It is indeed remarkable, since the archives of the Second World War must have been pillaged, ransacked, burrowed into, and turned over almost as thoroughly as Monte Cassino itself, that no book has been written about one of the strangest units created during that or any other conflict. The unit was called Ten Commando - and the shroud of secrecy that enveloped it at the time has scarcely been un-wrapped by the passge of the years.
Ten Commando was composed entirely of men who came from Germany and from Nazi-occupied countries such as Holland, Poland, and France. Secrecy was vital, for if an Axis agent infiltrated into Ten Commando he could do untold harm. If a member of Ten Commando were capture and his unit identified, the rules of the Geneva Convention were unlikely to worry the captors. This overwhelming need for absolute secrecy was so well instilled in the men of Ten Commando that, until now, little was known about their daring exploits behind enemy lines, including coordination of resistance fighters and sabotage.
The result of Ian Dear’s painstaking research is a remarkable book indeed and a worthy tribute to an incredibly brave group of cladestine soldiers who belong near the top of the WWII Roll of Honor.
Product Reviews
First published in 1987 it is an interesting and fascinating story.
The book covers the creation of Ten Commando.
Commando forces were created at the request of Winston Churchill in 1940.
In the summer of... [read full review]First published in 1987 it is an interesting and fascinating story.
The book covers the creation of Ten Commando.
Commando forces were created at the request of Winston Churchill in 1940.
In the summer of 1942 it was decided to create a commando formed from
the many nationalities who had escaped from Nazi occupied Europe.
This would become 10 commando, the volunteers came from Holland,
Poland, France. X troop were the most secret troop who were all German.
Security was a must with this commando., and their existence was
kept as secret as possible .
little was known about this commando and its involvement in WW2.
Ian Dear has at last in his book given them the recognition that they deserved.
so that their exploits and contribution to WW2 can be appreciated and recorded
Ian Dear served himself as a Royal Marine between 1953 and 1957.
And is the author of a number of military and maritime books.
WW2 Connection, Les TannerIA fascinating account of the formation, training and deployment of No.10 (Inter-Allied) Commando; one of the most extraordinary units of the Second World War. Its numerous Troops, of Belgians, Dutch, French, Norwegians, Poles, Yugoslavs, and... [read full review]IA fascinating account of the formation, training and deployment of No.10 (Inter-Allied) Commando; one of the most extraordinary units of the Second World War. Its numerous Troops, of Belgians, Dutch, French, Norwegians, Poles, Yugoslavs, and the German and Austrians of the mysterious X Troop, served with particularly high distinction in North-West Europe and across the Mediterranean. This is one of very few books to tackle this most intriguing subject, though the author admits that it cannot be the definitive history as the records are sparse, the ingrained culture of secrecy prevented many of its members from speaking of their deeds for decades, and so few of the original members of the Commando are now alive to enlighten us. 10 Commando is, nevertheless, a very fine introduction to a unit which deserves much wider attention.Pegasus Archive
Ten Commando was composed entirely of men who came from Germany and from other Nazi-occupied countries. The overwhelming need for absolute secrecy was so well instilled in the men of Ten Commando that, until now,... [read full review]Ten Commando was composed entirely of men who came from Germany and from other Nazi-occupied countries. The overwhelming need for absolute secrecy was so well instilled in the men of Ten Commando that, until now, little was known about their daring exploits behind enemy lines, including coordination of resistance fighters and sabotage.reenacting ww2
Ten Commando was composed entirely of men who came from Germany and from Nazi-occupied countries such as Holland, Poland, and France. The secrecy that surrounded such units at that time, and since, has scarcely... [read full review]Ten Commando was composed entirely of men who came from Germany and from Nazi-occupied countries such as Holland, Poland, and France. The secrecy that surrounded such units at that time, and since, has scarcely been un-wrapped by the passage of the years - until the author's painstaking research produced this publication that is.Britain at War Magazine - FEB 2011
A unit of elite soldiers from all over Europe undertaking covert operations to undermine the axis forces in the Second World War; this may sound like the perfect introduction to a work of fiction, but... [read full review]A unit of elite soldiers from all over Europe undertaking covert operations to undermine the axis forces in the Second World War; this may sound like the perfect introduction to a work of fiction, but this is the reality of Ian Dear's Ten Commando. Made up entirely of men from Nazi-occupied nations, notably including Germany in X-Troop, the unit called Ten Commando forms the basis for Dear's work, proving fact to be far more interesting than fiction. Exploring the origins of this unit and outlining some of the operations it undertook, including guerilla warfare and organizing resistance forces, Dear attempts to highlight the significant role of this unique and often overlooked unit. This proves no easy task, and presenting a complete picture of the unit's exploits a impossibility, due in part to the clandestine nature of the operations in which Ten Commando was involved, meaning what records survive are sparse, but also as a result of the secrecy with which the men of Ten Commando were trained to conduct themselves, some still reluctant to disclose the details of their service. In Ten Commando, however, Dear's persistent research pays off as he succeeds in both telling the fascinating tale of this unit and providing worthy testament to the bravery and professionalism of the men that made it up.Customer Review
World War two had such devastating effects for all that were involved and i would never want to glorify war or give any indication that war is a good thing, however without it we would... [read full review]World War two had such devastating effects for all that were involved and i would never want to glorify war or give any indication that war is a good thing, however without it we would have never been introduced to the mysterious unit that is ' 10 Commando'. Ian Dear helps uncover this secret unit with a delicate and enticing back story which you know from reading has the potential to be something of a blockbuster film. This unveiling has everything a war enthusiast could dream of, a secret branch of soldier in the middle of one of the biggest battles known to man. As the Nazi invasion was spreading throughout Europe some soldiers managed to escape their evil regime and as their countries we're being overthrown they fled and banded together to create the X-Troop. This unknown band of men were made shrouded in such secrecy at the time that little records have been uncovered today, also given that these men were made to take part in missions and raids that were never documented in order to ensure X-Troop's ability to be an unknown unit. Dear's willingness to dig deeper into the foundations of this mysterious unit has uncovered a dangerous and highly commendable band of men, which can now be recognised as the brave and honourable soldiers of Troop-X.Matt
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Commando
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About Ian Dear
Ian Dear served as a regular officer in the Royal Marines between 1953 and 1957 and saw active service in Cyprus. After a career in firm publicity and in book publishing, he became a full-time writer specializing in military and maritime subjects. He is the author, editor, or compiler of fourteen books.
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