Operation Begonia facts for kids

During World War II, two special missions called Operation Begonia and Operation Jonquil took place in Italy. These missions were carried out by brave British soldiers from the SAS and the Eighth Army Airborne. They happened between the cities of Ancona and Pescara from October 2 to 6, 1943.

Operation Begonia was an airborne mission, meaning soldiers jumped from planes. Operation Jonquil was an amphibious mission, meaning soldiers arrived by sea. Together, these operations involved 61 soldiers.

What Was the Goal?

The main goal of these missions was to find POWs, which stands for Prisoners of War. These were soldiers who had escaped from enemy camps. The plan was to find them inland and then bring them to special beach spots. From there, they could be picked up and taken to safety.

Operation Begonia involved five groups of soldiers parachuting deep into Italy. Four of these groups were from the Airborne forces, and one was from the 2 SAS.

Operation Jonquil involved four groups of soldiers arriving by sea at the beaches. These groups were also from the 2 SAS. They had help from a French SAS Squadron to keep them safe.

What Happened?

Even though the soldiers were very brave, the missions didn't go as well as planned. There were some problems with how the missions were set up. A big issue was that the soldiers didn't have radios. This made it hard for them to talk to each other and coordinate.

Because of these problems, hundreds of escaped Prisoners of War were found and sent towards the beaches. However, only about 50 of them actually met up with the beach parties. These 50 brave soldiers were successfully rescued and brought to safety.