I draw the attention of all members of the Corps Family to the request below from the Operation Frankton Memorial Appeal. As a Vice Patron of this worthy cause, I am seized of the merits of building an enduring memorial in France that will commemorate the courage, skill and determination of all those who participated in this important operation, which has achieved legendary status not only in Corps history but also the national consciousness. A small donation is sought from each of many people. Please give what you can and, in this way, we as a Corps family can raise quickly our share of the target figure. Thank you for your support.
Operation Frankton, better known as the ‘Cockleshell Heroes’ Raid of 1942, was an outstanding achievement but, sadly, only two of the ten Royal Marines that went on this raid survived to return home! No gravestones exist for them anywhere.
Royal Marines Order Dated July 1942:‘Volunteers for hazardous duties, eager to engage the enemy, indifferent to personal safety, and free of strong family ties’.They were ordinary youngsters that answered the call; regulars, recently joined, under-20s, a milkman, a factory worker, a coalmerchant’s clerk, even a non-swimmer. Few had any skills; most were from the inner cities. Four months intensive training followed,and from 34 only 12 were picked for something special… challenging… hazardous…Only after the team boarded and the Submarine Tuna had sailed did it learn its mission: to launch their canoes close to the mouthof the River Gironde off the Atlantic coast; paddle 60 miles by night upriver to Bordeaux, and then attack the blockade-running cargo shipping at anchor with limpet mines. Finally they had to escape on foot through 100 miles of German controlled territory to make an agent RV. Only two survived: two drowned and six were executed by the Nazis. They have no known graves.Although a small monument exists at Royan and the Frankton Souvenir Trail has been established with storyboard plaques atseveral key sites, mainly along the escape route taken by Major Blondie Hasler and Marine Bill Sparks.As yet there is no memorial in France that does full justice to this inspirational story. This project aims to rectify that by building animpressive memorial that will honour not only our fallen comrades, whose daring and bravery gave rise to the cockleshell heroeslegend, but also the many courageous French men and women who gave or risked their lives aiding the survivors' escape and the crew of HMS/M Tuna who took severe risks to launch the raid.
Royal Marines Order Dated July 1942:‘Volunteers for hazardous duties, eager to engage the enemy, indifferent to personal safety, and free of strong family ties’.
They were ordinary youngsters that answered the call; regulars, recently joined, under-20s, a milkman, a factory worker, a coalmerchant’s clerk, even a non-swimmer. Few had any skills; most were from the inner cities. Four months intensive training followed,and from 34 only 12 were picked for something special… challenging… hazardous…Only after the team boarded and the Submarine Tuna had sailed did it learn its mission: to launch their canoes close to the mouthof the River Gironde off the Atlantic coast; paddle 60 miles by night upriver to Bordeaux, and then attack the blockade-running cargo shipping at anchor with limpet mines. Finally they had to escape on foot through 100 miles of German controlled territory to make an agent RV. Only two survived: two drowned and six were executed by the Nazis. They have no known graves.Although a small monument exists at Royan and the Frankton Souvenir Trail has been established with storyboard plaques atseveral key sites, mainly along the escape route taken by Major Blondie Hasler and Marine Bill Sparks.As yet there is no memorial in France that does full justice to this inspirational story. This project aims to rectify that by building animpressive memorial that will honour not only our fallen comrades, whose daring and bravery gave rise to the cockleshell heroeslegend, but also the many courageous French men and women who gave or risked their lives aiding the survivors' escape and the crew of HMS/M Tuna who took severe risks to launch the raid.
This Appeal is to each and every single serving Royal Marine and to all those Veterans who have worn The Globe and Laurel withpride to help create this long overdue, very special and dignified Memorial to our very own Royal Marines ‘Cockleshell Heroes’.It will be sited in France, near to where they left the submarine. We shall also be appealing more widely including to such as the Fleet’s serving Submariners and their Old Comrades Association, and RMA Branches.
Just before dawn on 12 December, as the only two surviving crews were about to separate, Bill Sparks leant down in farewell and said to Mills, ‘See you in the Granada… I’ll have a couple of pints on the bar waiting’. They were never to meet again.The Appeal target is ‘60,000. If we each and all give what would be ‘two pints of beer’ eg ‘6.00 to our Memorial Fund, collectivelyit could almost buy the Memorial Stone. What finer tribute could there be to our fallen Cockleshell comrades than to be so honoured by today’s serving and veteran Royal Marines, most of whom know only too well the price of conflict?
Go to the RMA Website www.royalmarinesassociation.org.uk and to the Cockleshell Heroes link, to follow the payment options and also to read all about this historic, epic raid, that has had no equal.Payments can also be made by post to:The Royal Marines Association, Building 32, Whale Island, Portsmouth, Hants PO2 8ER: Cheques/postal orders made out to “RMA Frankton”.The Frankton Memorial Appeal Patron: Countess Mountbatten of Burma CBE CD JP DLVice Patrons:Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon GCMG KBE Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope KCB OBE - First Sea LordAdmiral Lord Boyce GCB OBE DLMajor General A Salmon CMG OBE - CGRM WO1 (RSM) B A Dawe RM - Corps RSMSteering Group:Major M D Cavan OBE RM (Chairman) Lieutenant Colonel I W Grant RM - Corps SecretaryMajor V M Bentinck RM - Corps HistorianOperation Frankton Memorial
