Operation Huckaback facts for kids
Operation Huckaback was a secret mission carried out by special British soldiers called Commandos during World War II. This mission happened on the night of February 27-28, 1943. It was done by a group known as No. 62 Commando, also called the Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF).
The First Plan for Operation Huckaback
Operation Huckaback was first planned for February 9-10, 1943. The idea was to attack three small islands at the same time: Herm, Jethou, and Brecqhou. These islands are part of the Channel Islands, which were controlled by Germany at the time.
The main goal of the mission was to capture German soldiers. The Commandos also wanted to gather information. They hoped to learn more about what was happening on the occupied islands. Forty-two soldiers from the SSRF and No. 4 Commando were ready for this mission. However, bad weather stopped the plan, and it was called off.
The Raid on Herm Island
The mission was then changed to focus only on Herm Island. It was rescheduled for the night of February 27-28, 1943. Ten soldiers from the SSRF took part in this new plan. They were led by Captain Patrick Anthony Porteous VC.
The soldiers landed on a shingle beach about 200 yards (180 m) northwest of a spot called Selle Rocque. They arrived from a fast boat known as MTB 344. Getting up the cliff from the beach was very hard. They tried three times and failed. Finally, Captain Porteous found a way up a dry stream bed. He then used special ropes to help the other soldiers climb up after him.
Searching the Island
Once they were on top, the Commandos went to Belvoir House. They found that someone had already broken into it, and it was empty. They continued to search the island. They checked the Old Tower of Herm and the Château, but these places were also deserted.
The soldiers did not find any German troops on the island. They also did not find any of the people who lived there. It turned out that the caretaker of Belvoir House knew people were on the island. However, the caretaker had locked the door and stayed hidden.
The Commandos left some leaflets for the Germans to find. After their search, they left Herm Island and returned safely to England. The few people living near the harbor on the island did not even know the raid had happened.
