Fergie Semple

Brigadier (Roderick) Ferguson ('Fergie') Semple MBE MC (26 January 1922 – 31 July 2003) was a British Army officer who became Director SAS.

Fergie Semple
Born26 January 1922
Died31 July 2003 (2003-08-01) (aged 81)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1942–1972
RankBrigadier
Commands heldSpecial Air Service
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsMember of the Order of the British Empire
Military Cross

Military career

Educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and Aberdeen University,[1] Semple was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1942.[2] He served in World War II with the 6th Airborne Divisional Engineers creating Glider Landing Zones in the Airborne landings in Normandy in June 1944.[3] He received the MC for this.[1]

He went on to be Chief of Staff for 16 Parachute Brigade[1] before becoming Commanding Officer of 131 Parachute Engineer Regiment.[1] He was appointed Director SAS in 1969 before retiring in 1972.[4]

In retirement he became Director-General of Administration in the Omani Department of Defence and a member of the Sultan’s National Defence Council.[1] The Airborne Engineers Association still holds an annual Fergie Semple Golf Competition in his honour.[5]

Family

He was married to Olivia; there were no children.[1]

References
  1. "Obituary: Brigadier R F Semple". The Times. 27 August 2003. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  2. "No. 35627". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 July 1942. p. 3035.
  3. Lowman, Lieutenant-Colonel Frank. "The 6th Airborne Divisional Engineers on D Day 1944". Pegasus archive. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  4. "Army Commands" (PDF). 26 July 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
  5. Airborne Engineers Association
Military offices
Preceded by
Mike Wingate Gray		 Director SAS
1969–1972		 Succeeded by
John Simpson
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