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Gavin Mortimer

@PhoneyMajor

Writer and historian with a specialty in wartime special forces.

Media enquiries: [email protected]

calendar_today24-03-2022 09:59:39

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On the evening of Sunday August 21 1944 Roy Farran & his 2SAS sqn stopped at a remote farm in Burgundy at the start of Operation Wallace.
I visited the farm on Friday.
Little has changed since the Garrioux family told the SAS they were welcome to stay the night in the yard.

1/4 On the evening of Sunday August 21 1944 Roy Farran & his 2SAS sqn stopped at a remote farm in Burgundy at the start of Operation Wallace. I visited the farm on Friday. Little has changed since the Garrioux family told the SAS they were welcome to stay the night in the yard.
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Gavin Mortimer(@PhoneyMajor) 's Twitter Profile Photo

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The next day 2SAS received a visit from Bill Fraser, 1SAS, whose A Sqn had been operating in the nearby Morvan for 3 months (Op Houndsworth). Bill's jeep is on the left.
Word spread of the presence of 'les Anglais' & locals rushed to the farm 'to salute the first liberators'.

2/4 The next day 2SAS received a visit from Bill Fraser, 1SAS, whose A Sqn had been operating in the nearby Morvan for 3 months (Op Houndsworth). Bill's jeep is on the left. Word spread of the presence of 'les Anglais' & locals rushed to the farm 'to salute the first liberators'.
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Gavin Mortimer(@PhoneyMajor) 's Twitter Profile Photo

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Marked '3' in this photo is Lt David Leigh, a 2SAS Original from 1943.
The day after this photo was taken, David was killed in a firefight with Germans in Villaines-Prevotes.
He had married Ethel a few weeks earlier.
When Ethel died in 2010 her ashes were interred with David.

3/4 Marked '3' in this photo is Lt David Leigh, a 2SAS Original from 1943. The day after this photo was taken, David was killed in a firefight with Germans in Villaines-Prevotes. He had married Ethel a few weeks earlier. When Ethel died in 2010 her ashes were interred with David.
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Gavin Mortimer(@PhoneyMajor) 's Twitter Profile Photo

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The barn is still standing.
3 is Dai Evans & 4 is Ted Carr. Thanks to the Birtwistle family for the old photos.
I turned up unannounced to the farm but the owners were intrigued to learn of its past.
So much so they've invited me to supper this week to hear more of the SAS.

4/4 The barn is still standing. 3 is Dai Evans & 4 is Ted Carr. Thanks to the Birtwistle family for the old photos. I turned up unannounced to the farm but the owners were intrigued to learn of its past. So much so they've invited me to supper this week to hear more of the SAS.
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