The 60th anniversary of “Operation Jericho” is tomorrow the 18th February.
Hunsdon airfield is very close to my home but there is not much left of the runway now. Only the perimeter track is left for the farmers to use to get around their field with a few out buildings here and there.
During January 1944, information was received in London that over 700 prisoners, 100 + of which were loyal Frenchmen being held in the jail at Amiens, France, awaiting execution for their efforts in the allied cause. This also included a Monsieur Vivant, a key member of the resistance of the resistance movement at nearby Abbeville.
The local Resistance requested an urgent air strike to break open the prison walls – even at the risk of killing some of the patriots.
At 1055 hours on the 18th February, with snow falling, 19 De-Havilland Mosquito’s took off from R.A.F. Hunsdon to execute “OPERATION JERICHO” and one by one they disappeared into the murky sky, hoping to meet up with their Typhoon escort over Littlehampton. Their task was to breach the 20ft. high, 3ft. thick outer wall, open the main building and destroy the guard’s quarters.
Six aircraft each from No 487 Sqn RNZAF, No464 Sqn RAAF, and No21 Sqn plus one photographic reconnaissance aircraft. Overall commander of the raid and one of the R.A.F.’s most celebrated airmen was, Group. Capt. P.C. ‘Pick’ Pickard with his observer Flight Lieutenant J.A.Broadley who was last to fly over the prison. Grp. Capt Pickard remained in the area to assess the results which were filmed by a specially equipped Film Photographic Unit Mosquito. Flt. Lt. Tony Wickham and his cameraman Plt. Off. Lee Howard flew three passes over the prison filming the results of 487 and 464 Squadrons’ attack. Prisoners could be seen making their escape through the gaping holes in the walls and running in all directions across the snow-covered fields to be spirited away by Resistance comrades who had requested the air strike. The prearranged success signal “Hello Daddy, RED-RED-RED” was transmitted to 21 Sqn., who gratefully returned home without bombing.
The daring raid led to 258 prisoners escaping including Monsieur Vivant, with 102 killed by the bombing.
Sadly, Group Captain Pickard & Flight Lieutenant J.A.Broadley was both killed when they were shot down by a FW190 nearby.
A memorial service is being held on the 22nd February 2004 at Amiens prison for the survivors and relatives of those who lost their lives in the raid.
Shame there is not an airworthy Mossie available..!!
Pictures and more info here.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=pt&u=http://www.air-photo.com/portuguese/jericho.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3Damiens%2Braid%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8
BP. 🙂 🙂
By: Versuch - 25th September 2012 at 13:46
Here is a Log Book page of one the raiders.
The clue is there for his identity.
Brave men all.
Cheers Mike
By: Versuch - 25th September 2012 at 13:46
Here is a Log Book page of one the raiders.
The clue is there for his identity.
Brave men all.
Cheers Mike
By: Arabella-Cox - 25th September 2012 at 08:31
You might get a better picture of things here:
http://www.wingleader.co.uk/The-Amiens-Raid-Secrets-Revealed-p/rkamiens.htm
By: Arabella-Cox - 25th September 2012 at 08:31
You might get a better picture of things here:
http://www.wingleader.co.uk/The-Amiens-Raid-Secrets-Revealed-p/rkamiens.htm
By: Arabella-Cox - 25th September 2012 at 08:28
I don’t want to appear to be disparaging about Pickard, but:
‘Bill’ Broadley was my father’s nagigator when he flew special ops in Whitleys. They spent 3 months interned in Portugal following a double engine failure on returning to the UK from Gibraltar.
When there was a TV program about the prison raid I mentioned to my father that I had seen it and he he responded by blaming Pickard for the crash saying that having completed to mission he should have returned to base.
During the course of the war my father flew 67 missions, mostly Special Ops in Whitleys and Halifaxes, before flying Lancs. Post war he stayed in the RAF and ended flying Shacks out of Gib in 1958.
By: Arabella-Cox - 25th September 2012 at 08:28
I don’t want to appear to be disparaging about Pickard, but:
‘Bill’ Broadley was my father’s nagigator when he flew special ops in Whitleys. They spent 3 months interned in Portugal following a double engine failure on returning to the UK from Gibraltar.
When there was a TV program about the prison raid I mentioned to my father that I had seen it and he he responded by blaming Pickard for the crash saying that having completed to mission he should have returned to base.
During the course of the war my father flew 67 missions, mostly Special Ops in Whitleys and Halifaxes, before flying Lancs. Post war he stayed in the RAF and ended flying Shacks out of Gib in 1958.
By: dhfan - 18th February 2004 at 00:12
Tried to put the link back in but it won’t go…
What a wonderful translation: “1600 horses of power”.
By: Guzzineil - 17th February 2004 at 23:17
FLYPAST
looks like a Spitfire flypast is planned for tomorrow (Weds)?
B)04/02/18 12:15 UTC C)04/02/18 12:45 NAVW (H0970/04)
E) AUS 04-02-0186/366/AS2
CEREMONIAL FLYPAST. 1X SPITFIRE ACFT WI 2NM RAD PSN 5148N 00003E
(HUNSDON AIRFIELD, NR WARE, HERTS) NOT ABOVE 1400FT AMSL. FLYPAST
SUBJECT TO ATC CLEARANCE.
F)SFC G)1400FT AMSL
By: Snapper - 17th February 2004 at 21:58
I have a copy of ‘Cheval’ Lallemands account. It was quite a thing. From memory he was called to scramble basically, and got up in time to RV in the area of the raid instead of the original RV point. Can’t post the text i’m afraid (not ethical), and can’t remember it all.
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February 17, 2004 at 9:47 pm