by Damien Lewis
In Italy, on the night of 8th–9th April, 1945, Major Lassen was ordered to take out a patrol of one officer and seventeen other ranks to raid the north shore of Lake Comacchio.
His tasks were to cause as many casualties and as much confusion as possible, to give the impression of a major landing, and to capture prisoners. No previous reconnaissance was possible, and the party found itself on a narrow road flanked on both sides by water.
Preceded by two scouts, Major Lassen led his men along the road towards the town. They were challenged after approximately 500 yards from a position on the side of the road. An attempt to allay suspicion by answering that they were fishermen returning home failed, for when moving forward again to overpower the sentry, machine-gun fire started from the position, and also from two blockhouses to the rear.
Major Lassen himself then attacked with grenades, and annihilated the first position, containing four Germans and two machine guns. Ignoring the hail of bullets sweeping the road from three enemy positions, an additional one having come into action from 300 yards down the road, he raced forward to engage the second position under covering fire from the remainder of the force. Throwing in more grenades he silenced this position which was then overrun by his patrol. Two enemies were killed, two captured and two more machine guns silenced.
By this time the force had suffered casualties and its firepower was very considerably reduced. Still under a heavy cone of fire Major Lassen rallied and reorganized his force and brought his fire to bear on the third position. Moving forward himself he flung in more grenades which produced a cry of “Kamerad”. He then went forward to within three or four yards of the position to order the enemy outside, and to take their surrender.
While shouting to them to come out he was hit by a burst of Spandau fire from the left of the position and he fell mortally wounded, but even while falling he flung a grenade, wounding some of the occupants and enabling his patrol to dash in and capture this final position.
Major Lassen refused to be evacuated as he said it would impede the withdrawal and endanger further lives, and as ammunition was nearly exhausted the force had to withdraw.
By his magnificent leadership and complete disregard for his personal safety, Major Lassen had, in the face of overwhelming superiority, achieved his objects. Three positions were wiped out, accounting for six machine guns, killing eight and wounding others of the enemy and two prisoners were taken. The high sense of devotion to duty and the esteem in which he was held by the men he led, added to his own magnificent courage, enabled Major Lassen to carry out all the tasks he had been given with complete success.
*
WAR OFFICE
7th September, 1945
Index
Abell, District Commissioner 64, 73, 75
acetylene 50
Aegean Sea 225, 227, 233, 252, 253, 258, 308
Afrika Corps 177
Alderney, Channel Islands 129
Alexander, Harold, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis 349, 370, 376
Alexandria, Egypt 274, 288
Alimnia, Greek Islands 236, 282–4
American Field Service 229, 231
amphetamines 2–3, 6, 115–16, 186, 205, 245, 291
Anderson Manor, Dorset 114–17, 120, 123, 134, 135, 148, 155, 264
Ano Arkhani, Crete 189
Apennine Mountains, Italy 348
Apoini village, Crete 181, 182, 209, 213
Appleyard, John Geoffrey 26–7, 192, 375, 377
Operation Postmaster (Fernando Po) 26–7, 37, 48–9, 64, 67, 70, 78, 79, 83, 85–6, 93, 100, 107–10
training at Anderson Manor 115
Operation Dryad (Les Casquets) 128
Operation Aquatint (St Laurent-sur-Mer) 133–4
appointed Commander of SSRF 135
Operation Basalt (Sark) 136, 138–45, 146–8, 152
Operation Husky (Sicily) 160, 173, 221–2
death on mission over Sicily 221–2
Araxos, Greece 310
Argenta, Italy 370, 374–5
Ark Royal, HMS 33
Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle 222
Arriba 98
Ashton Manor, Hertfordshire 28
Athens, Greece 284, 310–15, 330
Grande Bretagne Hotel 312
Athlit, Palestine (Mandatory) 162–8, 174, 228–32
Atlantic Ocean 21
Auchinleck, Claude 156
Austria 348
Baker Street, London 37
Bandouvas, Monoli 178
Bank of Athens 290–2
Battle of Dunkirk 24, 26, 36, 324
Bay of Toroneos 325
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) 45, 172, 211
Variety Orchestra 256
Beaufighter Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter
Beirut, Lebanon 258, 260, 275–7
Hotel St Georges 260
Bemuivoi 91
Benzedrine 2–3, 6, 115–16, 186, 205, 245, 291
Beretta MAB 38 machinegun 170, 269, 347
Bibundi 42, 74, 76, 83, 100, 103
Bimrose, Charles 243–4
Binea, Captain 95, 96, 99–100, 104, 106
Bioko, Equatorial Guinea 39; see also Fernando Po
Birmingham, England 165
Bishop, Tom 247–50
Blacker Bombard spigot mortars 22
Blyth, Bill 282–4, 287
BMW 4
boats
Brixham trawlers 21–2
caiques (wooden fishing boats) 226, 228, 233–4, 258, 307, 323–4, 330
E Boats 269, 271, 283
folbots (collapsible canoes) 66, 68, 73–5, 234, 260, 322, 353
Goatleys 121–2, 125–6, 131, 133, 138, 139, 142, 143, 146, 147, 148, 352, 353
‘Jellicoe’ Inflatable Intruders 353
Motor Launches 175–6, 215–17, 260, 266, 271–2, 281, 285, 304, 316
Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) 117, 324; see also ‘Little Pisser’
Q-Boats 21
Storm Motor Boats 360, 362
Bologna plain, Italy 348–9
‘Bouncing Bettys’ see S-mines
Bourdillon, Bernard Henry 58
Bourne, Freddie 117, 120, 138, 147
bow and arrow 116, 137, 264
Brandenburger Regiment 283, 359
Breda Model 35 cannon 237, 241–2, 245, 281
Bren guns 64, 231, 246, 280, 295, 300, 327, 339
Bristol Type 156
Beaufighter 257
British Army 319–2, 346–8
III Corps 329, 333
5th Airborne Division 329
5th Army 370
8th Army 161, 229, 348, 350–1, 370
34th Infantry Division 329
57th Infantry Division 329
11th Parachute Battalion 278
2nd Special Service Brigade 348
Durham Light Infantry 231
Irish Guards 163
Lancashire Fusiliers 164
Military Police 346
Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) 289
Royal Artillery 165
Royal Corps of Signals 166
Royal Marine Commandos 289, 324, 348, 375
Scots Guards 282
Suffolk Regiment 172
British Consulate, Santa Isabel 52, 54, 89–90, 96
Brixham trawlers 21–2
Broadstairs, Kent 157
Bucketforce 309–10
Bulgaria 331
bum-boats 31
Burger, Otto 284
Burhou, Channel Islands 129
butcher-and-bolt raiding 36
‘Buzz’ see Perkins, Frank
‘CAESAR’ see Hanau, Julius caiques (wooden fishing boats) 226, 228, 233–4, 258, 307, 323–4, 330
Cairo, Egypt 154, 155, 171
Groppi’s 218
Raider Force HQ 181, 182, 213, 215, 218, 257, 262, 328
Calais, France 127
Calchi, Greek Islands 236
calcium carbide 50
Cambridge University 157, 324
Cape
Kokinoxos, Crete 176
Cape Verde Islands 32, 33
carbide lanterns 50
Carmel Hills, Palestine (Mandatory) 162–3
carrier pigeons 127
Casino Restaurant, Santa Isabel 55, 62–3, 69, 72, 81
Casone Agosta, Lake Comacchio 355–7
Casone Caldiro, Lake Comacchio 357–61, 362, 367, 370
Casulli, Stefan 288–92, 293–8, 305, 312
Channel Islands 13, 117–29, 136–45, 146–52
Alderney 129
Burhou 129
Les Casquets 117–29
Sark 13, 136–45, 146–52
Château Pèlerin, Palestine (Mandatory) 162
Cherbourg Peninsula, France 127
China 28
Chios, Greek Islands 240, 253
Christiana islets Greek Islands 289–90, 300, 304
Chrysanthos see Maroulakis, Chrysanthos
Churchill, Winston 36, 38, 39, 58, 60, 96, 102, 128, 152, 170, 212, 225, 308–10, 349, 377
Clark, Mark Wayne 349, 370
close-quarter shooting 169
Coker, Tugmaster 53, 65, 72
Colditz Castle, Germany 156
Cole, Lieutenant 275
Colonial Service 58, 64, 67
Colt .45 revolver 169
Comacchio Town, Italy 353–4, 360, 362–3, 373
Commando
No. 7 112, 196
No. 9 350–2
‘Commando Order’ 150–1, 183, 284
communism 328
Compo Rations 6
Conby, Gippo 162
Consolidated B-24 Liberator 155
Cos, Greek Islands 227, 233, 240, 257, 278
coshes 21, 50, 63, 68, 73, 75
Crete 1–20, 154, 161–2, 171, 173, 176–83, 184–96, 197–208, 209–24
Ano Arkhani 189
Apoini village 181, 182, 209, 213
climate 178
Dikti Mountains 177, 181
Heraklion Airbase 5, 171, 181, 189, 200–3, 209, 214
Idi Range 177
Kastelli Airbase 1–20, 171, 186–96, 197–200, 203–8, 209
Kastelli Pediata 190
Kokinoxos 176, 180
Mouktari village 190
resistance 178, 193
Timbaki Airbase 171, 175, 214
Viannos 181, 223–4
White Mountains 176
Crosby, Bing 336
Crouch, Fred 259, 354, 365, 370
Cyclades island chain 286
D-Day landings 130, 155, 161
D Squadron 5
Daily Mirror 150
Daily Telegraph 150
Dakar, Senegal 32–3, 49, 95
Dannert, Horst 193
Dannert wire 193–4, 199, 201, 205, 338
Denmark 225
Desgranges, Andrew 51, 68, 79, 133
Dieppe Raid 149–51
diesel oil 6
Dikti Mountains, Crete 177, 181
Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) 112
Distinguished Service Order (DSO) 109, 324
Dixcart Hotel, Sark 142, 147
Dodecanese island chain 227, 232–9, 240–50, 254, 256, 265
Dog Tom 323, 346
Dorset 114–17, 120, 123, 126, 309
Anderson Manor 114–17, 120, 123, 134, 135, 148, 155, 264
Portland 120, 126, 148
Winterbourne River 114
double-tap shooting 19
Duchessa d’Aosta 41–2, 52–3, 56, 60, 64–5, 67, 69, 74, 76, 77–80, 83–4, 85–8, 91–7, 100, 102, 109–10
Dudgeon, Patrick 119, 124, 136, 152, 160
Duff, Robin 78
Dunkirk, France 24, 26, 36, 324
Durham Light Infantry 231
E Boat 269, 271, 283
Egypt
Alexandria 274, 288
Cairo 154, 155, 171, 181, 182, 213, 215, 218, 257, 262, 328
ELAS (Greek People’s Liberation Army) 328–30, 336, 339, 340, 341, 343
Empire Yukon 109
Entertainment National Service Association (ENSA) 256
Evison, Ernest 51
Experimental Station 6, Ashton Manor 28
Faenza, Italy 348
‘Fairbairn Sykes Fighting Knife’ 28, 68, 120, 137, 148, 156, 193, 320, 347
Fairbairn, William 28
Falange 40, 54, 95, 98
Fernando Po 39–47, 51–9, 60; see also Santa Isabel
Government House 82, 94
Santa Isabel Peak 67, 92
Fieseler Fi-156 Storch 1, 194–5
Fira, Santorini 291–2, 293–8, 299
fish bombs 50
Fleming, Ian 44, 46, 375
folbots (collapsible canoes) 66, 68, 73–5
Ford V8 engine 121
Forli, Italy 348
France 32–3, 34
Calais 127
Cherbourg Peninsula 127
Dieppe 149
Foreign Legion 230, 231
Free French 51, 61, 89, 94
Fresnes Prison 132
resistance 128, 132
St Laurent-sur-Mer 130, 131–4
Vichy France 32–3, 34, 49
Franco, Francisco 40, 54
Fresnes Prison, France 132
Funchal, Madeira 24, 26, 29, 30–2
Santa Clara church 30
‘Fyfield’ see Anderson Manor
George VI, king of the United Kingdom and British Dominions 375
Georges Leygues 33, 34, 49
Georgios, Nereanos 2–8, 186–92, 194, 200, 212
German Army
22nd Luftlande Infanterie-Division 184–5, 223
999th Infantry Division 256
Afrika Corps 177
atrocities in Greece 209–14, 222–4, 252, 263, 301–2, 327
Brandenburger Regiment 283, 359
Pioneer Corps Engineer Unit 144
German Consulate, Santa Isabel 94
German Navy 128
Germany
Colditz Castle 156
‘Commando Order’ 150–1, 183, 284
Gestapo 132, 222, 263
holocaust 341
labour camps 142, 150
Luft Dulag prison camp 132
press reaction to Operation Basalt 149, 158
press reaction to Operation Postmaster 98, 101
SD (Sicherheitsdienst) 151, 284
SS (Schutzstaffel) 284
Stalag 7A POW camp 284
Gestapo 132, 222, 263
Gibraltar 44
Giffard, George James 46, 57
Goatley boats 121–2, 125–6, 131, 133, 138, 139, 142, 143, 146, 147, 148, 352, 353
gold sovereigns 260, 332
Goodman, Lieutenant 83
Government House, Fernando Po 82, 94
Grande Bretagne Hotel, Athens 312
Grant-Taylor, Leonard 169
Grant, Donald 261–3, 315
Greaves, Sidney 7, 162, 175, 185, 188, 191, 192, 194–6, 198–200, 209–10, 212, 214, 220, 221, 247–50
Greece 154, 227, 232–9, 240–50, 251–65, 266–77, 278–92, 293–305, 310
Alimnia 236, 282–4
Araxos 310
Athens 310–15, 330, 284
Calchi 236
Chios 240, 253
Christiana islets 289–90, 300, 304
Cos 227, 233, 240, 257, 278
Halki 265, 266–74, 282, 284, 287
Kalavrita 252
Kalymnos 240
Kavala 329
Leros 227, 233, 240, 257
Melos 303
Nisyros 278–82
Patmos 240
Piraeus 311, 312
Piscopi 236
Potidaea 325
Rhodes 233, 246, 251, 256, 257, 269, 279, 283, 284, 307
Salonika 315, 322–3, 325–43
Samos 240
Santorini 286–92, 293–305
Skiathos 323, 324
Symi 227, 232–9, 240, 241–50, 251–2, 257, 306–7
Greek Army 230
Greek Navy 312
/> Greek People’s Liberation Army (ELAS) 328–30, 336, 339, 340, 341, 343
Greek Sacred Squadron 178, 255, 309, 326, 343
Green, Fred 162, 364
grenades 19, 21, 145, 146, 295–6, 337, 339, 368, 371
Groppi’s, Cairo 218
Gubbins, Colin McVean 38, 59
Guernsey Evening Star 149
Guise, Leonard 51, 54, 55, 58, 63, 68, 72, 73, 77, 82–3
Gulf of Cos 258, 260–5, 272–3, 286, 304
Gulf of Guinea 39, 43, 50, 51, 62, 70, 94
Gulf of Thermaikos 325, 333
Gwynne, John 112, 115
Haifa, Palestine (Mandatory) 228, 233
Halki, Greek Islands 265, 266–74, 282, 284, 287
Hanau, Julius 103–4
Hancock, Hank 162
Harris, Jack 289, 294, 300
Harris, Leslie 248–50
‘Harris’ see Karfopoulos, Cheritoc
Hayes, Graham 26–7, 30, 37, 48–9, 64, 66–7, 73–7, 83, 100, 107–10, 115, 122, 132–3, 136, 192, 222, 375, 377
Heinkel He-177 118
Heinz (German captive) 218–19
Hellings, Jan 132
Henderson, Patsy 162
Heraklion Airbase, Crete 5, 171, 181, 189, 200–3, 209, 214
Herdt, Oberleutnant 147, 151
Hereford, Herefordshire 375
Hertfordshire 28
Hesse, Lieutenant 299, 302
Hitler, Adolf 47, 128, 149, 150–1, 152, 183, 284, 349, 377
Hnarakis, Gregorius 179
Hog’s Back, Sark 138–40, 146
Holmes, Dick 5, 162, 164–5, 173–5, 181, 201–3, 221, 319–22, 355, 370
Holocaust 341
Holts, John 53
Home Guard 22, 115
Hotel Mediterranean, Salonika 341
Hotel St Georges, Beirut 260
Hughes, Wally 370
Hunter, Tom 375
Hyde Park Hotel, London 111
Idi Range, Crete 177
Imerovigli headland, Santorini 291, 299
Ipotis 190
Irish Guards 163
Irish Patrol 162, 231, 242, 245, 259, 266, 272, 286–9, 312, 318, 346, 354
Iron Cross 95
Iros Lochos see Greek Sacred Squadron
Israel 162; see also Palestine (Mandatory)
Italian Army rucksacks 180–1
Italian Lire 240–1
Italy 40, 154, 161, 173, 225–7, 310, 343–5, 346–61, 362–73, 374
Apennine Mountains 348
Bologna plain 348–9
Comacchio town 353–4, 360, 362–3, 373
Faenza 348
Forli 348
Lake Comacchio 350–61, 362–73, 374
Lower Romagna 349
Po River 349
Ravenna 348, 353
Sicily 161, 173, 220–2
Venice 370
James Bond 44, 375
Janni (Cretan guide) 189, 200–2
Japan 275
Jarrell, Porter ‘Joe’ 229–31, 238, 248–50, 259–60, 289, 344, 354, 370
jeeps 313–14, 324, 326–7, 335