S U M M A R Y O F O P E R A T I O N.
This party, under command of Lieut. McGregor, was engaged on
the operation for the evacuation of escaped P.O.W., organised by 'A' Force in
October 1943.
The operation, which has been reported in the Jonquil file,
was carried out in the main by eight parties working in pairs; the task of the
Airborne group was to contact the ex- P.O.Ws., and guide them to the beach -
head, established by the Seaborne party, for evacuation.
Lieut. McGregor's party was landed in D area, near Chieti,
on the 2nd. of October 1943. Apart from a daylight drop and consequent pursuit
by the enemy, the stick landed well with all its containers.
The course of the operation, carried out by Lieut. McGregor
and his party, can be summarised in five distinct phases :-
1. The guiding of P.O.W. to the Beach-head.
After lying low for two nights the party split up in order to
contact escaped P.O.Ws. over a wide area. Between the 4th and 12th of October
about 300 were directed to the Beach perty.
2. Direction of P.O.Ws. to Alfedena.
After the 12th of October no more landing craft were due at
the R.V., so Lieut. McGregor decided to direct ex-P.O.W. to another route,
which he had recced. There was still a considerable number of ex-prisoners in
the neighbourhood. The route chosen was via Popoli and Scanno to Alfedena.
In all, about 250 further ex-prisoners were set on their way, and of these a
number have reached Allied territory.
3. Distraction of S.S. Troops.
About the 20th of October, a detachment of German S.S. Troops
moved into the Chieti area, and began to track down ex-P.O.Ws.
Lieut. McGregor decided to organise the ambushing of road convoys, in order to
divert attention from the ex-P.O.Ws to his own party. Two convoys were
attacked, 6 Germans killed and 7 wounded.
4. Spoiling the Fascists.
At the beginning of November, as bad weather was setting in
and ex-P.O.Ws. had no proper clothing, Lieut. McGregor began a series of visits
to well known Fascists in the area. who handed over their clothes and money for
distribution to the ex-P.O.W. In this way many ex-P.O.W. were provided with
clothes and money to tide them over the winter months, and make their return
through the lines easier. Al least 3 rabid Fascists, who were informing against
P.O.W., were shot.
5. Return.
Early in January, the party was preparing to return to our
lines, when it was attacked by a large party of Germans, and split up according
to a pre-arranged plan. Lieut. McGregor and Pct. McQueen have returned after
a 40 mile trip by rowing boat, and there is no reason to suppose that any of
the remainder of the party have been taken prisoner or shot; as no reports
were received by Lieut. McGregor, for a period of 10 days, in a country where
such news travels like wild fire.