Transcribed report by Private Cockburn and Sapper Edwards
GRUNBAUCH is actually GRUMBACH
spelling mistakes transcribed as such
M.I.9/S/P.G.(-)2771.
(-)2772.
EVADED CAPTURE IN FRANCE.
The information contained in this report is to be treated as
SECRET.
STATEMENT BY
7883437 Pte. COCKBURN, James, ) Both of 2nd S.A.S. Regt.
2000885 Sapper EDWARDS, Alfred Ronald, )
Left : PARIS, 19 Nov 44. Arrived: U.K., 19 Nov 44.
Pte. COCKBURN. Sapper EDWARDS.
Date of Birth : 17 May 11. 29 Sep 17.
Army Service : Since 17 Jun 32. Since 15 Feb 40.
Peacetime Profession: Regular soldier. Shop assistant.
Private Address : 6 Logwood Street, 7 Whitcomb Street,
LOCKWOOD ABERDARE.
Huddersfield.
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15 Sep 44, We took off from the U.K. on 15 Sep 44 for an
Landed near operation in the VOSGES. By error we were dropped at a
INSMINGEN wrong dropping zone somewhere near INSMINGEN, FRANCE
(GERMANY, 1:250,000, Sheet K 49, Q 3740)
Our stick consisted of six men and after landing
we soon joined forces with three other S.A.S. men. For
three days we stayed in the woods and during this time
we lived on the 24-hour ration supply that we had with
us. At this time we did not know our location.
Capt. SCOTT who had injured his ankle on landing
was the senior member of our party. He decided that the
party was to split up into two groups one of five the
other of four. The group of five set off by themselves,
and Capt. SCOTT, Lt. GRUNBAUCH (? Spelling), a Frenchman
going under the name of Lt. Lionel GEORGE, COCKBURN and
EDWARDS moved a little further West. We spent two days
in the woods and during this time we made plans, under
the direction of Capt. SCOTT, to blow up a railway line.
However, we finally left without completing this plan.
We walked North and in a forest we met a farmer (name
unknown) who said he would help us. We remained in the
/woods for about ......
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INTERVIEWED BY: I.S.9(W). 20 Nov 44.
Distribution of this Report by M.I.9: APPENDIX A.
D.D.M.I.(P/W)(2 copies). M.I.9. I.S.9. Distribution: I.S.9.
I.S.9(W). I.S.9(X). I.S.9(W.E.A.) I.S.9(A.B.). I.S.9(W.E.A.).
(2 copies). I.S.9(A.B.). M.I.9(d). M.I.5. I.S.9(W)(File)
M.I.19. M.I.5 (Lt.Col. Seymer).
M.O.1(S.P.)(Lt.Col. Butters).
A.L.O.,M.I.9. P.W. & X Det. MIS, ETOUSA.
Lt.Col. H.B.A. de Bruyne (3 copies).
G.S.I. H.Q. Airborne Troops
Air 2 (2 copies). S.A.S., H.Q.
File.
woods for about six days and during this time the
farmer kept us supplied with food.
About the beginning of Oct we came South again
almost to BENSDORF (Q 23). Here we were again assisted
by a farmer who fed us for two days and gave us some
underwear. We started off again heading for ST MEDARD
(Q 12) and for a few miles the farmer guided us. After
we had left him we stopped at the house of a farmer
friend of our previous host. We do not know his name.
We spent that night in the woods and the next day walked
a little further South. We slept in a barn and the following
night we tried, unseccessfully, to cross into our lines.
We came under fire and were forced to abandon our plan.
We returned to the forest and spent a day there. During
this time a forester dried our clothing for us. The next
day we approached a little nearer ST. MEDARD.
On this day (7 Oct) our party had split up having
previously arranged a rendezvous. EDWARDS was with
Capt. SCOTT when they were surprised by an enemy patrol.
They were fired at and forced to separate and shelter.
Capt. SCOTT was wounded and EDWARDS learned later from
local inhabitants that an officer answering to his
description had been taken P/W.
8 Oct - 12 Nov Next day (8 Oct) the three of us went back to the
44, house of the man who had sheltered us near BENSDORF.
BENSDORF. We remained here until 12 Nov when we were overtaken by
members of the 4th Armoured Div. U.S. Army.
12 Nov 44,
Met U.S. Forces. We were taken to CHATEAU SALINS (N.W. EUROPE,
1:250,000, Sheet 9, Q 12) where we were interrogated on
military information by an American officer. We were
sent thence to NANCY, TOURS and PARIS. We left PARIS
for the U.K. on 19 Nov.