William Fairbairn
John Robertson

William Fairbairn

William Ewart (Dan) Fairbairn
born 28.2.1885 Rickmansworth,Hertfordshire
R.M.L.I. 1901
Shanghai Municipal Police October 1907-March 1940
awarded Black Belt degree by Kodokan Jiu-Jitsu University (first foreigner)
SIS (D Section) 1939 (Captain)
War Office Special Training Centre,Lochailort,Scotland
SOE March 1942 (Captain)
Major 8.6.1942
STS 103 (Camp X) (Chief Instructor)
OSS (US) 1944-45 (british Army,attached) (LtCol)
award Legion of Merit
died 20.6.1960 England
While stationed in Shanghai, China as a member of the Shanghai Municipal Police he developed handgun combat shooting, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), hand to hand combat for police officers, and non-lethal riot tactics as well as the concept of dynamic entry for hostage/barricaded situations. Working with Major Eric Sykes working with Shanghai Police (and later the SOE) as a Army Officer) he developed the Fairbairn-Sykes Knife used by British and US Special Forces in WWII and later. He is considered one of the founders of modern handgun Combat Shooting along with OSS Colonel Rex Applegate during WWII and later Colonel Jeff Cooper and others in the post war era.
 

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