Military History - Special Air Service - Melwyn Roger “Mel” Parry QGM - Op Nimrod On 5 May 1980, as the SAS prepared to storm the Iranian Embassy in London, Melwyn Roger “Mel” Parry led the four-man team assigned to the first-floor balcony. Parry had joined the Royal Artillery as a Boy Soldier in 1961. He later served with 7th Parachute Light Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, during the 1964 Radfan campaign before passing selection for 22 Special Air Service Regiment at the age of 19. By 1970 he was serving with B Squadron, 22 SAS, in Dhofar, Oman. The Airborne Assault Museum records that a sniper’s round passed through the top of his shoulder during one action and that he remained with his comrades rather than being evacuated. Former SAS soldier Bob Shepherd later recalled Parry crossing exposed ground under heavy tracer fire to reach a badly wounded comrade. His best-known operation came on 5 May 1980. At about 7:23pm, Operation Nimrod began. Parry led the balcony team and moved forward to place the framed explosive charge against the armoured frontage. According to the Airborne Assault Museum account, a hostage-taker above dropped a hand grenade towards him as he worked. It failed to explode. The charge detonated, the team entered, and within minutes hostages were being brought out. Nineteen hostages were rescued; five of the six hostage-takers were killed and the surviving gunman was captured. Parry received the Queen’s Gallantry Medal for his actions. The official award record names him as Private Melwyn Roger Parry, The Parachute Regiment. It was published in 1994 and backdated to 6 April 1981. He later rose to Warrant Officer Class 1, commanded the SAS Operational Requirements Department and served as chief instructor of its Counter Revolutionary Warfare Wing. Mel Parry died on 21 May 2023, aged 76, after a long illness. He was survived by his wife Gail and a daughter. Melwyn Roger “Mel” Parry QGM The Parachute Regiment | 22 Special Air Service Regiment Aged 76 Lest We Forget. #LestWeForget #SAS #OperationNimrod #IranianEmbassySiege