C. Operation Pistol C1

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.