96Zero Dive Watch Immortalises The ‘Cockleshell Heroes’

96Zero’s latest Dive watch signifies the 12 marines who in December 1942 embarked on their secret mission which was so daring and dramatic they were hailed as the Cockleshell Heroes.

The secret mission named, Operation Frankton was a commando raid on ships in the German occupied French port of Bordeaux in southwest France during the Second World War. The raid was carried out by a small unit of Royal Marines known as the Royal Marines Boom Patrol Detachment (RMBPD), part of Combined Operations inserted by HMS Tuna captained by Lieutenant-Commander Dick Raikes who, earlier, had been awarded the DSO for operations while in command of the submarine HMS Seawolf. (The RMBPD would later form the Special Boat Service.)

The Royal Marines signed up for ‘hazardous service’, but were unaware of the exact nature of the mission. They canoed almost 100 miles behind enemy lines to carry out their mission which was to blow up the enemy ships. Only two men survived to tell the tale, but its significance reportedly led Winston Churchill to say he believed the raid could have shortened the war by six months.

The full list of Cockelshell Heroes (above) are detailed below and what happened to them.

The only two survivors were Major Herbert Hasler and Corporal Bill Sparks.

Major Herbert Hasler was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Post-war, he became a solo sailor, finishing second in the first single-handed transatlantic race.

Corporal Bill Sparks was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, served in Burma, Africa and Italy before becoming a bus driver and inspector. He died in 2002.

The crew of the Coalfish canoe were Wallace and Ewart capsized near Pointe de Grave lighthouse. Washed up on land, they were captured, questioned and illegally executed.

The crew of the Conger canoe were Sheard and Moffatt who likely died swimming for shore. Moffatt’s frozen body was found on 14 December. It is not clear what became of Sheard.

The crew of the Cuttlefish canoe were MacKinnon and Conway who were separated from the unit but continued with the mission. They were betrayed at La Réole, caught and executed.

The crew of the Crayfish were Laver and Mills finished the mission, but made it just 19 miles before they were picked up by police, and executed by the Germans.

The 96Zero Diver watch pays tribute to the ‘Heroes’ with an engraving of each of their names inside the bronze dial bezel below each number or baton (below).

The Diver comes with a Bronze CuSn8 case, giving a less ‘brassy’ look, has a 60-minute countdown bezel for explosives and is presented in a ‘Limpet Mine Pouch’ (below). According to reports the Commandos canoed with live mines between their legs.