COMMANDO RAIDS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 121, 25 May 1942, Page 4

COMMANDO RAIDS

GERMANS JUMPY

BRITISH MAJOR'S STORIES

(0.C.) SAN FRANCISCO, April 24.

Many commando raids along the Nazi-occupied coast are never reported, a British army major told the American Society of Newspaper Editors at a meeting in New York when the Britisher described the work of the war's most famous daredevils.

"Many raids take place about which the Germans say nothing," Major R. V. Boyle said, "but merely because they are not broadcast either in Germany or England does not stop the stories and rumours spreading throughout the German troops in France. I would like to add that many more small raids used to take place than ever appeared in the papers." Declaring that the commandos "have got to be tough — really lough," Major Boyle said the most important characteristic of the men was their ability to meet any situation, and if necessary to meet it alone. Of the personnel, 99 per cent come from England. Scctland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the others from Canada and Australasia.

"These men," he said, "sleep where they stop. Each carries some food, but they often have to be out for long periods and so have to learn to fend for themselves. For that reason they are taught to kill, skin, cut up and cook animals they can catch. They have only a knife and a box of matches with which to do it.

"They certainly make the Germans jumpy. One night a party of Germans were riding their bicycles on their way to take over duty in one of their concrete defence posts. They were laughing and talking as they free-wheeled down a hill with a bend in it. As they rounded that bend, a burst of fire from a tommy gun greeted them. Not one of them finished hif; ride. Now just imagine the feelings of other German bicycle patrols and reliefs when the story spread around. And they certainlj' do spread around."

Aren Not I limited "They are not limited to the coastline of Europe," the major declared, "and though we have commandos in the Middle East as well, there are unfortunately many other parts of the world which are now in enemy hands." Pointing to the importance of surprise in operations, Major Boyle gave this picture of a Norwegian raid designed to capture the military commander of the area:— "The house in which he lived was some miles out of town. Having landed at night and cut the communications before the Germans knew we had even arrived, a party of men previously assigned to the task took a car and drove to the house. They arrived about 8.15 a.m., liquidated the guard in complete silence and walked to the front door and rang the bell. It was opened by a servant, who found himself facing an armoury of weapons. With a revolver in the small of his back, he was made to lead them to the door of the German officer's study, where he was working. With delightful irony they knocked on his door; he called 'Come in!' and continued writing. When he realised that more than one person had come in, he looked up to find himself covered from every angle. The officer in charge of the party told me that the look of amazement on that German's face was better than any theatre. They removed him and his papers to England wilkout anyone else in the house even knowing that he had ger.a."