St Nazaire Raid or Operation Chariot: 1942-2012. Two commemorations in Saint-Nazaire and many warm encounters

- Reportage -

The commemorations of this decisive chapter in the history of World War II and its history in Britain will be told about on Agence Bretagne Presse in several articles, as the material to expose for this 70th anniversary is so abundant.

Maryvonne Cadiou pour ABP le 2/04/12 20:19

RAF aerial photo of Normandie Dock taken months after Operation Chariot. The stern half of HMS *Campbeltown* still lays inside the dock now dammed up on both ends.

This double commemoration (1) for the 70 years of Saint-Nazaire Raid (code named Operation Chariot) of March 28th 1942 was an opportunity for over 150 British and Irish to trip over to Brittany - from England, London, Liverpool, Devon, Scotland, Cork..., for different personal reasons, all of those “Charioteers” proving a warm-hearted spirit towards the remembrance of the tragedy of the St Nazaire Raid, that the French call Operation Chariot.

- Fifty to sixty people came in as "independent", most of them to honor the memory of a family member, or having had close links with Commando members of the Raid;

–- forty-five came, often for the same reasons, by an organized Tour (2);

–- Ten motorcyclists ("bikers") branch of the bikes Royal British Legion (3), who had gone through Falmouth to commemorate there the departure of Campbeltown March 26th 1942 towards Saint-Nazaire;

–- Came also, as in previous years, members of the St Nazaire Society (4): a British association dedicated to the memory of Operation Chariot, and which has a branch in Brittany;

–- Came as part of 24 Commando Engineers Regiment, based in Chivenor, North Devon (back from - in fall 2011 - six months in Afghanistan), Lieutenant Colonel Leigh Tingey is their commander. There were twenty-six soldiers;

–- And the association Commando Royal Engineers Association (RECA) had chartered a coach for fifteen to twenty people.

Watch videos added on YouTube June 16, 2009:

With photos and film footage of the time of The greatest raid of all those of the second world war

(voir le site) 1/6. This video is not available in your country . Learn more: (voir le site) Impossible operation.

(voir le site) 2/6;

(voir le site) 3/6;

(voir le site) 4/6;

(voir le site) 5/6;

(voir le site) 6/6.

Watch videos added to YouTube August 21, 2009:

With photos and film footage of the time of St Nazaire dangerous missions

(voir le site) 1/5;

(voir le site) 2/5;

(voir le site) 3/5;

(voir le site) 4/5;

(voir le site) 5/5.

Other websites to know, in French or English

–- (voir le site) of James Dorrian listing the important links, books, documentaries, television, movies...

–- (voir le site) blog of James Dorrian, dedicated to reviving the memory of the March 1942 Combined Operations raid on the French Atlantic port of St-Nazaire, whose purpose was to deny Tirpitz the use of the giant “Normandie” dry dock, or Forme Joubert. He is a connoisseur of the epic Raid, author of two books on the subject (5) and co-organizer of this year traveling for the British. He reports on it on Sunday April 1st, the commemoration on March 28th: (voir le site)

–- (voir le site) of Sant-Nazer Credib, French, 2009;

–- (voir le site) of second world war ;

–- (voir le site) of Combined Operations, page Chariot;

–- (voir le site) the BBC Cornwall in October 2009: A parade was held in Falmouth to honor the veterans of the second World War who had been involved in very risky raid of St Nazaire, parade attended by the mayor of Saint-Nazaire;

–- (voir le site) of Mer et Marine , in French, which tells the commemoration of March 28th, 2012.

Notes

(1) Two commemorations: ( voir l'article ) for the 10 am commemoration by both Credib and Cultural Institute of Brittany, which took place on the " Old Mole ", told on ( voir l'article ). Then the official ceremony at 11 30 am on waterfront at the monument.

(2) An organized Tour: (voir le site) , led by Peter Lush of St Nazaire Society. info [at] battlefieldtours.co.uk.

(3) The Royal British Legion Bikers is an association of former British soldiers or sailors, or non-military, all loving riding motorcycles and eager to perpetuate the memory of British soldiers missing in action (voir le site) . The group of eight riders plus two wives came by ferry from Plymouth, then attended the ceremony in Falmouth and landed at Roscoff in Brittany to cross to Saint-Nazaire: " We also took the small roads, using GPS, without getting lost ".

(4) The St Nazaire Society: (voir le site) in English.

(5) James Dorrian, author of two books on the subject:

– - Storming St Nazaire. The Dock Busting Raid, 1998.

– - Saint-Nazaire. Operation Chariot - 1942, 2006, Pen and Sword.

For about 2 or 3 years James Dorrian has been preparing a fiction film about the Raid, with Andrew Scott : (voir le site) dedicated on facebook.

Maryvonne Cadiou. Translated and adaptated from ( voir l'article )

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