TODAY Falmouth will remember the heroes of St Nazaire, 70 years on from the famous raid.

On March 26, 1942, more than 600 men sailed from Falmouth in a flotilla of three destroyers and 16 smaller boats, including the HMS Campbeltown, which had been packed with explosives.

The Campbeltown was then rammed into the gates of the dry docks in the French town, the largest docks on the Atlantic coast at the time.

After heavy fighting saw commandos taking out strategic targets in the docks area, the Campbeltown exploded, taking the port out of action for the rest of the war.

Only 228 men returned from the raid, with 169 killed and 215 captured by the Germans.

The operation has become known as the ‘Greatest Raid of All’.

On Sunday, only one surviving veteran, Bill Bannister, will attend the annual St Nazaire service in Falmouth, and will lay the wreath of remembrance during the service on the Prince of Wales pier.

Here, Mr Bannister recalls the days leading up to the raid, and the terrifying few hours they spent under heavy fire in St Nazaire itself; “We were told there was to be a big commando raid on St Nazaire docks in France and we were to take part. There was a very large dry dock there that could dock the biggest German warships plus the U-boat pens.

The idea was to run an old warship of ours full of explosives into the dock gate and render the dock useless for the rest of the war. Before the raid we went into Devonport Dockyard for a practise raid.

There were about 18 motor launches, one gun boat and one torpedo boat. We would be the leader, the headquarters boat. We were all told to make a will; unbeknown to us they were not expecting any survivors.

Earl Mountbatten was associated with this raid, which became known as the Greatest Raid of All, and Operation Chariot. On March 26, 1942 the force of 18 motor launches, one MGB and one MTB, plus two destroyers, left Falmouth with an old American destroyer packed with explosives.

This was the Campbeltown. One destroyer towed MTB 314 because we could not carry enough fuel to get us there and back. On the way we sited two French trawlers and not knowing whether they were Vichy French or Free French, it was decided to take the crews off and sink the trawlers as we could not take any chances. So we slipped our tow, went alongside the trawlers, took off men and put them on the destroyers, which finally sunk them with gunfire and we carried on our way. This was midday, but luckily for us we had not met any enemy at all.

Late that evening we entered St Nazerie harbour. MTB 314 was the headquarters boat so we led the way. The destroyer was able to enter so they slipped our tow and with our Gunboat in the lead we steamed up the harbour to our objective.

We had a rating onboard who could speak German and as we were challenged going up the harbour he was able to answer until, finally not knowing the correct answer, all hell broke out.

Some of the commandos were landed and we went alongside and landed Lt Col Newman and his men. Then we moved to the centre of the harbour as the Campbeltown proceeded to the dock gates and hit them fair and square.

A large proportion of her bow was embedded in the gate, but did not penetrate it. There was all hell let loose in the harbour and after 30 minutes, we went alongside the jetty to embark any commandos who had done their jobs; many of these were wounded.

Motor launches were being sunk and blown up right, left and centre and bodies blown everywhere. There were commandos all over our boat, we even packed them down in the engine room along each side of the engines.

As we made our full speed escape our guns were firing constantly, and just before we left harbour the gun layer on the forehead pom pom, Billy Savage, was shot and killed. We then left the harbour, joined up with the two destroyers and went alongside, put the surviving commandos and Bill Savage’s body on board and then proceeded home.

We were badly damaged and in sinking condition so after about one and a half hours it was decided to take the crew off and sink the gunboat, as we were slowing down the escape and the destroyers had had a signal to say three German destroyers were in pursuit. This we did and with just the clothes we stood in, boarded the destroyer and watched them sink the gunboat.

Then at full speed we made our getaway to Falmouth, where we arrived during the forenoon. We learnt later on that the Campbeltown had been blown up killing heaps of Germans, and that the docks would be out of action for the rest of the war. After the raid we were told that our shipmate Billy Savage, Commander Ryder and Lt Col Newman had all been awarded the Victorian Cross.”

Sunday’s service will see a parade gather at The Moor from 10.45am before heading to the Prince of Wales pier for a service at 11am.