Operation Frankton Memorial Birkenhead

The Operation Frankton Memorial in Birkenhead, Merseyside honors the Cockleshell Heroes, the Royal Marines who carried out the Operation Frankton raid in December 1942. Dedicated in December 2021 on its 70th anniversary at Woodside Walkway, it commemorates the 10 canoeists, including Albert Frederick Laver, a Birkenhead native.

The memorial features a brick and stone base with a steel plaque, depicting two canoes and four marines paddling.

The Cockleshell Heroes carried out Operation Frankton in December 1942, targeting German ships in Bordeaux. Trained at Lumps Fort, Portsmouth, they paddled 60 miles in folding kayaks to plant limpet mines.

Of the 10 commandos, two drowned, six were captured and executed, and only Major Hasler and Marine Sparks escaped. Despite heavy losses, the raid sank two ships and damaged four, disrupting enemy supply lines. Winston Churchill later credited it with shortening World War II by six months.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: TracesofWar
• Photos: Orange sticker