71 years ago tonight, the Parachute Brigade's first big job.

[SG57]

Considering how successful this operation was, it is almost unknown!
On the night of the 27th February 1942, 71 years ago tonight the Parachute Regiment earned their first Battle Honour with the Bruneval raid. A raiding party led by Major John Frost parachuted into the vicinity of the German radar station on the French coast, after a brief battle overcame the German guards, dismantled the secret radar apparatus and then successfully extricated themselves and the main parts of the Radar and returned to Britain by sea. They made it look easy. Valuable information was obtained about the capabilities of German radar, enabling counter measures to be developed for Bomber Command aircraft. - See more at: 27th February 1942: The Parachute Regiments first Battle Honour – the Bruneval Raid


Returning home after a very successful raid, what would you give to have lived their lives!

The Bruneval Raid. - YouTube

Rog.

[55chev]

Brave men ! and never to be forgoten.....love reading this stuff...

[harris66]

never ceseas to amaze me how guys with what would have been living normal lives a couple of years previous, just get in there and acheive this kind of thing, heroic doesnt come close, just brilliant.

[Russ D]

Thats mega, very humbelling. Makes you realise just how men such as these were. They have my total respect.
Than you look at some of the dissrespect some young guys have today, shame on em.

[SG57]

Imagine, most of them guys had never travelled more than 50 or a 100 miles from their home before let alone to a foreign country. Then they parachute at night into France!

Rog.

[v8ian]

Its amazing how many missions that took place that were considered suicide missions, this was one, a very successful mission that I believed Hitler later commented on as "The Perfect raid"
The raid was organised at the request of Professor RV Jones, who has to be one of the most interesting boffins who came out of the war virtually unknown, anybody who has an interest in WW2 I would thoroughly recommend his book ... "Most Secret War" totally fascinating!!! another book that is a fascinating read is a book "The Raid on St Nazire" where the 300 marines + the sailors were asked to go on a suicide mission, of which not one dropped out, a humbling book, which resulted in the only Dry dock that the Turpitz could use on the Atlantic being put out action, Which later resulted in a Hitler decree stating that anybody found wearing the new silent boot, The Commando boot being shot.

[Flipper]

Its amazing how many missions that took place that were considered suicide missions, this was one, a very successful mission that I believed Hitler later commented on as "The Perfect raid"
The raid was organised at the request of Professor RV Jones, who has to be one of the most interesting boffins who came out of the war virtually unknown, anybody who has an interest in WW2 I would thoroughly recommend his book ... "Most Secret War" totally fascinating!!! another book that is a fascinating read is a book "The Raid on St Nazire" where the 300 marines + the sailors were asked to go on a suicide mission, of which not one dropped out, a humbling book, which resulted in the only Dry dock that the Turpitz could use on the Atlantic being put out action, Which later resulted in a Hitler decree stating that anybody found wearing the new silent boot, The Commando boot being shot.

Clarkson did a programme on this very raid, it's an amazing story and more than worth an hour of http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nXusKM5uX0s

Hope the link works if it doesn't search YouTube for "the greatest raid of all"

[NoJive 55]

Its amazing how many missions that took place that were considered suicide missions,
.

You are so right...some time words fail me when I read what some soldiers went through with no recognition


Thanks for posting Rog little bit of info on the raid with a funny side to it....

>>>>>>>>>>>> BBC - WW2 People's War - Bruneval Raid - footnote


Bob..

[ken57]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. All of these very brave men were like the James Bond of there time. And they weren't professional soldiers as Harris66 says just a few years before they would have had ordinary jobs. Heroes every one.

[Joe Clay]

And thats why this stuff SHOULD be learnt about in school, its part of our history and a brave and heroic men like that along with the rest of our brave men and woman who served and lost they're lives for our lives today...proud is an understatement....joe