In SAS: Rogue Heroes it is the soldiers who put their lives on the line by going behind enemy lines who are put at the forefront of the story, one of which is Reginald “Reg” Seekings.
The BBC drama’s second series follows the unit as they aid the Allied Forces’ push back against the German and Italian powers in Sicily and Italy, with Seekings taking centre stage in an episode set in Termoli. In the episode the SAS, then renamed the SRS, are tasked with holding the town before reinforcements arrive, only for them to be pinned down by enemy gunfire.
Seekings, played by Theo Barklem-Biggs, is the heart of the story because it explores his struggle with the mental toll of killing so many people during the war. He connects with some of the Italian residents in Termoli, namely a young boy who reminds him of his niece and nephew back home, which makes it that much harder when they are caught up in the unexpected battle.
The character is, of course, based on a real person, and here is everything that you need to know about Seekings and his life.
Who was Reg Seekings?
Seekings was one of the original members of the L Detachment SAS Brigade, which was formed in 1941 by David Stirling and Jock Lewes during the North Africa Campaign. Though almost blind in one eye he volunteered to help the war effort, first joining the 7 Commando before being recruited into the SAS.
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He was one of just 21 people out of 64 who returned from the SAS’ very first operation, a parachute drop in the desert over Gazala, Libya.
The soldier quickly became an integral part of the SAS, and took part in several important raids under the leadership of both Stirling and Paddy Mayne in the North African desert to destroy German aircrafts.
He cheated death twice during his time with the group. First in Termoli when his platoon’s truck was hit by a mortar round, he was one of only two survivors, and then a year later in Normandy he was hit by a bullet in the back of the neck, which passed close to his spine and was left there for the remainder of the war.
Reg Seekings and the SAS
Seekings was described as being both a positive and powerful influence on his fellow soldiers in the SAS, and he was commended for his many acts of bravery during the North Africa campaign by being awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), and in Italy he was awarded a Military Medal (MM).
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It was Stirling who recommended he receive the DCM, citing that Seekings had taken part in 10 raids and had destroyed over 15 aircraft himself in North Africa. The Lieutenant Colonel added that Seekings “through a complete disregard for his personal safety, has killed at least 10 of the enemy.”
After Stirling was captured as a prisoner of war, Mayne took command of the SAS and Seekings joined him during the invasion of Sicily and Italy.
Seekings has been described as having a “coolness and determination” when on the battlefield, something that shocked even German soldiers when Seekings once walked across a field, well within their sights, to check a section that was under fire. The confidence he had to do such a thing may seem blasé, but actually worked in his favour as no one fired at him.
When the SAS embarked on campaigns in France and Germany, Seekings was also there and was part of several successful ambushes on enemy combatants. It was in Germany that Seekings and his men came across the horrific sight of murdered hundreds of concentration camp inmates, who the Nazis had killed in a panic during an air raid.
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Read more:
What happened to David Stirling? SAS Rogue Heroes series 2 explained
The true story behind SAS Rogue Heroes series 2
What happened to Paddy Mayne? SAS Rogue Heroes series 2 explained
Seekings and his men were later ordered to go to Bergen Belsen concentration camp, and the experience had a lasting impact on him. Fellow soldier Johnny Cooper said of the experience: “We stood aghast. We simply could not comprehend how it was possible for human beings to treat their fellow men in such a brutal and heinous way. The effect on Reg was one of utter rage.”
What happened to Reg Seekings after World War Two?
Following the end of the war and the disbandment of the SAS in 1945, Seekings returned to England where he and his wife Monica Smith, whom he married that same year, bought and ran an Ely pub named the Rifleman Arms. They ran the pub for nine years before relocation to Rhodesia, where Seekings and his wife set up a farm together and he worked for the Anti-Terrorist Unit.
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Seekings and his wife returned to England in 1982, settling in Suffolk, East Anglia, until his death in 1999 at the age of 79.
SAS: Rogue Heroes series 2 continues airing every Sunday at 9pm on BBC One, and all episodes are available on BBC iPlayer.
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