All you need to know about SAS Timothy William Burlis

Here is all you need to know about Colonel Timothy William Burls, a former British Army officer.

Falklands role

Colonel Timothy William Burls, a former British Army officer, served with the Parachute Regiment and the Special Air Service (SAS).

During the 1982 Falklands War, he was a captain and commanded Boat Troop, D Squadron, 22 SAS.

His troop participated in Operation Paraquet, the mission to recapture South Georgia from Argentine control.

Operation Paraquet

Burls's Boat Troop was involved in operations around South Georgia, including activity connected with the Argentine positions and facilities at the Husvik whaling station.

The operation formed part of the wider British effort that culminated in the surrender of the Argentine garrison at Grytviken on April 25, 1982.

Award for gallantry

Burls received the Distinguished Service Order for his service during Operation Corporate.

The DSO was awarded for distinguished leadership in operational circumstances and placed him among the decorated British special-forces officers of the Falklands campaign.

Later Army career

After the Falklands, Burls continued to serve in the British Army and rose to the rank of colonel.

A later account identifies him commanding 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, during an emergency tour in Northern Ireland in the early 1990s.

Northern Ireland service

His time commanding 3 PARA placed him in charge of a major airborne infantry formation during a demanding period of operations in Northern Ireland.

This part of his career illustrates that his experience extended beyond clandestine SAS work to conventional battalion command and internal-security operations.

Later honour

Burls was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1998 New Year Honours.

The honour reflects his wider military career rather than a single publicly described incident.

He is also recorded as having held the Military Cross, although published online records do not always clearly distinguish which award relates to each individual operation.

Why he matters

Burls is significant because he represents the senior-command tradition linking the SAS and the Parachute Regiment.

His wartime record combines special-forces operations in the South Atlantic with later leadership of a parachute battalion, making him a useful subject for examining how officers moved between covert reconnaissance, amphibious operations, and conventional military command.