Mike Sadler guided the first SAS raiders through the North African desert
The navigator and last of the SAS “Originals” died on January 5th, aged 103
To an American who met Mike Sadler in 1943 his most remarkable feature was his eyes. They were round and sky-blue, staring out of a sun-baked face grizzled with beard. They looked like the eyes of a drug-addled French poet, a man who at any minute might do some crazy thing.
This article appeared in the Obituary section of the print edition under the headline “Wind, sand and stars”
From the January 13th 2024 edition
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Frank Auerbach aimed only at one memorable image
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Baltazar Ushca climbed Chimborazo twice a week
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Quincy Jones ruled popular music for half a century
The producer, arranger and film-score writer died on November 3rd, aged 91
Lily Ebert lived to share her story of Auschwitz
The Holocaust survivor and memoirist died on October 9th, aged 100
Fethullah Gulen tried to transform Turkey in the subtlest ways
The scholar, teacher and activist died on Ocrober 20th, aged 83
Sammy Basso led research into his own rare disease
The Italian biologist and longest-lived progeria patient died on October 5th, aged 28