Commando Memorial Saint-Nazaire
La Baule – Escoublac Cemetery
“Faced with such daunting odds the success of the raid in knocking out the dry dock for the remainder of the war can only be described as a perfect validation of spirit, directed by enlightened training, as the soldier’s most potent weapon. Particularly in the case of Colonel Newman’s underused, Commandos, trailblazers as they were for today’s Special Forces, their display of belligerence was absolutely typical of a group of very special young men chosen for their courage and initiative and trained to the point where they believed themselves superior to any foe.”
© James Dorrian. Used with permission.
Update from the St Nazaire Raid Memorial Trust:
Of the 625 sailors and commandos involved 169 were lost, mainly in the burning waters
of the Loire estuary, with 101 of them having no known grave. Over 200 were made
prisoners of war but 239 were able to return to Falmouth. In addition, the RAF lost 9
aircrew. Among the 140 decorations awarded were five Victoria Crosses.
Each year commemorative events are held in St Nazaire, Falmouth (where the Charioteers set off from) and at a London lunch.
The Normandie Dock remained out of action for the rest of the war and the Tirpitz never ventured into the Atlantic.