Who Dares, Wins

Who Dares, Wins (Latin: Qui audet adipiscitur; 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. It is normally credited to the founder of the SAS, David Stirling.

David Stirling

Among the SAS themselves it is sometimes humorously corrupted to:

“Who cares [who] wins?”.

 May have a much earlier attribution from a medieval Arabic source recently translated:

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’ (“fortune favours the bold”) from the Ancient Greek soldier and historian Thucydides.

War Grave from Jimmy Hall-Les Ormes

(Yonne, France)

Nation	Unit	Notes
United Kingdom	Special Air Service
Australia	Special Air Service Regiment
New Zealand	New Zealand Special Air Service
Hong Kong	Special Duties Unit
Tunisia	Unité Spéciale – Garde Nationale
France	1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment	French: 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d’Infanterie de Marine, 1er RPIMa: Former WWII French SAS squadrons (the 3rd & the 4th)
Rhodesia	Rhodesian 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)
Greece	1st Raider/Paratrooper Brigade	Ο τολμών νικά (pronounced O tolmon nika)
Greece	Mountain Raider Companies	Ο τολμών νικά (pronounced O tolmon nika)
Cyprus	LOK	Ο τολμών νικά (pronounced O tolmon nika)
Israel	Sayeret Matkal, Shachak Armored Battalion (196th Battalion/460th Armored Brigade)	Hebrew: המעז מנצח. HaMe’ez Menatzeakh
Belgium	1st Parachutist Battalion	During 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.

See:  Loughgall ambush – SAS kill 8 Republican Terrorists

See:  Black SAS war Hero -Talaiasi Labalaba

See:   British SAS Special Forces (Full Documentary)