Copyright 2006 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
One of the more ambitious projects of World War II was the Jedburgh Teams. A creation of the British Special Operations Executive and American Office of Strategic Services, the Jedburghs were one of several clandestine units designed to operate behind enemy lines. They operated in Europe and Asia from 1944 to the end of the War.
Named for a Scottish town renowned for guerrilla fighters in the Middle Ages, the Jedburgh teams were composed of three men: commander, executive officer and radio operator. One of the officers was from the country into which the team would be dropped. Both officers were expected to speak that country’s language. Radio operators usually had some fluency, as well. Their job was to go behind enemy lines and coordinate Resistance groups. The Jedburghs were to help supply, arm and train the resistance fighters, as well as coordinate their activities with Special Forced HQ in Britain.
Training was exceptionally rigorous. It was physically and mentally demanding. Men learned to handle Allied and foreign small arms, demolitions and land navigation. They were trained in the Fairbairn method of hand-to-hand combat. They also had parachute training, with the focus on low altitude drops from specially-rigged Lancaster and B24 bombers. Much of the training was at the Jedburgh headquarters at Morris Hall in Britain.
Jedburgh
members carried American .45 automatic pistols and M1 Carbines with the paratrooper folding stock. They used British parachutists helmets and camouflage
smocks. The team also came with radios,
radio crystals, cyphers books and explosives.
Containers with firearms, explosives and other equipment was dropped
with them.
Between May and August of 1944, groups were dropped into France. The landings were coordinated with the various Resistance groups. The problem for many was the varied experiences which groups had in directing air drops. Some groups knew how to set u pa nocturnal drop zone, and others made mistakes. Nonetheless, most of the groups dropped without serious damage.
The first groups were composed of British and American troops with the addition of French soldiers. A group would be moved to a safe house in London to get briefed. From there they went to the airfield for insertion into enemy territory. Most were inserted 40 miles or more behind the front lines. A group dropped with anywhere from three to thirty six containers. The resistance members would help move the containers and distribute their contents.
The French Resistance was a mixed bag in every way. It ranged from highly-organized units to loosely-knit bands. Many groups had political affiliations, with one of the largest being Communist. The organized groups that helped downed Allied pilots escape to Britain were contrasted with inexperienced group that had no training at all. Members also ran the gamut from former soldiers to green civilians.
It was this mixed bag that the Jedburghs were expected to support. They were to provide training and leadership. The Resistance members themselves were very enthusiastic, but most had very little training in combat skills.
The Jedburghs were able to work with the Resistance in all its forms. It was able to send resistance members to act as guides for Allied forces and coordinate defense of key areas. Sabotage and ambushes were also key activities. With coordination through the Jedburghs and the supplies of weapons, the Resistance became a serious problem for German forces.
The main problem with Resistance forces was that their enthusiasm outweighed their combat capabilities. With little training, they could only handle those German units over which they had overwhelming numerical superiority. The Resistance were vulnerable to coordinated attacks with heavy weapons, not to mention tanks or armored cars. In a firefight, German forces were able to inflict numerous casualties.
Operating in France, the Jedburghs and Resistance faced a tough enemy. The Germans had plenty of experience against partisans. Along with special police formations, they were bolstered with auxiliary troops recruited from Eastern European prisoners of war. While not of the caliber of German units, the auxiliaries were formidable to Resistance groups. Another problem was the Milice, a paramilitary organization supporting the Vichy regime. Milice units fought the Resistance and anyone else who opposed the Vichy regime. Milice and auxiliaries had the advantages of training, unit cohesion, organization and firepower.
The presence of Jedburghs and other clandestine operatives led to a rise in resistance activities. That attracted German forces, who would lead coordinated raids against the poorly-armed and inexperienced Resistance. Many a Jedburgh team had to make a hasty escape when confronted by a tightening cordon of enemy troops.
The Jedburghs in France and Belgium operated in advance of Allied forces. Jedburgh units were intended to direct the Resistance to cause trouble behind the lines, harass retreating troops and impede military units. Once the Allied armies arrived in a Jedburgh team’s area, the mission was finished. The team would be sent back the Britain. Resistance fighters would continue to support the Allied operations by providing local guides and helping round up German stragglers..
September saw the finish of Jedburgh operations in France. Six units made the later drop into Holland for Operation Market Garden, with disastrous results. The remainder were either broken up and sent to other units, or sent to work in the Far East. Jedburghs worked in China and Burma from late 1944 until the end of the War. Aaron banks, a Jedburgh veteran, was one of the founders of the US Special Forces. Like its predecessors, the Special Forces role includes supporting and training indigenous troops.
The Jedburghs were one of several clandestine units operating in Europe in 1944. Like the OSS’s Operations groups and British SAS, they were a new idea. Conventional military commanders had little idea of how best to use them. The OSS and SOE were breaking into entirely new ground.
The Jedburghs were able to support Allied advances by sending guides and providing a link to Resistance groups. They were useful in coordinating sabotage and in come cases, preventing German sabotage of bridges. Jedburgh teams complained that they had not been inserted early enough, and did not have enough time to prepare the Resistance members. They also felt that the conventional commanders did not make the fullest use of the Jedburgh’s capabilities.
The Jedburghs wrote a new chapter in the history of warfare. They were among the first modern clandestine operations. Through excellent training and preparation, they were able to handle monumental task of supporting resistance groups in hostile territory. Even more amazing was their ability to work through the confusing web of affiliations of the various resistance groups, even while being actively hunted by enemy forces.