Memorial Operation Frankton Saint-Vivien-de-Médoc

This memorial commemorates Operation Frankton. Text on the plaque:

"Operation Frankton, December 1942 - At this location on Wednesday 8th December 1942 at about 0730 hours two heavily laden British two-seater assault kayaks, the CATFISH (Major H. G. HASLER and Marine W. E. SPARKS) and the CRAYFISH (Corporal A. F. LAVER and Marine W. N. MILLS), were hauled ashore and sheltered for a whole day. Their mission was to attack German blockade runners in Bordeaux harbour. These men belonged to a naval commando unit of the British ROYAL MARINES. The five kayaks involved in Operation Frankton, which were launched at 1930 hours on 7th December at Montalivet by the submarine HMS TUNA, had run into a very dangerous surf zone near Pointe de Grave during the night. Two of them had foundered around midnight and contact with the third had been lost near the pier of the Verdon. 100 km from the objective, exhausted Through the superhuman efforts of a tragic night, the four Royal Marines landed at dawn at Pointe des Oiseaux. They were spotted by a group of fishermen from St. Vivien, the Ardouin and Chaussat families, who had arrived at dawn to work in the oyster beds along the coast under the command of Mr. Yves Ardouin. The latter struck up a conversation with Major Hasseler, the commandant, for whom this was the first contact with the French, and led the crew to a location better protected from the German workers and sentries who were working on the construction of a military structure, very close to where you are, in the direction of the Verdon. The fishermen offered the English some food and told no one of their presence. These courageous Frenchmen, who would have been shot if the enemy had known of their encounter with the Royal Marines, are among those who, even by a modest action, contributed to saving the honour of their country. Lieutenant-Colonel H. G. HASLER DSO OBE RM and Corporal W. E. SPARKS DSM, the only survivors of the attack, returned to St Vivien after the war, where they were reunited with the families who had helped and protected them by their silence."

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

Of the ten commandos, two were 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 the Second World War by six months.

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Source

• Text: TracesofWar
• Photos: TracesofWar
• Chemins de mémoire de l’opération Frankton