Who Dares Wins

War Grave from Jimmy Hall-Les Ormes (Yonne, France)

Who Dares, Wins (Latin: Qui audet adipiscitur; Greek: Ο τολμών νικά, O tolmón niká; French: Qui ose gagne; Italian: Chi osa vince; Portuguese: Quem ousa, vence; German: Wer wagt, gewinnt) is a motto made popular by the British Special Air Service.[1] It is normally credited to the founder of the SAS, Sir David Stirling.[2] Among the SAS themselves, it is sometimes humorously corrupted to "Who cares [who] wins?".[3]

The expression appears in a medieval Arabic book of fairy tales translated and published in 2014.[4]

The catchphrase "He Who Dares, Wins" was commonly used by Del Boy in British sitcom Only Fools and Horses.

The motto has been used by twelve elite special forces units around the world that in some way have historical ties to the British SAS.

An early statement of the idea is 'τοῖς τολμῶσιν ἡ τύχη ξύμφορος' ("luck favours the daring") from the Ancient Greek soldier and historian Thucydides.

NationUnitNotes
 United KingdomSpecial Air Service
 AustraliaSpecial Air Service Regiment
 New ZealandNew Zealand Special Air Service
 Hong KongSpecial Duties Unit
 TunisiaUnité Spéciale – Garde Nationale
 France1st Marine Infantry Parachute RegimentFrench: 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, 1er RPIMa: Former WWII French SAS squadrons (the 3rd & the 4th)
 RhodesiaRhodesian Special Air Service. 'C Squadron (Rhodesia) Special Air Service' Mil. Abbrev. 'C Sqn SAS'. Later 'Rhodesian Special Air Service Regiment' in Kabrit Barracks, Salisbury (now Harare)
 Greece1st Raider/Paratrooper BrigadeΟ τολμών νικά (pronounced O tolmon nika)
 GreeceMountain Raider CompaniesΟ τολμών νικά (pronounced O tolmon nika)
 CyprusLOKΟ τολμών νικά (pronounced O tolmon nika)
 IsraelSayeret Matkal, Shachak Armored Battalion (196th Battalion/460th Armored Brigade)Hebrew: המעז מנצח. HaMe'ez Menatzeakh
 LatviaLatvian Special Tasks UnitLatvian: Drošais Uzvar!
 Belgium1st Parachutist BattalionDuring the Second World War, many of its personnel were part of the British 5th Special Air Service and retained the SAS badge, motto and traditions.
 BelgiumSpecial Forces Group

See also

References

  1. ↑ Tsouras, Peter G. (2005-10-24). The Book of Military Quotations. Zenith Imprint. p. 110. ISBN 978-0-7603-2340-3. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  2. ↑ Ferguson, Amanda (March 2003). SAS: British Special Air Service. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-8239-3810-0. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  3. ↑ Thompson, Leroy (1994). SAS: Great Britain's Elite Special Air Service. Zenith. p. 9. ISBN 0879389400.
  4. ↑ al-hikayat al-‘ajiba wa’l-akhbar al-ghariba [Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange]. Translated by Malcolm C. Lyons. Penguin. 2014. p. 76. ISBN 9780141395036.
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