Roy Farran
Roy Farran | |
---|---|
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta | |
In office 30 August 1971 – 13 March 1979 | |
Preceded by | New district |
Succeeded by | Ed Oman |
Constituency | Calgary-North Hill |
Minister of Telephones and Utilities of Alberta | |
In office 6 March 1973 – 2 April 1975 | |
Preceded by | Len Werry |
Succeeded by | Allan Warrack |
Solicitor General of Alberta | |
In office 3 April 1975 – 22 March 1979 | |
Preceded by | Helen Hunley |
Succeeded by | Graham Harle |
City of Calgary Alderman | |
In office 23 October 1961 – 19 October 1963 | |
In office 19 October 1964 – 25 October 1971 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 2 January 1921 Croix de Guerre (France) (USA)Legion of Merit |
Early life
Farran was born on 2 January 1921, either in
Military career
Second World War
North Africa and Crete
Farran was posted on attachment to the
Escape and return to duty
After being captured, Farran was flown to a hospital for
In January 1942, Farran was appointed as the
On 26 February 1942, he was driving Campbell in his staff car during an inspection of the forward fighting area around Gazala when he lost control of the car on a road of freshly laid clay. The car overturned, throwing Farran out but killing Campbell in the process and knocking the other occupants unconscious; he later admitted that while he awaited rescue, he had contemplated suicide. When a new divisional commander was appointed, Farran remained with the divisional staff.[1]
Sicily and Italy
When the British
During September 1943, a composite squadron from 2 SAS landed at the Italian port of Taranto with orders to conduct reconnaissance patrols and attack targets of opportunity ahead of the general Allied advance. During this deployment Farran commanded a section of jeeps from 'D' Squadron, which ambushed a number of German convoys and linked up with advancing Canadian forces. They also became involved in street-fighting on several occasions before moving to the city of Bari, where it was ordered to locate escaped Allied prisoners of war, managing to free 50. A report on the composite squadron's activities, including Farran's jeeps, concluded that their use had not been justified and that the SAS troops would have been better employed conducting sabotage operations. Michael Asher argues that the squadron's role would have been better suited to an armoured car unit.[5]
On 3 October, the Allies made a seaborne landing at the town of
France
Farran remained in Britain until August, by which time the Western Allies had
Operation Wallace
However, on 19 August, Farran landed with 60 men and 20 jeeps at Rennes airfield, which was now under Allied control, with orders to begin Operation Wallace. His jeeps were to advance some 200 miles (320 km) behind German lines and link up with 50 SAS troopers who had previously established a base camp near Châtillon, to the north of the city of Dijon. This was one of a number of bases set up by SAS patrols to attack retreating German troops and lines of communications. Under the command of Captain Grant-Hibbert, the troopers had spent the three weeks prior to Farran's arrival ambushing German convoys and blowing up a stretch of railway between Dijon and Langres.[12]
The journey to Grant-Hibbert's position took Farran and his men four days; the first 50 miles were uneventful, as local French resistance fighters were able to help the SAS troopers avoid German positions. To increase the chances of not being discovered, Farran split the jeeps into three groups, and ordered them to maintain a distance of 30 minutes and avoid all German resistance; unfortunately the first group disobeyed the orders and drove through the village of Mailly-le-Chateau, occupied by a German garrison. Although the group made it through the village, losing a jeep in the process, Farran and the next group were ambushed and came under fire, forcing his group and the following one to divert south to the Foret de St Jean, rendezvousing with the first group. The same process took place on the following day, but once again the leading group encountered German troops and suffered heavy losses, only the commander surviving and escaping; they were unable to warn the other two groups, which were also attacked. Farran and his men were able to skirt the Germans, but the third group were all but destroyed, with only a few surviving. The survivors retreated back to Paris, and eventually joined Farran by parachute insertion at a later date.[13]
Now left with only seven of his original jeeps, Farran pressed on, the remainder of the troopers strafing a passing goods train, puncturing the boiler on its engine and forcing it to come to a halt. Eventually they linked up with Grant-Hibbert's men after one final encounter during their journey, assaulting a German radar station and causing the German garrison to flee; prisoners informed the SAS troopers that they believed the jeeps to be the advance guard of
Greece
After his return, Farran took a brief journey to Greece to locate the Greek civilians who had helped him escape from the prisoner of war camp in 1941; he was successful in doing so, and also witnessed the beginnings of the Greek Civil War as German forces retreated from the country.[1]
Operation Tombola
In the middle of December, Farran was dispatched to Italy with 3 Squadron, 2 SAS. The squadron had only been recently formed and was composed of volunteers from the British
Farran wanted to command the operation, known as Tombola, himself, but was forbidden by staff officers at 15th Army Group's headquarters. He did, however, get permission to accompany the transport aircraft the SAS troopers used to parachute into the area. When the operation began on 4 March, Farran "accidentally" fell out of the aircraft from which he was watching the parachute drop, although he was fortunate enough to have a parachute on at the time and his personal kit with him.[1][2][16] All of the troopers landed safely, although one officer dislocated his shoulder on landing and had to be left in the care of several Italian civilians. They were met by the SOE liaison officer, Michael Lees. Lees took Farran and his men to meet the commander of the local Comando Unico, which was formed of four brigades – three Communist and one Christian Democrat. When they arrived, Farran proposed to the Unico that a new battalion known as the Battaglione Alleato be created, with its core an SAS company; it would be fleshed out by a company of right-wing partisans and another of Russian deserters from the Wehrmacht.[16][17] Although this was agreed to, Farran was not enamoured with the state of the partisans when he first inspected them, stating that "nearly all of them had some physical defect."[18] To improve their fitness and training, Farran arranged for several instructors and an Italian interpreter to be parachuted in, as well as a large quantity of supplies. Within a few days the SAS company, with a strength of 40 men, had arrived to form the core of the battalion, with one officer and four men attached to each of the other companies in a supervisory capacity.[19]
Villa Rossi and Villa Calvi
The battalion's first target, as proposed by both Farran and Lees, was the headquarters of the German 51 Mountain Corps (LI Gebirgs Korps) of General Valentin Feurstein and then led from General Friedrich-Wilhelm Hauck, stationed in the area of Albinea, 20 miles from where they landed. Army Group Headquarters initially agreed with the proposal and supplied aerial photography of the headquarters. At the same time, it was discovered that local German forces were beginning an anti-partisan drive into the mountains where the battalion was stationed. Despite this however, Farran decided to continue with the attack, and was en route to the headquarters with the battalion when he was contacted by Army Group Headquarters, who withdrew permission for the attack to take place. Farran ignored the injunction and continued towards the target, on the grounds that he might lose all credibility with the partisans if their first operation was cancelled.[20] Farran had conducted a personal reconnaissance of the headquarters on 23 March, and the battalion arrived in three columns at a farm about 10 miles (16 km) from the target on 26 March. There they rested until nightfall. At 02:00 on 27 March the battalion began the attack on the headquarters.[17][20]
The headquarters consisted of a number of buildings centered around two villas: Villa Rossi, occupied by the Corps commander himself, and Villa Calvi, occupied by his chief of staff. The entire garrison consisted of around 300 German soldiers. The assault itself would see the British SAS company and a number of Italians force their way into the two villas, while the Russian company would place themselves between the villas and the other buildings, preventing the rest of the garrison from intervening. The partisans were able to approach the villas without being spotted, quietly eliminating several sentries in the process. However, their plan to use their bazooka to gain entry to the villa was trashed when it misfired. They were able to reach the interior of the villa by force, but fierce German resistance meant they were unable to move upstairs and kill the chief of staff; they therefore used explosives, petrol, and looted furniture to set the villa on fire, ensuring that the remaining Germans stayed inside with bursts of machine gun fire. Although effective, this conflagration meant that the Germans in Villa Rossi were alerted to the attack before the group of partisans attacking the villa could begin their assault; as in the other villa, the occupants put up a stiff resistance and stymied attempts by the partisans to reach the top floor. A number of Germans were killed in the firefight, however, and one may have been the Corps commander. Under heavy fire, the partisans retreated after setting fire to the villa's kitchen.[21]
The rest of the German garrison reacted swiftly to the attack, and soon brought the Russian screening force under machine-gun fire. On Farran's signal of a red Very light, the entire force retreated from the area, carrying those who had been wounded. After nearly a day marching through the mountains, obscured from German search parties by mist and rain, the battalion arrived in a partisan-controlled village. For their efforts, the battalion had three British soldiers killed, as well as eight British and Italians wounded; this included Lees, who suffered injuries that crippled him permanently – he was eventually taken by light aircraft to a hospital in Florence. Six Russians from the covering force were captured, and Thompson states that they were probably executed 'on the spot'.[21] (it was later discovered that the six missing Russians were safe at the Resistance headquarters days later.) About 60 Germans had been killed by the partisans, including the Chief of Staff.[17] In the aftermath of the raid, the local German forces undertook a drive into the mountains with the goal of eliminating the partisans.[21] Between 28 March and 12 April, aided by the SAS and using heavy weapons, which included a 75-mm pack howitzer and 3-inch mortars, the partisans openly fought the Germans. The battalion was attacked three times in its previously prepared positions, each time repelling the attacks and inflicting heavy German casualties; after one attack on 10 April, the partisans counted 51 German bodies.[22] After heavy fighting and suffering several local reverses, the Russian company conducted a counter-attack that forced the Germans to retreat and end the drive.[23]
Aftermath
At the beginning of April, Farran was informed that the United States Fifth Army was planning to launch an offensive in the area in which he and the partisans were operating. As the army's axis of advance would lead through Modena, Farran decided, with the approval of Army Group Headquarters, to move the battalion into Modena and support the local partisans operating there. Equipped with jeeps, the battalion would launch attacks on Route 12, the primary Florence-Modena route, with the intention of harassing German troops using it. On 5 April Farran received word that the offensive was beginning, and led the battalion to its new area of operations. When it arrived, it was discovered that the terrain lacked any cover for the partisans; as the road ran along an open valley, this would force the jeeps to drive right up to the convoys before opening fire. Farran therefore decided to target German troops on and around the road with the 75-mm howitzer, and then send in the jeeps after they had been bombarded. An initial attack on the village of Sassuolo, near Modena, was extremely successful, and the partisans launched a number of similar raids against Route 12.[23]
After a series of raids, on 20 April, Farran was informed that Fifth Army had broken through German lines, and he decided to have the battalion assault the city of Reggio Emilia, which straddled Route 12. The howitzer was used to bombard the main square of the town, and Farran later discovered that the local German and Italian Fascist garrison believed the attack to be coming from the vanguard of an American armoured division. As a result, the town was abandoned two hours after the shelling had begun. Then on 22 April, it was discovered that American troops had penetrated near the city of Bologna, causing German forces to retreat down Route 12. Positioning the partisan battalion near the Sassuolo Bridge, Farran used the howitzer, mortars, and a machine gun to open fire on the traffic using the bridge, destroying a number of vehicles. The attack attracted the attention of a flight of Supermarine Spitfires, who strafed the area and inflicted more casualties. After fighting all day, Farran withdrew the battalion from the area, and after harassing more German transport columns for a further day, moved the battalion into Modena to help mop up any remaining resistance. Very soon afterwards, orders came for the operation to cease and the British troops to travel to Florence.[24] During its time operating, the battalion had killed an estimated 300 German soldiers and destroyed twenty vehicles, as well as taking 158 prisoners of war, and had suffered 24 casualties in return.[22]
When he returned to Florence and reported to Army Group Headquarters, Farran was told why the Headquarters had wanted to delay the raid on the Corps Headquarters; a major attack by 15th Army Group against that Corps had been scheduled to take place 10 days after the raid, and it was feared that Farran's assault on the headquarters would alert the Germans to the attack.[20] The attack had been cancelled, and as a result of this Farran believed that he would be court-martialled for disobeying orders. This did not occur, however, and he was in fact awarded the American Legion of Merit for his actions during Tombola.[4]
Post-war service
When the Second World War in Europe came to an end, Farran accompanied 2 SAS to Norway, where the unit aided in the process of disarming the German troops stationed there. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre in 1946, and then returned to the 3rd Hussars where he became the regiment's second-in-command. He served with the regiment in Syria for a time, as well as British Mandate Palestine. During his initial period in Palestine, he was with several fellow officers when a nearby ammunition dump was destroyed by guerrillas; Farran and his comrades pursued the guerrillas, managing to wound two of them. Shortly after this, Farran transferred back to Britain to serve as an instructor at Sandhurst, but then volunteered to be seconded to the Palestine Police Force, which maintained order in the Mandate.[1][2]
Palestine
When Farran arrived in Palestine, the British authorities were in the midst of attempting to suppress Jewish paramilitary organizations operating in the Mandate. The largest and most effective of these groups was known as the
British attempts to end their activities were hampered by an inadequate intelligence organization which was understaffed and over-stretched, with many of its small number of personnel consisting of 'enterprising amateurs' seconded from other units.[27] Political violence by Jewish paramilitary groups began when the war came to an end, and by early 1947 Palestine had experienced a large number of attacks against British targets. Debates raged in London over what the best course of action was to combat the attacks. On 2 March 1947, martial law was declared throughout Tel Aviv and the Jewish sector of Jerusalem, with the intended aim of differentiating the paramilitary members from the civilian population and ending the attacks. However, this had the opposite effect, and the number of attacks actually doubled.[28]
"A free hand for us against terror"
After two high-profile kidnappings, the Cabinet acceded to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's request for the restrictions on force employed in security operations to be lifted, despite opposition from the Colonial Office and the fact that the Cabinet had signalled an intention to withdraw from Palestine. Former Royal Marine Nicol Gray, the Inspector General of the Palestine Police, impressed by the wartime exploits of special forces units behind the lines, authorized Brigadier Bernard Fergusson (who had served in the Chindits with Orde Wingate, the leader of the Special Night Squads) to create covert teams along similar lines.[29]
Those in the police who heard of the new unit were aghast, and even Gray's tough-minded predecessor, Brigadier John Rymer-Jones, was moved to warn that the tactic would end in catastrophe.[citation needed] Fergusson ignored him and recruited two former 2nd SAS men as commanders: Alastair MacGregor (then with MI6) and Roy Farran. Some authors [who?] have seen Farran as an odd choice for the assignment given his propensity to contravene direct orders, lack of experience in security or police work, and (by his own later account) drinking problem.[30]
MacGregor was to operate in north Palestine and Farran the south, while Fergusson took the Jerusalem squad pending the arrival of a third squad commander; these areas conformed to military zones, not the six
Alexander Rubowitz affair
On 6 May 1947, 17-year-old Alexander Rubowitz disappeared while putting up posters for Jewish paramilitary group
According to an account ruled inadmissible at Farran's trial, Rubowitz was taken to a remote location where, after being tortured to extract information, he was beaten to death by Farran with a rock and the body given to an Arab for disposal.[36] His body was never found. Suspicions of Farran's involvement were first raised after a grey trilby hat, bearing the name Farran or Farkan, was found near the street corner where a struggling Rubowitz was seen being pushed into a car.[36] Farran claimed he was being framed and fled to Syria. The Syrians, who were sympathetic to Farran, offered him political asylum, hoping he would train their troops for special operations against the Zionists. The case was discussed by the Syrian government.[37] However, Colonel Bernard Fergusson persuaded Farran to return voluntarily.[36] However, when, contrary to Fergusson's assurances, he was arrested, Farran escaped to Jordan, finally returning when he heard of reprisals being planned against British officers.[36] He was brought to trial in a British military court in Jerusalem.[32][36]
Farran was court martialled on a charge of murdering Alexander Rubowitz. Colonel Fergusson, to whom Farran was said to have confessed his guilt, refused to testify, on the grounds that he might incriminate himself.[36][38][39]
Notes made by Farran while in custody and found after his escape reportedly contained a confession but were judged to be preparation for his defence and thus inadmissible under the rules of lawyer-client privilege. The prosecution failed to prove the hat was Farran's or even that Rubowitz was actually dead. The result was that the case collapsed for lack of evidence.[36] On 2 October 1947, Farran was acquitted. Rubowitz's family made many unsuccessful attempts to revive the case. Alexander Rubowitz's body has never been found.[36] After the trial, Fergusson was told to resign and leave the country within 36 hours.[32]
Lehi bombing of family home
After his return from Palestine, the
Two of those involved in the murder, Irgun members Monty Harris and Nathan Raymond Burns, were arrested in England in 1948. In October 1948, Harris was found guilty of illegally possessing explosives and sentenced to 7 years in prison, while Burns was acquitted. In August 1950, Harris was released from prison on condition of departing to Israel and renouncing his British citizenship.[43]
Post army life
1950 United Kingdom general election results | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Dudley[44] | Turnout 86.83% | |||
Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Labour | George Wigg
|
32,856 | 54.62% | |
Conservative | Roy Farran | 19,825 | 32.96% | |
Liberal | B.S. White | 7,470 | 12.42% | |
Total | 60,151 | 100% |
After being discharged from the army, Farran moved to Scotland and briefly worked as a quarryman. He briefly went to Africa before returning to the United Kingdom to run in the
Political career
1963 Alberta general election results | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary Queens Park[46] | Turnout 54.64% | |||
Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Social Credit | Lee Leavitt | 4,363 | 48.20% | |
Progressive Conservative | Duncan McKilliop | 1,597 | 17.64% | |
Independent | Roy Farran | 1,496 | 16.53% | |
Liberal | John Donnachie | 961 | 10.61% | |
NDP | Ben Greenfield | 509 | 5.62% | |
Independent Social Credit | Conrad Pfeifer | 126 | 1.40% | |
Total | 9,052 | 100% |
Farran launched his political career in Canada in 1961, running for a seat on the Calgary City Council. His campaign was coordinated by a young RCAF officer, Lynn Garrison, and would serve his first stint on Council until October 1963.[45]
In June 1963, while he was still serving on Calgary City Council, Farran ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the 1963 Alberta general election. He ran as an Independent candidate in the provincial electoral district of Calgary Queen's Park and finished in third place out of six candidates, losing to Social Credit incumbent Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Lee Leavitt. Farran took over 16% of the popular vote and finished close behind second place Progressive Conservative candidate, Duncan McKilliop.[46]
Farran returned for his second stint on Calgary City Council in 1964 and served until 1971 when he was elected to provincial office. He held his civic seat at the same time he held his provincial seat until his term expired in October that year.[45]
1971 Alberta general election results | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary-North Hill[47] | Turnout 71.06% | |||
Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Progressive Conservative | Roy Farran | 4,961 | 43.81% | |
Social Credit | Robert Simpson | 4,900 | 43.28% | |
NDP | Barry Pashak | 1,341 | 11.84% | |
Independent | Carl Reich | 121 | 1.07% | |
Total | 11,323 | 100% |
Farran ran for a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1971 Alberta general election. He won the new electoral district of Calgary-North Hill, defeating Social Credit incumbent Robert Simpson and future MLA Barry Pashak, as well as an Independent candidate in a hotly contested race to pick up the district for the Progressive Conservatives. The electoral district was one of the most hotly contested races in 1971, with just a spread of 0.53% separating Farran and Simpson.[47]
The Progressive Conservatives would form their first government in the province. Premier Peter Lougheed appointed Farran to the Executive Council of Alberta in 1973 after the death of Len Werry and served as Minister of Telephones and Utilities. He would run for re-election in the 1975 Alberta general election with ministerial advantage. Farran faced Simpson for the second time, and a further three candidates. He was returned to office with a landslide plurality, picking up just over 70% of the popular vote. Simpson would see his popular support collapse, while the other three candidates had no significant impact in the race.[48]
1975 Alberta general election results | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary-North Hill[48] | Turnout 61.65% | |||
Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Progressive Conservative | Roy Farran | 6,673 | 70.96% | |
Social Credit | Robert Simpson | 1,364 | 14.50% | |
NDP | Joan Ryan | 723 | 7.69% | |
Liberal | Dorothy Groves | 584 | 6.21% | |
Communist | Stephen Whitefield | 60 | 0.64% | |
Total | 9,404 | 100% |
After the election Lougheed would shuffle his cabinet, and Farran was appointed as the Solicitor General. He held that position until he retired from provincial politics at the dissolution of the legislature in 1979. During his time in office he served on numerous committees in the Legislature, including Public Accounts; Private Bills; Standing Orders and Printing; Law; Law Amendments and Regulations; Public Affairs; Agriculture; and Education.[49]
Late life
After leaving provincial politics, he was appointed by the Province of Alberta to serve as head of the Racing Commission. He also became a visiting professor at the
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "The Times – Obituary for Major Roy Farran". London. 6 June 2006. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Daily Telegraph – Obituary for Major Roy Farran". The Daily Telegraph. London. 5 June 2006. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
- ^ a b Roy Farran, Winged Dagger: Adventures on Special Service, 1948. Relevant excepts Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d e f Diana Condell (12 June 2006). "Major Roy Farran". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Asher, p. 224
- ^ Asher, p. 200
- ^ Asher, pp. 215–216
- ^ Asher, p. 220
- ^ Asher, p. 225
- ^ Asher, p. 262
- ^ Huston, p. 237
- ^ Thompson, pp. 330–331
- ^ Thompson, p. 331
- ^ Thompson, pp. 331–332
- ^ Thompson, p. 367
- ^ a b c Thompson, p. 368
- ^ a b c Otway, p. 252
- ^ Thompson, pp. 368–369
- ^ Thompson, pp. 369–370
- ^ a b c Thompson, p. 370
- ^ a b c Thompson, p. 371
- ^ a b Otway, p. 253
- ^ a b Thompson, p. 372
- ^ Thompson, p. 373
- ^ Aldrich, pp. 256–257
- ^ Aldrich, p. 257
- ^ Aldrich, p. 259
- ^ Aldrich, p. 261
- ^ Aldrich, pp. 261–262
- ^ Kardahj, N. (2007) "A Measure of Restraint: The Palestine Police and the End of the British Mandate." MPhil Thesis, Modern.
- ^ Aldrich, p. 262
- ^ a b c Anderson, D., David Killingray. Policing and decolonisation: politics, nationalism, and the police, 1917–65, pp. 75–77
- ^ Jones, T. Postwar counterinsurgency and the SAS, 1945–1952: a special type of warfare, pg. 121
- ^ Jones, T. (2005) SAS: the first secret wars: the unknown years of combat & counter-insurgency
- ^ Pryce-Jones. D., TROUBLE IN PALESTINE (review of) Major Farran's Hat: Murder, Scandal and Britain's War Against Jewish Terrorism, 1945–1948 By David CesaraniL, Literary Review "Literary Review - David Pryce-Jones on Major Farran's Hat by David Cesarani". Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Major Farran's Hat: The Untold Story of the Struggle to Establish the Jewish State by David Cesarani
- ISSN 0959-2318.
- ^ Farran, Fergusson may be in UK, Palestine Post, 1947/10/08
- ^ No action against Col. Fergusson, Palestine Post, 1947/10/16
- ^ West, p. 37
- ^ Melman, Yossi (13 January 2005). "The Heruti code". Haaretz.
- ^ Focal International (2006). "FOCAL Awards – Award for Best Use of Footage in a History Factual Production". Focal International Ltd. Archived from the original on 22 June 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ISBN 978-0-306-81845-5.
- ^ "UK General Election results February 1950". Politics Resources. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ a b c "Alderman biographies f" (PDF). City of Calgary. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Calgary Queen's Park election results 1963". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Calgary-North Hill election results 1971". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Calgary-North Hill election results 1975". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- ^ "Legislative Assembly of Alberta" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Legislative Assembly of Alberta. 24 August 2006. p. 1,681. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2006.
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-0-7156-3607-7.
- ISBN 978-0-14-102652-7.
- Harclerode, Peter (2005). Wings Of War — Airborne Warfare 1918–1945. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-304-36730-3.
- Huston, James A. (1998). Out of the Blue – U.S Army Airborne Operations in World War II. Purdue University Press. ISBN 1-55753-148-X.
- Jones, Tim (2005). SAS: The first secret wars: The unknown years of combat & counter-insurgency. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-86064-676-X.
- ISBN 0-901627-57-7.
- Thompson, Major General Julian (1999). The Imperial War Museum: War Behind Enemy Lines. Pan Grand. ISBN 0-330-36761-7.
- West, Nigel (1988). The Friends: Britain's Post-War Secret Intelligence Operations. Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
- ISBN 978-0-241-18663-3.
Further reading
- ISBN 978-0-09-952287-4.
- Yacowar, Maurice (2010). Roy & Me: This Is Not a Memoir. Edmonton: AU Press. ISBN 978-1-926836-10-2.
- Farran, Roy Alexander (1948). Winged dagger: adventures on Special Service. London: Grafton. ISBN 978-0-586-20085-8.
- Farran, Roy Alexander (1960). Operation Tombola. London: Collins.
- Incerti, Matteo; Ruozi, Valentina (2012). Il bracciale di sterline. Cento bastardi senza gloria. Una storia di guerra e di passioni [The sterling bracelet. A hundred inglorious bastards. A story of war and passions] (in Italian). Aliberti. ISBN 978-88-7424-829-2.