SAS Castelow, Herbert

Commando
By Sally Dugan

John Robertson

Administrator
Staff member
  • SURNAME
Castelow
  • FORENAME
Herbert
  • UNIT
1 SAS
  • RANK
Private
  • NUMBER
3321164
  • AWARD
Military Medal
  • PLACE
NW Europe 1944 (Escape and Evasion)
  • ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Highland Light Infantry
"Costello" in some accounts
Served 1944-1945 France, Germany, Norway
London Gazette 37274, 18th September 1945, Page 4684
 

CITATION:

Military Medal : CASTELOW started "evading" immediately after being dropped at LA FERTE ALAIS on 6 Jul. 4, as he had landed in a trap and lost the rest of his party. For six weeks he worked with the Resistance in VERT LE PETIT, mainly ambushing transport. In mid-August his presence became known to the Gestapo and he decided to try to reach Allied lines. In a French gendarme's uniform he cycled to ETAMPES. On the way, however, he was arrested by Germans who were at first going to shoot him as a spy, but instead took him to VERDUN. He was there for a week undergoing interrogation before being put on a lorry en route for Germany. On 9 September CASTELOW was put in a cottage near the River MOSELLE for the night with one S.S. guard. At midnight he killed the guard, took his rifle, and walked out of the cottage. He swam the MOSELLE and walked towards the Americans, whose forward units he met on 10 Sep. 44.

WEB LINKS:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37274/supplement/4684
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7377157

NATIONAL ARCHIVES:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7377157
Last edited by a moderator:
Some minor corrections, Unit was 1 SAS. Rank trooper. MM was for escape and evasion for 10 weeks in 1944 France. Parent Unit Highland Light Infantry. Served 1944 and 1945 In France, Germany and Norway. Did not serve with any of his brothers. Full story in Damien Lewis’s next book Great Escapes Part 2
 
Some minor corrections, Unit was 1 SAS. Rank trooper. MM was for escape and evasion for 10 weeks in 1944 France. Parent Unit Highland Light Infantry. Served 1944 and 1945 In France, Germany and Norway. Did not serve with any of his brothers. Full story in Damien Lewis’s next book Great Escapes Part 2
Thanks, updated record and added the military medal citation too.
Best regards, Craig
 
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