, but it is still against the rules. So they could get the PNG treatment.’

But The Mail on Sunday also understands that the five men, including former SAS Sergeant Colin Maclachlan, are likely to escape formal censure as the show was approved by top brass. An MOD spokesman said: ‘We do not comment on Special Forces matters.’