Commandos in Exile: The Story of 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando, 1942–1945

by Nicholas van der Bijl

Formed from members of Free Forces who had escaped from German occupation, 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando was one of the most unusual units in WW2. All members had to pass the Green Beret commando course at Achnacarry in Scotland and the book begins by describing this training. With no less than six national troops, plus X Troop drawn from exiled Jews, 10 Commando never fought as an entity but loaned troops for specific operations, such as One Troop (French) taking part in the Dieppe Raid, 2 Troop (Dutch) fighting at Arnhem, 5 Troop (Norwegian) raiding the Lofoten Islands etc. At other times groups played a key intelligence role questioning POWs, translating captured documents, conducting reconnaissance patrols and intelligence gathering on the D-Day beaches. The history of X Commando, made up of escaped Jewish individuals is especially interesting.The book also reviews the growth of post-war national Commando forces.

Genres: World War II

393 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2008

Reviews

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched and written book about the forming and operations of 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando that was mainly made up of men from the occupied countries in Europe, as well as German and Austrian Jews who escaped Nazism. Though it took a long time to form and to partake in operations alongside the Allies, they did have some great successes during their raids along the occupied coastline from Norway way down to the Mediterranean front. The story of their operations are thrilling, but the stories of some individuals who made their escape from occupied territories are often even more so. A recommended read for anyone interested in Commando operations.