Eighty years ago, Operation Frankton was underway during World War Two. During the mission, ten British soldiers paddled their way to Bordeaux, France on kayaks. The goal was to plant mines on German ships while it was dark at night. Unfortunately, six of the soldiers were killed by the Germans and two others died of hypothermia.
In commemoration of the operation and the fallen heroes, ten Royal Marines recreated the mission. The undertaking, dubbed Cockleshell 22, is reminiscent of the limpet mines carried by the soldiers and the commemorative 1955 film, The Cockleshell Heroes. The marines set out on the French coast, continued up on the Gironde estuary, and reached Bordeaux after four days.
At Bordeaux, there was an anniversary event upon the arrival of the ten Royal Marines. Mike Heard, the grandson of Bill Sparks, one of the commandos who survived the mission, was honored to be present at the commemoration. He exclaimed: “It’s tremendous that the legacy of the original Cockleshell raid lives on. It’s a great opportunity to showcase the original mission and raise money at the same time.”
The funds raised through the event will go to Help for Heroes, an organization that supports veterans and their families. The Royal Marines have already collected over £25,000 toward causes benefiting veterans’ mental health.