Exceptionally brave but rarely identified, they operate in the shadows to devastating effect. Lord Ashcroft tells the stories of three legendary Special Forces soldiers.

For virtually all of my life I have had a fascination with bravery. It was inspired by my late father, Eric, who took part in the D-Day landings. And it has drawn me, again and again, to the exploits of the Special Air Service (SAS) and other “special ops” soldiers – men who go undercover behind enemy lines or work in small, elite units and launch hit-and-run raids against larger forces. Their raw, premeditated courage sends a shiver down my spine.

Over the years I have built up the world’s largest collection of Special Forces medals. Some date back to early in the Second World War, others were awarded for service in Malaya, Dhofar, Northern Ireland, the Falklands and the First Gulf War. All were awarded for outstanding courage either under fire or in highly dangerous situations. Here are the individual stories behind three of them... (see more at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/)

1. The Special Air Service (SAS) in North Africa during the Second World War, a heavily-armed patrol of 'L' Detachment SAS in their jeeps, wearing 'Arab-style' headdress, 18 January 1943.