New photo shows additional Basalt raiders

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.

I have always been aware that my father is in the picture and at the time of writing my article I also knew that Horace Stokes is shown in it. This was confirmed by his son Peter Stokes. However, I have now been able to identify Eric Forster as also being part of the group. Through the Berkshire Yeomanry Museum I was put in touch with the daughter of Sidney Huntley, another soldier who served with both the Yeomanry and with E Troop 12 Commando until early 1942, and who took part in Operation Chess. Whilst Sydney is now dead his wife is still alive and has identified Eric Forster in the photograph – this was relatively easy as he was the Best Man at her wedding in Ayr in 1941.

To date, Mrs Huntley has been unable to identify other members of E Troop in the photograph who had a subsequent involvement in Operation Basalt. However, given Pinckney’s loyalty to those men who had served with him in the past, who had been tested in previous operations and who had worked together as a team I would be surprised if Jimmy Flint is not one of the four unidentified men in the photograph. If so it is intriguing as to which of the men he is. For the same reason there is also a possibility that Ken Herod and Henry Greenfield may also be pictured but again, if so, I am unable to speculate which of the men in the photograph they might be.