My great uncle Harry was on this raid, he was a sgt, he got badly shot up getting some of his men who were pinned down to safety he lost a lung. Was awarded the Military cross.
No, the ones who came home never considered themselves to be heroes, as you said. We however, know better, they were all volunteers on that mission, heroes the lot of them.
"Just before the Campbeltown exploded, Sam Beattie was being interrogated by a German Naval Officer who was saying it wouldn't take very long to repair the damage to the dry dock gate and they needed to do more than ram it with a clapped out destroyer. Just at that moment, she went up. Beattie smiled and said "we're not quite as foolish as you think!" truly inspiring, It just exemplified the bravery and sheer tenacity and bloody mindedness of these incredible fighting men.
Clarkson can be humorous when required and then serious when it's needed, such as in this documentry. In Clarson's Farm he balances humour with opening our eyes to what farmers are up against. As a tv presenter, he's very good at his job.
But his claim that nobody knows is just his ego, because he didn't know about it doesn't mean the rest of Britain didn't, I saw the film 'The Gift Horse' at about 9 or 10yoa so 1968 or 69 and my Dad explained about the actual raid as he was in the Army for the duration of WW2.
@@captvimes this is basic common knowledge, 1 September 1939 Britain and France declare war on Germany. You can listen to the declaration by chamberlain on this platform. Embarrassing comment my man.
@@captvimes embarrassing comment. Basic common knowledge. 1 September 1939 Britain and France declare war on Germany. You can listen to the declaration on this platform.
@@bre9942 After Germany invaded Belgium violating treaties they knew that would cause war you embarassment to society. Learn from history or we will be doomed to repeat mistakes over and over again
@@necessaryevil3428Although that would have likely been a different story if she'd been dispatched to attack the PQ17 convoy, which was already a massacre without her.
1:01:20 You really won't hear anything more British than that. You are tired and exhausted. Then you are told that you are going to be shot. Your response? "Please, don't shout. Just get on with it". 🙂
Lord Louis Mountbatten was Prince Philip's uncle. He was a descendant of Queen Victoria, and therefore also related to Queen Elizabeth. People back then had the ability to write expressive letters from the heart. Many people also made very descriptive, detailed diary entries. That art has disappeared in the age of instant text message communication.
Yes, he was also Chief of The Defence Staff in the 50’s through to the mid 60’s. In WW2 he subsequently was in a high command role in the Far East. He essentially ‘set up’ Prince Phillip with Princess Elizabeth. He was murdered by the IRA in 1979, with the occupants of a small boat on holiday in Ireland by a bomb. As a way of getting near to the Royal Family. Ironically he had spoken out in disapproval of physical abuse of terrorist suspects and prisoners by the Northern Ireland government which became a scandal.
The memorial at the end says: From this Harbour 622 sailors and commandos set sail for the successful raid on St.Nazaire 28th March 1942 168 were killed 5 victoria crosses were awarded Dedicated to the memory of their comrades by The St Nazaire Society
Wikipedia: On 4 September 2002, a tree and seat at the National Memorial Arboretum were dedicated to the men of the raid. The seat bears the inscription: In memory of the Royal Navy Sailors and Army Commandos killed in the raid on St Nazaire on 28 March 1942. The National Memorial Arboretum is a British site of national remembrance at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire.
@@barriehull7076 Thank you. More about the National Memorial Arboretum please. Maybe you could start a channel because there must be one commemorative tree/seat.
I think Mickey Burn's checkered past is highlighted because it's all in his auto-biography and it shows completely the uniqueness of every man in the regiment
Leslie Fenton, born in England was a Hollywood actor and played ‘Nails’ Nathan in the James Cagney film The Public Enemy. When war came he returned to England and joined the Royal Navy and he commanded one of the wooden evac boats on this raid.
I've seen this documentary dozens of times, and it still hits me hard. The sacrifices and bravery carried out are beyond comprehension. And it was bad enough to fight an enemy abroad, but now, unfortunately, we have an enemy within that despises our way of life. Bewildering. 😢
The attack on the French fleet was at Mers-el-Kébir, near Oran on the Algerian coast. The French commander assured Britain that the fleet would remain neutral, but the British thought the risk was too great that the Germans would do anything to acquire the second largest battleship fleet in the world. The British tried to force the French to surrender and join them, and when the commander refused, they were attacked. A few ships were sunk before a truce was agreed. The French naturally saw this as a betrayal, but more importantly in Churchill's mind, the Americans saw this as a power move and Roosevelt told the French he'd have done the same.
A sacrifice for the greater good. That's got to be rough. The Dunkirk (The battleship, I can't spell the name but it's the same name as Dunkirk) was a fabulous looking battleship.
The British were also secretly reading the French's messages and they knew what the French were saying to the British didn't match what they were telling the Germans. Additionally there was the chance the Germans would just steal the ships without French permission. On the day the French were given multiple options: skuttle their ships, join the Royal Navy until the end of the war, travel to neutral USA and be interred until the end of the war, or be attacked. The French admiral refused to treat with a "mere captain" and never replied before the deadline set
As a veteran submariner who served on the Vboats ..the ones carrying nuclear missiles ....we were taught of every danger and the sacrifices we would have to make. One part of our training was listening to a crew of submariners that slowly sank to crush depth ...their recordings and the creaking of the sub with all the systems breaking down ..the air supply dwindling and water seeping in,fires started ...a stark reminder of some of the issues we could face I would be down ..underwater for 4 months continuous ...once the hatch is shut ....it will not be opened again ....the longest distance to be seen being the length of the missile section ... Tying into this story ...we got messages one a month, a little strand of paper two hundred and 40 letters long ...that is all the contact we had with the world ....and thats if we received it at all Today without war ...we still conduct the longest continuous running military operation with all of the responsibility of 135 specialists and the nuclear weapons all on board a £1.1billion submarine ...CASD.....I have steered such a thing. It's a big weight as an engineer to keep such a thing running
My Granddad was on this raid, He was one of the lucky ones that came home with only minor (his words) injuries, He pretty much lost the use of his right leg after being shot in the thigh. He passed away of natural causes in April 1986
My late father (God rest his soul), served in the Navy during WWII . He got Sunk 'TWICE' in the Atlantic. If asked 'How did you survive' He would simply say *_"You have to or you Die"_* He served on some of the Unsung heroes of WWII 'Mine Sweepers' who were some of the first to pave the way forward. GOD KNOW how freighting it must be being sunk and ending bobbing around in the freezing cold Atlantic ocean waiting to get rescued. Some of the things he told me were truly horrific. I grew up listening to the nightmares.
My great uncle was serving in the Royal Navy involved with the Atlantic and was on a boat that was sunk, rescued and went back out. He received an Atlantic Star medal, and I believe his family received a medal (in the past decade) from Russia on his behalf to say 'Thank you' for his WWII service.
@@MarkmanOTW I have my late fathers Atlantic Star medal and a few others upstairs. He was also part of the first large convoy from Scapa flow to Murmansk in Russia, which is a story all by itself. Maybe my Father knew your great uncle... Maybe they met... Maybe their paths crossed... _'Like Ships in The Night'_ as they say.
@@lilbullet158 They might well have done. Apologies that I don't have much information, but my Dad often talked about his Uncle Tom and brothers from Co. Durham who served (and who I met in the 1970s). 😊
Same here.my dad was also sunk twice on convoy escort duties and was hit on a third ship while he was on watch but they didn't detonate. He always used to tell me that i was only here thanks to the French resistance nobbling the torpedoes 🇬🇧
It’s a pity you didn’t catch the comment in the Commando “how to take down a bloke” newsreel about “spoiling his prospects” = kicking him in the balls. I do love our British understatement/euphemisms! Great reaction, as always. Have been eagerly waiting for this since the VC reaction. Your respectful, sympathetic and knowledgeable reactions are really appreciated. Thank you x
Tirpitz was a sister ship to Bismarck. Micky Burn had pro Nazi sympathies well before even they had any notion of the Holocaust, and well before he joined the Commandos. The Commandos (along with the Paras) became Britain's strategically mobile light infantry assault troops. They achieved miracles in the Falklands.
This is the greatest feat of arms in the history of warfare, the Commando spirit at its finest, the French still haven’t forgiven the British for sinking their fleet, but from a country that surrendered in 6 weeks & then half the country sided with the Nazis it had to be done.
@@grahamtravers4522 they were on the French side. After the disastrous decision by the French government to start a war with Germany, getting an absolute drubbing as a result and having half their territory occupied, the Vichy government were in a pretty tight spot. Part of the surrender treaty was a commitment to remain neutral in the war but they still had the right to defend their territory and possessions. The allies chose to disregard French territories and they had every right to defend them.
RiP to them all, they're all gone now and laid to rest. The last person alive from this raid died a few years ago just a mile from my home in Wolverhampton. Thank you to all veterans and all active service members that fight for our country.
Quite right. Perhaps the 'editor' might care to explain his justification for removing components of a valuable historical record and breaching copyright law by altering someone else’s published work.
@@jemmajames6719 Are you saying I'm wrong? google "define: egghead" and you'll get this: a highly academic or studious person; an intellectual. "the TV egghead who brought science to the masses"
The Micky Burn thing is from his own biography, and also it's not included as a negative - it's included to show him as an interesting character. Which he was. Actually his life was even more interesting than described here, he has a relatively long Wikipedia page which describes a lot of it. Also the story of the Campbelltown's bell is quite interesting - it is in Campbelltown, PA until there's a new HMS Campbelltown; it seems to go backwards and forwards between the US and the RN depending on if there's a HMS Campbelltown in active service. There's a new HMS Campbelltown coming, so presumably it will come back then one assumes it'll go back to the US when it is no longer in service in 30 years or whatever.
His story is remarkable. A bisexual playboy in an era when homosexuality was a crime, largely protected from consequences by his family status and his *extensive* personal connections, then made untouchable by his own legacy. His knowledge of, and connections in, France, Holland, Germany, etc. made him the absolute epitome of the kind of operatives Churchill wanted in the Commandos. His dalliances with the pre-war Nazis, and with the communist party, not to mention with questionable individuals made him someone they'd never fully trust as a spy, but as part of a unit that could operate behind enemy lines, all his flaws became strengths.
I had the honour of talking to James Dunning who was interviewed in the documentary about a raid to Boulogne a month later in 1942. He was really helpful and a fascinating man. He took part in 4 Commando's raid on Hess Battery during the Dieppe raid and saw the magazine detonate due to a perfectly placed mortar shot. Lord Lovat was his CO.then. he later became a Commando instructor. A great man who sadly died after a fall at his home about ten years ago. He called me 'dear boy'.
They mentioned his past to show how complex not only Micky was, but the make of people that created the original commandos. Remember these was the original special forces. The sas was made up of commandos, and the SBS was part of the commandos (sort of) Then we have the cockleshell hero's made up of RM and I'd say they too fall into SF. Good video on the cockleshell heroes on here. Another mental mission.
You were thinking of Operation Catapult, a British plan that called for the neutralisation or destruction of the French ships stationed in French Algeria at Mers el Kebir. The French had been defeated and signed armistices with Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy which came into effect on 25th June 1940. That defeat left Britain alone within Europe without our former French allies. The main threat was the 5 battleships and 2 fast battleships in French Algeria. If the Axis seized them, they were the second largest fleet of capital ships in Europe behind the Royal Navy. The British had contacted Admiral Francois Darlan, the French naval commander, repeatedly refused requests to put them into the custody of the British or sail them to the French Caribbean, in both cases being out of the hands of our enemies. Remember, that while the British possessed the largest navy at the time, their forces are stretched between the North and South Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean, and parts of the Pacific. The French felt that their assurances that they would retain control of the ships should have been enough. However, Darlan appears to have failed to understand that he was just one man. What if he died or was replaced? How honourable his replacement? Germany was already building war facilities within France and seizing equipment for their war effort. This was too much of a risk for the War Cabinet. Ideally, the attack would never have happened. However, we were at war and did not have the luxury of ignoring hard choices. There were cock ups all long the way; despite Darlan being at home, he could not be contacted. His subordinate, when reporting the British ultimatum to France, neglected to mention the being given the option to sail to the Caribbean. Nothing seemed to go right and, no doubt personalities of high level staff didn’t help matters. It was a terrible decision and I’m glad I will never be called upon to make such a decision. It’s easy to call the decision controversial or a betrayal, but they weren’t in our situation, 80 years removed an not living on the frontlines. Those people were a hard generation, the majority inured to living with austerity, but still with hearts capable of immense kindness and compassion. People who didn’t turn away in the face of terrible adversity. Apologies for the lengthy comment. Hope you found it helpful. God bless our veterans
Also, not to mention the wavering resolve from the US to continue to supply Britain at this point. Churchill didn’t paint a good picture to Roosevelt and he was considered the possibility that England might fall - even telling the Canadian Prime Minister at the time that “when” England falls, all their naval assets should be relocated to Canada.
Hello KB…long time watcher, first time commenting. These men and women that fought in WWII are truly the finest generation and we will never see their like again. What always amazes me with these documentary’s is that dying or getting back from a mission isn’t the concern but getting the job done and not letting the chaps down is forefront in their minds. Both my Grandfathers served during the war. One in the RAF and the other in the Commandos and l am and always will be immensely proud of that. Thank you for bringing us this upload with care and respect it rightly deserves.
A great little bit that is left out about Beattie's interrogation. After the bomb went off, Beattie turned to the German officer and said "you see, we're not as daft as you think we are." One of the best quotes of the war.
Great video and the stoicism and humour of the survivers is testament to their mindset, both at the time and during the making of this film. In the UK being considered an ''egghead'' is just someone of great intelligence, nearest today would be a nerd.
You obviously missed the bit at 13:40 at which Clarkson said of Micky Burn: “By the start of the war, however, Micky had seen the Nazi threat for what it really was” 🤷🏻♂️
Thank you for taking the time to watch this Boomer. I am kind of proud that I guessed it was going to be about the raid on St Nazaire, the thing I remembered about it was that immediately after the raid, the Germans thought it had failed spectacularly and sent a few high ranking officers for a photo opportunity on board the captured ship. We know what happened next. I think that one raid improved the odds of us staying in the war by at least 50%. Absolutely mind boggling. The sheers balls of those guys. If we hadn't stayed in the fight, there wouldn't have been a war for the US to join. Think about that.
After watching a few of your videos and for the fact that your wearing that T'shirt I decided to subscribe. I am a proud British middle aged family man. We have a son who I often introduce to major events in our proud history to re-enforce what he will have learned in school. I am hoping that he will have that feeling of patriotism that will grow as he grows up. Thank you for taking the time to learn about our history and what we stand for.
Can remember seeing the belt armour of the Turpitz which is at Duxford. Also to think that the Prinz Eugen that sailed with the Bismark then after the war actually survived two atomic explotions and still survives although sunk in shallow water today. It really gives a perspective taking on challenges like these. Jeremy Clarkson is perfect because he really shows and shares true passion and awe to how on Earth do ordinary people somehow manage to achieve the absolute impossible.
At 3:46 there is a photo of German soldiers as honour guards at a coffin draped with the Union Jack. I like how they honoured the bravery of the British commandos.
Saw that memorial 30+ years ago and wondered what the story was and why the memorial was so small. Now I've seen this video it has explained it all. I am told there is a new larger memorial today, but the old one is still in the car park. I somehow like the old small one.
There is another great documentary out there about how they managed to track down the Tirpitz in Norway and eventually sink it. That is another pretty incredible story. It's part of the "Secret History" series and the episode is called "The Dambusters Great Escape". It's a Channel 4 show though so you may struggle to find it but well worth watching if you do come across it. The Dambusters raid itself is yet another great WWII story too.
For some reason a very small couple parts of the doc is cut out in this version, the only bit I remember that is interesting to know is that a small group of commandos (after being stranded when the MLs got destroyed) actually managed to escape all the way to Spain and find their way back to Britain. (About 350 miles).
Excellent reaction. This is one small story in a bigger picture. One can only imagine how many feats of bravery each mission took. From this to taking trenches to taking bridges etc the list goes on and on and on. Sadly most is lost or the government doesn't want to release the truth, they probably know due to letters being written home and would be checked before passed on no doubt incase had intelligence in them etc. Regardless it was sure a crazy time in history. The bravery and sheer survival instinct is unbelievable.
im so glad you did this 1, 1 other clarkson documentary you might want to do is called 'PQ17: an artic convoy disaster' which not many people have seen, it is just as amazing as the victoria cross and this one
I have taken a great interest in WW2 from the age of 10 after my father died. He never spoke much about it, I don;t know his full history except that he was in the Royal Engineers in North Africa. He took part in all the battles along the coast including El Alamein. Most Americans don't fully understand the strange love / hate relationship between the British and the French. A thousand years of fighting each other and fighting together. Your comments about us sinking the French navy reminded me of when I was working in La Défense business area. Sitting on a bench, waiting for two friends to exit their hotels so we could head to the center of Paris. And old man sat near me and started talking. In my best French I told him my French was very poor. He got very exited when he discovered I was English, and even more so when my two friends turned up. He practically worshiped us. All because of the war. We explained to him that none of us are old enough to have been in the war. He was still over the moon to meet us. He wanted to hear all about our parents involvement. He then invited us to his home. He was so insistent, we couldn't refuse. We met him and his wife at his home for Sunday dinner where he showed us all his war history. He was in the free French army. He spent a little time in England during the war, coming back to France to take part in the resistance. But the thing that had us all wiping our eyes and trying to hold ourselves together is when he showed us photographs and told us about his younger brother. He was two years younger and in the French navy and had been killed when we the British destroyed his ship.
As a "Local" i live very close to looe and used to fish all around the coast of Cornwall that monument has never been over looked to the point and i think i said this on embrace the suck as well everytime i went past it i would always place a hand on it as does everyone else, Very well remembered so....Size isint everything....
Another battle that a lot of people don't know about is the Battle of Mirbat, Oman 1972. Only 9 S.A.S. soldiers were outnumbered by hundreds of insurgents. This battle is the stuff of legend amongst special forces. Those soldiers lived up to the S.A.S. motto of WHO DARES WINS.
What I love about living in the UK. Those documents he's reading. They are all free to read by members of the public. You can just go into the archives and ask to look at them. they'll bring the books out, give you gloves and let you just read all of the things. We have texts from a time you didn't think could write. You can just go and read them all and it costs nothing. Vast amounts of documents that have still to be catalogued and put online. Most of them still not read.
Roman soldiers sent letters and postcards home to Italy. There are thousands of examples survived. "Hello Mother and Father. I am posted in Gaul and doing well. Please send me some money and some underwear" Humans have always been the exact same.
Clarkson really shows his compassion and understanding in this one! You can tell its a real passion to him. When you get some downtime to yourself you should watch Clarkson Farm, it's got the gadgets, the humour and the seriousness
This documentary inspired me to go to St.Nazaire so I drove from the UK with the Mrs down the west coast of France. We got to St.Nazaire just as the alternator broke on the car so we stuck the car in the garage for repairs and we camped. The area that the raid took place is relatively untouched and you can even climb the stairs to the top of the U-Boot pens and look around. It is so untouched it felt like walking around a film set, the finale of any film this raid is crying out for looks like it would take very little work to recreate, it's all still there including the iron bridge that was stormed complete with the bullet holes from that night. C'mon Mendes, Nolan are you listening...make this movie...you know it makes sense!
My great uncle Harry was on this raid, he was a sgt, he got badly shot up getting some of his men who were pinned down to safety he lost a lung. Was awarded the Military cross.
Legend.
Hero
True legend. I thank him for his bravery and service and for what we have today.
Small world
🫡
In British vernacular "egg-head" is someone intelligent and a specialist, with connotations of "nerdy". So someone who would indeed "know his stuff".
someone with a big brain basically
Another one from that time is "Boffin". The lab coat scientists/engineers cooking things up.
like a megamind head
@@Yandarval You beat me to it. lol.
I think what he thought egghead meant was what we brits might call an anorak.
A survivor of this years 80th anniversary of D-Day said “ Me, a hero? No, the real heroes are still over there, they never came home “. So true.
No, the ones who came home never considered themselves to be heroes, as you said.
We however, know better, they were all volunteers on that mission, heroes the lot of them.
They gave their today for our tomorrows. Thanks to them all, legendary men.
"Just before the Campbeltown exploded, Sam Beattie was being interrogated by a German Naval Officer who was saying it wouldn't take very long to repair the damage to the dry dock gate and they needed to do more than ram it with a clapped out destroyer. Just at that moment, she went up. Beattie smiled and said "we're not quite as foolish as you think!" truly inspiring, It just exemplified the bravery and sheer tenacity and bloody mindedness of these incredible fighting men.
Clarkson proving again that he can be a damn good presenter when he puts his mind to it 👍
When didn't he?
@@bmofano
Good, and justifiable, answer.
Clarkson can be humorous when required and then serious when it's needed, such as in this documentry. In Clarson's Farm he balances humour with opening our eyes to what farmers are up against. As a tv presenter, he's very good at his job.
But his claim that nobody knows is just his ego, because he didn't know about it doesn't mean the rest of Britain didn't, I saw the film 'The Gift Horse' at about 9 or 10yoa so 1968 or 69 and my Dad explained about the actual raid as he was in the Army for the duration of WW2.
All those young dead men never had a life or fun or relationship but we all did, thanks for everything guys👍🇬🇧
We could have not started the war and they could have had normal lives.
@@bre9942 we didnt start the war
@@captvimes this is basic common knowledge, 1 September 1939 Britain and France declare war on Germany. You can listen to the declaration by chamberlain on this platform. Embarrassing comment my man.
@@captvimes embarrassing comment. Basic common knowledge. 1 September 1939 Britain and France declare war on Germany. You can listen to the declaration on this platform.
@@bre9942 After Germany invaded Belgium violating treaties they knew that would cause war you embarassment to society. Learn from history or we will be doomed to repeat mistakes over and over again
Jeremy Clarkson is such a good storyteller and the BBC were foolish to not get him to make more programmes like this.
Beeb is very wary of talented people with opinions.
Tirpitz was the sister ship to the Bismarck. and looked almost identical.
Look what happened to her, stopped by the Fairey Swordfish, finished off by the boys.
And didn't sink as much as a fishing boat!
Massive waste
@@necessaryevil3428Although that would have likely been a different story if she'd been dispatched to attack the PQ17 convoy, which was already a massacre without her.
@@necessaryevil3428tied up a lot of Allied resources that could have been used elsewhere.
@Jabber-ig3iw true and a lot of air-raids before finally cornering her with no fighter support and sinking her with Tallboys
As a Brit officer would say "Well done those men". This Aussie can only concur, with respect.
1:01:20 You really won't hear anything more British than that.
You are tired and exhausted. Then you are told that you are going to be shot. Your response? "Please, don't shout. Just get on with it". 🙂
Lord Louis Mountbatten was Prince Philip's uncle. He was a descendant of Queen Victoria, and therefore also related to Queen Elizabeth. People back then had the ability to write expressive letters from the heart. Many people also made very descriptive, detailed diary entries. That art has disappeared in the age of instant text message communication.
Yes, he was also Chief of The Defence Staff in the 50’s through to the mid 60’s. In WW2 he subsequently was in a high command role in the Far East. He essentially ‘set up’ Prince Phillip with Princess Elizabeth.
He was murdered by the IRA in 1979, with the occupants of a small boat on holiday in Ireland by a bomb. As a way of getting near to the Royal Family.
Ironically he had spoken out in disapproval of physical abuse of terrorist suspects and prisoners by the Northern Ireland government which became a scandal.
The memorial at the end says:
From this Harbour 622 sailors
and commandos set sail for
the successful raid on St.Nazaire
28th March 1942 168 were killed
5 victoria crosses were awarded
Dedicated to the memory of
their comrades by
The St Nazaire Society
Not even a National Monument but one funded by the survivors. Well done Jeremy Clarkson. Lest we forget.
@@SurfwidowBeaumont Thanks. Cheers.
Thank you sir...
Wikipedia:
On 4 September 2002, a tree and seat at the National Memorial Arboretum were dedicated to the men of the raid. The seat bears the inscription:
In memory of the Royal Navy Sailors and Army Commandos killed in the raid on St Nazaire on 28 March 1942.
The National Memorial Arboretum is a British site of national remembrance at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire.
@@barriehull7076 Thank you. More about the National Memorial Arboretum please. Maybe you could start a channel because there must be one commemorative tree/seat.
British understatement is a thing. " ...the task may require a degree of audacity.."
I think Mickey Burn's checkered past is highlighted because it's all in his auto-biography and it shows completely the uniqueness of every man in the regiment
Or perhaps British documentaries are more about truth than propaganda
Leslie Fenton, born in England was a Hollywood actor and played ‘Nails’ Nathan in the James Cagney film The Public Enemy. When war came he returned to England and joined the Royal Navy and he commanded one of the wooden evac boats on this raid.
Tears in my eyes watching this. Tears of pride. Always known about this raid. Thank you for doing this one.
Thank god we had such men fighting for us, extraordinary times, and extraordinary people.🇬🇧
I've seen this documentary dozens of times, and it still hits me hard. The sacrifices and bravery carried out are beyond comprehension. And it was bad enough to fight an enemy abroad, but now, unfortunately, we have an enemy within that despises our way of life. Bewildering. 😢
Well said.
Couldn’t agree more
The attack on the French fleet was at Mers-el-Kébir, near Oran on the Algerian coast. The French commander assured Britain that the fleet would remain neutral, but the British thought the risk was too great that the Germans would do anything to acquire the second largest battleship fleet in the world. The British tried to force the French to surrender and join them, and when the commander refused, they were attacked. A few ships were sunk before a truce was agreed. The French naturally saw this as a betrayal, but more importantly in Churchill's mind, the Americans saw this as a power move and Roosevelt told the French he'd have done the same.
I see similarities with what the British did to Denmark in the Napoleonic Era.
A sacrifice for the greater good. That's got to be rough. The Dunkirk (The battleship, I can't spell the name but it's the same name as Dunkirk) was a fabulous looking battleship.
The British were also secretly reading the French's messages and they knew what the French were saying to the British didn't match what they were telling the Germans. Additionally there was the chance the Germans would just steal the ships without French permission.
On the day the French were given multiple options: skuttle their ships, join the Royal Navy until the end of the war, travel to neutral USA and be interred until the end of the war, or be attacked.
The French admiral refused to treat with a "mere captain" and never replied before the deadline set
As a veteran submariner who served on the Vboats ..the ones carrying nuclear missiles ....we were taught of every danger and the sacrifices we would have to make.
One part of our training was listening to a crew of submariners that slowly sank to crush depth ...their recordings and the creaking of the sub with all the systems breaking down ..the air supply dwindling and water seeping in,fires started ...a stark reminder of some of the issues we could face
I would be down ..underwater for 4 months continuous ...once the hatch is shut ....it will not be opened again ....the longest distance to be seen being the length of the missile section ...
Tying into this story ...we got messages one a month, a little strand of paper two hundred and 40 letters long ...that is all the contact we had with the world ....and thats if we received it at all
Today without war ...we still conduct the longest continuous running military operation with all of the responsibility of 135 specialists and the nuclear weapons all on board a £1.1billion submarine ...CASD.....I have steered such a thing. It's a big weight as an engineer to keep such a thing running
Shame they didn't teach you how to punctuate.
@@SRPM-yk9xw ohh shut up.
thank you.
@@SRPM-yk9xw not fit to lick his boots, are you?
😂 He who dares wins, is the motto of the SAS. That's why Delboy uses uses it.
It's just" Who dares wins"
@@leonrussell9607haha sounds like Del Boy 😂
My Granddad was on this raid, He was one of the lucky ones that came home with only minor (his words) injuries, He pretty much lost the use of his right leg after being shot in the thigh. He passed away of natural causes in April 1986
God bless him, may he rest in peace.
@@theguvnor7467 ❤️
My late father (God rest his soul), served in the Navy during WWII . He got Sunk 'TWICE' in the Atlantic. If asked 'How did you survive' He would simply say *_"You have to or you Die"_* He served on some of the Unsung heroes of WWII 'Mine Sweepers' who were some of the first to pave the way forward. GOD KNOW how freighting it must be being sunk and ending bobbing around in the freezing cold Atlantic ocean waiting to get rescued. Some of the things he told me were truly horrific. I grew up listening to the nightmares.
My great uncle was serving in the Royal Navy involved with the Atlantic and was on a boat that was sunk, rescued and went back out. He received an Atlantic Star medal, and I believe his family received a medal (in the past decade) from Russia on his behalf to say 'Thank you' for his WWII service.
@@MarkmanOTW I have my late fathers Atlantic Star medal and a few others upstairs. He was also part of the first large convoy from Scapa flow to Murmansk in Russia, which is a story all by itself. Maybe my Father knew your great uncle... Maybe they met... Maybe their paths crossed... _'Like Ships in The Night'_ as they say.
@@lilbullet158 They might well have done. Apologies that I don't have much information, but my Dad often talked about his Uncle Tom and brothers from Co. Durham who served (and who I met in the 1970s). 😊
Same here.my dad was also sunk twice on convoy escort duties and was hit on a third ship while he was on watch but they didn't detonate. He always used to tell me that i was only here thanks to the French resistance nobbling the torpedoes 🇬🇧
In the UK, to be called an "egghead" is more a compliment than an insult! (And, no, he said that the Tirpitz never even sank a fishing boat!)
Blew up an island though.
This story deserves a movie
“Gift Horse” 1952
There is it’s called “gift horse”
You mean like "Sink the Turpiz" (2005)
Or "Above Us The Waves" (1955)
"The Sinking of the Turpiz" (TV film 2001)
Attack on the Iron Coast (1967), based on the story.
@@dcanmore That's a new one on me... "Attack on the Iron Cost"?
Being called an Egghead is not a slur but a complement as it is another word for genius.
It’s a pity you didn’t catch the comment in the Commando “how to take down a bloke” newsreel about “spoiling his prospects” = kicking him in the balls. I do love our British understatement/euphemisms! Great reaction, as always. Have been eagerly waiting for this since the VC reaction. Your respectful, sympathetic and knowledgeable reactions are really appreciated. Thank you x
Tirpitz was a sister ship to Bismarck. Micky Burn had pro Nazi sympathies well before even they had any notion of the Holocaust, and well before he joined the Commandos. The Commandos (along with the Paras) became Britain's strategically mobile light infantry assault troops. They achieved miracles in the Falklands.
I could not agree more with you, when it to the art of writing a letter. Those letters from the two world wars, are just so moving.
This is the greatest feat of arms in the history of warfare, the Commando spirit at its finest, the French still haven’t forgiven the British for sinking their fleet, but from a country that surrendered in 6 weeks & then half the country sided with the Nazis it had to be done.
The Vichy French also fought against the allies in North Africa and Syria. They had trouble deciding whose side they were on ...
@@grahamtravers4522they were brave men who followed the orders of their government, you don’t have a choice in the military.
Brilliant thanks 👍🇬🇧
@@bre9942 That's my point. The French government couldn't decide whose side they were on. Probably more on the Nazi side than any other.
@@grahamtravers4522 they were on the French side. After the disastrous decision by the French government to start a war with Germany, getting an absolute drubbing as a result and having half their territory occupied, the Vichy government were in a pretty tight spot. Part of the surrender treaty was a commitment to remain neutral in the war but they still had the right to defend their territory and possessions. The allies chose to disregard French territories and they had every right to defend them.
Absolutely balls of steel, thanks to all allied troops for their courage and conviction, may we never forget those young men x
RiP to them all, they're all gone now and laid to rest. The last person alive from this raid died a few years ago just a mile from my home in Wolverhampton. Thank you to all veterans and all active service members that fight for our country.
This is a cut version. I remember a more extensive version with more of the battle and what some of the survivor's did afterwards.
I'm glad you said this, i remember more of their exploits being explained too...
Quite right. Perhaps the 'editor' might care to explain his justification for removing components of a valuable historical record and breaching copyright law by altering someone else’s published work.
Egghead is a compliment. Basically a smart person is an egghead
Not really, intelligent but the connotation being you can’t be very intelligent and brave or physically strong. How wrong.
Big brain
@@jemmajames6719 Are you saying I'm wrong? google "define: egghead" and you'll get this:
a highly academic or studious person; an intellectual.
"the TV egghead who brought science to the masses"
The Micky Burn thing is from his own biography, and also it's not included as a negative - it's included to show him as an interesting character. Which he was. Actually his life was even more interesting than described here, he has a relatively long Wikipedia page which describes a lot of it. Also the story of the Campbelltown's bell is quite interesting - it is in Campbelltown, PA until there's a new HMS Campbelltown; it seems to go backwards and forwards between the US and the RN depending on if there's a HMS Campbelltown in active service. There's a new HMS Campbelltown coming, so presumably it will come back then one assumes it'll go back to the US when it is no longer in service in 30 years or whatever.
His story is remarkable. A bisexual playboy in an era when homosexuality was a crime, largely protected from consequences by his family status and his *extensive* personal connections, then made untouchable by his own legacy. His knowledge of, and connections in, France, Holland, Germany, etc. made him the absolute epitome of the kind of operatives Churchill wanted in the Commandos. His dalliances with the pre-war Nazis, and with the communist party, not to mention with questionable individuals made him someone they'd never fully trust as a spy, but as part of a unit that could operate behind enemy lines, all his flaws became strengths.
I had the honour of talking to James Dunning who was interviewed in the documentary about a raid to Boulogne a month later in 1942. He was really helpful and a fascinating man. He took part in 4 Commando's raid on Hess Battery during the Dieppe raid and saw the magazine detonate due to a perfectly placed mortar shot. Lord Lovat was his CO.then. he later became a Commando instructor. A great man who sadly died after a fall at his home about ten years ago. He called me 'dear boy'.
lol "He who dares wins" is the motto of the SAS who these commandos would later evolve into. Very appropriate time to quote Del Boy
I think Clarkson should be doing more of these types of programmes. He did a great programme on the VC awards.
My Grandfather is buried in that cemetery. Shot down over target during an RAF raid on the U boat pens.
They mentioned his past to show how complex not only Micky was, but the make of people that created the original commandos.
Remember these was the original special forces. The sas was made up of commandos, and the SBS was part of the commandos (sort of)
Then we have the cockleshell hero's made up of RM and I'd say they too fall into SF. Good video on the cockleshell heroes on here. Another mental mission.
You were thinking of Operation Catapult, a British plan that called for the neutralisation or destruction of the French ships stationed in French Algeria at Mers el Kebir. The French had been defeated and signed armistices with Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy which came into effect on 25th June 1940. That defeat left Britain alone within Europe without our former French allies.
The main threat was the 5 battleships and 2 fast battleships in French Algeria. If the Axis seized them, they were the second largest fleet of capital ships in Europe behind the Royal Navy. The British had contacted Admiral Francois Darlan, the French naval commander, repeatedly refused requests to put them into the custody of the British or sail them to the French Caribbean, in both cases being out of the hands of our enemies. Remember, that while the British possessed the largest navy at the time, their forces are stretched between the North and South Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean, and parts of the Pacific.
The French felt that their assurances that they would retain control of the ships should have been enough. However, Darlan appears to have failed to understand that he was just one man. What if he died or was replaced? How honourable his replacement? Germany was already building war facilities within France and seizing equipment for their war effort. This was too much of a risk for the War Cabinet.
Ideally, the attack would never have happened. However, we were at war and did not have the luxury of ignoring hard choices. There were cock ups all long the way; despite Darlan being at home, he could not be contacted. His subordinate, when reporting the British ultimatum to France, neglected to mention the being given the option to sail to the Caribbean. Nothing seemed to go right and, no doubt personalities of high level staff didn’t help matters.
It was a terrible decision and I’m glad I will never be called upon to make such a decision. It’s easy to call the decision controversial or a betrayal, but they weren’t in our situation, 80 years removed an not living on the frontlines. Those people were a hard generation, the majority inured to living with austerity, but still with hearts capable of immense kindness and compassion. People who didn’t turn away in the face of terrible adversity.
Apologies for the lengthy comment. Hope you found it helpful.
God bless our veterans
Thank you.
@@MazzaEliLi7406 Thank you for your thank you 👍
@bonaggy thank you for thanking him for thanking you 👍
(Also, very helpful and informative comment thank you)
Also, not to mention the wavering resolve from the US to continue to supply Britain at this point. Churchill didn’t paint a good picture to Roosevelt and he was considered the possibility that England might fall - even telling the Canadian Prime Minister at the time that “when” England falls, all their naval assets should be relocated to Canada.
"Who dares wins" is also the motto of the SAS so it's perfectly applicable to this documentary.
That’s why Del Boy says it!
Hello KB…long time watcher, first time commenting. These men and women that fought in WWII are truly the finest generation and we will never see their like again.
What always amazes me with these documentary’s is that dying or getting back from a mission isn’t the concern but getting the job done and not letting the chaps down is forefront in their minds.
Both my Grandfathers served during the war. One in the RAF and the other in the Commandos and l am and always will be immensely proud of that.
Thank you for bringing us this upload with care and respect it rightly deserves.
A great little bit that is left out about Beattie's interrogation. After the bomb went off, Beattie turned to the German officer and said "you see, we're not as daft as you think we are." One of the best quotes of the war.
Great video and the stoicism and humour of the survivers is testament to their mindset, both at the time and during the making of this film.
In the UK being considered an ''egghead'' is just someone of great intelligence, nearest today would be a nerd.
In regards to destroying ships to stop them falling into enemy hands it is called “scuppering”.
Scuttling
You obviously missed the bit at 13:40 at which Clarkson said of Micky Burn:
“By the start of the war, however, Micky had seen the Nazi threat for what it really was” 🤷🏻♂️
Congratulations on 100k….this documentary is astonishing, and Jeremy does a superb job as narrator 👍👌🇮🇲
Thank you for taking the time to watch this Boomer.
I am kind of proud that I guessed it was going to be about the raid on St Nazaire, the thing I remembered about it was that immediately after the raid, the Germans thought it had failed spectacularly and sent a few high ranking officers for a photo opportunity on board the captured ship.
We know what happened next.
I think that one raid improved the odds of us staying in the war by at least 50%.
Absolutely mind boggling.
The sheers balls of those guys. If we hadn't stayed in the fight, there wouldn't have been a war for the US to join.
Think about that.
After watching a few of your videos and for the fact that your wearing that T'shirt I decided to subscribe. I am a proud British middle aged family man. We have a son who I often introduce to major events in our proud history to re-enforce what he will have learned in school. I am hoping that he will have that feeling of patriotism that will grow as he grows up. Thank you for taking the time to learn about our history and what we stand for.
Can remember seeing the belt armour of the Turpitz which is at Duxford. Also to think that the Prinz Eugen that sailed with the Bismark then after the war actually survived two atomic explotions and still survives although sunk in shallow water today. It really gives a perspective taking on challenges like these. Jeremy Clarkson is perfect because he really shows and shares true passion and awe to how on Earth do ordinary people somehow manage to achieve the absolute impossible.
Egghead means highly intelligent, aka boffin.
You are thinking of the Attack on the French Fleet at Mers-El-Kebir
They were given a chance to surrender but their CO refused, which is why they got sunk.
This and the Victoria Cross documentary were the best things Clarkson has done. He tells History well.
And his Arctic Convoy documentary, which is the third of this series. Called “PQ-17” - worth watching.
At 3:46 there is a photo of German soldiers as honour guards at a coffin draped with the Union Jack.
I like how they honoured the bravery of the British commandos.
Well done KB on 100,000 subscribers .🏴
Saw that memorial 30+ years ago and wondered what the story was and why the memorial was so small. Now I've seen this video it has explained it all. I am told there is a new larger memorial today, but the old one is still in the car park. I somehow like the old small one.
I like the small one too. It's more typically British, somehow :-)
sweet perfect timing, this doc is excellent 👍
Been waiting for this. Truly excellent watch, and an astounding story of bravery and audacity.
Congrats on the 100k. My Grandad wasn't on this raid but he was one of the few who was evacuated from Dunkirk 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
There is another great documentary out there about how they managed to track down the Tirpitz in Norway and eventually sink it. That is another pretty incredible story. It's part of the "Secret History" series and the episode is called "The Dambusters Great Escape". It's a Channel 4 show though so you may struggle to find it but well worth watching if you do come across it. The Dambusters raid itself is yet another great WWII story too.
For some reason a very small couple parts of the doc is cut out in this version, the only bit I remember that is interesting to know is that a small group of commandos (after being stranded when the MLs got destroyed) actually managed to escape all the way to Spain and find their way back to Britain. (About 350 miles).
Excellent reaction KB and congrats on the 100k 👏....gate thing got me too.....
Excellent reaction. This is one small story in a bigger picture. One can only imagine how many feats of bravery each mission took. From this to taking trenches to taking bridges etc the list goes on and on and on. Sadly most is lost or the government doesn't want to release the truth, they probably know due to letters being written home and would be checked before passed on no doubt incase had intelligence in them etc. Regardless it was sure a crazy time in history. The bravery and sheer survival instinct is unbelievable.
I always love Jeremy Clarkson stuff. Watched this documentary a few times throughout the years.
Check out “Gift Horse” 1952 film based on this raid. Also known as “Glory at sea” in the U,S.
im so glad you did this 1, 1 other clarkson documentary you might want to do is called 'PQ17: an artic convoy disaster' which not many people have seen, it is just as amazing as the victoria cross and this one
I have seen it, Back when it was originally broadcast, Sadly i can't find it online, Except hidden behind a paywall.. 🫤
I was in Falmouth a few years ago - since this program first aired, a much larger monument has been put up in the harbour.
Thank you for listening to my comments about the royal navy destroying the french fleets
I have taken a great interest in WW2 from the age of 10 after my father died. He never spoke much about it, I don;t know his full history except that he was in the Royal Engineers in North Africa. He took part in all the battles along the coast including El Alamein.
Most Americans don't fully understand the strange love / hate relationship between the British and the French. A thousand years of fighting each other and fighting together.
Your comments about us sinking the French navy reminded me of when I was working in La Défense business area. Sitting on a bench, waiting for two friends to exit their hotels so we could head to the center of Paris. And old man sat near me and started talking. In my best French I told him my French was very poor. He got very exited when he discovered I was English, and even more so when my two friends turned up. He practically worshiped us. All because of the war. We explained to him that none of us are old enough to have been in the war. He was still over the moon to meet us. He wanted to hear all about our parents involvement. He then invited us to his home. He was so insistent, we couldn't refuse. We met him and his wife at his home for Sunday dinner where he showed us all his war history. He was in the free French army. He spent a little time in England during the war, coming back to France to take part in the resistance.
But the thing that had us all wiping our eyes and trying to hold ourselves together is when he showed us photographs and told us about his younger brother. He was two years younger and in the French navy and had been killed when we the British destroyed his ship.
I've been around that Uboat base a few times....
We always went camping in a little village south called Pornic
Fair play, your knowledge on Mountbatten is incredible, great watch once again!
Think there was a film made about the raid with Trevor Howard in the lead role? correct me if I am wrong, thank you.
As a "Local" i live very close to looe and used to fish all around the coast of Cornwall that monument has never been over looked to the point and i think i said this on embrace the suck as well everytime i went past it i would always place a hand on it as does everyone else, Very well remembered so....Size isint everything....
Another battle that a lot of people don't know about is the Battle of Mirbat, Oman 1972. Only 9 S.A.S. soldiers were outnumbered by hundreds of insurgents. This battle is the stuff of legend amongst special forces. Those soldiers lived up to the S.A.S. motto of WHO DARES WINS.
That Fijian guy should have got a VC for manning the 25pdr
Your words and thoughts are so appropriate and apt for your 100k milestone ❤
‘He who dares, wins’ is the motto of the Special Air Service that Del Boy, bless ‘im, mangled for his own comedic purposes :)
Most of the French Fleet was parked up in Africa during the war. Congrats on reaching 100k very muched deserved. keep em coming, cheers from the UK.
As an ex RM have seen many reviews of this episode. I think yours is the best. It's respectful .
One of my favourite war stories. Amazing stuff.
Congrats to you both on the 100K!🎉
Great reaction, make sure you check out the third war documentary Clarkson did, it's called PQ17: An Artic Convoy Disaster.
What I love about living in the UK. Those documents he's reading. They are all free to read by members of the public. You can just go into the archives and ask to look at them. they'll bring the books out, give you gloves and let you just read all of the things. We have texts from a time you didn't think could write.
You can just go and read them all and it costs nothing. Vast amounts of documents that have still to be catalogued and put online. Most of them still not read.
Thanks for doing this reaction. It was very respectful and engaging.
Roman soldiers sent letters and postcards home to Italy. There are thousands of examples survived.
"Hello Mother and Father. I am posted in Gaul and doing well. Please send me some money and some underwear"
Humans have always been the exact same.
I needed an excuse to stop studying for the day.. thankyou sir
This is studying...
The raids on the Tirpitz and ultimate destruction of it, is another great story of courage, determination, self sacrifice, ingenuity and luck.
Bill Gibson's letter is heartbreaking it should be read to every kid.
Clarkson really shows his compassion and understanding in this one! You can tell its a real passion to him. When you get some downtime to yourself you should watch Clarkson Farm, it's got the gadgets, the humour and the seriousness
I've been looking forward to this...
Congratulations on 100k subs. Well deserved.
This documentary inspired me to go to St.Nazaire so I drove from the UK with the Mrs down the west coast of France. We got to St.Nazaire just as the alternator broke on the car so we stuck the car in the garage for repairs and we camped. The area that the raid took place is relatively untouched and you can even climb the stairs to the top of the U-Boot pens and look around. It is so untouched it felt like walking around a film set, the finale of any film this raid is crying out for looks like it would take very little work to recreate, it's all still there including the iron bridge that was stormed complete with the bullet holes from that night. C'mon Mendes, Nolan are you listening...make this movie...you know it makes sense!
Cool surprise I was mentioning this in your 100k live stream and here it is! 🙂
this is awesome so much respect
My favourite documentary of all time! So happy to see you’ve reacted to this
Congratulations for reaching 100K and thanks for this reaction.
There’s a really good documentary on Mickey Burn called ‘Turn towards the Sun’. St Nazaire is just one of many stories about his life
AT LAST!! Such a great story. Congrats on 100k! I've been here for ages and pleased to see the channel growing
Congratulations on 100K Brian!!! Here’s to the greatest reaction channel………..in the world!!! 💯
Thank you! Without you I probably whould have never seen this amazing documentary
At LAST. Been waiting for you to do this one. I shall pour a beer later and enjoy...