Shh were heroes

I had an idylic childhood growing up in the Ribble Valley Lancashire during the 1930s we had no money but who did and who cared! Lazy days were spent fishing in the brook and rabbiting on the hills. I was to inherit the family farm when my Father retired so my future was secure and life was mapped out and safe.

However that was all shattered shortly after my 18th Birthday, when the world went to war my peaceful and happy life was changed forever I became a soldier, and it was to have consequences that remain with me to this day.

I arrived for my first day with the Lancashire Regiment, and entered basic training and although it scared the life out of me initially I started to feel at home I became stronger and fitter and made great friends.

After training I was posted out to various places and had a fairly uneventful war, I did however become a decent Soldier and promotion followed up to Sergeant after less than two years service.

In 1941 I volunteered to join a new unit of what was to become the Commandos it meant I was to go to Scotland to train for my new role. This was real soldiering learning advanced techniques and raiding skills, we were good and we knew it I was 20 years old and thought I knew it all.

On active service with 2CDO. I saw action on raids in Italy, Africa and Germany itself.

In March of 1943 I was called to the office of the C.O told to report with some other lads a few senior NCO's like myself and a dozen or so junior ranks.

We arrived in the COs office and recieved a briefing, there was a communication problem in occupied Paris, the Nazis had caught and executed a fair number of the French Resistance resulting in the discovery of a lot of the radio equipment vital in the release of information from Paris and also in the movement of downed airman being helped to safety. It had become necessary to form a unit to infiltrate Paris resupply the existing resistance and recruit new members this would be a long term mission, involving living as French Civilians and striking at the enemy from within. It would also be dangerous the risk of capture would be constant, and of course if we were captured WWhitehall would deny any knowledge of our existance, this meant execution would certainly follow. We to a man volunteered.

After a course involving French Language skills, and lessons in the history and culture of France, we learnt about the day to day life of a typical Parisian. After being given my new identity and papers I became a parisian bycycle repair man.

November 14th 1943 I was woken at 0230 kit prepared we boarded a fishing trawler in Plymouth leaving at 0300 to cross the channel arriving just before sunrise we were dropped a mile from the coast and rowed on small dinghys to prearranged R.Vs, from there we split into teams of four myself in command of Cpl Hawkins, my closest friend, and two private soldiers, one a demolition expert the other a radio specialist.

As we moved on foot we had two days to reach the capital of occupied France. We encountered our first

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