Operation Basalt: The British Raid on Sark and Hitler's Commando Order

Operation Basalt was carried out by British commandos on the island of Sark on the night of October 3-4, 1942, intended to serve several purposes. The raid itself was a tactical success: a German prisoner was captured, several more were killed, and all British soldiers returned safely to base. It is remembered because of Hitler’s reaction. He ordered: "In future, all terror and sabotage troops of the British . . . will be ruthlessly eliminated in battle." Using the National Archives and the Sark Society archives, Eric Lee tells the Basalt story for the first time.