Jailbreakers

[Dimpyz]

@SugarTomAppleRoger you don't understand the history here. Firstly, 198 Sqn was a regular 'British' RAF Sqn supplying protection. Secondly, RAAF and RNAF personnel served often indivisibly alongside Brits, South Africans and Canadians. These Sqns were Brit formed, Brit equipped and Brit paid for. Training was often in Canada as part of Empire Training School. Both Aussies and Kiwis often had much closer ties to Britain than now. It's unfair to claim success by nationality, it was never done.

[SugarTomAppleRoger]

What a bunch of lies this documentary was. There were three airforces involoved in this - not two

1) Australia. They were tasked in breaching the Western wall, which they did not do. They bombed the guardhouse, killing many prisoners they were supposed to be protecting.

2) English. They did not take part in the raid, but took all the credit. Surprise surpise.

3) New Zealand. They were tasked in breaching the Eastern Wall. They did this, and breached the Northern wall also.

NZ did it all !!

[glennslenses]

@SugarTomAppleRoger So if the British didn't take part, how can you explain the presence and death of the Master Bomber, Grp. Captn. Charles Pickard? Born in Yorkshire, I believe this would make him English! As for prisoners getting killed, the French KNEW this would be the case but they would rather this than have the Gestapo torture them before killing them. It was, after all, the FRENCH who requested that this raid take place!

[SugarTomAppleRoger]

@glennslenses Read what I said again. Pickard commanded the raid, He had a NZ navigator which is never mentioned. He didn't break the prison walls - the PURPOSE of the raid, The NZers did it. 487 Squadron. RNZAF. New Zealander The real 633 Squadron!

[Aussiephil99]

@SugarTomAppleRoger .......you are wrong!!!! 487 RNZAF and 464 RAAF squadron were involved as well an an RAF mosquito squadron. Escort was provided by RAF Typhoons........anyway most RAF squadrons had mixed nationalities....even RAAF and RNZAF squadrons often had non-ANZACs. The RAAF and RNZAF squadron were basically part of the RAF. They were trained by the RAF flew RAF aircraft and followed RAF orders!!

[Giselle76502]

Braco, I'm makeing a stop motion film on Operation Jericho, keep an eye out for it.

[Nostrinian]

I read this book about Op Jericho - think it was called "And the walls came tumbling down". Pickard and those men were very professional and brave, and I for one salute them -RIP.

[bullfrogger69]

@Nostrinian my grandfather was part of this operation in the 487 squadron :)

[50GallonDrum]

@bullfrogger69 My Great-Uncle was, too! Wing Cdr Robert Iredale of the 464 Sqdn RAAF, flying Mosquito SB-F.

[npickard]

@50GallonDrum My Grandfather was PC Pickard. I went to the 50th anniversary of the raid in 1994, with my grandmother Dorothy Pickard. I have a painting by Gerald Coulson with the signatures of the surviving pilots. WOW. I salute your great uncle!

[Aussiephil99]

@npickard ....I've read the book about Percy Pickard......the bits about Ming the dog are freaky......how he knew he'd been shot down.........and then on a later raid killed

[npickard]

@Aussiephil99 My grandmother Dorothy told me about that, and yes it is freaky! I recorded her talking about that before she passed away.

[MrLasicak]

@npickard In late 80s (still under communist regime) there was a short catchy comix published in childrens magazine called ABC about operation Jericho and Captain Charles Pickard. Since then I remeber his name. As a training leader of czechoslovak 311. squadron, he is also part of history of my country and his influence on operational skills of this unit is often mentioned.