Operation Belle Isle
27 - 28 January 1945
by 'Eddy'

'Old men forget' said Shakespeare's Henry V, but a few former members of 45 RM Commando, who have recently renewed contact after a lapse of over 40 years, have found they have much to remember. There are, it is true, curious blanks in the memory in respect of some incidents and sometimes there are conflicting recollections, but the group agreed that the night of 27I28 January I945 was one they all remembered. What follows is the story of that night based on official accounts produced soon after the action and the memories of the following, the positions they held at the time shown in parenthesis: Jimmy Clark (Bren gunner, E Tp), John Day (OC B Tp), Bill Ledger (Signaller, D Tp), George Moynan (Rifleman, E Tp), Jack Sinclair (Sergeant, B Tp).

The 1st Commando Brigade had, unexpectedly and at short notice, returned to 2I Army Group in Holland in mid January I945. A week later it was under command of the 7th Armoured Division, taking part in the limited offensive which had the object of driving the Germans north of the River Roar and clearing the ground between that river and the River Maas. After the action at the Montforterbeek on 23/24 January 45 RIM Cdo, commanded by Lt Col W N Gray DSO, was in reserve while 3 and 6 Cdos captured Linne and made contact with British troops on the right flank. The Divisional Commander now required information about enemy forces in the area of Merum, the next village north of Linne on the way to Roermond. The task of meeting this requirement was given to 45.

Between Linne and Merum the River Maas made a large loop. At the north-west of the land enclosed by the loop was a lock which had the effect of turning the area into an island some 2500 yards from west to east and about I000 yards from north to south. Because of its shape the island was initially referred to as Bell Island but someone at 45's HQ remembered the Royal Marines' assault on Belle Isle, off the Brittany coast, in 1761 and so the Op Order, issued at 08:05 hours on 27 January I945, was headed 'Belle Isle'. The intention paragraph in that order read:

'45 RM Cdo will capture Belle Isle with a view to making a raid in the Merum area'

Col Gray's plan for the operation was as follows. E Tp, less one section, would form a firm base on our side of the Maas; the other section of E Tp would establish a bridgehead on Belle Isle. D Tp would then assault the Belle Isle garrison which was believed to be at platoon strength and concentrated in the area of the lock, facing British troops who held the west bank of the Maas. At a time determined by the CO, B Tp would land on Belle Isle, take their assault boats on sledges across the island and re-cross the Maas further downstream to raid Merum. H-Hour was to be at 21:30 on 27 January. Two Field Regiments and two Medium Regiments of Artillery were available to support the operation though, in order that B Tp should have an element of surprise for their raid on Merum, it was hoped that D Tp could carry out their part of the operation without artillery support.

At the point chosen for the river crossing the Maas was about 100 yds wide, but it was flowing at about 6 1/2 knots. Only eleven boats were available for the operation; these were Goately boats, ungainly craft made of canvas on a wooden frame which could be folded flat. They could carry a maximum of eleven men each and were propelled by paddles. Because of the fast flow of the river each boat required at least six men to paddle it to Belle Isle so it was essential to get a rope across the river in order that a ferry service could be operated. No I Troop, RM Engineer Commando, commanded by CSM D J R Morse, was responsible for establishing and operating the ferry service, providing boat keepers, and building the sledges which B Tp would use for getting their boats across Belle Isle.

By 21:15 on 27 January all those taking part in the operation were at their assembly points close to the river bank. It was a cold, clear night, with the temperature about  -7 'c, and the issue of rum to the waiting raiders, all clad in snowsuits, was very welcome. The moon, almost full, was reflected brilliantly in the snow-covered landscape making visibility all too good for those whose success depended on stealth. A breakdown in the Artillery communications network meant that H-Hour was delayed for 35 minutes.

Soon after 22:00 D Tp, commanded by Maj R H W Kirby, and a section from E Tp, commanded by Lt Alan Tate, landed on Belle Isle without any reaction from the enemy. Alan Tate only had I5 men with him (most of 45's Troops were under establishment and E Tp had incurred casualties during the Montforterbeek action); he sited one group, which included George Moynan, close to the landing site and a second group, led by Sgt Vye, took up a defensive position on a light railway line, a little inland. Jimmy Clark was with this group and remembers 'moving into a railway shed which had a roof and also an inspection pit. This made a good position for my Bren'.

D Tp moved off from the bridgehead in single file, heading towards the enemy positions at the lock. According to the Bde HQ report of the operation 'they were soon observed by the enemy in the bright moonlight and surprise was lost. A violent battle broke out in the wooded area east of the lock and communication with the assault party was broken. MMG, mortar and artillery fire was brought down as arranged, but the assault party was clearly involved in heavy fighting at very close range '.

Bill Ledger was transferred from Cdo HQ to D Tp the day before the attack on Belle Isle. He recalls, 'As a signaller I carried a No I8 set, a bulky item about the size of a Bergan rucksack, complete with a long aerial  this did not fit very well with the snow-suit. In addition I carried a rifle (in later operations a Colt 45 automatic was substituted for the rifle). As we moved off from the bridgehead I was positioned at the rear of the Troop  the Troop Commander was well ahead of me, and in fact, I never saw him or any of the other officers again. We had not been ashore for long before all hell was let loose. My impression was that fixed lines of fire had been set up by the enemy and we were right in the thick of it. I have no recollection of any messages from Major Kirby or any signals to or from Commando HQ. At length it became clear that we were being overwhelmed and would have to clear out as best we could'.

While D Tp was crossing the Maas, B Tp had moved up to the firm base, ready to move forward. At first the sounds of a fierce small arms battle on Belle Isle could be clearly heard but after a while only isolated shots broke the silence, followed shortly by the sound of British guns opening up on targets on and around Belle Isle. John Day was called to the Cdo Tac HQ, further along the river bank. 

'Nicol Gray told me that D Troop was clearly in serious trouble, though he had had no reports from them. The Merum raid was cancelled and I should immediately reinforce the bridgehead and also get a line across the river so that the ferry service could be established. Once I had the majority of 8 Troop on the island I should move forward to support D Troop. Only two boats were available on our side of the Maas. I sent TSM 8 M Aylett MM with a sub-section in one boat to provide immediate reinforcement to Alan Tate's small bridgehead party. I set out in the other boat, with a mixed crew of RM Engineers and my Troop HQ, taking the rope with us. It was a hopeless, exhausting task, the strength of the current and the drag of the line forcing us continually downstream. We made three attempts but never got more than half-way across. At one point enemy troops must have been seen approaching the bridgehead because while we were struggling in mid-stream Bran guns from E Troop's firm base began firing over our heads'.

Sgt Vye's group in their defensive position around the railway shed, heard the sounds of the violent battle in the direction of the lock and then survivors from D Tp began to trickle back, many of them wounded, being helped along by their comrades. Jimmy Clerk, who comes from Skye, continues the story: 'After some time we saw some men approaching us along the railway line. Sergeant Vye challenged them. They turned out to be Germans and had a go at us in the shed with a panzerfaust. By this time I discovered I had to stand on tip-toe to get at them, Anyway, I jumped out of the pit and had a go with the Bren - some of the enemy ran behind the railway waggons but forgot they couldn't hide their legs .... I forgot to say that as well as giving the Jerry patrol what for, the section and I also gave them a few Glasgow and Highland curses that could have been heard in Skye. '

Once it was clear that the ferry service could not be established Colonel Gray had no option but to order the evacuation of Belle Isle. The young subaltern in charge of the bridgehead, Alan Tate, a newcomer to 45 and inaction for the first time, was now was faced with a very difficult situation. He had elements of three Troops under his command, many of them wounded and almost all strangers to him. One enemy move against the bridgehead had been beaten off and although our artillery was pounding the German positions Tate had to remain ready to cope with a further attack as well as organising the withdrawal. Memories of the evacuation are scanty. Jimmy Clark recalls the order to withdraw but says: 'I can't remember the crossing well but we were all very wet and cold. We were met on the other side and it was good to be there'.

When Bill Ledger reached the river bank he could only see one boat and that seemed to be already overloaded. He decided his only chance was to go into the river and cling to the boat. 'Minus my radio and rifle I somehow reached the other side. My next recollection was lying on the ground and staring at a worried Captain L W Bridger, my Signals Officer. It seems that neat rum had been tipped down my throat and as a hitherto tee-totaller this had a dramatic effect and brought me back to life. '

George Moynan, one of the rearguard covering the withdrawal, was with Alan Tate in the last boat to leave Belle Isle. He remembers the circumstances of their departure as being 'noisy and confusing.'

Once the evacuation was complete all seemed quiet on Belle Isle. Colonel Gray was anxious to clarify the situation and so Capt I N N Beadle MC, OC E Tp, together with Capt James Griffiths of 10 Cdo and a small group from E Tp, were sent across to the original bridgehead site. One of the group was Jimmy Clerk who volunteered to return and act as a guide. He remembers: 'I pointed out where our little do took place and we discovered the enemy bodies in front of the shed.' There were five dead Germans, one of them a Captain. A map found on his body proved to be valuable as it gave, in some detail, the positions of the Huebner Battle Groups and the Mueller Regiment in the area south-west of Roermond. We had already met the Huebner Battle Group in the Montforterbeek action; this Group consisted mainly of parachute troops and ex-Luftwaffe personnel, including flying crews, and they were well led by experienced officers and NCOs. Ian Beadle's patrol also found a stray live German who seemed uncertain as to which side had won the battle. They did not find any survivors from D Tp and returned, with their prisoner, without any interference from the enemy. The prisoner told us that the German force on the island consisted of 50 men from the Mueller Regiment and that the dead Captain had been their commander.

By about 04:00 on 28 January B Tp had been waiting in the snow for over six hours and were now longing for the order to return to base. There was no indication of any activity in their vicinity and John Day was beginning to think they had been forgotten when he heard someone calling for him to report to the CO. 

'Nicol Gray told me about Ian Beadle's successful patrol and the lack of any interference from the enemy. Now Sergeant Fenwick had been heard shouting from the area of the deserted bridgehead saying that he had a badly wounded man with him. I was to go across quickly and rescue them. I dashed back to 8 Troop, called for volunteers and grabbed the first five who moved towards me in the darkness. These turned out to be the TSM, Bob Aylett, two Sergeants Johnny Bastable and Jack Sinclair, and Marines Ogle and Denny. 

We had no difficulty in getting across the Maas and were met by Sergeant Fenwick. He said Marine Hannah, badly wounded and unable to move, was lying in the snow about 200 yards away. I told Jack Sinclair to look after the boat, sent Aylett, Bastable and Ogle with Fenwick to fetch Hannah, and took Denny to the top of the nearby embankment so that we could provide some covering fire if we were attacked. I heard a short burst of machine-gun fire but soon after this I saw the group carrying Hannah coming towards the boat - they did not seem to be in any trouble. As they drew near Denny and I went back to the boat; he embarked and I stood beside Ogle, who came forward to help hold the boat steady as Sinclair and the others prepared to put Hannah on board. Suddenly a machine-gun opened up; the fire was very accurate and I saw the sparks fly as bullets struck the pebbles by my feet. There was a scramble as the unfortunate Hannah was hurried aboard and Ogle loosened his hold on the boat but then seemed to grab it again. The machine-gunner fired more bursts but his aim seemed higher now. I told Ogle to push the boat off and he climbed on board, rather clumsily. I shoved him further in the boat and squeezed in myself. Aylett had distributed the paddles and I had the steering oar. As the machine-gun continued to fire in our direction we struggled to turn the boat against the current and head for home. All were paddling furiously except for Ogle who was sitting motionless in front of me. I commented harshly on this lack of activity only to be met with the rather aggrieved response 'I can't, sir, I've been hit in both arms.'

By now the 8 Troop Brens had opened up to give us some covering fire and we reached our side of the Maas safely, though swept some way downstream. We made our way back to the firm base, accompanied by long range machine-gun fire whistling harmlessly over our heads from the direction of Merum.'

Jack Sinclair adds a postscript to this incident: I was one of the volunteers who went with Captain Day to rescue Sergeant Fenwick and a wounded man on Belle Isle. On reaching Belle Isle we were told by Jock Fenwick that he was a prisoner but had been allowed his freedom to get Marine Hannah back to his unit. After the rescue he was going to return to the German lines. We suggested that he returned with us but Jock was of the opinion that Hannah had the first priority. 1 was told to hang on to the boat, which 1 did, whilst all the remainder went off up the river bank. During my wait by the river's edge a short burst of automatic fire came from my right, the bullets striking the water between me and the boat. This was an isolated incident and the next noise was that of the rescue party. It was while Hannah was being carried down the rather steep bank that another burst of fire was aimed at the rescue party. Sergeant Fenwick maintained his view that he should now go back to the Germans. Bob Aylett disagreed with this and Johnny Bastable and 1 supported the TSM. The burst of fire, as the group was coming down the bank, may have been the deciding factor as there was an added urgency to get aboard and away. I have the feeling that Jock Fenwick was helped to board the boat by his fellow SNCOs.'

Lt Peter Winston RM's Grave - Brachterbeek  Feb 1945

For a few days after the operation efforts were made to persuade the Germans on Belle Isle to hand over those of our wounded who had not been brought back when we withdrew from the island. These efforts, and attempts to persuade the Germans to surrender, failed, but they allowed us to send boats over to collect the dead. One of those who had been killed was Lt Peter Winston, who had parachuted into Normandy on 6 June 1944, his 20th birthday, as 45's liaison officer with the 9th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, but had been dropped about 30 miles from the planned DZ. After various vicissitudes, including capture and interrogation by the Gestapo, Peter had rejoined 45 in September 1944. When handing over his body the German Cadet Officer then commanding the Belle Isle garrison commented that the Lieutenant had been 'A very gallant officer'. No explanation was given for his comment but praise from an enemy is rare and must be well merited. This description was therefore inscribed as an epitaph on the wooden cross which marked Peter's temporary resting place near Cdo HQ.

With the exception of one man in B Tp who was wounded, all the casualties incurred during the operation were suffered by D Tp. Of the 63 Officers and men from D Tp who landed on Belle Isle 11 were killed and 13 were wounded. Maj Kirby, Lt J Alvey and four others were initially posted as Missing, but later listed as wounded and Prisoners of War. For their distinguished services during the operation Alan Tate was awarded the MC and Jimmy Clark a Mention in Despatches.