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 COMBINED OPERATIONS

Memorial donations of around £27,500 funded construction, dedication and routine ground maintenance in perpetuity.

  Donate here to a small contingency fund to repair and maintain the memorial structures as and when required.
 


Combined Operations - Norway Index Page.

Animated waving Norwegian flag.

Links to web pages with strong Norwegian connections to Combined Operations.

Combined Ops Memorial

Information about the memorial, including its location in the grounds of the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The memorial embraces all the Allied nations whose service men and women served in or alongside Combined Operations, or were trained by them in amphibious warfare.

Lofoten Islands (Claymore)

Operation Claymore (3/4 March 1941), was the 1st Lofoten Islands raid off the Norwegian coast, just north of the Arctic Circle. The Commandos destroyed German ships and a fish factory and gave free passage to the UK to over 300 Norwegian volunteers and a few Germans and Quislings. It was, however, most notable for giving a great boost to flagging morale within the ranks of the Commandos and later to the country, as news of the raid was made public.

Lofoten Islands 2nd Raid (Anklet)

Operation Anklet, (26-27/12/41), the second Lofoten Islands raid, was a diversion in support of a larger action at Vaagso and Maaloy, further south on the Norwegian coast. There was no opposition to the landing, but a near miss from a German bomber convinced the planners that in future operations of this kind, air cover would be provided as a matter of routine.

Vaagso, Norway  (Archery)

Operation Archery (27/12/41), the raid on Vaagso and Maaloy, broke new ground with the provision of air cover as an integral part of the raid in the initial planning process. The planners had learned from the 2nd Lofoten raid that the lack of air cover could put similar missions in jeopardy.

Glomfjord, Norway (Musketoon)

Operation Musketoon (15-22/9/42), was a daring raid on an electricity generating station at Glomfjord in German occupied Norway not far away from the Arctic Circle. Their target was a station that provided the electricity for a nearby aluminium plant. The unit chosen for the mission comprised 2 Officers, 8 Commandos, from No 2 Commando and 2 Norwegian corporals working for the Special Operations Executive (SOE). They were transported by submarine to a remote Fjord, completed a difficult high level overland route to approach their target from the rear and successfully destroyed it. They paid a high price though, as Hitler's infamous 'Commando Order' was invoked for the first time. The damage that the electricity plant put it out of action for the duration of the war.

Further Reading

There are around 300 books listed on our 'Combined Operations Books' page. They, or any other books you know about, can be purchased on-line from the Advanced Book Exchange (ABE). Their search banner link, on our 'Books' page, checks the shelves of thousands of book shops world-wide. Just type in, or copy and paste the title of your choice, or use the 'keyword' box for book suggestions. There's no obligation to buy, no registration and no passwords.
 


News & Information

Photo of single poppy.About Us

Background to the website and memorial project and a look to the future; plus other small print stuff and website accounts etc. Click here for information.

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Featured Links; Combined Ops Heritage; 40 D Day Stories & Combined Operations Jigsaw Challenge
 

 

Photo of single poppy.Remember a Veteran

Pay a personal tribute to veterans who served in, or alongside, the Combined Operations Command in WW2 by adding their details and optional photo to our Roll of Honour or They Also Served pages on this website, which include the Combined Operations prayer.

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Facebook

Visit our Facebook page about the Combined Operations Command in appreciation of our WW2 veterans. You are welcome to add information, photos and comment or reply to messages posted by others.

Photo of single poppy.Events and Places to Visit

Organisers: Reach the people who will be interested to know about your Combined Operations or war related event by adding it to our  webpage free of charge. Everyone else: Visit our webpage for information on events and places to visit. If you know of an event or place of interest, that is not listed, please let us know. To notify an event or place of interest, click here. To visit the webpage click here.

Photo of single poppy.Find Books of Interest 

Search for Books direct from our Books page. Don't have the name of a book in mind? Just type in a keyword to get a list of possibilities... and if you want to purchase you can do so on line through the Advanced Book Exchange (ABE).

Photo of single poppy.Combined Operations Handbook (Far East)

The handbook was prepared for Combined Operations in the Far East. It illustrates the depth and complexity of the planning process necessary to ensure that the 3 services worked together as a unified force.

Photo of single poppy.New to Combined Ops?

Visit Combined Operations Explained for an easy introduction to this complex subject.

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