World war two myth

I dont know if this has already been broached but just wondered if it was proven or not,

WORLD WAR TWO MYTH EXPOSED AS
GERMAN LANDING ON THE ISLAND IS CONFIRMEDIt has always been claimed that no German landing party ever set foot on British soil. Nevertheless speculation of a German raid at St Lawrence has been circulating amongst a few interested parties for some time. It recently went public when a web site invited any locals with knowledge of the event to come forward. We now learn that extensive research by an Island author has confirmed the raid and that he plans to publish a book exposing the full story
The incident is said to have come to light some years ago when an Islander visiting Germany was confronted with a German war veteran who claimed to have taken part in the landing. He said it was a commando raid intended to capture equipment at an Island radar station, thought to be the low level unit at St Lawrence. The small party arrived by gunboat and scaled the cliff. They had anticipated little more than Home Guard resistance but were in fact confronted by regular soldiers. A fire fight ensued before the Germans eventually retreated without losses.
Some doubted the validity of the story on grounds the raid would have surely become local knowledge and thus revealed long ago. Others felt this type of incident would have been hushed up at the time for reasons of morale and the demand for secrecy may have lingered on.
Adrian Searle, author of Isle of Wight at War, has now revealed he has been researching the event for some time and confirms the raid certainly took place. He says it was launched out of German occupied Alderney in 1941. Even more surprising is the revelation that the operation was a partial success in that some equipment was taken and one or two British personnel were captured, presumably for interrogation. This would have been of considerable embarrassment to the authorities and explains why news of the event never leaked out. Indeed there is a suggestion that reference to the raid has been permanently removed from military archives. There is more to be revealed and Adrian anticipates his publication of the full story will cause a something of a sensation.

Thanks if i have posted in wrong place please move.
Alan.

 

Isle of Wight History Centre News Archive April 2003
Since it's been almost 10 years since the author made that claim and he's published at least one book since then, Amazon.co.uk: Adrian Searle: Books, Biogs, Audiobooks, Discussions
I think we can conclude nothing is going to come of this.

 

St Laurent is close to Ventnor, the site of a Chain Home radar station which figured prominently in the Battle of Britain. The story is plausible, in the sense that the Germans probably could have launched such a raid in 1941, but I don't buy the suggestion that the relevant reports on it were removed from the UK archives. Why would they be? There would also have been records in the German archives, of course. If there is no info on the raid in either country's archives, then it probably didn't happen.


Rob

 

I have tried searching this forum on the subject as I recall in the past I have read about this story.

I can find no trace on this forum, so it probably means that it was discussed on the BBC History Forum.

If I recall correctly there was also a suggestion that some Germans were killed in an exchange of fire.

I really do not think that I have seen anything written that is nothing other than rumour or speculation.

It makes an interesting story which cannot be proved or disproved at the moment.

Regards
Tom

 

I have been told at great length that U-Boat crews often landed in Wales, and bought/sold food with locals.

Like so many of these stories, they are based on total bollocks

Would be colourful if these had happened, but yeah... there is the old 'attempted invasion' rumour that crops up every few years which sounds very similar.

 

... there is the old 'attempted invasion' rumour that crops up every few years which sounds very similar.

You mean the one where a few helmets and bodies were supposedly washed up on the south coast?

 

Yeah that's the one. Which was 'allegedly' actually some German troops training near the French close who were hit by Allied air attack.

Again, it all whiffs of bollocks.. But that was a reasonable explanation (with some backing) for it I read a few years ago, but with bodies mostly in France.

 

There were rumours of an attempted landing by the Germans on the south coast at the time of high risk of invasion.

Reports were made of German bodies being washed ashore in a badly burned condtion but this was never substantiated.I think this came from reports that in the event of an invasion,that oil would be fired on the shoreline to prevent landings.

All in all,I would say that over the years a myth has been created.Had it occurred there would have been activity among defence forces and this would have been recorded in operational logs.

As regards the risk of a German raid to copy the British raid on Bruneval radar station in Haute Normandie,TRE, in essence, the British radar research establishment at Swanage,Dorset was transferred to Malvern in Worcestershire.

Generates a little income for those who wish to perpetuate the myth.

 

The idea that the truth of this matter would never be known, shows what utter rubbish it all is. No German ever set foot on this island, or part of it, bar the channel isles. The news would have gone around like wildfire. Nothing like it ever took place .Ok for those that want to create an air of mystery. But there is nothing in it.....As anyone from that era would know only too well...The news got around what ever took place and that is not one of them....

Had it taken place we would have films and documentaries long ago. Every part of this land was patrolled and watched by thousands of service men and Home Guard.....

 

So we all agree its a load of rubbish.....ayes to the right,noes to the left

 

SAPPER I believe was in the home guard at that time before his military service ..
theres no doubt if any landing had taken place he and his comrades would have
given them short shirft ,,,,

 

Nothing is impossible if it involves politicians as far as I'm concerned. But do hope the rumours are untrue. But look at the secrecy clauses the chaps had to sign returning from Burma.

 

Yes I was in the Home Guard both in Southampton and in Poole. But I have to say that had the Enemy landed here, although the HG would have fought well, With hindsight...l they would not have stood a chance.That is my opinion after my Journey from Normandy to the German Border in Holland.

But we did not know that at the time. AS to the "Landings here" Not A chance..There was a threat of landings when all the men from villages and towns stood to, to repel the enemy. Mostly with shotguns! and farm guns...

That lasted for about 24 to 30 hours it came to nothing .All the men, home guard and all civilian men, returned home. My dad was off with his shot gun with the other villagers up the Channel cliffs ready to fight for our land....
No Enemy ever set foot on this sacred land... Anywhere only on their way to the POW camp. after baling out...

 

Oh, now you've done it... Jack Higgins will go rushing to his typewriter for the sequel to The Eagle Has Landed.. you know, that documentary

 

Yes I was in the Home Guard both in Southampton and in Poole. But I have to say that had the Enemy landed here, although the HG would have fought well, With hindsight...l they would not have stood a chance.That is my opinion after my Journey from Normandy to the German Border in Holland.

But we did not know that at the time. AS to the "Landings here" Not A chance..There was a threat of landings when all the men from villages and towns stood to, to repel the enemy. Mostly with shotguns! and farm guns...

That lasted for about 24 to 30 hours it came to nothing .All the men, home guard and all civilian men, returned home. My dad was off with his shot gun with the other villagers up the Channel cliffs ready to fight for our land....
No Enemy ever set foot on this sacred land... Anywhere only on their way to the POW camp. after baling out...


Hello Brian,

This mention of the Home Guard reminded me of something that I'd been meaning to ask about. Wouldn't most of the British soldiers who survived WW1 uninjured have been in the Home Guard early in the war? IF they had weapons and equipment, would they have been a formidable force during an invasion, at least for a few days until middle age took its toll? Many of these combat veterans would have only been in their forties.

Thanks,

Dave

 

I am reading a book titled "Mrs. Milburn's Diaries -An Englishwoman's day to day reflections 1939-45" Mrs Millburn lived in Balsall Common and wrote a series of diaries, which her family had published in 1979. Very interesting actually, her son was a Lt. in the 1/7 Bn. Warwickshire Regiment and was captured at Wormhout during May 1940 and spent the rest of the war as a P.O.W. Anyway the point of this post is to relate that her entry in the diary for 16th February 1942 reads "A letter today from Jan Johnson told of a Nazi landing on the south coast and the seizure of two Home Guards, who were carried off! That ought to 'larn' the HG to shoot first!"
I thought it strange when I read it, as I had never heard of that happening during the War.

Cheers
Rosey

 

From this thread from years ago.
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/united-kingdom/6286-4th-wilts-soldier-captured-e-boat-crew.html


so here we have a WW2 Veteran mentioning one of his own battalion was snatched.
Pity I can't find a name for the snatched man.

I suspect it will get a mention in one of these if it happened:

WO 166/4738 INFANTRY: 4 Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's). 1939 Sept.- 1941 Dec.

WO 166/9016 4 Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) 1942 Jan.- Dec.

WO 166/12773 4 Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) 1943 Jan.-Dec.

 

Dave.
Oh the HG would have fought, and fought well, but the experienced and battle hardened German army would have very quickly over run them. There were a great many Veterans of WW1 in the HG. It is surprising how many senior officers joined up..

The ages werr from the early teens to old gentleman. To illustrate this, my best friend in convalescent home was a Boer war veteran...Bless Him RSM Humphrey's.
Served in he British army in the Boer war. WW1. and served in WW2. Wonderful old man, and one I am very proud to have known.

But not one German set foot on this sceptered isle.Not one! Can you image trying to keep something like that quiet? WE used to have free speech in this Country.That was before the stupid race laws came in preventing the right to speak your mind....