The terrible fate of SAS heroes who landed in France ahead of D-Day | Defence in Depth
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- D-Day was never just about the beaches.
For the landings to have any chance of success the allies knew they had to convince the German high command the action in Normandy was a diversionary attack, the main thrust to come elsewhere; across the Dover Strait into Calais, for example, the shortest distance from Britain to France.
Allied commanders reckoned they had only a few days, perhaps a week at best, before the Germans realised they’d been deceived and started to move military reinforcements against the fragile Normandy bridgehead.
To blunt the movements of any German reinforcements, a number of SAS operations were launched into areas well away from northern France to attack logistic lines and slow down the movement of reserves.
Tragically, one such mission, Operation Bulbasket, although militarily successful, resulted in the capture and murder of 33 SAS soldiers.
However, if the manner of the men’s deaths spoke of the darkest side of human nature, the outpouring of love and respect that followed from the locals offers hope for the future.
#dday80 #ddaynews #SAS
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Magnificent video showing the respect allied soldiers still have from all our European allies.
This is, by a country mile, the best content from the telegraph. Actual analysis and factual reporting, rather than the desperate political rubbish the paper pedles usually.
I really appreciate the way the Ukraine the Latest team, and the Defence in Depth team, avoid partisan politics.
On Ukraine, there is far more that unites us than divides us.
@@tawektawek3838 We were told Stalin was defending freedom, too.
May their souls rest in peace.
Sincere and respectful greetings from Flanders, Belgium..
Such brave men. Fantastic they are still remembered and honoured in France. Never forget indeed. 🙏
Thanks for sharing this story, moving and sobering.
Don't forget the French Resistance fighters who also captured and executed in the same fight.
Beautifully put together, well done
Wonderful uplifting story … so good to hear the villager’s young and old keep the memory of these brave men burnished bright.
A touching tribute Dom. Thanks.
As ex SAS and half Scot and French, i am proud that Rom and many other graves in France are kept immaculate,as i now live close Poitiers, i have visited Rom it is sad but makes me proud of these brave men.
Very touching to hear the personal stories.
Agreed. It's all too easy to talk about numbers of dead, wounded and scarred. Knowing even the briefest descriptions of the characters and lives of those that fell for our freedom really drives home the sacrifices. Lest we forget.
Never forget the heroism demonstrated by these men and many others
RIP Brave soldiers. The arm resting on the comrade next to them was particulary poignant.
God bless their memory.
Extremely interesting
Were the German soldiers ever punished for this war crime?
I cannot comment on this tragic event. However there is a book that I have read - The Secret Hunters, by Anthony Kemp. This book chronicles events after the end on WW2 to try to bring to justice those who captured, tortured and executed members of the Allied Special Forces operating in France at that time. The team was led by Major E W Bill Barkworth with considerable success
I understand that a number of German Officers were tried for this War Crime after extensive investigations, but those convicted in 1947 were all released by 1952.
The officer who actually insisted Hitler’s order be carried out by the local forces was never even put on trial !.
@@martinfield2358 The book "Operation Bulbasket" by Paul McCue that covers this particular SAS operation and its consequences when the Waffen SS attacked. British Resistance Archive also has a really detailed section on it, as many of the SAS were former Auxiliary Unit members already trained in demolitions and clandestine operations ?
I was honoured to have met John Fielding a couple of times at the Auxiliary Unit Reunions. Trooper Fielding was one of the survivors that day because he had been sent out to recce for an alternate base, and had said in interviews that he always regretted never having shot a couple of suspicious Frenchmen earlier that day who he had stopped from entering the Forest where the main party were. Even though other Resistants had verified they were OK, he always felt that they were scouting for the Germans. John never missed any of the Remembrance Days for his friends at Verrieres. A very honourable and lovely man !
telling their stories, saying their names was a very classy act.
I don't know why but this story I find incredibly distressful. Very upsetting. And one has seen many similar stories.
LEST WE FORGET 🇬🇧 NO SURRENDER
From an area with deep history from the revolution and 1812, so we tend to have a jokingly anti-British sentiment. Can't say this didn't choke me up still.
@@shoeby9273 🫡
No surrender to who?
@@olivere5497 olivere is that a french name 🤣 bit ironic
@@callumc4701 but anyway who arent we surrendering to?
Great work again Dom.
"The Man Who Never Was" also covers the diversionary tactics. The book Operation Hurricane mentions the raid on Saint-Nazaire earlier in the war which took the dry dock out of action until 1948 at a cost of 169 of the raiding forces and 200+ prisoners of war.
Heroes............ And our PM can't be bothered to stay for the anniversary of D-Day.
We will remember them.
GREAT EPISODE!!! 😢🫡🇺🇸👍🏻
Thankyou Dom for your efforts in remembering important events of history to keep freedom from departing our hearts, minds and shores.
RIP to these brave heroes.
Well said Dom. 👍
Well Done....Thanks. !!
Incredible men. Incredible bravery. Incredibly sad.
German soldiers elite VERSUS The British balls from steel soldiers, send in the SAS.
@Defence in Depth re: Topic suggestion
Before watching this video, it made me think about how there continues to be an inaccurate narrative wherein Americans and British soldiers are credited with D-Day while Canadians ("British" at the time but no longer) are often excluded. And, sure enough, the museum director in this piece made the same mistake by referring only to American and British visitors to his region. It should be remembered that the Canadians took Juno beach on D-Day, which was a strongpoint involving multiple German infantry battalions as well as a Panzer division. The Telegraph highlighting this fact, while also discussing the historic British and Canadian military alliance and partnership up until the present, would go a long way in giving these Canadian soldiers the credit they deserve.
Oddly enough, I suspect that Americans are even less likely than the British to remember Canadian contributions during WWII. Probably one of the few pop culture reminders in recent decades was the prominence of Canadian soldiers in "The English Patient."
Should be a movie
Just got back from lunch at my job this is a hard one to watch.
This is incredible. Bless those brave men. May their memories never be forgotten.
Fantastic, so important to remember!
Private Allen Ashley was from Weston super mare Somerset and is remembered on the local war memorial.
Rest in peace
Very moving
TY🙏🙏
Excellent
What an excellent report.
WOW
Lest we forget
Great presenter.
R.I.P to these brave souls. Lest we forget.
“All gave some, some gave All”
From an old man in California
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Had the great privalige to meet Cpl.Sam Smith-one of only two surveviors from OP Bulbasket-wasfriend with his son as a lad in Liverpool-god bless all thanks
Didn't know about this hideous ,evil atrocity 😢
well made keep names alive
Amazing men.
The doctor was Dr. Georg Hesterberg
There is a strong possibility that they were betrayed by the locals. The secret service had many brave souls lost to betrayal from the French and Belgians.
Who Dares.....WIN
unfortunately freedom doesn`t come for free. They will not be forgotten.
All 33 grouped in one camp in one location is what also got the Jedburgh teams surrounded and destroyed.
now these are real men real heroes these young lads today should be ashamed of themselves wirh how disrespectful they are r i p brings a tear to your eye ❤❤❤❤❤
"soldiers of freedom" ... what would they think of the current trends in our world?
0:56 how did they find this video lol, i remember seeing this on tiktok in 2021. It has since been deleted
SAS did things behind the lines.
Great report, but such low likes + views. It seems that our society is not interested to learn from history and only want to see mindless TikTok. Let's hope history teachers around the world are doing a good job to introduce history to the next generation, so that we will never repeat the mistakes.🙏
As King Solomon said as a wise old man: “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”
The Ukraine war has nothing to do with WW2. The analogy is not even close.
Google Squadron 303~
War is murder
As an old British soldier, now 70 years old who has been on active service, but nothing like anybody ever faced on the beaches of Normandy, I never thought I would ever see the day that a British Prime Minister thought returning to the UK to record a TV interview was more important than paying his respects to all those who were killed and wounded on the 6th of June 1944 and in the days and weeks that followed and in not visiting Omaha beach, where so many young Americans were killed and wounded and standing with the other world leaders in respect and gratitude.
His actions on that day made me ashamed to be British, God only knows what all those who were there on that day thought when they found out why he left the commemorations early, especially the Americans and the world leaders but this has been widely and rightfully condemned in all the British media and online.
They were shot according to the Commando order, issued by Hitler, that all troops captured behind the lines on commando operations should be shot without trial, rather than treated as prisoners of war. I'm not saying it is right but the British knew this when they sent them in. The Soviets, Britain's ally, had the same policy. There are also accusations that the SAS in its various raids murdered surrendering enemy personnel and various British special forces turned POWs over to guerilla formations knowing they would be killed. Even British pilots had no issues violating international law to shoot down red cross aircraft, even when they were in the act of rescuing or carrying wounded British and other allied personnel, with Churchill's blessing. A Royal Navy submarine repeatedly murdered German survivors and her crew was never properly punished. Unfortunately, most soldiers follow orders rather than attempting to argue morality or international law with their superiors while officers frequently hide the crimes committed by their men (Patton & Eisenhower both did it as well). And there are plenty of mental midgets out there that think the enemy's atrocities justifies there own. While these men were heroes and the Germans were certainly in the wrong, these guys knew the risk going in.
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A royal.scots grey grey buried here !
These soldiers SAS no doubt killed many german forces
It is sad that the British have left the European family. That Farage should be in jail or in exile in Russia in the datcha the Russians offered him as an incentive...
Or that europe and NATO are backing an illegal war, allied with some very questionable people in Kiev, is obviously seen by some a good idea.
A new form of facism is stalking the world, John Pilger called it the New World Order.
"Mandatory Palestine"
I wonder if the team had traitors amongst them who were revealed to them b4 they gave their lives? Would the enemy hav placed them in a particular order. Would they hav euthanised one first, then the other last (if their were 2?). The enemy would know I guess.
I dont understand how the whole team could hav been caught and trapped otherwise?
😂
Wow. What a powerful video. 🥲
Thanks to their courage, all D-Day soldiers and all who followed, we enjoy this blessed day. 🫡
Remember these brave, brave souls.....🙏🙏🙏
The commando order from Hitler stated all captured allied commando troops had to be executed. A disgraceful war crime and tragedy for the families of these heros.These men would probably have known this before going into France, which is courage beyond all imagining. R.I.P
If the commandos weren't wearing uniforms then it was not a war crime to execute them (I'm NOT saying that it was right)
RIP Heroes!
Reposez en paix les héros du SAS!
to assist DD landings in Normandy, french SAS bataillon were drop in Britany on 5th of June '44,
they got more air-drop supply to arm & drill the local Resistance.
Altogether they fought at 1 vs 100 against Wehrmacht & ss troops & they succeeded to cut & stop enemy supply lines.
they suffered heavy casualties (SAS & Resistants) & got murdered if taken prisoners.
And our Prime Minister couldn't even be bothered to show them proper respect. For shame.
Not British, that's why....
@@krijnvanlaar8680 That is not the reason, hundreds of thousands of Indian soldiers served with great gallantry in two world wars, and they deserve respect and honour.
That was absolutely disgusting, was it not ! Utterly shameful
As an Indian whose grandfather was in the British Indian army, rishi sunak is a rich kunt who both working class brits and working class Indians should resent.
although I agree it was a mistake. I think it's just being used as a football now ... Keir has all the right words. But what is he committing to for veterans ? Not that they necessarily deserve more than anyone else. They chose to serve.
John 15 13
Greater love hath no man / woman than this, that a man / woman lay down his / her life for his / her friends. Never forget 🙏🏻
Mark Felton has been out done.
I concur. A few years back Professor Felton asked viewers to post in the comment section historical events he should research. This was one of several operations I posted with another similar incident occurring during Operation Ginny and the execution of an OSS team.
@@HollywoodMarine0351 yeah but Old Man Felton didnt actually go there and speak to some random broad though. Feltey's music is better though.
"Who Dares Wins"
Many thanks, Dom, for telling the stories of these men, in all it's detail.
'Fire from the forest' a book about the SAS in France in 1944 by Roger Ford is a great read. It talks about resistance and SAS groups being denounced to the Germans by other politically different minded groups in order they would then get the funding and arms. Some groups of the resistance I'm sure abused their power. I have a friend whose Uncle owned two flour mills in SW France. While on a bus between the two mills, it was stopped by the local resistance group, he was taken off and shot for selling flour to the Germans. What choice would he have had?
Such brave men.
All heroes, the whole lot, may they never get old...
The English and the French are like squabbling siblings, but below the squabbling they are family, and I will always remind myself of how dedicated the French are to the war graves of those allied soldiers who gave their lives to liberate France and defeat nazism.
I would like to thank the local French population for honoring the memory of all of these very brave people. American, British, and their brothers-in-arms, the French resistance.
A remarkable video that drew me to the wiki page on Operation Bulbasket where I was pleased to read that a retaliatory Mosquito raid was carried out on the SS headquarters for the force that attacked the SAS guys in the forest.
In war, legal nicities aside adjudicated by the victorious, there's a very fine line between murder of solders captured behind the lines and simply combat casualties in the lines. So fine, that the SAS soldiers were fully aware of the risks...threw the dice and came up craps. As yragic as these mens' deaths ate being memoralized here, the exact same commentary can be made in any country for their soldiers who made similar sacrifice. Nothing all that special here, tragic as it is
Was there an SAS presence on the 80th Anniversary ? Any footage ? RIP Heroes.
Thanks for looking after thier graves, never forgotten
Respect to the people of France for their care of these heroes.
Any information as to how they were found?
Excellent content.
Fascinating im just appalled how little our youth know of this history.
Passionate. Tender. Great respect for these men.🫡
Scots greys my regiment served ini
One word Superb.
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Admiringly remembered, let us never forget.