The Raids
In 1943, the Allies were preparing to open a second front in Western Europe. To deceive the enemy about the actual location of the future D-Day landings, commando raids—codenamed Operation Forfar—were conducted along the northern coast of France. These missions, carried out by No. 12 Commando, the Special Boat Service (SBS), and French commandos, aimed to gather intelligence, equipment, and prisoners while maintaining the illusion of a landing at the Pas-de-Calais.
1942
The Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid on August 19, 1942, originally planned as Operation Rutter, was intended to test German defences, respond to Stalin’s demands for a second front, and prepare for a future Allied landing. Nearly 6,000 men, including 5,000 Canadians, participated.
About fifteen French commandos from the 1ère Compagnie de Fusiliers Marins Commandos were integrated into British No. 3 and No. 4 Commandos for support missions, civilian contact, and intelligence gathering.
The landings were a bloody failure: Canadian troops were decimated, and several commando groups failed to achieve their objectives.
At Berneval, only a few French commandos landed; Moutailler was killed, becoming the first French commando to die in combat, and César was captured but later escaped. At Varangeville, the French of No. 4 Commando succeeded in their mission and returned without losses, earning several decorations.
Despite its disastrous outcome, the Dieppe Raid provided crucial lessons for future landings, particularly the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, in Normandy.
1943
Raids on the Occupied Coasts
Sept.
The Forfar Raids
Conducted between July and September 1943, the Forfar raids were primarily carried out by No. 12 Commando. Their mission was to gather intelligence on German coastal defences while maintaining the illusion of a future landing in the Pas-de-Calais. These operations involved small groups of 10 to 12 commandos, discreetly transported across the English Channel aboard motor torpedo boats (MTBs).
According to historian Nick van der Bijl, thirteen raids were initially planned, but only six were actually carried out. Some, such as Operation Forfar Beer, only succeeded after several unsuccessful attempts.
Night of Sept. 3 – 4
Forfar Beer
Étretat, Saint-Pierre-en-Port
The commando group, which included the Frenchman Laurent Casalonga, attempted to scale the cliffs and destroy German observation posts. Despite the assistance of a local fisherman, obstacles and enemy fire prevented them from fully achieving their objective. Nevertheless, the commandos returned safely after gathering valuable intelligence for future Allied operations.
Dec.
The Hardtack Raids
Preparations for Operation Hardtack
Preparations for Operation Hardtack began on December 11, 1943, with commandos transferred to Dover on December 10 to await the start of the raids, scheduled from December 25.
Twelve Hardtack operations were planned, led by British and French officers such as Kieffer, Pinelli, Trépel, Guy, and Francis Vourc’h. These missions aimed at reconnaissance, sabotage, and engaging German positions.
Night of December 24–25
Hardtack 11
Gravelines
During the Christmas Night raid at Gravelines, led by Pierre Wallerand with seven commandos (five French, two British) and two officers, rough seas and re-embarkation problems caused the mission to fail. Wallerand and the British commando Park drowned, while Jones and Chapman were captured. The five remaining French commandos survived and rejoined their units between August 1944 and July 1945.
Dec. 25
Hardtack 28
Jersey Island
Captain Ayton and Frenchman Hulot led a raid with four French commandos from No. 10 Commando. After a successful landing, they gathered intelligence from civilians about German defenses but failed to capture a prisoner. During the withdrawal, Ayton was severely wounded by a mine and died upon returning to Dartmouth.
Dec. 26
Hardtack 7
Sark Island
On December 25, a raid was conducted on Sark Island by Lieutenant MacGonigal with French commandos. The group attempted to capture the German commander, but scaling the cliffs at Derrible Point proved impossible. They retrieved a mine but had to row back to their MTB.
On December 26, they attacked Hog-Back Point. After a difficult climb, two French commandos, Bellamy and Dignac, were killed and left behind. The survivors returned to Dartmouth, and the Germans discreetly buried the two Frenchmen on December 30.
Hardtack 13
Bénouville
Jean Pinelli’s raid between Étretat and Yport aimed to reconnoitre the Valleuse du Curé and capture a prisoner. Several climbing attempts failed, and the raid ended without success.
Night of December 26–27
Hardtack 21
Quinéville
Francis Vourch led eight French commandos assisted by two British. They landed at Lestre, collected equipment and sand samples, made sketches, and returned to Newhaven without incident. This area later corresponded to the future Utah Beach sector of D-Day.
Hardtack 4
Biville-sur-Mer
A reconnaissance raid between Dieppe and Le Tréport, led by Lieutenant Smith with Frenchman Félix Grinspin, faced difficulties scaling cliffs and was interrupted by a German patrol. Exploratory patrols yielded no results, and rough seas and German E-boats further complicated the mission.
Dec. 27 - 28
Hardtack 23
Bray-Dunes
Two days after the Gravelines tragedy, Philippe Kieffer prepared a new raid in northern France with his French team. Despite previous losses, he remained determined. On the night of December 27–28, their fast boat ran aground, alerting the Germans, and Kieffer was forced to abandon the operation without landing.
1944
January
Hardtack 26
Middelkerke
In January 1944, Paul Chausse led a night raid at Middelkerke Beach (Belgium) with a mixed Franco-British team, inspecting German defenses and attempting to capture a prisoner. After a delayed start and a possible encounter with a German patrol boat, the group escaped and returned to base without incident. This raid occurred just before the Hardtack operations were halted, as the Allies focused on Operation Overlord.
February
Hardtack 36
Wassenaar
In February 1944, Charles Trépel finally commanded a raid on Wassenaar Beach (Netherlands) to locate a German V2 rocket factory. After an initial failure due to navigation issues and sea battles, the raid was attempted again on February 27, 1944. The commandos landed under flares and moved behind the dunes, but no offensive action was possible. The return was organized by dinghies, but Trépel’s group disappeared.
Call for Testimonies
The Association des Familles de Commandos de la France Libre works to restore the full history of these men, beyond just June 6, 1944. Testimonies and family archives help keep alive the memory of all the men who served in the unit between 1942 and 1945.
If you have stories, documents, or memories to share, please contact us. Your contribution is invaluable in preserving their legacy.
Family Kieffer Collection ©