Yearly Archive: 2016

The following is the text of the speech given by Eric Lee on Saturday, 21 May 2016, in the Island Hall on Sark at the launch of the book, Operation Basalt: The British Raid on Sark and Hitler’s Commando Order.

Author Eric Lee speaks to visitors and locals on Sark. (Photo credit: Amy Lee Hochman.)

Good evening, and welcome.

I want to thank all of you who have come here today, both those who live on this beautiful island and those who have come from the US, Israel and England to join us here today.

We are celebrating the launch of Operation Basalt: The British Raid on Sark and Hitler’s Commando Order, my new book published in March this year by The History Press.

Before I talk about the book, I want to acknowledge the help of some people here in this room, without whom the book would not have been possible. Here in Sark I had the help of a number of people, but above all want to acknowledge the support of Dr Richard Axton, who served as my guide through the archives and was a wonderful host during my visit in February 2015, as well as Jeremy LaTrobe-Bateman who took me on the commando route which we explored earlier today.

Graham Robinson, whose father Sergeant Henry ‘Tim’ Robinson participated in the raid, shared his memories including photos.

Some of those who read early versions of the manuscript are here today as well — Roger Darlington, Marty Lee, and Doerte Letzmann.

Cindy Berman visited Sark with me in July 2012 and again in 2014, and it was during those visits, walking the length and breadth of the island, that we discussed the possibility of this book. Her support throughout the many months of research and writing, having an entire wall of the house taken up with with maps and photos of the raiders, is greatly appreciated. (more…)

Yesterday’s edition of Guernsey’s daily newspaper featured a full page about Operation Basalt — both the raid itself and my new book.

Click here to download a PDF of the article.

The Dame of Sark. Did she help Annie avoid deportation to Auschwitz?

My article about the fate of Annie Wranowsky, the only Jew on Sark during the Nazi German occupation, appears in today’s edition of the Jewish Chronicle.

From the article:

A few weeks after the Germans occupied the Channel Islands, orders were issued regarding the registration of the Jews.

Any Jews in Sark were required to register at the office of the Seneschal, a local official.

A Guernsey police inspector reported to a leader of the island government about Annie, who was believed to be a German national.

He wrote: “Enquiries have been made by the Seneschal of Sark concerning the above named woman. She states that neither her parents nor grandparents were Jews and that she can trace back five generations in her family without encountering Jewish blood. Her passport, No. 558, issued in London on 13/2/39, is stamped with a ‘J’.”

Read the full article here.

One of the longer reviews of Operation Basalt has just been published by Roger Darlington, whose own Second World War book, Nighthawk, will be coming out soon in a new edition.  Roger’s review can be found here.

This extraordinary photo — published here for the first time — shows several of the commandos who participated in the October 1942 raid on Sark. While other photos have shown some of the officers, this is a rare photo of the “other ranks”.  The caption and article which follow were written by Graham Robinson, who has written a short article which appears below. Thanks to Graham for finding this and allowing me to share it.

Operation Chess Raid on Ambleteuse France 27/28 July 1941 E Troop 12 Commando. .Back row 4th from left Tim Robinson and far right Horace Stokes. Front row far left Eric Forster.

Photographs of the officers who took part in Operation Basalt have been available for many years but I am now able to make available a photograph which includes at least three (and possibly all four) of the Other Ranks from E Troop 12 Commando who I believe took part along with their Troop leader Philip Pinckney.

Tim Robinson
Horace Stokes
Eric Forster
Jimmy Flint

On the night of 27/28 July 1941 Pinckney led Operation Chess, a raid on Ambleteuse, a town on the French coast, involving 17 men from E Troop. In my father’s collection of war time souvenirs are two photographs of the men who took part, taken in Dover either immediately before or after the raid. Both of the original photographs are very small but on enlargement one shows a group of 14 men and the other pictures 7 of the participants. It is the second photograph which is most clear and of particular interest and which is attached. (more…)

The Jersey Evening Post has just published an article entitled “Sark commando raid that
caused Hitler to retaliate” focussing on Operation Basalt (the book). “The book reveals in
gripping detail the story of the night-time raid,” it says. Click here to read the whole article (PDF).

Read my blog on the website of my publisher, The History Press.

Operation Basalt is now available for purchase online from a number of booksellers.  Here’s a partial list, sorted in order of discount:

This list is accurate as of 6 June 2016.

• £9.26 Lowest price! Books Etc – 49% off – free delivery in the UK too
• £12.59 WH Smith
• £13.35 Hive – free home delivery or pick up at your local bookshop
• £13.99 Blackwells
• £14.39 Guardian Bookshop –  free delivery in the UK
• £15.58 Book Depository – free delivery WORLDWIDE
• £15.58 Amazon –  free delivery in the UK
• £15.99 National Archives bookshop
• £17.99 Foyles – full price – free delivery in the UK and also available in-store
• £17.99 Waterstones – full price – not currently in stock and not in stores

Please post your reviews of the book to Amazon no matter where you bought the book.

We’ll be celebrating the publication of Operation Basalt in the Island Hall on Sark (pictured), on Saturday, 21 May 2016.

More details coming here soon — but for those keen to book their visits to Sark that weekend, please email ericlee@labourstart.org.