The 60th Anniversary Reunion Dinner of the Society

From Buckingham Palace to Major General Corran Purdon CBE, MC, CPM, who wrote to Her Majesty The Queen on behalf of the Society:

“The Queen appreciated your thoughtfulness in writing as you did, and asked that her warm good wishes are conveyed to the surviving members of the Royal Navy and Army Commandos who took part in the Raid on St Nazaire on 28 March 1942, as they gather with their families, next of kin, and friends for the Dinner at the Royal Duchy Hotel in Falmouth. Her Majesty was touched by your congratulations and hopes that you will all thoroughly enjoy the evening on the 6th April.”

From HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to Major General Corran Purdon:
“Your message from all those attending the St Nazaire Society Reunion dinner at the Royal Duchy Hotel, Falmouth, is very much appreciated. I would be grateful if you would give everyone my best wishes for a very happy evening.” Philip Patron

Our Royal Navy President, Mr Hugh Arnold, DSC, accompanied by Pam his wife, was in the President’s Chair for the evening. In front of him was the Atherstone Bell, kindly brought to the Reunion each year by Stephen Barney, ex HMS Atherstone.

The toast to Operation Chariot was proposed by Mr Nick Beattie, son of Captain Sam Beattie, VC, RN –


My Lords Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a great privilege for me to be presenting the toast to Operation Chariot this evening.
“A deed of glory intimately involved in high strategy” so said Winston Churchill.

My father along with over 600 others set off from this very port some 60 years ago – I was six months old at the time – and so it is particularly poignant to be here. Nearly all of you will be all too familiar with the story – sadly though the charioteers are dwindling all too fast – although even this serves to remind us how very young was the fighting force that set off that dark day in March 1942. So I want for a moment to consider what the legacy of the raid is.

Lord Mountbatten said “Having been associated with practically all combined operations, from two-man raids to the planning for Normandy, I have no hesitation in saying that the finest and most profitable of the lot was your raid on St Nazaire.”

There have been four full books and many shorter publications devoted to the raid, or specific aspects of it. There has been one feature length film - starring Trevor Howard - mother didn’t approve! - and three television documentaries. There is even a cartoon book in the fashion of The Adventures of Tin-Tin published in both French and English, giving an accurate account of the raid. Many of these are recent publications.

“You” said Monsieur Ramadier (Prime Minister of France) in 1947, “were the first to give us hope”.

Visiting St Nazaire in March 2000 for the last reunion there I went into the visitor centre to seek directions. When I explained why we were visiting they were in tears of emotion and said how important the raid was to them – they asked me to thank everyone – this nearly 60 years on and from someone far too young to remember the event first hand! This left me feeling very humble and with an enormous sense of pride in what had been achieved and in all those who took part, not the least of course in my own father’s part. It also alerted me to the realisation that the memory of this raid must not die with the passing of those who undertook this suicidal mission.

All this is in part why I stand here now – there are three of us of “the next generation” on the Society Committee - Jason Beart, son of Lt EH Beart, Captain of ML267, and Roderick Roy son of Captain DW Roy 2 Commando. And me.

We are on the committee not just out of respect for those who did take part - although that would be enough, or indeed because the cunning old boys have now learnt the art of delegation, which they have, but because we all share the intent that the memory of this raid must not be allowed to die.

It is my hope that we will raise awareness of this incredible event to a wider audience, that it should become known as one of the “legendary acts of wartime achievement and bravery” - perhaps to become the Trafalgar of the 20th Century.

We are already trying to expand knowledge of ‘The Raid’ with the website which is getting responses from all over the world.

Associate Membership of the Society is available.

Why should we feel so strongly about this - what is the legacy? Operation Chariot became a pivotal point in the war. It showed the war could be won. Courage, discipline, humour, pride in nation more than self, loyalty to friends and colleagues, belief in justice are the hallmarks of those who took part.

Freedom from tyranny, free speech, an open democracy, our ability as a nation to be able to stand by Christian values - the country we have today - this is the legacy. And because of this it is imperative the memory of this raid continues forever.

Ladies and gentlemen please raise your glasses and drink to Operation Chariot - “may the memory live forever”.


Mr Roderick Roy, son of Captain Donald Roy, MC, 2 Commando, proposed the toast to the Guests:

Mr President it is with pleasure that I propose this toast and recognise the support by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall Lady Mary Holborow and her husband Geoffrey; my Lord Bishop Bill Ind and his wife Frances; Pat Young the Chairman of Carrick District Council and her Consort Bernard Spilsbury; Geoffrey Evans, Mayor of Falmouth and his daughter Rebecca; Canon Roger Gilbert, Rector of Falmouth Parish Church and his wife Pascale and, of course our French Guests of Honour Monsieur Michel Euxibie - the former Deputy Mayor of St Nazaire and his wife Nicole and other guests invited to join us here at Falmouth.

We welcome you all to this notable Reunion – the 60th Anniversary of Operation Chariot – so aptly named “The Greatest Raid of All”. I have to say that I am very impressed that so many people have come from so far. My family and I live in Suffolk, which is not really on the way to anywhere except the North Sea and we always feel that if someone comes to visit it really is because they want to see us, rather than just being a convenient staging post! Cornwall has many attractions, but I think that most people coming here today have made the journey just for one reason. To be able to share in the celebration of this truly remarkable raid and to spend some time with those people who took part.

All guests, and those who show an interest in the Society, are very important for the future and I would like to endorse the point made by Nick Beattie. I do hope that many of you will wish to become Associate Members in the future and help to keep alive the activities of the Society.

I think that one of the major regrets is that I did not come to any of the meetings in the past, with my father. It would have been a fantastic opportunity to meet up with so many of the people that I knew only by name or by deed. Even becoming involved with the Society at such a late stage - beginning with the reunion in St Nazaire two years ago - has still been enlightening, an honour and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

I suppose that I should really have been prepared for the type of people who make up the membership as I did, after all, spend 50 years or so with my father. Not always the easiest of Dads to have, but it most certainly meant that life was never dull! I could mentions 100s - if not 1000s - of events that few people would experience.

In town, my father never walked on pavements - too many people in the way - he always just marched up the middle of the road, handlebar moustache, Deer Stalker and Inverness Cape flowing. He quite honestly saw nothing at all strange in that. I believe while I knew him that he never told a lie, not even a white one - now that really can be excruciatingly embarrassing!

I remember on one occasion when I was still in my teens I was working on an old pre-war Drop-head coupe Jaguar car that I had bought for the princely sum of £50. It hadn’t been used in years and I was at our local garage getting a bit of help starting the engine when Dad popped in, saw it was running and suggested that he take it out for a brief spin - just to see how it drove. I reluctantly agreed and - rather pointlessly - asked him to take it steady as the engine needed to be ‘run in’ again.

Off he went - we could hear him for ages as the machine had very little of its silencer in place. 10 minutes went by, then 15, 20 - nothing and I was beginning to think it had probably packed up somewhere and we should go and look for him when we heard a distant hum that steadily grew louder and louder. The garage was at the bottom of a dip and looking up the road we suddenly saw a Healey 3000 Sports car come flat out down the hill - past us and roar away with a total disregard for any speed limits. I just knew what would happen, and sure enough, a few seconds later the enormous headlamps of the Jag appeared, the car powered down the hill, careered past the garage and hurled itself along the road after the Healey.

After about 30 minutes my father returned with the jag - both of them glowing red from all the effort.

All he said was “I got the bugger”.and then “Oh, I think you’ll find the Jag’s run in now”.

The Society Members who I am now meeting come out of the same mould. Of course they do different things, but basically they do their own thing.

So again I would strongly suggest that all those with an interest in the Society - join. Families can spread the word - to use Bob Montgomery’s words again - “to move the Society into the future”.

Falmouth is pivotal - it is the natural home of the Society - and I hope that there will always be a very close relationship between the two - whether as guests or Associate Members.

Charioteers - I ask you to charge your glasses and toast “The Guests”

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