Operation Frankton remembered

This December commemorates the 80th anniversary of Operation Frankton, the daring raid on Bordeaux port by Royal Marines using Kayaks launched from a submarine.

The faces of Frankton (Photo: copyright unknown)

Bordeaux was a major port supporting the German war effort. It was heavily defended making a conventional air or sea borne attack costly, so a plan was devised to attack ships moored there by a small force of Royal Marines from the Royal Marines Boom Patrol Detachment (RMBPD), the forerunner of the SBS.

The plan submitted by Major Herbert 'Blondie' Hasler RM commanding the RMBPD, was to paddle 60 miles (97km) up the Gironde Estuary by kayak from a launch submarine to the port of Bordeaux, attach limpet mines to the targets and then escape overland to Spain.

The Mark II two-man collapsible kayaks, known as Cockles were used. Made of canvas, their semi-rigid construction allowed easy stowage in a submarine and quick construction on deck for launch. Each would carry eight limpet mines to the target, while its two-man teams were lightly armed with pistols, hand grenades and a fighting knife each.

Major Herbert ‘Blondie’ Hasler photographed in 1943 (Photo: IWM A29378). An example of a Kayak being brought up on deck from the forward torpedo hatch (Photo: IWM MH22715)

The force was divided into divisions A and B each with three kayak teams:

A Division comprised kayak Catfish with leader Major Herbert ‘Blondie’ Hasler RM with Marine Bill Sparks, kayak Crayfish – Corporal Albert Laver RM and Marine William Mills, Kayak Conger – Corporal George Sheard RM and Marine David Moffat;

B Division had kayak Cuttlefish with Lieutenant John Mackinnon RM and Marine James Conway, Kayak Coalfish – Sergeant Samuel Wallace RM and Marine Robert Ewart, kayak Cachalot – Marine W. A. Ellery and Marine E. Fisher.

A thirteenth member, Marine Norman Colley acted as reserve.

The force left Holy Loch, Scotland on the 30 November 1942 on board the Royal Navy submarine HMS Tuna reaching the deployment point at the mouth of the Gironde Estuary on the 7 December. Kayak Cachalot was damaged before launch, so Ellery and Fisher remained behind with Colley.

The remaining Kayaks carried on, however Conger capsized on the first day with Sheard and Moffat swimming to shore. The force then encountered a checkpoint, negotiating it by lying flat and paddling silently, unfortunately Cuttlefish became separated so Mackinnon and Conway went ashore and made for Spain. Coalfish with Wallace and Ewart came ashore at Point de Grave lighthouse and were captured.

(Photo: copyright unknown)

Catfish and Crayfish paddled on, but in the face of strong ebb tides the raid was moved from the 10th to the 11th December. Both teams laid low resting and preparing their equipment for the coming attack. That evening, they paddled the final leg to Bordeaux, attached their mines, then escaped on the ebb tide, meeting at Ile Cazeau and finally coming ashore at St Genes de Blaye.

Once ashore, both teams split, separately making their way to Spain, with Hasler and Sparks returning to England with help from the French escape lines.

Laver and Mills were soon caught by the Gendarmerie and handed to the German authorities, as were Wallace and Ewart, Mackinnnon and Conway who were all executed without trial under Hitler’s ‘Commando Order’ even though they were in uniform. Sheard and Moffatt from Conger survived their capsizing but died of hypothermia.

Nineteen limpet mines were placed with six ships damaged in the attack giving a much-needed morale boost for Britain’s military and the Bordeaux Resistance at the time. Hitler was reportedly furious as to how ‘this child’s boat’ could have evaded the German defences - a somewhat fitting tribute to the courage and determination of the Frankton team members.

CWGC commemorates the fallen members of Operation Frankton with Conway, Ewart, Laver, Mills, Moffat, Sheard and Wallace on the CWGC Plymouth Naval Memorial, and Mackinnon on the CWGC Portsmouth Naval Memorial. 

Commemoration panels on the CWGC Plymouth Naval Memorial.