Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII (32 page)
Authors: Damien Lewis
Unit: General List while with the Special Boat Sqn, 1 SAS Regt.
Regtl. No: NYA
Rank and Name: WS Lieut LASSEN, Anders Frederick Emil
Victor Schau
Recomended BY: (Sgd) D. J. T. Turnbull, Colonel, Commanding
Raiding Forces; (Sgd) D. F. Anderson, Lt.Gen., Commanding 3
Corps; (Sgd) H. M. Wilson, General, Commander-in-Chief,
Middle East Forces. 19.11.43
Honour or Award: Second Bar to MC
Action for which Commended:
*
This officer, most of the time a sick man, displayed outstanding leadership and gallantry throughout the operations by X Det in Dodecanese, 13 Sep. 43 to 18 Oct. 43. The heavy repulse of the Germans from Symi on 7 Oct 43 was due in no small measure to his inspiration and leadership on the one hand, and the highest personal example on the other. He himself, crippled with a badly burned leg and internal trouble, stalked and killed at least 3 Germans at close range. At that time the Italians were wavering and I attribute their recovery as due to the personal example and initiative of this Officer. He continued to harass and destroy German patrols throughout the morning. In the
afternoon he himself led the Italian counter attack which finally drove the Germans back to their caiques, with the loss of 16 killed, 35 wounded and 7 prisoners, as against a loss on our side of one killed and one wounded.
The King has been graciously pleased to approve the posthumous award of a Victoria Cross to:
Major (temporary) Anders Frederick Emil Victor Schau LASSEN, MC (234907) General List.
*
In Italy, on the night of 8
th
–9
th
April, 1945, Major Lassen was ordered to take out a patrol of one officer and seventeen other ranks to raid the north shore of Lake Comacchio.
His tasks were to cause as many casualties and as much confusion as possible, to give the impression of a major landing, and to capture prisoners. No previous reconnaissance was possible, and the party found itself on a narrow road flanked on both sides by water.
Preceded by two scouts, Major Lassen led his men along the road towards the town. They were challenged after approximately 500 yards from a position on the side of the road. An attempt to allay suspicion by answering that they were fishermen returning home failed, for when moving forward again to overpower the sentry, machine-gun fire started from the position, and also from two blockhouses to the rear.
Major Lassen himself then attacked with grenades, and annihilated the first position, containing four Germans and two
machine guns. Ignoring the hail of bullets sweeping the road from three enemy positions, an additional one having come into action from 300 yards down the road, he raced forward to engage the second position under covering fire from the remainder of the force. Throwing in more grenades he silenced this position which was then overrun by his patrol. Two enemies were killed, two captured and two more machine guns silenced.
By this time the force had suffered casualties and its firepower was very considerably reduced. Still under a heavy cone of fire Major Lassen rallied and reorganized his force and brought his fire to bear on the third position. Moving forward himself he flung in more grenades which produced a cry of “Kamerad”. He then went forward to within three or four yards of the position to order the enemy outside, and to take their surrender.
While shouting to them to come out he was hit by a burst of Spandau fire from the left of the position and he fell mortally wounded, but even while falling he flung a grenade, wounding some of the occupants and enabling his patrol to dash in and capture this final position.
Major Lassen refused to be evacuated as he said it would impede the withdrawal and endanger further lives, and as ammunition was nearly exhausted the force had to withdraw.
By his magnificent leadership and complete disregard for his personal safety, Major Lassen had, in the face of overwhelming superiority, achieved his objects. Three positions were wiped out, accounting for six machine guns, killing eight and wounding others of the enemy and two prisoners were taken.
The high sense of devotion to duty and the esteem in which he was held by the men he led, added to his own magnificent courage, enabled Major Lassen to carry out all the tasks he had been given with complete success.
*
WAR OFFICE
7
th
September, 1945
Abell, District Commissioner
64
,
73
,
75
acetylene
50
Aegean Sea
225
,
227
,
233
,
252
,
253
,
258
,
308
Afrika Corps
177
Alderney, Channel Islands
129
Alexander, Harold, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
349
,
370
,
376
Alimnia, Greek Islands
236
,
282
–
4
amphetamines
2
–
3
,
6
,
115
–
16
,
186
,
205
,
245
,
291
Anderson Manor, Dorset
114
–
17
,
120
,
123
,
134
,
135
,
148
,
155
,
264
Ano Arkhani, Crete
189
Apennine Mountains, Italy
348
Apoini village, Crete
181
,
182
,
209
,
213
Appleyard, John Geoffrey
26
–
7
,
192
,
375
,
377
Operation Postmaster (Fernando Po)
26
–
7
,
37
,
48
–
9
,
64
,
67
,
70
,
78
,
79
,
83
,
85
–
6
,
93
,
100
,
107
–
10
training at Anderson Manor
115
Operation Dryad (Les Casquets)
128
Operation Aquatint (St Laurent-sur-Mer)
133
–
4
appointed Commander of SSRF
135
Operation Basalt (Sark)
136
,
138
–
45
,
146
–
8
,
152
Operation Husky (Sicily)
160
,
173
,
221
–
2
death on mission over Sicily
221
–
2
Araxos, Greece
310
Ark Royal
, HMS
33
Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle
222
Arriba
98
Ashton Manor, Hertfordshire
28
Grande Bretagne Hotel
312
Athlit, Palestine (Mandatory)
162
–
8
,
174
,
228
–
32
Atlantic Ocean
21
Auchinleck, Claude
156
Austria
348
Baker Street, London
37
Bandouvas, Monoli
178
Bay of Toroneos
325
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)
45
,
172
,
211
Variety Orchestra
256
Beaufighter Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter
Hotel St Georges
260
Bemuivoi
91
Benzedrine
2
–
3
,
6
,
115
–
16
,
186
,
205
,
245
,
291
Beretta MAB 38 machinegun
170
,
269
,
347
Binea, Captain
95
,
96
,
99
–
100
,
104
,
106
Bioko, Equatorial Guinea
39
;
see also
Fernando Po
Birmingham, England
165
Blacker Bombard spigot mortars
22
BMW
4
boats
caiques (wooden fishing boats)
226
,
228
,
233
–
4
,
258
,
307
,
323
–
4
,
330
folbots (collapsible canoes)
66
,
68
,
73
–
5
,
234
,
260
,
322
,
353
Goatleys
121
–
2
,
125
–
6
,
131
,
133
,
138
,
139
,
142
,
143
,
146
,
147
,
148
,
352
,
353
‘Jellicoe’ Inflatable Intruders
353
Motor Launches
175
–
6
,
215
–
17
,
260
,
266
,
271
–
2
,
281
,
285
,
304
,
316
Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs)
117
,
324
;
see also
‘Little Pisser’
Q-Boats
21
‘Bouncing Bettys’
see
S-mines
Bourdillon, Bernard Henry
58
Bourne, Freddie
117
,
120
,
138
,
147
Breda Model 35 cannon
237
,
241
–
2
,
245
,
281
Bren guns
64
,
231
,
246
,
280
,
295
,
300
,
327
,
339
Bristol Type
156
Beaufighter
257
5th Airborne Division
329
5th Army
370
34th Infantry Division
329
57th Infantry Division
329
11th Parachute Battalion
278
2nd Special Service Brigade
348
Durham Light Infantry
231
Irish Guards
163
Lancashire Fusiliers
164
Military Police
346
Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC)
289
Royal Artillery
165
Royal Corps of Signals
166
Royal Marine Commandos
289
,
324
,
348
,
375
Scots Guards
282
Suffolk Regiment
172
British Consulate, Santa Isabel
52
,
54
,
89
–
90
,
96
Broadstairs, Kent
157
Bulgaria
331
bum-boats
31
Burger, Otto
284
Burhou, Channel Islands
129
butcher-and-bolt raiding
36
‘Buzz’
see
Perkins, Frank
‘CAESAR’
see
Hanau, Julius caiques (wooden fishing boats)
226
,
228
,
233
–
4
,
258
,
307
,
323
–
4
,
330
Groppi’s
218
Raider Force HQ
181
,
182
,
213
,
215
,
218
,
257
,
262
,
328
Calais, France
127
Calchi, Greek Islands
236
calcium carbide
50
Cape Kokinoxos, Crete
176
carbide lanterns
50
Carmel Hills, Palestine (Mandatory)
162
–
3
carrier pigeons
127
Casino Restaurant, Santa Isabel
55
,
62
–
3
,
69
,
72
,
81
Casone Agosta, Lake Comacchio
355
–
7
Casone Caldiro, Lake Comacchio
357
–
61
,
362
,
367
,
370
Casulli, Stefan
288
–
92
,
293
–
8
,
305
,
312
Channel Islands
13
,
117
–
29
,
136
–
45
,
146
–
52
Alderney
129
Burhou
129
Château Pèlerin, Palestine (Mandatory)
162
Cherbourg Peninsula, France
127
China
28
Christiana islets Greek Islands
289
–
90
,
300
,
304
Chrysanthos see Maroulakis, Chrysanthos
Churchill, Winston
36
,
38
,
39
,
58
,
60
,
96
,
102
,
128
,
152
,
170
,
212
,
225
,
308
–
10
,
349
,
377
close-quarter shooting
169
Colditz Castle, Germany
156
Cole, Lieutenant
275
Colt .45 revolver
169
Comacchio Town, Italy
353
–
4
,
360
,
362
–
3
,
373
Commando
communism
328
Compo Rations
6
Conby, Gippo
162
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
155
Cos, Greek Islands
227
,
233
,
240
,
257
,
278
Crete
1
–
20
,
154
,
161
–
2
,
171
,
173
,
176
–
83
,
184
–
96
,
197
–
208
,
209
–
24
Ano Arkhani
189
climate
178
Heraklion Airbase
5
,
171
,
181
,
189
,
200
–
3
,
209
,
214
Idi Range
177
Kastelli Airbase
1
–
20
,
171
,
186
–
96
,
197
–
200
,
203
–
8
,
209
Kastelli Pediata
190
Mouktari village
190
White Mountains
176
Crosby, Bing
336
Cyclades island chain
286
D Squadron
5
Daily Mirror
150
Daily Telegraph
150
Dannert, Horst
193
Dannert wire
193
–
4
,
199
,
201
,
205
,
338
Denmark
225