The Most Courageous Raid of World War II
Lord Ashdown tells the story of the Cockleshell Heroes, who took part in one of the most audacious commando raids of World War II - to blow up enemy shipping in Bordeaux harbour.
Lord Ashdown, a former special forces commando, tells the story of the Cockleshell Heroes, who led one of the most daring and audacious commando raids of World War II.
In 1942, Britain was struggling to fight back against Nazi Germany. Lacking the resources for a second front, Churchill encouraged innovative and daring new methods of combat. Enter stage left, Blondie Hasler.
With a unit of 12 Royal Marine commandos, Major Blondie Hasler believed his 'cockleshell' canoe could be effectively used in clandestine attacks on the enemy. Their brief was to navigate the most heavily defended estuary in Europe, to dodge searchlights, machine-gun posts and armed river-patrol craft 70 miles downriver, and then to blow up enemy shipping in Bordeaux harbour.
Lord Ashdown recreates parts of the raid and explains how this experience was used in preparing for one of the greatest land invasions in history, D-Day.
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Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Paddy Ashdown |
| Producer | Francis Whately |
| Director | Francis Whately |
| Executive Producer | Dominic Crossley-Holland |
Broadcasts
Tue 1 Nov 2011 21:00
Tue 1 Nov 2011 23:20Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Scotland- Sat 5 Nov 2011 20:30
- Sun 6 Nov 2011 20:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Northern Ireland
- Mon 7 Nov 2011 21:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
- Sat 12 Nov 2011 18:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
- Sun 9 Dec 2012 19:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Scotland
- Sat 19 Jan 2013 18:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ HD
- Wed 31 Aug 2016 21:00
- Sun 4 Sep 2016 23:30
- Tue 25 Oct 2016 00:50
- Thu 2 Nov 2017 21:00
- Thu 22 Nov 2018 20:00
- Fri 23 Nov 2018 02:30
- Thu 5 Sep 2019 22:00
- Tue 7 Nov 2023 23:45