Operation Bulbasket - Mission

Mission

The advance party for Operation Bulbasket, including Tonkin, were flown to France by a Handley Page Halifax belonging to 'B' Flight, No. 161 Squadron RAF, the special duties squadron. Their drop zone was an area of the Brenne marsh 19 miles (31 km) south west of Châteauroux, which they reached at 01:37 hours on 6 June 1944. On the ground to meet them was their SOE contact, Captain Maingard. Two further groups from 'B' Squadron were parachuted in, one on 7 June and the second on 11 June. Also dropped at the same time were Vickers K machine gun armed Jeeps.

Once on the ground, the SAS Squadron set about preventing German reinforcements reaching Normandy. They attacked the rail network, laid mines, conducted vehicle patrols in their Jeeps and trained members of the French Resistance. On 10 June a French railwayman informed Tonkin that a train composed of at least eleven petrol tankers was parked at the rail sidings at Châtellerault. These were the fuel reserves for the advancing 2nd SS Panzer Division. To confirm their location, Tonkin sent Lieutenant Tomos Stephens on a reconnaissance of the area. Travelling alone by bicycle, Stephens made the 74 miles (119 km) round trip - returning on 11 June. He confirmed the location of the petrol train. He also reported that it was too heavily guarded for the SAS squadron to deal with. Tonkin contacted England and requested an air attack on the train. That night a force of 12 Royal Air Force de Havilland Mosquito bombers, six each from No. 138 Wing RAF, based at RAF Lasham and 140 Wing, based at Gravesend in Kent, attacked the train in its sidings. The mission was a success.

To prevent their camp being located or compromised by German radio direction finding equipment or informers, Tonkin regularly moved its location. The location of new camps had to be close to water and a drop zone for parachute supply. The camp located near to Verrières was near to their drop zone at La Font d'Usson and had an adequate water supply. The SAS Squadron had been at Verrières between 25 June and 1 July. The local population had also become aware of the camp and Tonkin was warned by Maingard that if the locals knew, informers would soon tell the Germans. Tonkin ordered the squadron to move to a new camp just south in the bois des Cartes. This new camp was also close to their drop zone at La Font d'Usson where they were expecting a supply drop over the night of 3/4 July. On their arrival at the new camp at Bois des Cartes, the water supply from a well failed and Tonkin decided to return to Verrières until a more suitable camp site could be found.