“SUICIDE SQUAD” AT WORK

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21560, 24 January 1940, Page 8

“SUICIDE SQUAD” AT WORK

Men Who Probe Nazi Secrets Daring Exploits Thrill His Majesty This is a story of supreme war heroism. It is a story of five young naval men who, armed with their courage and a spanner, fought Hitler’s mine terror. And it will thrill you as it thrilled the King when he met the five heroes the other day and decorated them for their valour. First, their names. At "H.M.S. Vernon"—which is not a ship but a naval barracks and laboratory at Portsmouth—they are collectively named "the Suicide Squad.” Individually, they are: Lieutenant-Commander J. G. D. Ouvry, Lieutenant-Commander Roger Lewis, Lieutenant John Glenny, Chief Petty Officer C. E. Baldwin, Able Seaman A. Vearncombe. Volunteers were asked for to probe the secrets of Hitler’s mines. The five men were the first to come forward. This is how they began their work: Between tides the five slogged across the mud of a windy foreshore, where lay a mine which the Nazis had planted in the darkness. With them went Dr Woods, a civilian explosives expert. “Ominous Hissing” They gathered around the mine. Methodically, bolt by bolt, they began to take it to pieces. They knew it might explode at any moment. But they joked as they worked. At one stage they heard the ticking of clockwork. Shortly afterwards an ominous hissing came from within the mine. But the “Suicide squad - ’ worked on. At length they had enough of the mine dismantled to see what looked like a detonator. Round-faced, snubnosed Lieutenant-Commander Roger Lewis leaned over the mine. He put his hands inside, unscrewed the detonator and slipped it in his pocket. The job was done. Then the "Suicide Squad - ’ signalled for assistance. And, as the tide rose, the dismantled mine was gathered up and taken ashore for the H.M.S. Vernon experts to examine it at leisure. Later, at Portsmouth, 800 officers and men of H.M.S. Vernon formed a hollow square when the King walked to a dais. The "Suicide Squad” stood in a line in the middle of the square to be honoured for their "cool courage and skill.” King George shook the hands of each. He decorated Lieutenant-Com-manders Ouvry and Lewis with the Distinguished Service Order, Lieutenant Glenny with the Distinguished Service Cross and Chief Petty Officer Baldwin and Able Seaman Vearncombe with the Distinguished Service Medal. Admiral Sir William James told the King that, since the war started, the “Suicide Squad” and other officers and I men of the Vernon had dealt with between 300 and 400 German mines, helped by Dr Woods.

Sensitive Detonators Each mine contained enough high explosive to blow up a battleship or a row of houses. Each mine had ingenious and very sensitive detonating mechanism. The task of the H.M.S Vernon staff was to establish how each mine worked—to find whether its mechanism was normal or something different.

Not until late on the previous night were the “Suicide Squad” told that they were to be decorated by the King After the ceremony they showed him around their "museum” where he saw the secrets of Hitler's Mines, all harmless and neatly labelled—the mines they had risked their lives to examine. Lieutenant-Commander Ouvry was married in 1928 at Melbourne. Australia, to Miss Lorna Evison, of Coulsdon. Surrey. His home is near Portsmouth.