Prior to D-Day, the Allies mounted a series of small-scale raids all along the coast of France with objective of gathering intelligence and to capture prisoners who could be interrogated. A number of commando raids were mounted in the Channel Islands and Egypte in Trinity was the location of the only one which took place in Jersey.
Codenamed Operation Hardtack 28, a group of 10 British and French commandos landed on Christmas Day night in 1943 under the command of young British Captain Philip Ayton. Jersey Military Tours follow the route of the commandos, who spoke to several islanders and successfully gathered some limited information on the German defences in the Island. All 10 commandos eventually re-boarded the small dory which took them to the rendez-vous with the fast motor torpedo boat to whisk them back to the English south coast. All in all, however, the raid did not go entirely to plan as we will find out.
