Wednesday 28 March 2012

BBC: 70th Anniversary, St Nazaire raid

Link to BBC web site and iPlayer

"A ceremony has taken in the French port of St Nazaire as the last remaining veterans gather to remember one of the most daring raids of World War II.

"... Corran Purdon - who was a 20-year-old lieutenant at the time - and four corporals were tasked with blowing up one of the two winding houses. He jumped off the ship carrying a rucksack full of explosives. Bullets whipped past. As he made it to the building, he was surprised to discover it locked. 

"Improvising, he pulled out his Colt 45 revolver, and pointed it at the lock.The bullet ricocheted off, just missing one of his corporals. 'You know, sir, when I came on this raid, I was quite prepared to get murdered by Adolf Hitler, but not by you, sir,' the man told Mr Purdon, before pulling out a mallet to smash the lock."

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