 In 1957, wanting to escape the "stupidities of drill" and the "bullshit" of the regular Army, Large volunteered for the SAS; however, while riding home from the Brecon Beacons within hours of successfully completing the notoriously tough selection course, he crashed his motorbike, and, having injured his ankle, he had to repeat selection – this time with one boot two sizes larger than the other to accommodate the bandages and swelling.He went on to serve with 22 SAS in Malaya, Oman, Borneo and Aden.Large's first operation with the SAS was in Malaya, hunting the Malayan Races Liberation Army (MRLA) guerrillas engaged in the Malayan Emergency uprising.