Before World War II the modern concept of Special Forces did not exist. While irregulars had been employed in prior wars, their activities were of the "hit and run" variety and not part of a strategic and tactical concept synchornized with the plans and requirements of the regular military units. 1944 Jedburgh firearms training at Milton Hall, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England, on the small arms range with .45 Automatic pistols. The Jedburghs were created by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and British Special Operations Executive (SOE) to turn the FFI into a fighting arm of the Allied force, with the objective of preparing the way for the D-Day invasion of Normandy, then supporting the Allied troops once ashore. The Jedburghs were to take the raw material of the Maquis and turn them into a well disciplined, armed force whose activities were coordinated with the needs of the Operation Overlord invasion. Within the broad, strategic sweep of the invasion plan and its execution it may seem the Jedburghs played an insignificant role. But Allied commanders from Eisenhower and Churchill down have commented in their writings that the forces organized by the Jedburghs were essential to success. This was echoed by the writings and reports of German officers as well. By tying down German units and delaying their movements, many German divisions were not available to repulse the Normandy landings. As the Germans fell back from the Allied breakout, FFI harassment and interdiction created tremendous German losses while preserving vital bridges and rail lines for Allied use. What was true for Normandy was also true for the second invasion, Dragoon in Southern France, where the same pattern was repeated. And as the Allies broke out of their beachheads and began the assaults to capture ports and to push the German forces back into the Fatherland, the Maquis played key roles in destroying escape routes, delaying movement, capturing key points and even, as they grew stronger, engaging German military units in pitched battles. Source: THE JEDBURGHS Could you guys provide me with more info about those guys?I'm talking about missions,casualties,... I'm still waiting on book about them. greetings Arneken
Do you mean this book? Book Review: The Jedburghs Tom Miller | December 05, 2005 The Jedburghs: France, 1944, and the Secret Untold History of the First Special Forces, by Lt. Col. Will Irwin (Ret.). New York: Public Affairs, 2005. $26.95, 352 pp. ISBN 1-58648-307-2 In July, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt appointed William S. Donavan as Director of the newly-created Office of Coordinator of Information. Following Pearl Harbor and the American entry into World War II, the office was renamed the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and charged with the "conduct of both secret intelligence and special operations." One of the missions of the OSS—in tandem with other Allies—was "to organize, arm, and train groups of French resistance guerrillas" in German-occupied France. To accomplish this mission, the U.S. and Britain planned to parachute three-man teams into France to hook up with the resistance. These original special forces teams were codenamed Jedburghs. The Jedburghs were chosen in a rigorous selection process that included physical and psychological assessments and put through six-to-eight months of training in the U.S. and England. Following formal training, the recruits were organized into teams. Each team included one American or British officer, one French officer, and one enlisted radio operator of any nationality. In planning for the Normandy invasion, General Eisenhower envisioned a crucial role for the Jedburghs. Ike hoped to slow the German reinforcement in Normandy in order to give Allied troops time to establish a beachhead. In all, twenty-five Jedburgh teams jumped behind enemy lines to lead the French resistance in sabotaging railroads and telephone lines, ambushing enemy columns, and attacking supply depots. Despite some false starts and losses—nineteen died in France—the Jedburghs succeeded in delaying the "movement of several German divisions to Normandy." With France liberated and their work finished, the Jedburghs returned to England in late 1944. Some were transferred to the Pacific Theater while others went to work elsewhere in Europe. While the OSS—and the Jedburghs—were disbanded after the war, they "laid the foundation for the special forces of the future." In fact, when the U.S. Army Special Forces was established in 1952, the first group activated was commanded by a former Jedburgh. Colonel Irwin, a former Green Beret, tells the often-overlooked story of the Jedburghs in this solid and colorful account. Drawing on original research in archives, unit histories, and scores of interviews with survivors, Irwin writes compellingly about the stealthy missions deep behind enemy lines and the men who were the "first diplomat-soldiers." As readers learn, they were a special group that included a future CIA Director (William Colby), a distinguished columnist (Stewart Alsop), Members of Parliament, and assorted soldiers, diplomats, and scholars. Like their descendants—Green Berets, SEALs, etc.—the men were chosen for their intelligence, adventurous spirit, self-confidence, and independence. That independence often led to a certain irreverence that rankled the more bureaucratic regular Army—one of Irwin's prime exhibits being Jedburgh Capt. Douglas Bazata, "a modern-day swashbuckler," who had the unfortunate habit of addressing field-grade officers as "Sugar." Such intimate portraits are scattered throughout The Jedburghs and is one of its many charms. Irwin clearly admires his subjects, but he takes care to be evenhanded in his assessment of their contribution. While the Jedburghs and their French resistance colleagues played a vital role in the success of Operation Overlord and other missions, the author notes that "they simply did their part to help win the war." And, along the way, paved the way for future generations of quiet—or not so quiet—professionals. One gets the feeling that the unpretentious Capt. Bazata would have been quite at home riding into battle on the back of a burro in Afghanistan in 2001.
There is also this, The Moon is Down: The Jedburghs and Support to the French Resistance. ByBenjamin F. Jones http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA366366
Or this, The JEDBURGHS: Combat Operations Conducted in the Finistere Region of Brittany, France from July-September 1944 by Elliot J. Rosner. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADB148370
aha very interesting, I posted a request for info on operation hardy in the ...well...duh...information request section.... I believe it was a jedburgh team, can one of you find some info on that in one of those books, as I'm starved for a library or bookstore out here :/ much obliged
Well I certainly suggest you check out these two again. They are in PDF files and are very interesting reads on the subject. And you can't beat them being free LOL . The Moon is Down: The Jedburghs and Support to the French Resistance. ByBenjamin F. Jones http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA366366 The JEDBURGHS: Combat Operations Conducted in the Finistere Region of Brittany, France from July-September 1944 by Elliot J. Rosner. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADB148370
More The Jedburghs: World War II Predecessor to Special Forces Operations http://www.thortrains.com/online/The Jedburghs.htm or 38 GROUP SQUADRONS SECRET MISSIONS, Jedburghs (SOE) and SAS in Brittany, France - Examples WWIIReenacting.co.uk :: View Forum - SOE and Jedburghs
A Stirling man-Francis F.Mackay-who is also a member of the Western Front Association wrote an acclaimed book on the Jedburghs a couple of years back. Forget the exact title though.
Didn´t De Gaulle deny some co-operation because the Allied were not giving France total freedom in the first place?
There's a Jedburgh memorial at (I think, memory fails) Peterborough Cathedral. I do remember the light was awful and it was pre image-stabilising camera so I've had to tweak the contrast grievously to make it readable: View attachment 1562 Cheers, Adam.
