4 cdo Walcheren,

A classic operation of war

The previous page was: "4 Commando Dieppe"

The seizure ot the island of Walcheren was carried out by No. 4 Commando under Lieutenant-Colonel R. W. P. Dawson, No. 47 cdo Royal Marines, No. 41 cdo Royal Marines and No. 48 cdo Royal Marines, they formed to make the 4th Special Services Brigade.

They were backed to the hilt by the three Services: Royal Navy, Army and the Royal Air Force. Here are the stories of their actions.

Before the war Flushing was the most populated coastal town on the island of Walcheren with docks, a railway yard and a station.

In the hands of the Germans it was a most powerful fortress.

4 Commando Dieppe

The plans for attacking purposes

To simplify the plans for the attacking purposes, the names of the Dutch places had to be understood by all who were going to land on shore, for them to know exactly where they were, or where somewhere was when it was mentioned.

To do this each part of Flushing was given a code name that would be simple for everybody to recognize. The code names were popular watering-places in southern England.

From west to east these were: Dover, Worthing, Hove, and Brighton, behind these were Bexhill, the ship yards, and Eastbourne, the buildings in the centre of the town. Next came the Orange Mole, with behind it was Seaford and Troon; and the section of the harbour running at right angles to the sea locks was called Falmouth.

The Planners had the greatest difficulty in finding a suitable beach for landings. 'Uncle' beach near the Orange Mole was a dump for rubbish and therefore most suitable for vehicles, but it was known to be protected by underwater stakes.

There were many enemy strong points in that part of Flushing, but it was believed that these could be rushed and overcome, provided the Commamdos landed immediately after the preliminary bombardment had lifted.

The final plan was

The final plan was No. 4 Commando would go ashore on Uncle beach in three flights. The first made up of reconnoitring elements whose duty was to find a suitable place for climbing the dyke wall. The second carrying the all-important landing craft obstruction clearing unit and men to form a bridgehead.

The third flight, which was not to come in until summond. They have to pass through the bridgehhead, and secure the barracks, between Worthing and Hove, the harbour entrance at Brighton, the park, and finnaly the open space at Dover.

It was a formidable programme, rendered more so by the fact that it was impossible to choose the exact spot for disembarkation. No. 4 Commando were however extremely well trained, and the various Troops were confident that they would be able to operate at night providing they were accurately briefed.

Each man went into action with an individual task

This was done, each man went into action having closely studied specially prepared maps and photographs, with the exact knowledge of what his individual task was to be.

The objectives No. 4 Commando were to capture was distributed along the southern waterfront of the town of Flushing.

Shells screamed overhead from the fierce artillery bombardment, rendered fiercer because of the terrible weather. The bombers from bomber command were unable to take off, so they weren't able to play their part in the action.

The blazing buildings and warehouses in the background were sillouetting the tall clock tower and the windmill.

Patrols were were watching keenly for floating mines and one-man torpedoes.

The reconnoitering elements reached the shore at the same time the artillery ceased firing. One craft struck the underwater stakes and sank, but the others, moving to the western side of the beach, landed without mishap.

The Commandos on board quickly checked the approach for land mines, scrambled over and climbed through the dyke wall obstacles, cut a gap in the wire and marked the safest areas with white tape.

Then they set about winkling out the entrenched German Troops who were surprised to find themselves in the position they were in.

The next wave soon arrived

The next wave of landing craft were directed in by an officer in a landing craft giving them directions on where to land. The first commandos ashore having completed their tasks were attacking the pill boxes.

They had control of Orange Street, and were able to form a sturdy bridgehead for the next wave to pass through.

The next wave soon arrived they attacked the barracks and made for the arsenal between Hove and Worthing.

Some of the new arrivals devivded into two groups.

One captured a 50mm gun in its emplacement close to Uncle beach, together with twenty-five prisoners and the area commander. Others stormed the pill boxes one after another with support from the 50mm gun they had captured.

The other half cleared the ground inland from the waterfront, by 09:00 hours the commado was firmly established between Troon and Falmouth.

mouse holing

Another flight was called in, it landed under heavy 20mm cannon and machine gun fire. Nevertheless it landed successfully on the Orange Mole. One of the craft carrying the mortars, and the wireless equipment was sunk on an obstacle twenty metres out, but its cargo was taken ashore, cleaned and brought into action whilst under heavy fire.

The rest of the morning was spent engaged in street to street and house to house fighting with the enemy that had any fight left in them.

They cleared the terraced houses by mouse holing, each commando carried a small made-up amount of explosive powerful enough to blow a hole in party-walls of a house. The enemy were often dazed or so amazed to see the commandos they quickly surrendered.

The commandos using this method moved from house to house going through the party walls and thus avoided advancing along a street swept with deadly machine gun fire.

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By nightfall the town was won

At one moment half a dozen commando soldiers were seen dangling upside down from a roof of a building flinging hand grenades through the windows beneath them.

Two strong points which proved to be very obsternate were dealt with very efficiently by thyphoons swooping down down over the waterfront like falcons.

By nightfall the town was won. No.4 cdo met up with 47 cdo Royal Marines who were attacking the urban areas from the north. For the next two days mopping up operations were carried out against an enemy whose resistance gradually dwindled, but the rain continued to pour.

The garrison of a building in the Boulevard Bankert came bolting out like foxes from a pill box entrance, into the arms of the waiting commandos. Three officers and fifty-four other ranks of the enemy that emerged were shocked but put their hands up.

No. 4 Commando had accomplished the first landing upon a waterfront since the raid on Dieppe more than two years before.

The capture of Flushing by the same Commando which had destroyed the guns at Varengeville must be hailed as another of their Classic operations of war.

The next Link below will be: "Commando"

4 Commando Walcheren Commando

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