SAS hero Mel Parry dead – Commando who stormed Iran embassy to rescue hostages during six-day siege dies
AN SAS hero who stormed the Iranian Embassy in 1980 has died.
Mel Parry passed away yesterday in Hereford after a "very long illness", an ex-SAS comrade said.
Paying tribute on his website on Sunday, Bob Shepherd said Mel was "one of the finest men to have served in 22 SAS Regiment".
SAS veteran Bob - who served nearly 20-years in the elite regiment - added: "I write this as he died from a very long illness today in Hereford.
"My heart goes out to Mel’s family and close friends.
"When I joined the Regiment there were so many senior soldiers to look up to and learn from. However Mel was streets ahead in his thinking of SAS training and tactics in just about all forms.
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"It was he who would set the bar high to move the Regiment forward, and look at what the young guns can do today.
"Here’s to you Mel xx."
Author Chris Ryan also paid tribute to Mel, who was one of the 'Balcony Boys' in a picture which became synonymous with the raid.
Mr Ryan wrote on Twitter: "Mel, you were a gentleman and an incredible soldier.
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"We first met when I joined B Squadron in the early 80’s and you were the guiding light of the CT world that we recognise today. God Speed and don’t spare the HE."
On April 30, 1980, six gunmen campaigning for Arab separatism in Iran's Khuzestan Province stormed the Iranian Embassy in South Kensington, London.
They took staff hostage before executing Abbas Lavasani, the embassy's chief press officer, and Ali Akbar Samadzadeh, in cold blood.
Six days later on May 5, under the orders of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 35 SAS troops stormed the embassy as part of Operation Nimrod.
Abseiling down the front of the building and blasting windows open, Britain's best stormed in a hail of grenades and gunfire in a nail-biting operation broadcast live on TV.
The raid lasted just 17-minutes and by the end five of the six gunmen were dead.
The surviving terrorist, Fowzi Nejad, now lives on benefits in Peckham, South London.
