Operation Jericho:

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Oily Nails

Original Poster:

2,932 posts

202 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
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Just noticed this on the BBC Website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15367827

Always been interested in that low level attack could be good viewing, although Martin Shaw does seem to be over acting in the clip a bit.

Eric Mc

122,329 posts

267 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
quotequote all
He's an actor.

It's a real shame that they cannot have these programmes presented by people who actually know what they are talking about - rather than an actor or other form of TV celeb.

Might be worth a viewing all the same as it is about time some of the other RAF precision raids other than The Dambuster raid got a look in.

tenohfive

6,276 posts

184 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
It's a real shame that they cannot have these programmes presented by people who actually know what they are talking about - rather than an actor or other form of TV celeb.

Might be worth a viewing all the same as it is about time some of the other RAF precision raids other than The Dambuster raid got a look in.
Agreed. Tempted if only to see a bit of footage of the Mossies - I had a real thing for them when I was a kid. Beautiful plane.

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

250 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
quotequote all
Martin Shaw is also a qualified pilot, and owns a vintage plane, currently being re-built after somebody else crashed it.

I want to know why this particular operation is subject to the 100 year disclosure security.

Very few others (especially famous ones) from WW2 have any secrecy currently attached to them.

Eric Mc

122,329 posts

267 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
quotequote all
mrmaggit said:
Martin Shaw is also a qualified pilot, and owns a vintage plane, currently being re-built after somebody else crashed it.

I want to know why this particular operation is subject to the 100 year disclosure security.

Very few others (especially famous ones) from WW2 have any secrecy currently attached to them.
All is not as has been told in the past. TYhere is a new book out (advertised in Flypast last month) which seems to indicate that perhaps the aim of the mission was to actually kill as many of the French prisoners as possible, rather than free them.
It was always an interesting mission but it has suddenly become even more intriguing.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

286 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
quotequote all
Think I have seen footage shot during the mission on youtube somewhere.

Eric Mc

122,329 posts

267 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
quotequote all
jmorgan said:
Think I have seen footage shot during the mission on youtube somewhere.
Yes, film cameras were fitted to a number of teh aircraft so there is some pretty good over the target footage.

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

250 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
quotequote all
I always suspected that there was an ulterior motive on the raid, given that no other RAF planes were in the sky that day. There were heavy blizzards over East Anglia (they flew from Swanton Morley) and the weather only cleared up over the Channel.

The raid was in February 1944; was somebody captured and held there that was a bigot (ie knew about Overlord), and the raid was to either kill or cure?

Pickard and Broadley were vastly experienced airmen and IMHO would not have been risked just to blow open a prison (which could have been done at any time) to free a few resistance bods.

Much more to this than I suspect the programme will reveal, although I will be watching.

Eric Mc

122,329 posts

267 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
quotequote all
The programme will probably stick to the "official" line but I expect this new book might be worth a read.

hidetheelephants

25,329 posts

195 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
quotequote all
mrmaggit said:
The raid was in February 1944; was somebody captured and held there that was a bigot (ie knew about Overlord), and the raid was to either kill or cure?
This, or some other secret squirrel reason.

MSport Calendar

11,521 posts

286 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
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Thanks for the Heads-up chaps, I have set the Sky+.

Porkbrain

406 posts

239 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
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Eric Mc said:
The programme will probably stick to the "official" line but I expect this new book might be worth a read.
It may all stay a secret for a while longer when the Amazon price is £40!



Simpo Two

85,883 posts

267 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
He's an actor.

It's a real shame that they cannot have these programmes presented by people who actually know what they are talking about - rather than an actor or other form of TV celeb.
The problem is that real people are rarely good presenters (other than interviews of course)

Operation Jericho has been aired several times on TV recently; can't remember which channel.

The general angle seemed to be 'Was it worth it?' - because some French civvies were killed and Pickard got the chop for hanging about too long. Easy to say in fluffy risk-averse peacetime hindsight of course. In wartime and before it happens you don't know.


Ginetta G15 Girl

3,220 posts

186 months

Sunday 23rd October 2011
quotequote all
mrmaggit said:
I always suspected that there was an ulterior motive on the raid, given that no other RAF planes were in the sky that day. There were heavy blizzards over East Anglia (they flew from Swanton Morley) and the weather only cleared up over the Channel.
No.

They flew from Hunsdon in Hertfordshire.

Vieste

10,532 posts

162 months

Monday 24th October 2011
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Watched it last night thought it was very good.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

286 months

Monday 24th October 2011
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Curios as to the secrecy aspect. They did get things wrong in WWII and it was not the first or the last if true here but not sure the angle.

LimaDelta

6,600 posts

220 months

Monday 24th October 2011
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Repeated Saturday evening on BBC HD for anyone (like me) who missed it first time around.

Zaxxon

4,057 posts

162 months

Monday 24th October 2011
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So the intentional killing of French Prisoners is kept secret for 100 years. But allowing Coventry to be bombed even though it is known to be the enemies target to keep Enigma safe is admitted soon after the war?

Strange.

Simpo Two

85,883 posts

267 months

Monday 24th October 2011
quotequote all
Zaxxon said:
So the intentional killing of French Prisoners is kept secret for 100 years. But allowing Coventry to be bombed even though it is known to be the enemies target to keep Enigma safe is admitted soon after the war?
You need to read up RV Jones' account of the 'battle of the beams' and pay less attention to TV programmes written by 20-somethings with media degrees. Do you really think they'd let a city be bombed? Right frequency jamming but wrong modulation IIRC.

As for the prisoners, if one of them knew the D-Day plans then yes, you kill them all rather than let the plans for the liberation of Europe fall into Nazi hands. Isn't that obvious?

jmorgan

36,010 posts

286 months

Monday 24th October 2011
quotequote all
Yeah but understand keeping Overlord secret, that goes without saying. I am pretty sure they could have managed it from high up and still said it was a mistake and left just a scar on the landscape. I know they wanted to keep civilian casualties in occupied Europe down where possible (OK, can of worms I know).