The annual ceremony to honour the incredible bravery of sailors and commandos who set off from Falmouth on a daring raid during World War Two has been held in the town.
Military personnel, council officials and members of the public gathered at the St Nazaire memorial on Prince of Wales Pier on Sunday April 2, to pay their respects to the courage and valour shown on what was considered a certain suicide mission.
They paraded to the memorial of the raid on Prince of Wales Pier which was officially rededicated by the then Prince of Wales and Camilla in 2008.
Those attending the service commemorating the 81st Anniversary of Operation Chariot were the chair of the St Nazaire Society Ann Mitchell MBE and president Nick Beattie and family.
Also there was Dave Johnson, the son of raid ‘charioteer’ ‘Johnny’ Johnson, as well as Robin Montgomery, the son of the Lt Colonel Bob Montgomery who led the demolition team and died in 2016.
They were joined by the mayor of Falmouth Cllr Steve Eva, deputy mayor of Falmouth Kirstie Edwards, the mayor of Penryn Julia Tucker and local MP Cherilyn Mackrory.
Operation Chariot on March 28, 1942, led to the deaths of 168 of the 622 men who left Falmouth and the capture of many more. It also resulted in 89 decorations being awarded for the raid, including five Victoria Crosses.
HMS Campbeltown accompanied by 16 motor launches packed full of Commandos and escorted by two destroyers, departed Falmouth with the intention of blocking the St Nazaire dock, rendering the port unusable by the German Navy and the Battleship Tirpitz for maintenance and repairs.
HMS Campbeltown was rammed into the docks at St Nazaire The raid was successful and Campbeltown, packed with explosives, rammed the dock and exploded, destroying the gates and knocking the giant dry dock out of action for the rest of the war.
Ensuring that the large German warships, that were attacking allied trade routes would have to rely on bases in North Germany, thus leaving them vulnerable to attack whilst going through the narrow entrance to the Baltic.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel