Ronald Adolphus Haggar

Taken from the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive. Please click on link below

Interview with Ronald at Imperial War Museum Sound Archive

British NCO served as wireless operator with Special Operations Executive in Palestine and Lebanon, 1941-1942; served aboard The Armadillo, No 14, Levant Fishing Patrol, Force 133, Special Operations Executive in Aegean Sea, 1943-1944

This is a really interesting interview.

Content description:

REEL 1

Aspects of period as wireless operator with Special Operations Executive in Palestine and Lebanon, 1942-1943: volunteering for ‘special duties’ in Egypt, 1941; irregular wireless operator training at Special Operators Training and Holding Unit at Mount Carmel, Palestine; attitude to training Free French Austrian personnel Morse Code; preparations for operating if Germans occupied Palestine; taking over house in Beirut, Lebanon. Recollections of operations as wireless operator with The Armadillo, No 14, Levant Fishing Patrol, Force 133, Special Operations Executive in Aegean Sea, 1943-1945: background to involvement in mission to retrieve boat stranded in the Aegean; background to becoming wireless operator to Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Mackenzie; intelligence gathering mission into Greek Islands in Aegean; use of Turkish ports; receiving RAF Bristol Beaufighter escort back to Cyprus; altering look of boat in order to resume covert missions; dangers of RAF attacks; value of intelligence gathered; planned mission to bring Greek Prime Minister out of Piraeus, Greece, mid, 1944.

REEL 2

Continues: decision team should take after failure to extract Greek Prime Minister; taking German surrender of Cyra Island, 1944; capture of commanding officer Major Stanley Beckinsale whilst negotiating surrender of Milos Island; posting to GB; character of intelligence gathering work; incidents of narrow escapes in Aegean. Story of recruitment to and formation of Artist Rifles, 21st Special Air Service in London after Second World War. Story of smuggling son of Turkish general out of Bodrum, Turkey, 1943.