2. Course of the Operation (Sheet 2)
(continued). Sheet 2.
L.C.I. were accordingly substituted, and because of their speed, which was
not sufficient to make A beach and return during darkness, A Beach was
abandoned, and arrangements made to land A and B parties together at B Beach.
5/6th. October.
A, B and C parties were landed from L.C.Is.
: Proposed L.P. : Actual L.P. : Distance apart.
: : :
A and B. : Mouth of R.Pinocchio. : Grottamare. : 4 miles.
: : :
C. : Mouth of R. Salinello.: Just North of :
: : R. Tronto. : 8 miles.
On the same night the first rendezvous was kept at D area
Beach but no lights were seen by the craft.
Capt. Baillie signalled (see his report) and heard the engines of the boat.
It is remarkable in these circumstances that no contact was made.
A and B parties landed together at Grottamare on the night of
the 6/7th. of October. On the night 9/10th. the boat was signalled in at the
mouth of the R. Pinocchio but no ex P.O.W. had by then been sent down by the
inland group.
The boat put off again and the party was accordingly split
into four groups with orders to search the country themselves as the Airborne
party did not appear to have been able to operate.
A rendezvous was fixed for the 22nd. of October and a rear
party was left under S.S.M. Marshall. The naval craft were to return on the
night 24/25th.
On the 21st. of October a large party of Germans visited the
base party's area and took Pct. Cook and Pct. Fitzgerald prisoner, in spite
of the killing of two Germans by S.S.M. Marshall.
On the 24th. of October all the parties arrived back at the
rendezvous with 300/400 prisoners.
As the ex P.O.W. were crossing the road to the beach German
patrols opened fire at random, and the P.O.Ws. stampeded back into the hills,
when it would still have been possible for them to reach the craft, unobserved.
The S.A.S. party and 23 P.O.Ws. embarked and returned to
Termoli on the 25th. of October. Capt. Power, Tong and Pct. Maybury were
left behind.
Maybury returned by schooner with 9 ex P.O.Ws. on the 12th,
and Capt. Power and Tong returned on the 20th. by schooner to Termoli, after
contacting Capt. Derek Miller and 5 P.O.Ws.
Total ex P.O.Ws. evacuated by A and B parties:-
23 by S.S.M. Marshall.
9 by Pct. Maybury.
5 by Capt. Power and Tong.