Hi folks,
I’m wondering if anybody knows any details of Operation Apollo, which took place at the end of 1942.I know it involved the SOE and in some capacity the RAF’s special duties Lysander squadrons (the Shuttleworth Lizzie is painted in the marking of one which took part in Apollo.)
I’ve never heard anything more than a mention of this operation, and I can’t find any details of it on the net.I’ve tried a google search, but unfortunately the American campaign in Afghanistan was given the same code-name, so you get reams and reams of stuff about the Afghan war.
The reason I ask is that I’ve just finished building a model of an Apollo Lysander,and I’d like to include some background info in a kit review I’m writing.
Any info or useful links would be much appreciated. 🙂
By: Ant.H - 20th November 2003 at 23:37
Thanks for the link to the PRO site JDK, but sadly I’ve searched it and found absolutely nothing. I live just a couple of miles down the Thames from Kew,so it wouldn’t be too much trouble to go up there,but being as this is just for an aeromodelling review I was hoping that someone on the forum might just know the bare essentials to include in the review. I’ll keep looking and maybe I will end up at the PRO-I’ve been looking for something to write a book or article about,who knows,perhaps this could be it. 🙂
By: JDK - 20th November 2003 at 22:10
Can you get to the PRO? (Sorry, now National Archives) They have screeds on the SOE, and I’m sure a good dig through their paperwork would give details of the opps. Try searching Apollo and SOE on their website as a kickoff…
www.pro.gov.uk
Cheers
By: Ant.H - 20th November 2003 at 19:30
Doesn’t sound like the right thing,but thanks for trying RA. The Operation Apollo I’m after took place at the end of 1942 for sure,but that’s about all I know! It would be particularly interesting to hear why the Lysanders on Apollo were painted overall black, rather than the usual camouflaged uppers and black undersides.
By: RadarArchive - 20th November 2003 at 13:12
I’ve checked all the books I have relating to SOE and I’m afraid this is the only reference of any kind I could find to any form of Apollo.
By: RadarArchive - 20th November 2003 at 10:19
I don’t know if this is what you’re looking for, but M R D Foot in his official history, SOE in France, mentions that J B van Schelle was codenamed Apollo. His aircraft crash-landed east of Antwerp after an attack by a night fighter on its way to Holland in October [1943??]. I’ll check some of my other SOE books, since I suspect there must be another SOE Apollo, but I thought I’d post this just in case.
By: Ant.H - 20th November 2003 at 00:45
Hope the pic comes out…
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November 20, 2003 at 12:42 am