View source for Operation Huckaback

'''Operation Huckaback''' was a [[British Commando]] raid during the [[Second World War]]. The raid was carried out by [[No. 62 Commando]] also known as the Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) over the night of 27/28 February 1943.

The raid was originally planned for the night of 9/10 February 1943, as simultaneous raids on [[Herm]], [[Jethou]] and [[Brecqhou]]. The objective was to take prisoners and gain information about the situation in the occupied [[Channel Islands]]. It was to be carried out by 42 men from the SSRF and [[No. 4 Commando]], but was cancelled because of bad weather.

Huckaback was reinvented as a raid on Herm alone on the night of 27/28 February 1943. Ten men of the SSRF under [[Captain (land)|Captain]] [[Patrick Anthony Porteous]] [[Victoria Cross|VC]] landed {{convert|200|yd}} to the north-west of Selle Rocque on a shingle beach from MTB 344. After three unsuccessful attempts to scale the cliff, Porteous finally managed to climb up the bed of a stream and pulled the others up using toggle ropes.

On reaching Belvoir House, they found it had been broken into and abandoned. Further reconnaissance found that the Old Tower of Herm and the Château were also deserted. The raid did not find any signs of the German occupation troop or the island's population.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=15 June 2010|publisher=Naval History|title=Codewords|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Ops-CodeNamesAlpha.htm}}</ref><ref>Messenger, p.15</ref>  The caretaker of Belvoir house was aware of people on the island, but locked the door. Leaflets were left for the Germans to find. The commandos departed and returned to England.<ref name="WFTLR">{{cite book |last= Fowler |first=Will |title=The Last Raid: The Commandos, Channel Islands and Final Nazi Raid |publisher=The History Press |ISBN=978-0750966375}}</ref>{{rp|114}}

The few civilians on the island were living near the harbour and were not aware of the raid taking place at the time.

==References==

{{Reflist}}
*Messenger, Charles (1985). The Commandos: 1940–1946. London: Kimber. {{ISBN|0718305531}}.
{{British Commando raids of the Second World War}}

{{coord missing|France}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huckabuck, Operation of 1943}}
[[Category:Conflicts in 1943]]
[[Category:World War II British Commando raids]]
[[Category:1943 in France]]
[[Category:Military history of the Channel Islands during World War II]]
[[Category:February 1943 events in Europe]]