Daring Royal Marine Commando 'Cockleshell Heroes' honoured following mission into enemy territory during World War Two

Twelve commandos left Portsmouth 80 years ago to complete Operation Frankton under the cover of darkness in Bordeaux Harbour. Their mission was to canoe 70 miles up the River Gironde to Bordeaux and use limpet mines to sink ships preparing to take the latest German equipment to Japan.

There were only two survivors, Major Herbert 'Blondie' Hasler and Marine Sparks. The attack struck a significant blow to German shipping in France, helped prove to Germany that no installation was safe from enemy attack and helped boost the morale of the British. The raid was made famous by the 1955 film 'The Cockleshell Heroes'.

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Portsmouth City Council marked the anniversary in conjunction with the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines Association and No6 Cinema. A service at Eastney Barracks was held before an unveiling of a new interpretation panel at Lumps Fort and wreath laying at the cockle statue in the Rose Gardens.

There was also a free behind the scenes tour of the National Museum of the Royal Navy collection at Storehouse 12, offering a rare opportunity to see items belonging to ‘Blondie’ Hasler who took part in Operation Frankton.

Brigadier Sean Brady, an officer in the Royal Marines, and deputy director of shipbuilding programmes for the Royal Navy, told gatherers at the Rose Gardens: ‘It’s a great pleasure and honour to be here today to pay tribute to the extraordinary men who just over 80 years ago executed Operation Frankton, which we all know is arguably the most memorable and daring of the commando raids in the Second World War.

‘The raid was the epitome of a commando operation…the plan was for a small team to push through enemy territory to covertly access the port of Bordeaux - a vital link for sustaining the German war effort logistically.’

David Evans, a veteran who helped organise the event for the city council, said: ‘We started thinking about this a long time ago because of the anniversary. I worked with the local Royal Marines Association to put the whole thing together. We thought there’s no story about these heroes and so James Daily, our historian, designed and wrote the words for the new information panel.’

Donald Smith, of the Portsmouth branch of the Submariners Association, laid a wreath during the service to mark its efforts in carrying men over to France as part of the operation. Peter Goodin, also from the association and who is an historian, said of the commandos: ‘They were very brave and tenacious to achieve their goals despite a considerable loss of life. It must have been horrific to have been at sea in a small kayak in the freezing water.

‘They had a big impact on the war effort. This was one of the many ways that submariners used tactics to fool the enemy.’

Councillor Tom Coles, Portsmouth City Council's deputy Lord Mayor, said: ‘Lump's Fort has been the training ground to many brave soldiers, but the courage and dedication of these daring men is outstanding. It was an honour to be part of this special commemoration.’