THE SAS IN OCCUPIED FRANCE

◗ Gavin Mortimer ◗ Pen and Sword (2020) ◗ £25 ◗ 214 pages (hardback) ◗ ISBN:9781526769626 ◗ pen-and-sword.co.uk

This is an honest appraisal of six SAS operations in France in WWII, featuring a curious mixture of resilience, carelessness, inexperience, bravery, strategic misapplication, and much more.

The SAS won a fine reputation in North Africa, but was rapidly expanded prior to D-Day, resulting in an influx of inexperienced personnel who were often mentally and physically weaker than the veterans (and were viewed as such by the latter). This all took place within an unfamiliar operating environment – variable logistics, novel terrain, and sometimes an uncertain relationship with the local Resistance. Later operations, when the Germans were on the back foot, worked better, but some of the early missions (notably Bulbasket) resulted in high casualties and little gain, largely through inadequate planning and sloppy field security.

The book covers the six operations in candid detail, with supplementary photos and text to allow informed visits to the scenes of action. There are reasonably detailed maps of key actions –ideal for the skirmish gamer, and even including a 6-pdr AT gun and mortars to complement the heavily-armed armoured jeeps.