SAS Operation Titanic

Military Cross : On the night 5/6 June 1944, Lt. POOLE with another officer and 4 men landed by parachute near LE MESNIL - VIGGT just SOUTH of the neck of the CHERBOURG peninsula as part of an operation involving 200 dummy parachutists intended to distract the enemy from the 82nd American Airborne Div. which was "dropping" to the NORTH. German Tps in the area were a Panzer Grendier Div., a S.S. Div and a mixed Bde of Mongolian and Ukrainian Tps. Altho' the work of the party was prejudiced by a mis-timing of their "drop", the success of the operation as a whole was not inconsiderable, as it drew away approx one enemy Div from the American area. Lt. Pooles' party had been told that they could expect to be over-run by American Tps in approx 9 days. The party spent 6 weeks waiting to be relieved and on the 27th July 44, they were captured. During this period they did considerable damage by sabotage work to signal & electrical installations and collected valuable information which they passed to Intelligence Channels. Their situation was highly unenviable. During the 3rd week a German Anti-Parachute Coy was specifically detached to hunt them and on occasions came vary close indeed, as illustrated by the fact that once Lt. Poole's party and the Germans spent the night at opposite ends of the same field with the germans passing at 20 yards. The mobility of the party was greatly hampered by their having 6 escaped American P.O.Ws of whom one was badly wounded and had to be carried. The party was seldom at any time more than 450 yards from germans; in fact, they found greater safety from pursuit in keeping within 200 yds of of different enemy unit HQs. Being 12 within enemy lines they were subjected to constant shell-fire from our own guns. Their endurance was severely taxed by lack of food, as from the 3rd week, their French contacts could only bring food once or twice a week and at that in very limited quantities. They could not cook as it was impossible to light a fire. For the last two weeks they lived chiefly on raw vegetables. Throughout a period of acute nervous and physical strain. Lt. Poole showed outstanding resourcefulness and courage. His coolness and clear mindedness during moments of crisis as well as during the hours of shelling and suspense, sustained the other members of his party incalculably. He carried out numerous sabotage attacks. Upon the 12th day a report was received that two escaped American POW, both unable to walk from wounds and lack of food, were in hiding some 5 miles away. Lt Poole undertook to fetch them and succeeded in doing this despite the hazards of crossing country densely filled with Germans. The effect of his work & example upon his men cannot be over-estimated.

On 17 Jul 44, the party had worked its way NORTH into "No-Man's-Land" and would have gained the American lines had the germans not over-run them in a counter-attack. They were then found in a ditch by an enemy patrol, who threw grenades amongst them, wounding every member of the party except Lt. Poole and one other. The party repelled the enemy patrol after which Lt Poole succeeded in leading & carrying his men 200 yds across "No-Man's Land" to house which necessitated his making several trips across fire-swept ground. He then prepared such defences as his limited resources would permit & made further excursions into "No-man's land" to fetch water for the wounded. The house was finally surrounded and attacked by a german platoon. Had it not been for this stroke of ill-fortune on the 42nd day of their being within enemy lines, Lt. Poole would have succeeded against overwhelming odds in bringing back his party to the Allied lines. His determination, courage & leadership were highest exemplary value and and quality.