Operation Colossus

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by airborne medic, Apr 12, 2006.

  1. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Has anyone ever visited the Tragino Aqueduct and got any photos of the site/area?
     
  2. Cpl Rootes

    Cpl Rootes Senior Member

    This was the first mission for the British airborne forces during WW2. It was little more than a test by the military to see if these so called 'Paratroopers' had any REAL potencial for missions behind enemy lines. Never the less it was an important mission as it showed the grit and expertise of the paratroopers. Lets start from the begining...

    The men of 11 SAS Bn. had joined up to see some action, and by the end of 1940 they were getting bored. So bored that they were requesting transfers back to their old units. In early January 1941 a rumour ran around Ringway (the units base), saying that a mission was currently being planned. The CO, Lt. Col. C.I.A. Jackson paraded his men and called for volunteers for a 'Deep Penetration' raid behind enemy lines.

    Every man present volunteered; and 7 officers and 31 men were selected for 'X Troop, 11 SAS'.

    The target was the Tragino Aqueduct in Italy. The offical reason given was that if this aqueduct could be destroyed it would be disastrous for the water supplies in Southen Italy. This would in turn hamper the war effort of Italy and would cause 'Alarm and despondency' amony the Italians. The real aim was, of course, to see what the airborne troops were made of; perfectly aware of this, the men of X Troop trained hard at Tatton Park, Ringways training DZ, where a full scale modal of the aqueduct was built.

    On the night of February 7th 1941 X Troop, commanded by Maj. T.A.G. Pritchard, took off from Mildenhall in Suffolk for an epic fight across occupied France in six Whitley bombers of No. 91 Sqn. RAF, led by Wg. Cdr. J.B. Tate. In Malta final plans ware laid for the submarine HMS Triumph to lie off the mouth of the River Sele to pick up the troops after the raid.

    After taking off from Malta the paratroopers arrived over the DZ only 12 minutes late. Unfortunately, one aircraft got lost and dropped it's stick some two miles North. Inevitably this stick consisted of the sappers who were actually supposed to blow the aqueduct. They eventually arrived two hours late. Moreover, icing caused two of the explosives containers to 'hang up'.

    Since Pritchard still had some 1,000 lbs. of assorted explosives he decided to press on. On examining the aqueduct it was found the structure was made of concrete and not brick as intelligence had expected. The seniour surviving sapper, 2nd Lt. A. Patterson, RE, placed all heavy explosives available around one of the side piers and anything remaining to a small bridge over the nearby Ginestra stream, to hamper repairs, (though an officer later stated that “just for the hell of it” was part of the equation).

    With the mission accomplished, came the problem of getting home. The submarine lay some 50 mountainous miles to the west. With four days and nights to make the journey, the paras split up into 3 groups and began the to make their seperate ways to the RV.

    All were spotted and captured, including the engineers, although many escaped and returned to England, including Tony Deane Drummond, who would also be captured at Arnhem, but would once again escape and return to England.
     
  3. roodymiller

    roodymiller Senior Member

    Does anyone have any information regarding Taffy Lawley MM. He was part of Operation Colossus and later esacaped the Italians and eventually rejoined the Parachute Regiment to serve in the D-day landings with 13 Para. I'd like to read his escape or POW report and also his citation, but cannot find them. He was also mentioned in despatches in the advance to the Baltic. The NA doesn't seem to have any info.

    Cheers.
     
  4. AndyBaldEagle

    AndyBaldEagle Very Senior Member

    RM
    Just checked my MM citation file-would appear I do not have a copy, but I will check laptop to see if I have it as might be out of order!
    Andy
     
  5. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Does anyone have any information regarding Taffy Lawley MM. He was part of Operation Colossus and later esacaped the Italians and eventually rejoined the Parachute Regiment to serve in the D-day landings with 13 Para. I'd like to read his escape or POW report and also his citation, but cannot find them. He was also mentioned in despatches in the advance to the Baltic. The NA doesn't seem to have any info.

    Cheers.

    Have you heard of the book Striking Back? Has four chapters on Colossus....I think I have something on him in my files but it will be a case of finding it and they are not indexed......I think I might have got it from Aldershot.....
     
  6. Lofty1

    Lofty1 Senior Member

    Book The Guinea Pig Club. ISBN 709007620 has a picture of your man in it, it is all about the raid, lofty
     
  7. Paul Pariso

    Paul Pariso Very Senior Member

  8. Verrieres

    Verrieres no longer a member

  9. roodymiller

    roodymiller Senior Member

    Thanks for the help guys. I would really appreciate it if anyone has the citation and could email it to me.

    Thanks
     
  10. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    From the info I supplied to paradata I see it was gazetted in 1946.......
     
  11. roodymiller

    roodymiller Senior Member

    From the info I supplied to paradata I see it was gazetted in 1946.......
    A long time after Op Colossus for which it was awarded. I don't know if it was for something in the raid or during his escape. Still along time after?:confused:
     
  12. airborne medic

    airborne medic Very Senior Member

    Possibly not from my research into the raid as Percy Clements was also gazetted for a MM at the same time in 1946 for his part in Colossus.......
     
  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  14. roodymiller

    roodymiller Senior Member

    Cheers for the help Drew.

    But that's the wrong Lawley. The man I'm looking for is below and was gazzetted 25th Sept 1947. I don't think it is in the NA.

    3952374 Warrant Officer Class II Arthur
    William Albert LAWLEY, Army Air Corps.
     
  15. AndyBaldEagle

    AndyBaldEagle Very Senior Member

    The reason it might have taken so long is because he was POW for period. It would appear from what Ive read that anyone who was recommended for an award, but was known to be a POW, was put in a pool, to be dealt with when 1) he escaped 2) was liberated!
    I am afraid I have not found the citation yet as everything is now packed! but I will, in the words of the Indian from The Otlaw Josey Wales 'endeavour to persevere'!

    Regards

    Andy
     
  16. roodymiller

    roodymiller Senior Member

    I believe he escaped in 1943. He joined 13 para and jumped into Normandy and over the Rhine.

    I've trawled through 1000's of citations but to no avail.

    It was originally gazzetted on 20th June 1946 wrongly as LOLLEY and corrected on the 25th Sept 1947.
     
  17. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    I have a picture of him taken in Oct 1943, which states (I think, as at work) 3 Platoon, A Company, 13th Parachute Battalion. There are two members of the Coy with M.M., the 2nd being Hawthorne

    P
     
  18. roodymiller

    roodymiller Senior Member

    I have a picture of him taken in Oct 1943, which states (I think, as at work) 3 Platoon, A Company, 13th Parachute Battalion. There are two members of the Coy with M.M., the 2nd being Hawthorne

    P
    Thanks Phil

    I've already got these. I just can't seem to find Lawleys citation anywhere.

    How's the 2/4 S. Lancs going? On my Roll of Honour I have a George McCarron in Sage, do you have a photograph of the headstone?

    Andrew
     
  19. ranville

    ranville Senior Member

    Some weeks i posted about a bloke i regularly have a natter with in my local supermarket. I found out [via some you guys] he was involved in this operation, the first ever parachute drop in action. His name is Harry Pexton and having'googled him' there is info/pics of him in Para data and in a ' Guardian' interview2002. If i knew how tp download and post em i would. Anyway i saw him a couple of weeks ago and was still chatting up the ladies[albeit on crutches] and still a warrior at heart!
     
  20. ranville

    ranville Senior Member

    I visited harry today,mainly to give him a copy of last month's copy of 'Britain at war' magazine which had an article on 'operation Colossus'. We had a really good chat about the mission and he showed me various bits of photos and memorobillia.
    We also discussed his commando training in Scotland and he told me a story how they made regular climbs up Ben Nevis and their officer, Lt Dean-Drummond,[later Major General] would challenge the troops to race him down the mountain after the climb. Apparently he always won, but he would give he would half a crown to any soldier who finished second behind him. Harry said " he could'nt be arsed" with this challenge normally, but on their last climb/run before they set of to prepare for the mission,he went for it and finished behind Tony Dean- Drummond.
    However Harry said he never got the half a crown which had bugged him over the years. He met Dean-Drummond's wife at a reunion last year and lightheartedly mentioned 'the debt'. About three weeks ago Harry recieved a card from Mrs dean- Drummond and on the front it has photo of her husband in uniform circa 1941 and on the inside an up to date signed photo of Tony Dean-Drummod-----Attached on a ribbon inside the card--- is a half a crown coin!
    A note read something like this " Sorry about the delay in giving you this Harry but the 70th Anniversary seems a good time to finally pay up. Best wishes Tony"
    Harry is clearly moved by this and said it almost felt he'd been awarded a medal.
     

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