Did German Commandos Raid England?

[@s1dfk4123]

FYI: with 2.19M subscribers Professor Felton's channel is as large as the French army at the start of WW2 (I was an early volunteer - signed up at 50K)

[@davidrenton]

"I was an early volunteer " what year did you join 36, 37, you must be knocking on a bit now m8, oh this channel, not the WW2 Era French Army, fair enough, my bad

[@wilcofaber9863]

Yes. And the total amount of views of all video s is almost as much as the total amount of citizens of china

[@gctzx]

I wonder who gets the distinction of being Subscriber Number 1?

[@tasteofyourmedicine]

I'm a drafted conscript. Came for "Invasion of Iran in WW2", stayed for Dr. Felton

[@28ebdh3udnav]

Lmao

[@KENKENNIFF]

I think not, no beach towels left behind.

[@Soundbrigade]

And knowing how German tourists are, they would have occupied the whole beach ….

[@kimwit1307]

And not big holes dug into the sand?

[@sputnikone6281]

or half eaten knockwurst and traces of sauerkraut

[@maxbacon4828]

Your name vill also go on zer list!.

[@Fr99763]

They took revenge on Ibiza after the war

[@stevelyon867]

We visited my wife’s grandmother in the 90’s, who spent her life living on the south coast. I would chat for long periods with her and I distinctly remember her telling me that she remembers fighting on a beach and German soldiers being led away. It was never reported because of the news blackout. She had nothing to gain from telling the story and was completely genuine, a young girl at the time. She was adamant it wasn’t a training exercise, they were German troops being led away by British soldiers. I’m afraid I can’t add much more than that, I always thought that eventually it would come out in the press but it never did. All I can say is that she was genuine, completely clear as to what she saw and had no reason to lie, I completely believed her. Lovely lady…

[@tonyaustin4472]

I moved up to the fens in East Anglia in 1976 and was told by several people in my village that they’d been aware of at least two firefights with Germans and the British Army during the war. They weren’t the sort of folk you would dismiss as fantasists either. They told me because they knew I worked in the Civil Service and thought they could trust me to keep quiet about, which I have till now :-) Unfortunately I didn’t feel I could push them for more info about just where, why and when….but they were absolutely serious in their belief that the events had happened and they’d been told not to talk about it.

[@Alsatiagent-zu1rx]

Was this in a pub? Just asking.

[@caahacky]

A lady who was a friend of my Mother's was a widow of a soldier who was stationed in East Anglia some time after being rescued from Dunkirk. I was there when she told my Mother that her husband had been involved/mobilised for some sort of panic response to a German incursion on the coast. They were in a terrible panic because they still had very little equipment after Dunkirk. Could have been BS or rumour mill or just an exercise of course.

[@billlansdell7225]

I have heard rumours from locals. And read in the local papers, probably in the late 1980s. The story I heard, from what I remember, was that a coastal village was evacuated, and the beaches mined. But the locals used to sneak back in there, and often stay the night to sleep in their own beds. One night they heard a firefight and when they went to look, found "The sea was on fire". Over the coming days, burned bodies were washed up on the beaches in the area. I have heard that some say that the bodies were wearing British uniforms with German uniforms under them. Others say they were German uniforms with British uniforms under them. People were told it was a training accident and to keep quiet about what they had seen. The curious part to be is the idea of the sea being on fire. I only recently found out about British Flame Defences, under the Petroleum Warfare Department. They actually did have a system of pipes to pump napalm into the sea and set it on fire. However, it also seems they were heavily involved in propaganda, and these stories of German raiding parties being burned, and bodies washed up on beaches were spread by SOE all over Europe and America. Apparently they started these rumours before they even began testing the weapon... of which there is video on KZbin if you search for "The British Flame Defences of WW2" by Premier History.

[@josephvandyck5469]

​@@caahackypossibly could be like the battle for LA after Pearl Harbor. Shooting at shadows.

[@obesetuna3164]

@@billlansdell7225 From Belgium I think, there were reports badly burned German corpses being washed in with the tide.

[@tng2057]

At least two raids led / supported by Donald Sutherland, if what portrayed by movies were true.

[@captainjoshuagleiberman2778]

There was precedent for this, there was a German raid in WWI supported by Michael York.😁

[@davidbrims5825]

Or ‘’Went the Day Well.’’ made in 1942.

[@paulkelk5142]

The Eagle has Landed

[@OptimusPrinceps_Augustus]

and the last time I was this early Danzig was still part of Germany

[@ClarenceCochran-ne7du]

Yes, and Angela Lansbury stopped the second raid with her broom.

[@MoongladeDruid]

I am from the IOW and my grandfather was in the LDV/ homeguard. He never mentioned anything about this ever happening,, He was apparently glad as they had 3 men with 5 rounds each on a patrol around the area.

[@andrewcubbage1007]

Having landed on the beach at Ventnor they would have had quite a long walk/climb to get to the radar station which is about the highest point on the Island. It is just not credible

[@SaltimusMaximus]

they actually had ammo 😂, many didn't for a long time

[@keithgissing1332]

@@andrewcubbage1007 Think they would have landed at Woody bay and tried to destroy the towers on the above cliff.

[@Au5siedad]

​@andrewcubbage1007 plenty of graves filled with people who had similiar logic.

[@markperfect8424]

@MoongladeDruid we need to correct him. It's ventner- ventnr not Ventnor. As islanders say it

[@ClarenceCochran-ne7du]

One can certainly understand why Churchill and crew would want to keep any actual landings a secret. It would be simply a question of maintaining the Citizenry's Morale that the home island was inviolate.

[@jeromewagschal9485]

I was just telling myself that when I saw your reply 🙂

[@danam0228]

Stay tuned for any evidence of landings that the good doctor digs up

[@wout123100]

@@danam0228 zero evidence i am afraid.

[@mr.commonsense510]

The very short answer to the title is a resounding NO

[@Rusty_Gold85]

But Post War ? No one searching primary sources seen anything ?

[@Frank-qs3pe]

If there were raids, I wouldn’t be surprised if Otto Skorzeny was involved. I just read his autobiography and I absolutely recommend it.

[@jeanboseau9249]

Skorzeny is a clown.

[@grodo3487]

@@jeanboseau9249 Cool scar, though

[@jeanboseau9249]

@@grodo3487 yes, for the scar

[@Frank-qs3pe]

@@TheSuperDerp I didn’t say he did, but he was in charge of commando units during the war. So maybe he had a hand in it I don’t know.

[@kwanchan6745]

they didn't need raids, gathered intelligence via spies why raid a radar site when you have access to the designs ?

[@fredwaterer8203]

It seems improbable that Germany would not have tried something.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

10-20% of all Ops go wrong and therefore evidence is found. So far its transparent

[@tomhollandroberts1737]

Well, didn't the Germans have family members living in a big palace at the end of the Mall. ????

[@herrgoldmann2562]

It simply isn´t our style....there has also never been something like a "German mafia" anywhere in the world ( unlike the the Italian, Chinese,Russian etc mafia)

[@jointgib]

@@herrgoldmann2562 You started it!

[@TP-ie3hj]

"seems" would be the key word here. However that said there was a German raid into Scotland. Mr Hess was sent and as he stated he went to try and work out a peace agreement. Seems he was placed into prison for life for daring to negotiate a peace. There were also many fliers proclaiming the same, dropped over England prior to any bombs by the Luftwaffe this seemed to back the claim they did not want a war. The biggest one though, The Germans issued a halt order at Dunkirk. They had a few hundred thousand Englishmen in a very small area and surrounded them with thousands of large caliber guns, but they did not finish them off. Seems like they let them go. Only attacking ships with the ability to withdraw heavy weapons , (they let the little boats move about freely.) Sometimes it "seems" that the whole story is not always told. The stories that are told tend to follow a narrative.

[@dogwalker666]

Because Captain Mainwaring and the rest of the platoon kept them at bay. 😅

[@monarchist1838]

With help from Captain Square and the Eastgate platoon.

[@hetrodoxlysonov-wh9oo]

'Don't tell him Pike'

[@barrythatcher9349]

Don't panic, don't panic 😂

[@dogwalker666]

@@barrythatcher9349 They don't like it up them!

[@ColinRichardson-m8m]

Their real military records are amazing as well, dad's army comedy golden day's

[@mitchmatthews6713]

My Sunday morning is complete! Cheers, Mark!

[@steve08717]

my late father was a runner at the age of 14 with the Dawlish home guard he always told me of being woken at 4am in the period 1st september to the 14th 1940 by his units corporal and taken to the beach there the platoon was collecting bodies 9 of them german had washed up the bodies where loaded onto regular army bedford and they where not told what happened to them later they where told they had washed up from Boulogne france after a bombing raid on the barges the local fisherman laughed at this they knew the bodies where fresh and had only been in the water an hour before washing up in 1944 my father now in france saw those uniforms again german infantry the government can burry things if they want to

[@stephenduffy5406]

punctuation ...

[@SuperBROKEN81]

Are you 12? Grammer, punctuation, run-on sentences.

[@davidrenton]

ignore them , interesting story

[@davidemery1557]

I found this interesting as a German had a house (Knowstone manor) built in the shape of a swastika in the 1930s near Tiverton, about 40 miles away. Von Ribbentorp had visited a German battleship (sms schlesien) which had moored in torbay in 1937 for 2 days.

[@timphillips9954]

@@SuperBROKEN81 You sir have wasted too much time in full time education.

[@tasteofyourmedicine]

Dr. Felton, every video of yours inspires me. I finally made it and applied to study history at the university of Hamburg! Next year I'll start, and I can't wait!

[@aidanassenov6640]

Congratulations, and best of luck to you!

[@tasteofyourmedicine]

@@aidanassenov6640 i actually comment this under every video hoping that Dr. Felton sees it and feels good about the impact he has!!

[@rtyrsson]

I've been an avid student of WWII history since my childhood; and yet I still learn new things from you so very often. Thank you Dr. Felton. Your work is continuously fascinating.

[@wessexdruid7598]

I'm sure I remember Mark covering the alleged raid on Ventnor before? There is a whole book about it - which concludes that it's inconclusive, at best.

[@robgatward9511]

A story I heard from a Uboat captain was how he would sneak onto UK shores to replenish his fresh water tanks, down in Falmouth I think? "Nice English spring water" he would describe it at.

[@guyfawkesuThe1]

Wasn't this video from a year ago????

[@jgood9810]

​@@guyfawkesuThe1i was thinking the same thing

[@chiron6699]

Documented in WW1

[@dougearnest7590]

@@guyfawkesuThe1 - He did a video about Abwehr agents parachuting into England.

[@pnkemp]

Why on earth would they need to replenish water only a couple of hours from their own bases? Sounds very unlikely.

[@SlideRulePirate]

My father was in the Royal Navy during WW2. As a kid I asked him just this question. He told me that he had heard a rumour of a raid near Brighton but neither he nor anybody he knew put any stock in it.

[@philwise872]

Back in the mid 80s my then girlfriends grandad told me some had landed near Seaford.

[@EdMcF1]

I read reports of German U-boat crews landing in remote Welsh coastal villages in monolingual Welsh-speaking areas in WW1, and sometimes going into pubs and drinking with the locals, who not speaking English couldn't tell Germans from English crews.

[@geigertec5921]

That's so ironic because the Welsh are more "British" than anyone east of Wales - who are all more related to the Germans themselves if you look at the genetic makeup of the British Isles.

[@rovercoupe7104]

I think they would recognise the uniforms. M

[@scockery]

They were greeted as liberators from English oppression. Who knows what might have been if the Teutonic knights of the 1940's had freed the Welsh....LOL. I'm joking.

[@scottb4579]

@@rovercoupe7104 Maybe they brought their civvies with them so they could change and drink in Welsh pubs, lol.

[@notmenotme614]

Apparently U-Boats landed in harbours of the Republic of Ireland (Eire) too. If I remember it was to refuel? However that was planned and known about.

[@PaulMcClennon282]

So excited to check this one out Mark, great job

[@jguth6]

A new mark felton video! This improved my boring Sunday

[@michaelmazowiecki9195]

Germany had radar technology on a par with the UK. What it lacked was a fully coordinated command and control system. It implemented a defensive radar network called the the Kammhuber Line using the Freya and Wurzburg radar sets

[@derekp2674]

It is also true that in May 1942 TRE relocated from Worth Matravers to Malvern to eliminate any significant risk of German commando raids. This was after British commandos raided a German coastal radar site in February 1942.

[@michaelmazowiecki9195]

@@derekp2674 that German site was a Wurzburg radar, advanced for its time and rhe Brits needed to develop counter measures for it.

[@derekp2674]

@@michaelmazowiecki9195 At Malvern, there used to be a modified Giant Wurzburg radar. I believe it was used as a radio telescope by members of the TRE Sports and Social Club.

[@paulmalore]

​@@derekp2674Worth Matravers or Swanage perhaps ? This is true, but the main worry, at least in Reginald V. Jones 's mind (Scientific Intelligence), was that the Germans could easily eavesdrop on the British signals. But TRE were very reluctant to move to Malvern, so that Jones took advantage of the Bruneval raid by the British, to frighten TRE away.

[@craigfurlong7981]

german sub came to Newfoundland.... crew came ashore , ate dinner and saw a film at the local theater....

[@MinorityRespecter88]

Huh?

[@sean367]

Thought it was Halifax NS ?

[@dnipro72]

If any raids actually occurred you can bet Scorzeni would mention that in his memoirs. He wasn’t known for being modest.

[@adrianparker-e9f]

Maybe he would be glad to not mention it if he got payed enough ?

[@oliabid-price4517]

Dr Felton, I am surprised that you didn't mention the German landings that were supposed to have occurred at Shingle Street, just North of Bawdsey Manor - this is an incident that has been the subject of a great deal of discussion since the war. This would definitely be a great subject for you to follow up on.

[@den_see]

That intro music alone deserves a like!

[@MichaelHarla]

I think the radars were known as "Chain Home Low (low frequency)" Also, a wartime Ealing film, "Went the Day Well?", described a fictional German occupation of a remote British village, in the style of Jack Higgins' later novel "The Eagle Has Landed" Mervyn Johns, Glynnis's dad, was an actor in the movie

[@derekp2674]

Actually Chain Home was the original system that Mark showed in his photos and Chain Home Low was a later system that supplemented Chain Home by giving better cover at low altitudes, to make it harder for invaders to fly under the radar.

[@1951GL]

As was Thora Hird.

[@foamer443]

Just wondering, why, based on the map in the video, wasn't the radar chain continued further west and a minimum up through Wales? At least to Cornwall?

[@derekp2674]

@@foamer443 I think it was eventually but not until after the Battle of Britain. Up to 1940 the priority was to defend against German aircraft coming from Germany or from countries that they might potentially occupy.

[@stevemcelmury4618]

Mark, I've always appreciated your forgotten history, with it's sense of deep exploration & authenticity. I admire that you acknowledged you're reserving judgement on these stories of German commando raids because there's simply insufficient proof... look forward to more of your sleuthing... well done!

[@greaserbubtheoriginal7923]

mark great work your research is awsome

[@csbenzo]

The Germans in WW2 missed a great opportunity. They simply should have provided cheap boating for various people under the guise of “refugees” and let them float across the English Channel. England would have been swamped, and British efforts severely curtailed dealing with the problems associated with this.

[@netwarrior1000]

You should similarly look at Japanese landings in Australia (and their fate). There's at least one story of a landing to recon or raid an airfield except it hadn't actually been built yet.

[@JG-tt4sz]

Yes, on the unpopulated northwest coast.

[@rubbishmodeller]

There are various dates at which 'secret' documents are made public in Britain - 15 years, 25 years, 50 years, etc. There are certainly some sensitive documents still tucked away (100-year rule?). But I cannot see why anything regarding German raids on the UK would be considered so important as to not let us know about them.

[@lulurodmon]

We thank you, Mark for always looking into every angle. Great historian you are.

[@Grundag]

Thank you, Dr. Felton for another Informative and thought provoking glimpse into History. The British didn't have all those Troops, Guards and Communication stations set up for nothing. They were on the watch constantly for the very same thing that they were already successfully doing in Norway.

[@WielkaStopa-qh1rr]

''successfully''

[@Alsatiagent-zu1rx]

I remember reading a book in the early 70s when I was a child. It was a story of Norwegian kids who devised a plan to keep gold from Nazi occupiers. The hid it in their sleds and tobogganed down a hill to a waiting submarine, I think. I don't remeber much but I loved that book.

[@aa-ph7ev]

Haven't we seen this presentation by Dr Felton before?

[@Trek001]

Yes

[@aa-ph7ev]

@@Trek001 Thank you. I thought I was going mad or telepathic.😀

[@acetop666]

I was born on the Isle of Wight in 1963 and this story was always local Folklore I'm sure I suggested Mark look at this after the "did the Fallschirmjäger land in the UK" video

[@deanbuss1678]

Thanks!

[@mi38029]

It's so strange that Germans never invaded England, given that it's physically impossible to stop a boat from crossing the channel

[@RollerCoaster-ok7qw]

Firstly, Hitler was never interested in a war against England. The Wehrmacht was therefore not prepared for such a war, including landing boats. Second, even if German boats with troops had landed in England, they would have quickly been cut off from supplies. Every German soldier on British soil would have been a loss. Third, the Royal Navy was too powerful. It would have protected the coast and prevented supplies in the event of an emergency. Therefore any attempt to invade England would have failed. Just as a reminder, the invasion of Normandy could only succeed when Germany was militarily on the ground. The Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine no longer had anything to counter the invasion fleet.

[@jbuckley2546]

@@RollerCoaster-ok7qw Think you missed their point.

[@Arltratlo]

@@RollerCoaster-ok7qw lol, and now they cant stop rubber boats, but this time its the French who dont let the RN in their ports!

[@RollerCoaster-ok7qw]

@@Arltratlo They can, but they do not want to stop them at alll costs. Thats the difference.

[@fryertuck6496]

​@@RollerCoaster-ok7qw I think your sense of humour gland is missing.

[@timwilkinsongs]

My grandfather told me this story almost 60 years ago: he was in the RAMC and after surviving Dunkirk was in England recovering, when he was ordered to go and quietly collect the bodies of German commandos roasted to death on an east coast beach by flaming fuel spewed from a system of concealed pipes. My grandfather said it was all very hush-hush. I have no idea if this is true or not.

[@EdMcF1]

They came from the sea as the ferry from the mainland was too expensive.

[@peterbainbridge8528]

Before I throw something else into the mix I would just like to say how much I enjoy your channel & how much I look forward to your videos. Getting back to whether the Germans landed I would like to recount a recollection told by my grandad of his time during WW2. Grandad served with the Worcesters & was part of the BEF evacuated from Dunkirk. He would go onto take part in the African & Italian campaigns, this recollection however, concerns the period in the immediate aftermath of Dunkirk when they were filleted on the South Coast. Where I don't know although I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Isle of Wight. They were on coastal defence duties at the time & as you could imagine everyone was on edge expecting the Germans to invade. One misty night my grandad told me how he and his comrades thought they heard somebody on the beach in front of them. They'd had a similar situation a few days before, but on that occasion, it was a horse that had got loose from it's field. Thinking the same had happened again a number of men were sent forward into the mist to find out, only it wasn't a horse, it was a boat & in a matter of seconds things got out of hand and the soldiers opened up killing or wounding all on board. Apparently this was a wooden boat, similar to the coastal fishing boats of the time & my Grandad at 1st thought there had been a tragic accident & they had killed some of the local fishermen, only it wasn't fishermen, it was smugglers, or at least that's what they were told when they too were sworn to secrecy, much like the home gaurd were in Ventnor. As I said I don't know where this took place, but I have no doubt it did. Grandad didn't like fairy stories as he used to call them. This was possibly in the period after Dunkirk before France fell.

[@jon9021]

My uncle Harry was in the Worcesters.

[@ThursdayNext67]

In one of those British raids on German held Europe, there was a legendary British madman playing his bagpipes. Or so the legends of Jack Churchhill say.

[@bmcanulla]

Operation Archery, Vagsoy, Norway- December 27, 1941.

[@merlinbooper6756]

Here is a secret: Dover, there are giant oil tanks underground which were to be used in case of German invasion. The idea was the oil would be released into the sea and set fire to destroy attacking landing craft. The following report from Dover Castle garrison. Some number of bodies in German uniforms were severely burnt and washed up onto the shore. This occurred the morning after a 'test' of the oil defences. That is all I know, direct from a serving soldier who stayed at the 'flea pit' known as Dover Castle during WW2. I visited the tanks in the 1990s; torch beams at the time could not light up the opposite end of these oil tanks.

[@yankee62521]

Back in February I went to a talk in Bournemouth by someone who did a metal detector sweep over the site of the raid. His team found 500+ objects including 9mm, .303 and 30.06 casing and fired bullets as well as parts mills bombs. Some of the 9mm casings found were marked being from Austria. He also went over were what was found where. Most of casings were found in locations were people would of taken covered and which way they would of been firing. This includes a stone wall at Woody Bay where they landed mostly found on the side as if they were firing back towards the radar station. Another set of finds showed at least 2 guys with 9mm weapons moved up to a large rock and engaging the stone wall before splitting into 2 and doing a jumping advance towards the wall. He did state that there is not much paperwork on it but in the ground at the site it showed that there was a fire fight

[@SuperBommer1]

Have you never seen Bedknobs and broomsticks?

[@misterscaz6011]

That was the raid that was rebuffed by an amateur witch and some meddling kids.

[@ZombiesCometh]

Lmao that’s amazing - grew up loving that movie😊

[@13JAMLAND]

LMAO! I was going to say that! LMAO! 👏🏻😂

[@SuperBommer1]

@@misterscaz6011 amazing bit of witchcraft there

[@SuperBommer1]

@@ZombiesCometh yes I agree was really fun movie

[@daemonharper3928]

Its utterly preposterous to think that no inland recce parties were made prior to the beginning of operation sea lion. The Nazis had the confidence to fully commit to the Luftwaffe bombing campaign to wipe out the RAF.... the precursor to invasion, they didn't do so blind. If the Allies (and every military in history) required comprehensive knowledge prior to huge operations, then its safe to say the Nazis did. The real question is when will the files be released? Three weeks ago after researching local auxiliary units, I found out that a friend of my wife had his paternal Grandfather, his Grandfather's brothers, his maternal grandfather and a brother - all served in the same unit....totally unknown to their family. Secrets were kept.

[@adrianparker-e9f]

Yes, it's obviously the extent to keep things secret that is a key point here. Usually with any event, the participants themselves only see the part that they are in, and even then you may not know what is happening exactly either at the time or later. ( i'm a fan of the 'Mission Impossible' series and it's a feature of their stories how peoples perceptions are altered.) There are a range of stories that could be told to the 'participants' as to what they are doing and what just happened. eg; it was a training exercise.....gone wrong !

[@Russojap2]

Very interesting! Greetings from East Tennessee 🤠

[@fushigimd]

Heyo all! Long time fan and avid warthunder player!

[@bobfry5267]

Urban legend (my Mother) has it that two German soldiers were apprehended in Poole High Street during the war. A casual look at a map will show how unlikely that is. But stranger things have happened.

[@Sparkypark]

Another cracking video Mr Felton. Have you read about the Luftwaffe’s trip to East Grinstead. Very unpleasant- strafing civilians on the street and deliberately bombing a cinema (the pilot even waved to people from his cockpit). Maybe not enough for a video, but a truly horrific story.

[@skylongskylong1982]

In the Daily Mail in 1994 on the letter page a ex POW of Stalag 45 said had two British POWs in Home Guard uniform said they were captured by Nazi Commandos, just outside Newcastle. The interesting point is that in May 1945 the U.K. Parliament passed that all British POWs were given back pay to the day were taken captive, including the Home Guard !

[@midlandgeordie]

Can’t believe anything the Daily Mail says!

[@skylongskylong1982]

@@midlandgeordie That’s all then. Back to watching Netflix, and ordering a takeaway.

[@bosnjakball]

Great video. I do wonder how it would've been seeing larger German ground forces on English soil.

[@lesames3743]

Another great story from Mark Love this channel..

[@gerhard6105]

When I worked at a company in Mürringen, Belgium, the father of the owner told me at his kitchen table how his mother woke him up on May 10th 1940. His mother told him to look outside. There he saw Germans going straight through the fields towards the west. He told me that they were the Brandenburgers. He was born in 1930 and he told me this 3 years ago. Last year he was still alive. He also told me how US soldiers by accident shot his aunt and uncle who were going to a hiding places for the fightings at Robertville, near Mürringen. That was when the Bulge was almost gone again. 1945.

[@paulmalore]

Possibly the Germans wanted to secure the dams in Eastern Belgium, or some factories. Otherwise, they didn't rush very fast. The Belgian first defenses were notoriously on the Meuse river. On may 10, my father went from Verviers to Liège, helped to load the truck intended to Auvergne, France, went back to Verviers to say farewell to his family, then to Liège again to catch a night train to Paris.

[@darrenmaddox6074]

Brilliant as per usual Dr. Felton

[@ChaptermasterPedroKantor-kv5yw]

Hasn't this video been uploaded before? I distinctly remember a similar video. Did YT shenanigans force Mark to do a re-upload?

[@simontaplin]

That video was if German paratroopers ever landed in Britain

[@196cupcake]

I think it might have been on the "War Stories with Mark Felton" channel. From 1 year ago, "Did German Commandos Raid England?"

[@akaddemirdag]

Yes i recall a similar video. If not - it really did describe the same details. No official records and no real evidence.

[@196cupcake]

@@akaddemirdag I think it might have been on the "War Stories with Mark Felton" channel. From 1 year ago, "Did German Commandos Raid England?"

[@Mashkoormohsin]

Dr Felton. Greeting from Dr Mashkoor

[@sheriffarchon]

Well, here after only 12 seconds!

[@bruceruzicka6089]

We had a similar event in the states. The “Battle of Los Angeles”. Comedian, John Belushi, led the counter attack that drove off a Japanese submarine. At least in the movie “1941”.

[@Shiftyfreak]

Also lovely your using our reenactment group as a thumbnail 😂❤

[@craigdavidson2278]

There was a German patrol boat stuck in the mud near Richborough powerstation when I was a lad.... that was meant to be on a mission for Canterbury or detour to local RAF Manston... the hulk was still visible in the early 90's...

[@PizzaPonyPA]

Really insightful video really enjoyed this one Mark, I'm a native islander and have heard about the rumour before, its spoken about on the island, and a book by Adrian Searle is insightful about the event. =D

[@trevorwilliams6815]

i have read this book too. its very good. Richard Laycock is alledged to have said something about the raid in an address in 1947.

[@dennistaylor3796]

I knew a British lady who worked in an underground "city". She said that they were invaded. She said the burning oil pipes turned them back

[@anthonyk5515]

Excellent again, Mark. I find it easier to believe they did raid UK shores, rather than they didn't. It seems to beggar belief that they wouldn't. East Anglia, for example, has enough coastline. The concept must've been discussed by the German Armed Forces.

[@davidbradshaw3107]

Facinating as usual Mark!

[@mojo199]

The British government in this era covered up a considerable amount of information. It will probably take another century before a lot of it comes to light. I think its highly unlikely that the German military did not make any attempt to effect landings for the purpose of gathering information and reconnaissance and even to simply satisfy their curiosity as to whether or not they could do it

[@paulbitgood2117]

I think there was one raid you may have missed Dr. Felton. A German commando party landed near Dorset in late 1940. However Angela Landsbury and friends fought them off with such vigor that the German High Command decided to never try again. The events were covered in the historical film Bedknobs and Broomsticks in 1971.🤣

[@markdavis7397]

Best soccer game in any movie.

[@gvozdenrovina3813]

Thank you Dr. Felton!

[@worldofameiso5491]

I am sure Dad's Army covered such a raid in one of their episodes...

[@marcelwiszowaty1751]

Don't tell them!

[@1220b]

Battle of Graveney Marsh 1940. Last land battle on British soil. And during WW1 German U-boat crews landed on at least one Scottish Island.

[@doberski6855]

Given units like the 'Bradendurgers' , 'Fallschirmjäger' and Otto Skorzeny's unit. Isn't the question why not rather then if it actually happened? I know and have enjoyed the works of fiction on the subject, but were all those units to busy elsewhere to be spared for hit and run strikes and raids, on targets in Britain? When you think of the quality of the German U-Boats, and E-Boats in the Channel. Just surprising that it did not appear to have happened, even if just to keep Britain thinking that 'Sea Lion' was finally going to happen. Make England keep more regular forces stationed in the Britain tied down for home defense.

[@MrXdmp]

Thanks Dr. Felton!

[@silent1967]

"It's a mother-beautiful bridge and it's going to be there."

[@brucebello2049]

Hello Mark, as always great story and video, the shot of the WAF in the radar operations room, by chance can you let us know when you obtained the photo, one of the operators looks just like my mother in law!

[@Dave-jd9qn]

I am curious about The Official Secrets Act. We see it used and mentioned in film and video where characters are required to sign. Can a person simply decline to sign?

[@kenmccormick8059]

Re. The Official Secrets Act (OSA). Sometimes there is mention of someone ‘signing the Official Secrets Act’. In actual fact nobody signs the OSA; what they sign is a Declaration which states that they are aware of the terms of the OSA and how it applies to them etc. One occasion when someone would be asked to sign this Declaration is on commencing employment in, for example the UK Civil Service. Signing the Declaration would mean that the person signing could not later plead ignorance of the law. Refusal to sign would probably result in the person’s employment not proceeding. However, I doubt that declining to sign would make any material difference to the person’s legal position; ‘ignorance of the law is no defence’ and anyway, refusal to sign could probably be taken to imply awareness of the law. The law applies to whom it applies to; the OSA can apply to any British citizen in some circumstances, e.g. someone who happens to encounter classified information. Over forty countries have similar acts to the British OSA, mostly former British colonies. The US has the Espionage Act, which is less broad-reaching than the OSA, and also 18 U.S.C. § 798, enacted in 1951, which makes dissemination of secret information involving cryptography, espionage, and surveillance illegal for all people, and is thus an "official secrets act" limited to those subjects.

[@Dave-jd9qn]

@@kenmccormick8059 Under US law it gets better. Information can be classified after-the-fact and the possessor is then responsible for protecting it.

[@kenmccormick8059]

@@Dave-jd9qn Wow!

[@chrishoare8897]

Shingle Street, I was told about that by a guy who had served in the North Africa campaign, he was not given too flights of fancy and was very sure that a raiding party had tried to come ashore and had been repulsed.

[@davidbrims5825]

Well, Germany did occupy a part of England, the Channel Islands ironically the only part of England that now looks English….

[@BillyNoMates1974]

Well there is the Falkland islands as well but the way Free Gear Keir is going, he will give that away too

[@OptimusPrinceps_Augustus]

Last time I was this early the Sudetenland was still part of Czechoslovakia

[@faithlesshound5621]

Actually, the Channel Islands were never part of England, though they belonged to the King of England (and previously the Duke of Normandy). In that they resemble the Isle of Man, which is not a part of any of the four nations nearby.

[@derin111]

We know exactly what you’re implying. Even here, literally no opportunity lost to be racist, huh? What a sad life.

[@wallythewondercorncake8657]

They aren't part of England, or the British Isles, or the UK. Your lack of basic geography knowledge makes that last part of your comment hilarious, a nationalist who doesn't even understand their own country.

[@JohnDavies-u9z]

A former U boat captain who for many years ran a local pub restaurant told of how some of his crew landed on the Pembrokeshire coast during WW2. It was not a raid as such, they came ashore for fresh water.

[@dammad8584]

Amazing yet unverified...the mysteries of history. As always"best of the best" ...ty Mark Felton

[@jjbeersydney]

This is absolutely brilliant! 😊 Thank you for your service to history. My question is: how do you know where to look for this kind of information? You mention the ARP reports, for example, but where do you find such a thing (in cases where it hasn’t already been documented in published books, for example)?

[@mrthumvee]

you can find that document in the Newport public records office on the IOW. Its book number 11. Enjoy.

[@196cupcake]

In terms of serious history I think Mark gets it right, but personally, I think it's most likely that there was literally only one or two raids, which were suppressed. If they were forced to sign a national secrets act NDA then scrubbing German records after the war would be consistent. It's hard to believe the Nazis never tried it not once. Much more plausible to believe they tried one or two, and they failed, and since they needed as much as they could get on the eastern front, Germany gave up on commando raids in England. Why would England want to keep it a secret? To boost moral, and people were already being vigilant. Why keep it secret after the war? To cover up the cover up. Maybe it was aliens dressed up as Germans.

[@wout123100]

i dont believe it happened at all.

[@gertgilich3508]

Hi Mark. Thank you for the coverage. Super interesting. Regards from SSW. 🇿🇦☝️👍

[@SquirrelRIP]

Smashing it as always Mark 😊

[@Trek001]

You've uploaded this one before, Mark - I remember it well because I commented with a tale told to me by my Grandmother who was due to be moved with her Ack Ack unit to the island but it was cancelled in favour... She was told that it had been because the Germans landed there Yeah, I wouldn't forget that video

[@FredScuttle456]

Old movie: "Went the Day Well".

[@FredScuttle456]

The Germans sighted in rubber dinghies in the sea might have been downed aircrew, from the bombers which were shot down that night.

[@leemichael2154]

Michael Caine raiders trying to kill Churchill lol

[@FredScuttle456]

@@leemichael2154 The Eagle Has Landed.

[@AtheistOrphan]

Thora Hird casually taking out Jerry with a Lee-Enfield.

[@reverendharrypowell2390]

Incredible to believe that Brandenburg gave for once some top-of-the-line performance for anything

[@paulbrungardt9823]

My father was a German speaking U.S. army officer in WWII. He served in an intelligence unit decoding German codes. He mentioned that , unlike the USA, the average Englishman was unarmed and complete unfamiliar with use of firearms. It was a major concern for American military strategists. Once landed, the Nazis would have had a chance to overtake the British. Meanwhile. Japan was deterred from invading the U.S. mainland by a fear of American citizens with guns in their closets. Japan’s Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto said : "You cannot invade mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass." You can thank the Second Amendment for cancelling Yamamoto's desire to invade our the West Coast.

[@highpath4776]

Rural England - and Scotland - would have had a good number of rifles for shooting, there were also gun clubs - including at public schools - the British were not so unhandy with Guns (and swords) and the Army had well over 100,000 people in it plus those that had served in WW1 as a handy home guard.

[@scotti6219]

You seem to forget ww1 a large swathe of british men had already served so would be more than familiar with weapons despite not many owning weapons

[@davidrenton]

in WW2, the UK would off have more armed men in the civilan population and far more of them would have off had active service than the US . the Japanese where not deterred from invading the US because of Pa with his 8 bore They had no intention, no capability to invade and hold any significant part of the US mainland, and supply it think how silly it sounds, they have no problem in going up against the USN and US Army, but some farmers, nah that 2 much for the IJA.

[@davidrenton]

what would you think happens if a battalion of the Imperial Japanese army march through a place in the midwest and they are faced with Farmers with their guns (that probaly has'nt been fired since the days of Billy the Kid) , it does'nt end well for the Farmers Do you think a professionaly trained Army with Armour, Air Support is going to be stopped, delayed in any meaningful manner because the locals are packing , esp in the Rural flatlands of the Mid West

[@leecooper8589]

The evidence is, however that there were never any serious Japanese plans to invade the mainland USA (yes, we know they occupied the Aleutians but that's a long and different story). There was a contingency plan to invade the Hawaiian Islands but even THAT was deemed too risky due to lack of troops, shipping and distance. They would hardly be considering invading somewhere a further 3000 + miles from where they didn't think they could invade anyway, would they?Funnily enough gun ownership wasn't cited as a factor. Of course, those plans were definitely put to bed after Midway once and for all, anyway. There's no evidence that Yamamoto ever said that, either. It should also be remembered that the number and types of weapons US civilians held at the time were in no way comparable with those held today. The legendarily brutal Japanese Imperial forces that weren't afraid to send hundreds of their troops into certain death at a time in worthless charges against machine guns are going to be concerned about incurring losses from hunting rifles and shotguns? From what I can gather, this whole story stems from the US pro gun lobby. If you want to go into the 2nd amendment, let me reassure you; I'm British. The 2nd amendment exists to protect you against Britain invading to reclaim our former Colonial possessions. We aren't going to invade.

[@graemepilkington3080]

I worked about 10 years ago with an old chap near retirement whose father was a kid in WW2 on the south coast (Devon I think) he told me casually that the Germans had landed near where his father lid and many had been killed. They were hurriedly buried in an unmarked plot so as not to scare the general population and those that they knew knew about it told to say nothing. He showed me on google earth where the were buried on the road above the west side of the small valley the village was in and said that they were later exhumed and removed elsewhere shortly after the war. Wish I could remember which village it was now.

[@markperfect8424]

We don't say Ventnor. We say vent-ner

[@Jimdixon1953]

The inability to pronounce Ventnor correctly would have been a good way of identifying any German spies or parachutists at the time!

[@AtheistOrphan]

Correct.👍

[@markperfect8424]

@@AtheistOrphan funny how he never asked born islanders how we say it

[@MoodMan888]

AH didn't want war with Britain. This is evident with his pleads for peace prior to the fire bombings carried out by the allies. Also, AH was very fond of the English, Zoomer Historian channel on YT details this well in his videos and also the sources references.

[@magic1968]

Yeah we've ALWAYS been good with our defence of our shores.... oh wait!

[@vincentmueller3717]

You were when your government was AGAINST being invaded.

[@magic1968]

@@vincentmueller3717 agreed 👍

[@krisfrederick5001]

The Germans were still hoping for a friend in Britain. Jimi Hendrix successfully rocked the Isle of Wight.

[@Perichoresis777]

In August, 1940 a major contingent of German commandos were landed off the Dorset coast. Some local civilians held off the brunt of the assault until the soldiers of the Old Home Guard arrived, driving the invaders back to their U-Boats. Perhaps surprisingly, there were no casualties except for a badly bruised local woman (daughter of well-known WWI General Price). Telegram wires were cut and the local museum was raided, with the arms and armour exhibition (an impressive collection) highly damaged.

[@RyanDogs]

the germans owned not 1 landing craft so to say a mainland invasion was improbable is an understatement

[@fallofrock2438]

They also did raids with schnellboats on British mainland

[@adrianparker-e9f]

This another feature of WW2 that is not used as material in films post-war. Even non secret stories are not covered. ( i was interested to know that the British had boats similar to torpedo boats but without the torpedoes and with more guns for countering the German craft.)

[@jugbywellington1134]

My brother-in-law's father was in the army in WW2. His infantry unit intercepted a party of Germans on the South Coast. I'm not entirely sure where, but it was not far from the Hampshire/Sussex border, I think. They were all killed. I only learnt this after his death, so I never asked him.

[@Chevyready]

Mark for president

[@TopChef88]

Dr Felton mentioned that the other raids by the Branderburgers we're carefully recorded. Such actions always speak to the imagination. I hope that we might see a video on this subject in the future!

[@laetiziacoronet243]

They landed a couple miles east of the Isle of Wight and founded Göring am See, nowadays known as Goring-by-Sea

[@genericPPGfan]

I love your videos! They’re informative and short and I love it! Edit: also first

[@JimJanowiecki]

My late father got me into WW2 history. Thank You so much Dr. Felton for making these 1st class videos.

[@drmarkintexas-400]

🎖️🏆🙏❤️‍🩹⭐ Thank you for sharing this