PLANNING.
On the 26th. of September Major Symes reported to
Lt. Col. Simonds of 'A' Force, under whose command 2 Troops of 2nd. S.A.S. -
Regiment had been placed.
The following plan for the rescue of escaped Allied P.O.W.
was evolved :-
The coast between Ancona and the front line was divided into
four areas. Two parties were to be introduced into each area, one seaborne as
a beach party, and the other airborne as a group to find and guide the escaped
P.O.W. to the beach for evacuation.
The areas and the parties allocated are tabulated below.
There was an extra protection party in the most southerly D. area.
AREA. SEABORNE BEACH PARTY. AIRBORNE SEARCH PARTY.
: :
A. : :
Ancona to : S.S.M. Marshall and : Airborne Div.
Civitanova. : 6 men. :
: :
: :
B. : :
Civitanova : Capt. Power and 6 men. : Airborne Div.
to : :
San Benedetto: :
: :
C. : :
San Benedetto: Lt. Hibbert and 6 men. : Airborne Div.
to : :
Pescara. : :
: :
D. : : Lt. McGregor and 6 men.
Pescara to : Capt. Baillie and 6 men.:
the South. : : O.S.S. Lt. Borrow and 12 men.
: :
: Protection Party. :
: Capt. Lee and 17 men. :
==============================================================
COURSE OF THE OPERATION.
October 2nd.
All parachute parties were dropped from Albemarles.
By mistake A and B (Airborne Div.) parties were dropped at the same place,
and C party(also Airborne Div.) was dropped half an hour too early in broad
daylight.
October 4th.
All seaborne parties in D area were landed by schooner at
Punta del Moro. This was 7 miles South of the planned landing point at the
mouth of the River Foro.
In the meantime a change in plan was necessitated by the action
at Termoli, where the harbour was no longer safe for the schooners, and because
the use of schooners by day off the enemy coast was no longer considered
practicable.