D. Operation Pistol C3

OPERATION PISTOL C 3

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Report by S.Q.M.S. Alcock.

I dropped on the night 15/16th Sep 44 in the stick

commanded by Capt. M. Scott. On the ground I contacted Cpl. Hill, then

Fawthorpe, Cockburn and Edwards, and two minutes later was joined by Cpl.

Hannah. The drop was good from about 800 feet into open country -

grassland with occasional bushes and trees. D.Z. approximately Q 410420.

The party moved to an isolated tree and splitting into pairs

searched in three directions for the remainder of the stick. Fawthorpe

reported he had found Capt. Scott and Lieut. Grumbach on the edge of a

shrubbery, and said that Capt. Scott had injured his ankle. The party

moved over to Capt. Scott.

Capt. Scott decided to proceed in a S.E. direction and the

stick moved off in one party. Five were missing.

After 300 yards Capt. Scott found his ankle unbearable and tried

to bandage it. Then he gave me orders to take those of my stick and carry

on my way. Only Cpl. Hannah of my party was with me and so I took him

and moved off once more to the south-east.

We found three leg bags and camouflaged these in a bush

bottom. Carrying on we found Cpl. Holden and Lyczak who were just dis-

posing of their leg bags. They had not seen the other three members of

the stick who were missing at the time the party left the D.Z. near Capt.

Scott.

Cpl. Holden and Lyczak were on the north side of a stream and

we marched to the east before crossing to the southern bank by a small

village at Q 416418. We continued to the south-east and reached the road

and railway at Audville, Q 425418. We crossed them and then passed over

a tank ditch. We decided to lay up for the next day in a copse at Q 416413.

When daylight came on the 16th, we observed a pillbox, south of

Audville station, covering the anti-tank ditch, and heard German working

parties in the Unterwald. They were seen to leave the forest as darkness

fell. These Germans were evidently billeted in Audville .

We stayed in the copse on the night 16/17th and again observed

the surrounding country on the 17th. The working party was seen to leave

the village for the wood at 08.00 hrs and stayed there until 20.00 hrs.

During the day they were visited by German officers. It was quite

evident that fortifications were being built.

Before leaving on the night 17/18th we disposed of our sleeping

bags which had become useless after being soaked by the rain. We moved

West, recrossing the railway and anti-tank ditch, until we hit the stream

running from Kappelkinger to Nelling at Q 376412. Being unable to cross

the stream, which was both wide and deep, and as by this time it was

almost daylight and we suspected we were under observation from a nearby

farm, we moved back to the South-East towards the main road between Insming

and Kappelkinger and took the only available cover by climbing into a pear

tree. From there we could see the main road which was being used by a lot

of S.S. and S.A. cyclists. After about two hours we were seen by two

children who had come to pick some pears. They exclaimed "Russian

soldiers!" and ran away. We decided to move.

Crossing the road and railway we went to a copse in the middle

of some cultivated land at Q 383400. We remained there for the rest of

the 18th and asked a farmer for some food which he brought. Later that

evening some more food was brought to us by two civilians, one speaking

German and one French. They informed us that civilian labour was being

used for the trench digging south of Insming beside the wood, area Q 370390,

under threat of a machine-gun. We stayed where we were for the night

18/19th and heard two trains pass on the Insming line. These we saw to be

goods trains. We decided to lay a charge the next night.

We watched the railway all day on the 19th but saw no trains. We

laid a charge at Q 383398 at about 21.00 hrs on the same day and it was

blown by a train consisting of engine, tender and one truck, at 23.00 hrs.

The engine and tender fell to the left and the truck fell across the right

hand track.

As soon as the explosion took place we moved South-South-West and

round the South side of Albestroff; we confirmed the report of trenches

being dug along the sides of the Albestroff wood.

We crossed the road to Torcheville and moving West we lay up in the

wood at Q 330366. We stayed there during the 20th and on the night

20/21st we moved again to the West, crossing the Insming - Benestroff railway

to reach a point Q 287367; at about dusk on the 21st we saw an artillery

convoy moving South from Neufvillage.

We again obtained food and slept the night at Besuelle farm

Q 280370, where we were informed five parachutists had passed by on the

edge of the wood at Q 280364.

On the morning of the 22nd we moved to the corner of the wood,

Q 262341, and while crossing the two railways no patrols or guards were

seen. At this point we could see a depot at Q 267345 in which people

were working. This was apparently an engine shed used for some other

purpose.

We stayed the night 22/23rd at Ferriendel farm, Q 261337. Here

we were informed by the farmer that the depot was a German machine-gun

repair shop at which White Russians were working, and also made spare

parts. Staying at this farm was a friend of the farmer who was evading

the Gestapo. His name was Lucille Thilly. He asked if he could come with

us through the lines, and as he spoke fluent German and knew the country

well I consented.

On the morning of the 24th we followed the edge of the wood down to

Q 216242 and arrived in time to see the end of a tank battle; we observed

all the tanks, approximately 20 in number, withdrawing to the wood West

of Blanche-Eglise. They never passed out of the wood.

Here we tried to find out where the front line was, but could observe

no indication of its whereabouts.

Having been soaked, Cpl. Holden was suffering from malaria and we

decided to return to the farm where we were sure of a welcome. We

stayed for the night 24/25th and the following day, deciding to move on

the morning of the 26th, by which time Cpl. Holden had recovered.

This time we decided to move by day along the West of the wood as

far as Q 218303, and Cpl. Hannah and the Frenchman contacted two Polish

civilians who offered to take us to a farm at Koecking Bois and give us

coffee and an opportunity to dry our clothes. When we entered the house,

two girls aged 15/16 set about making coffee and drying our clothes. Mean-

while Lyczak spoke in Polish to the civilians and told us they were O.K.

Later at about 12.00 hrs the civilians left, and at about 13.00 hrs a party

of Germans arrived. Two came to the house and the two girls dashed out

to occupy their attention whilst we hurriedly dressed and got on our kit.

We could not move because the two Germans moved to the rear of the house

and the remainder, about five, stayed on the road in front. We decided

that if the two at the rear should enter we would make them prisoner and

get away from the back. However, they returned to the front and called

over the remainder of the party. Seeing our opportunity, we left by the

back way and got into the edge of the wood. There we stayed to watch

the house, and I realised I had left my glove and a carbine magazine.

These were evidently found by the Germans and they came out towards us.

We opened fire and all were seen to drop except one who ran back to the

house. We then heard more transport arrive, so we made off to the South-

East through the wood and crossed the main road at Q 237295. We heard

two shots fired and wondered if the girls had been shot. I think the

two Polish civilians had informed the Germans of our whereabouts.

From the road we went along the edge of the wood and halted at

Q 222284 on the road. Here we saw a German truck draw up from point 237,

back into the wood, fill up with artillery ammunition, and go off again

towards Dreize. We could hear repairs being carried out at Q 222285. It

sounded like a tank field repair shop.

We moved across the road and went down the track to Berange Farm

Q 196268. While on the track we noticed a lot of tank harbour positions

and could hear a lot of tanks moving into the edge of the wood. We stayed

the night 26/27th at Berange Farm.

Early on the 27th we moved along the road through the forest to

Q 166249. Here we contacted a shepherd who told us that the Germans were

occupying Marsal, Moyenvic, and Xanrey.

About mid-day we crossed to the West side of the wood to point

Q 146240, where we were surprised to see 10 Germans going to Salival Farm

carrying dixies. We took cover but were seen by the leading German. We

immediately stood up and Cpl. Holden shouted "Halt!". They raised their

hands and the leader shouted "Don't shoot, don't shoot - Americans 6 kilo-

metres" and pointed to the South-West "Tous parti". They told us they

were Serbs. It was obvious we were in the middle of a German held area

and considering the hindrance of 10 P.W. at this time we mentioned to them

to make off. When they bolted we went back into the wood, returning to

where we found the shepherd. On our way we passed close to what was

apparently a brigade H.Q. We cut several signal lines before proceeding

to the East side of the wood where we awaited darkness before deciding to

stay at Voitrebolle Farm for the night 27/28th. It was reported there

that a party of five had been there eight days previously, and from the

description we recognised Sheville and his party.

On the 28th Lucille Thilly and I dressed in civilian clothes and

worked in the fields north of Haraucourt as two battalions of infantry had

been heard to move in during the night. We could see very few Germans in

the village and concluded they had left the same night. From where we

were working we could see Marsal was burning from the bombardment by air

and artillery, and also obtained an indication of the American positions

by the artillery flashes West of Juvrecourt. We could see very little

enemy infantry movement.

We returned to the farm and stayed for the night 28/29th.

During the 29th we moved into the wood where we planned to move across to

the American lines early on the morning of the 30th. On the evening of

the 29th we returned to the farm until early on the 30th and we were told

that two civilians were at the house having been evacuated from Moyennic.

Seeing they were Poles I sent Lyczak to speak to them. He returned to

tell us that Moyennic was evacuated by civilians and fortified by the

enemy.

We set off at 02.30 hrs on the 1st Oct. We went South,leaving

Haraucourt on the right, over the main road to the canal, which we crossed

by the bridge at Q 191220, and across the road where we cut an artillery

communication line. We were fired at by the American mortars but moved

south-west intending to pass Xanrey on our right. We bumped some Germans

digging M.G. positions and listened to them on our right and left and

passed between them. They were 200 yards apart.

With daylight breaking we made for a bush at the bottom of a

hillock, but found freshly dug positions and saw someone looking at us

over the hill. It was a small O.P., and as there were only two men in it

we decided to take them P.W. I sent the Frenchmen and Cpl. Hannah to

the back whilst the remainder of us came up the front, the plan being to

challenge them in German. Cpl. Hannah, however, decided to challenge

first and discovered they were Americans.

We were taken to Col. Clark of the 4th Armd Div where we were

interrogated. He was greatly pleased with the information we gave

regarding the enemy H.Q. and tank harbouring positions.

Comments.

1. Road and railway used only at night.

2. Enemy troops in woods with very little attention given to

roads in the open country.

3. S.A.S. rubber soles are known to Germans. They leave a very

prominent imprint.

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