The Most Courageous Raid of WWII (2011)

The Real Story Of The Cockleshell Heroes

The Most Courageous Raid of WWII (2011) poster

Lord Ashdown, a former special forces commando, tells the story of the 'Cockleshell Heroes', who led one of the most daring and audacious commando raids of World War II. In 1942, Britain was struggling to fight back against Nazi Germany. Lacking the resources for a second front, Churchill encouraged innovative and daring new methods of combat. Enter stage left, Blondie Hasler. With a unit of 12 Royal Marine commandos, Major Blondie Hasler believed his 'cockleshell' canoe could be effectively used in clandestine attacks on the enemy. Their brief was to navigate the most heavily defended estuary in Europe, to dodge searchlights, machine-gun posts and armed river-patrol craft 70 miles downriver, and then to blow up enemy shipping in Bordeaux harbour. Lord Ashdown recreates parts of the raid and explains how this experience was used in preparing for one of the greatest land invasions in history, D-day.

Director: Francis Whately
Genre: Documentary, War
Runtime: 60 min
Release Date:

Cast

Production: BBC
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Francis Whately
More Films in Genre: Documentary, War

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Most Courageous Raid of WWII about?
Lord Ashdown, a former special forces commando, tells the story of the 'Cockleshell Heroes', who led one of the most daring and audacious commando raids of World War II. In 1942, Britain was struggling to fight back against Nazi Germany. Lacking the resources for a second front, Churchill encouraged innovative and daring new methods of combat. Enter stage left, Blondie Hasler. With a unit of 12 Royal Marine commandos, Major Blondie Hasler believed his 'cockleshell' canoe could be effectively used in clandestine attacks on the enemy. Their brief was to navigate the most heavily defended estuary in Europe, to dodge searchlights, machine-gun posts and armed river-patrol craft 70 miles downriver, and then to blow up enemy shipping in Bordeaux harbour. Lord Ashdown recreates parts of the raid and explains how this experience was used in preparing for one of the greatest land invasions in history, D-day.
Who directed The Most Courageous Raid of WWII?
The Most Courageous Raid of WWII was directed by Francis Whately.
Who stars in The Most Courageous Raid of WWII?
The Most Courageous Raid of WWII stars Paddy Ashdown.
How long is The Most Courageous Raid of WWII?
The Most Courageous Raid of WWII has a runtime of 1h 0m (60 minutes).
What genre is The Most Courageous Raid of WWII?
The Most Courageous Raid of WWII is a Documentary, War film.
Where was The Most Courageous Raid of WWII produced?
The Most Courageous Raid of WWII was produced in United Kingdom.