The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War



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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

219886

SSM. John Alcock CdeG.

British Army 2nd Regiment Special Air Service

from:Goole, Yorkshire

In 1943 my father, SSM Jack Alcock of 2nd Special Air Service Regiment landed at Taranto after crossing the med from Algiers. After landing his 22 man unit pushed ahead of the parachute regiment to secure a cross roads in the town and then they moved further to secure the airfield. Whilst patrolling he literally bumped into a German soldier in a farmyard who fired first. He missed so my father let rip with his Bren Gun which nearly cut the man in half. The German paratrooper had been looting and attempting to carry a chicken which hampered his reactions and aim.




Additional Information:

A year later he was sent out with others to re-force operation Loyton in the Vosges on September the 7th - but it was aborted over the drop zone as no ground signals could be seen, A week late he parachuted in on operation Pistol and blew up a train, killed several of the enemies in hand to hand combat within a small cottage, two girls were later executed here for having helped him. They had only given him a drink. Were.t the wartime Germans wonderful people? Father won the Croix de Guerre with Silver star presented by General Koenig.

Graham John Alcock



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