Steel from the Sky - The Jedburgh Raiders, France 1944

By the early summer of 1942 preparations for the invasion of France were already well under way. The three major allies had begun to place agents in occupied territory. Plans were also being drawn up to create a force to assist the Resistance groups by parachuting specially selected soldiers into France. It was decided to create three-man teams, with one American or British officer, one French officer and a radio operator.
The Jedburgh teams, as they had become known, went on to undertake a total of ninety-three missions in France, in the most difficult circumstances. Teams were constantly on the moue ; there were frequent tensions and misunderstandings ; all-important communications with London were difficult ; there were shortages of weapons and ammunition, and even the most basic of comforts were missing. Yet the Jedburghs were able to score notable victories, usually against the steepest of odds, and amazingly, all but fourteen of them lived to tell the tale.