Operation Flipper - November 1941

Discussion in 'Special Forces' started by Rich, Mar 12, 2007.

  1. Rich

    Rich Member

    I found this interesting account of Operation Flipper, the ill-fated Commando raid to try and “capture or kill” Rommel in November 1941. Has some amusing parts to it, "We are German soldiers, go away...", said in German to an Italian and an Arab officer, and they did!
    http://www.combinedops.com/Black%20Hackle.htm (scroll down to Operation Flipper)

    If you go to the Index Page, this website has lots of information on other operations.

    Strangely, this shorter account on the same website, has a slightly different course of events describing the mortal wounding of Lt Col Keyes, who was awarded the posthumous VC.
    http://www.combinedops.com/Operation%20Flipper.htm

    Does anyone know any other online descriptions of the raid? I have just bought a book but not received it yet, “Geoffrey Keyes VC of the Rommel Raid” written by Keyes’ sister, which I presume will have the definitive account in it.


    It was mentioned at the weekend as my fiancee’s mother was the cousin of Sgt Jack Terry, who subsequently was transferred into the SAS, and later in the war I understand he fought with the Maquis in France. I did not get to meet him and sadly he passed away on 16th July last year.


    cheers,

    Rich.
     
  2. kfz

    kfz Very Senior Member

    Any news on this Rich, what happened?
     
  3. Rich

    Rich Member

    Hi,

    Yes I got the book. The account in the book is the one related by Captain Robin Campbell, so is the same as the first link I posted above.

    The book states that Rommel "was full of admiration" when he heard of the raid, and he ordered that Keyes be buried with full military honours.
     
  4. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Rich
    Could you please tell me where you got the book, etc? I would be very interested in getting a copy?
    Cheers,
    dbf
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  6. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Thanks Owen,
    Just came across the reference to Keyes here on the forum and am following up any leads on him.
    Will get on to this as soon as I can.
    Diane
     
  7. COMMANDO

    COMMANDO Senior Member

    May I suggest another great book about this operation.

    Get Rommel by Michael Asher

    Asher himself served with The Para's and SAS and is one of the world's best dessert explorers so knows where he is talking about bout conditions in the dessert...

    I have read this book some weeks ago and did find it most interesting.
    It also contains information about Jack Terry DCM from the LRK papers.

    The author also put some serious doubts by the story published by Elizaheth's book about Geoffrey Keyes.

    Very good book to take with you on vacation !
     
  8. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hi Peter,

    Thanks for that tip, will take your advice.

    By the way, as another point of interest, Geoffrey Keyes was the son of Roger Keyes, Baron of Zeebrugge. He was on good terms with Churchill and with the Belgian King, subsequently carrying out a liason role in WWII, and a had a distinguished career himself in WWI.
     
    Last edited: Jun 20, 2020
  9. COMMANDO

    COMMANDO Senior Member

    That is right Diane, what you are saying is also in the book !
     
  10. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hi, Thanks for that.
    Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Wiki states this about Roger Keyes:
    "During World War II, Keyes was the first Director of Combined Ops, the Commandos. His tenure was from 17 July 1940, to 27 October 1941. He found this a frustrating job, as he was dependent on other branches and units of the armed forces for troops, equipment, transport, air cover and information. These commands were naturally not wishing to divert resources to something new and untried.
    However Keyes laid the foundations for the Commando's later success. He was 69 years old and it was time to slow down.
    ...
    In December 1941, his eldest son, Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes VC, MC, CdeG, Scots Greys, was killed in action at Beda Littoria, Libya, during the famous commando raid on the Headquarters of the General Officer Commanding the German Forces in North Africa .."

    D
     
  11. GLENDOWER

    GLENDOWER Junior Member

    hi this is for dbf regarding genealogy we may have ancestors in common. I am also related to Roger Keyes and irish keyes. Can you please contact me as I signed up to this website to contact you. Thank you.
     
  12. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hi,

    I will send you a PM.

    D
     
  13. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Diane,
    By the sound of it, it certainly looks like you have some extremely interesting ancestors.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  14. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    hi this is for dbf regarding genealogy we may have ancestors in common. I am also related to Roger Keyes and irish keyes. Can you please contact me as I signed up to this website to contact you. Thank you.

    Hi,

    Have sent a personal message outlining link ... are you there? :)

    D
     
  15. Andrew Varney

    Andrew Varney Junior Member

    My Father Frank Varney was also on this raid I have gathered information from The Keyes book and Get Rommel by Michael Asher also combinedopps.
     
  16. COMMANDO

    COMMANDO Senior Member

    Welcome Andrew! You must be a very proud person as your father did belong to a very small band of exeptional brave men ! I make a deep bow !

    Did your father ever wrote a personal account or do you have any war-time photographs of him which you like to show ????

    Peter
     
  17. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    Unfortunately for most of the forummembers, the book I can recommend is written in German language:

    Hans Edelmaier
    "Das Rommel Unternehmen"
    Oesterreichischer Milizverlag / 2000
    ISBN 3-901185-19-4

    Attached a map for the overview and about 40 pages of facsimiles of the original documents (from both sides)
     
  18. Andrew Varney

    Andrew Varney Junior Member

    My father Frank spoke very little about his war time exploits. As mentioned earlier Combined opps have a very good web page, I presume you have read Geoffrey Keyes V.C. of The Rommel raid written by his sister, also a book by Michael Asher called Get Rommel which gives a different aspect. I also found an article in the Nottingham Evening Post written by Jack Terry. My father was captured on the beach after the raid and spent the rest of war as a POW. My dad also contributed in a small way to the book Geoffrey Keyes V.C.Of The Rommel Raid, Dad died in 1978 and Its took me this long to try and find out more about his war years.
     
  19. Kuno

    Kuno Very Senior Member

    ...remember that I was looking for the particular beach once in my early days in Libya. There was a website set up by a Polish chap who lived there around in the early eighties and he claimed to have found two skulls in a small cave just at this beach. Unfortunately I did not have much details about the subject then what did not make it easier to find the right place. Always wanted to go there again and to "re-trace" thos whole approach - and the escape...
     
  20. Andrew Varney

    Andrew Varney Junior Member

    My father Frank Varney 11 Commando 10 Troop was also on the raid to capture rommel operation flipper .I have some photos of my dad in what I presume Cairo , and another with three other guys. I wondered if one was Jack Terry, dad lived on a broxtowe estate just a couple of miles from Bulwell where Jack Terry lived. Another name that cropped up in a book was a guy called George Dove. If i could send the Photos is there anyone out there could identify.
     

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