Operation Basalt: Sark WW2 commando raid remembered

The plaques updated and corrected information from the plaques put up in 2017

A plaque has been unveiled on the 80th anniversary of a commando raid in Sark.

Operation Basalt involved a landing in the Channel Island, which was occupied by German forces for five years during World War Two.

The 12 commandos landed by boat, scaled cliffs, spoke to a local woman, secured a prisoner, but also killed three German soldiers.

The raid was among those that led to Adolf Hitler's 'commando order', which called for any captured to be executed.

Re-enactors dressed in period clothes climbed up Hogs Back in a recreation of the 1942 raid

The two plaques - one remembers the commandos that took part in the raid and the other the German soldiers who died - were unveiled on the 75th anniversary in 2017.

Ahead of the unveiling of the new plaque Lt Col Reg Guille said: "We have added two new names to the 10 that we listed five years ago, a corporal Jimmy Flint and Bombardier Eric Forster.

"Additionally we have corrected a spelling error in the rank of one of the German soldiers on their plaque."

The plaques were unveiled by Simon Wood - a nephew of the commando leader Maj Geoffrey Appleyard - and Captain Karsten Adrian of the German armed forces.

Mr Wood said: "I know full well he [Geoffrey] would have given enormous value and enjoyed the opportunity today not only to remember him and his colleagues but also to remember those who lost their lives...

"It also brings us hope for the future - in eastern Europe there are a lot of issues at the time, but one hopes that... we will be in a position in some years time to see those sides coming together."

One of the new plaques lists the names of the 12 commandos who took part in the raid

On the night of 3 October 1942 the troops led by Maj Appleyard - thought to be one of men that inspired Ian Fleming's James Bond - scaled a cliff at Hogs Back.

He had been a regular visitor to Sark before the war and was charged with finding out about the German defences, taking prisoners for interrogation and discovering how islanders were being treated.

Reliant on pre-war maps and with little knowledge of the situation in the occupied island they broke into houses.

When they woke Sark resident Frances Pittard she told them about the 300-strong garrison and a small group staying at the Dixcart Hotel. She also gave them newspapers printed in Guernsey.

Later when her actions were discovered she served time in prison in Guernsey before being deported to an internment camp in Germany.

The commandos killed the sentry at the Dixcart Hotel and captured five sleeping engineers.

While trying to subdue the men by tying their hands they fought back and two of them were shot while trying to escape.

Simon Wood said his uncle would have appreciated the chance to remember those who died as well as those who took part in the raid

With the alarm raised and the approaching dawn the commandos took their one remaining prisoner - the commander of the engineers - down the cliff to their boat.

The engineer provided information about Sark's defences and also about the French coast as his unit had been stationed there recently.

From the newspapers they learnt of the deportation of civilians to internment camps in Germany.

In response to the raid an extra 13,000 mines were laid in Sark, which was disastrous for a follow up raid in 1943 - Operation Hardtack - which resulted in two commandos killed and others wounded.

The Operation Basalt raid was the last before Hitler issued his 'commando order' instructing all captured commandos be executed.

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