Does anyone have information about the composition of the unit sent into Yugoslavia with Fitzroy Maclean? Also any SBS nominal rolls from 1943-44? Am looking into career of John Norris from Lancaster ex-RA. All I have so far is a posting in local paper about him being a commando who served with Maclean in Yugoslavia. His brother also thinks he was in SBS. Many thanks AC
AC During my Tank training at Barnard Castle in '43 - a Major John Pine-Coffin lectured us on a special job - for which we had to sign the official secrets act - four of us volunteered and were wafted down to Oxford University to be "looked " at for this job which was many tests and thrown out of a tethered balloon at 500 feet - happily I failed and was RTU'd - two years later in Rome - I met Bob Cross - one who had been accepted - without one leg - couldn't find it anywhere he said- but was one of the lucky ones of that "special" job in Yugoslavia with McLean.....no mention of SOE - SBS or anyone - he was a W/Op and made contact with Cairo now and again - but obviously got mixed with some action - the other one RTu'd with me was killed at the Gothic line..with the unforgettable name of Mike Azzopardi Family legends tend to make heroes of everyone... Cheers
Maclean led a Military Mission - No 17 Military Mission into Yugoslavia - mainly political and logistical in nature it consisted mainly of SOE, PWE and SIS personnel - its purpose was to provide high level liaison to Tito and the Partisan Command staff and to organise priorities of supplies to the Partisans - the signals personnel were drawn from both the Royal Signals and the Royal Armoured Corps and they received specialized training from SOE before deployment. Casulaties were incurred both by German air raids on HQ locations as well as during Airborne and Ground attacks.
Tom and Jedburgh22 Attached is the news clipping I found about John Norris - scant, I know - but it could be the basis of more research. Will try and find out more about personnel involved in the Maclean mission Thanks again AC
Fitzroy Maclean's book 'Eastern Approaches' covers his mission in some detail; it was read a long time ago so I don't recall any names being mentioned.