39-672: John Geoffrey Appleyard , DSO , MC & Bar (20 December 1916 – 13 July 1943) was a British Army officer, who served in the Commandos and Special Air Service during the Second World War. Appleyard was born in Bramley, Leeds , West Yorkshire , the son of John Ernest Appleyard, a successful motor engineer, and Mary Elizabeth Northrop. His brother Ian became a successful rally driver. Geoffrey grew up in Linton, West Yorkshire , and
78-458: A prisoner of war on capture, which included enemy soldiers in proper uniforms, and how they should be treated. Under both the Hague and Geneva Conventions, it was legal to execute "spies and saboteurs" disguised in civilian clothes or uniforms of the enemy. The Germans claimed in paragraph one of their order that they were acting only in retaliation in a quid pro quo for claimed Allied violation of
117-598: A case of 'a high degree of gallantry just short of deserving the Victoria Cross '. In either case, being ' Mentioned in Dispatches ' was a pre-condition for the award of a DSO. A requirement that the order could be given only to someone mentioned in despatches was removed in 1943. Since 1993, reflecting the review of the British honours system which recommended removing distinctions of rank in respect of operational awards,
156-550: A high degree of gallantry, just short of deserving the Victoria Cross . Whilst normally given for service under fire or under conditions equivalent to service in actual combat with the enemy, a number of awards made between 1914 and 1916 were under circumstances not under fire, often to staff officers , causing resentment among front-line officers. After 1 January 1917, commanders in the field were instructed to recommend this award only for those serving under fire. From 1916, ribbon bars could be authorised for subsequent awards of
195-705: A note in the Wehrmacht daily communiqué: In future, all terror and sabotage troops of the British and their accomplices, who do not act like soldiers but rather like bandits, will be treated as such by the German troops and will be ruthlessly eliminated in battle, wherever they appear. On 18 October, after much deliberation by High Command lawyers, officers, and staff, Hitler issued the Commando Order or Kommandobefehl in secret, with only 12 copies. The following day Alfred Jodl distributed 22 copies with an appendix stating that
234-545: A raid on Dieppe, a Canadian brigadier , William Southam, took a copy of the operational order ashore against explicit orders. The order was subsequently discovered on the beach by the Germans and found its way to Adolf Hitler . Among the dozens of pages of orders was an instruction to "bind prisoners". The orders were for Canadian forces participating in the raid, and not the commandos. Bodies of shot German prisoners with their hands tied were allegedly found by German forces after
273-553: A similar unit, agents, and saboteurs not in proper uniforms who fell into the hands of the German forces by some means other than direct combat (by being apprehended by the police in occupied territories, for instance), were to be handed over immediately to the Sicherheitsdienst (SD, or Security Service) for immediate execution. According to the OKW, this was to be done in retaliation for their opponents "employing in their conduct of
312-575: A similar-in-practise shackling of German POWs in Canada . The tit-for-tat shackling continued until the Swiss achieved agreement with the Canadians to desist on 12 December and with the Germans some time later after they received further assurances from the British. However, before the Canadians ended the policy, there was an uprising of German POWs at Bowmanville POW camp . On 7 October, Hitler personally penned
351-411: A warning he was shot dead. With the enemy now alerted, the raiders returned to the beach with the remaining four prisoners. En route, three of them attempted to escape and were killed. As a result, an enraged Hitler issued the infamous Kommandobefehl (" Commando Order "), stating that all captured Commandos were to be shot without exception. Further operations followed, and on 15 December 1942 Appleyard
390-655: Is a level 2A decoration (order) in the British system of military decorations . Instituted on 6 September 1886 by Queen Victoria in a royal warrant published in The London Gazette on 9 November, the first DSOs awarded were dated 25 November 1886. The order was established to reward individual instances of meritorious or distinguished service in war. It was a military order, until recently for officers only and typically awarded to officers ranked major (or equivalent) or higher, with awards to ranks below this usually for
429-479: Is commemorated at the Cassino Memorial . Describing him, Vladimir "Popski" Peniakoff said, "He was one of the few officers who had developed the technique of the small scale raid: the care he took of his men made him stand out among brother officers who were too excited by the prospect of adventure to think of anybody, but their own selves." In the 2024 movie The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare , Geoffrey
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#1732858830884468-711: Is portrayed by British actor Alex Pettyfer . The movie portrays a heavily fictionalized version of Operation Postmaster . Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order ( DSO ) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom , as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth , awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful command and leadership during active operations, typically in actual combat. Since 1993 it has been awarded specifically for "highly successful command and leadership during active operations", with all ranks being eligible. It
507-717: The Commonwealth . The following received the DSO and three bars ( i.e., were awarded the DSO four times): Commando Order The Commando Order ( German : Kommandobefehl ) was issued by the OKW , the high command of the German Armed Forces , on 18 October 1942. This order stated that all Allied commandos captured in Europe and Africa should be summarily executed without trial , even if in proper uniforms or if they attempted to surrender. Any commando or small group of commandos or
546-543: The 1990s most, including Canada , Australia and New Zealand , were establishing their own honours systems and no longer recommended British honours. Recipients of the order are officially known as Companions of the Distinguished Service Order, and are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "DSO". All awards are announced in The London Gazette . From 1918 to 2017, the Distinguished Service Order
585-616: The Commando Order were found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to death, or, in two cases, extended incarceration. The Commando Order cited alleged violations of the Geneva Conventions by Allied commandos as justification, following incidents at the recent Dieppe Raid and on a small raid on the Channel Island of Sark by the Small Scale Raiding Force , with some men of No. 12 Commando . On 19 August 1942, during
624-553: The DSO has been open to all ranks, with the award criteria redefined as "highly successful command and leadership during active operations". At the same time, the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross was introduced as the second-highest award for gallantry. Despite some very fierce campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, the DSO has yet to be awarded to a non-commissioned rank. The DSO had also been awarded by Commonwealth countries but by
663-577: The DSO, worn on the ribbon of the original award. In 1942, the award was extended to officers of the Merchant Navy who had performed acts of gallantry whilst under enemy attack. Prior to 1943, the DSO could be awarded to only commissioned officers of the Lieutenant-Colonel rank and above, for 'meritorious or distinguished service in wartime' under conditions of actual combat. If awarded to an officer ranking below Lieutenant-Colonel, it had to be
702-508: The Geneva Convention regarding the execution of prisoners and other heinous acts; however, insofar as the Commando Order applied to soldiers in proper uniforms, it was in direct and deliberate violation of both the customary laws of war and Germany's treaty obligations. The execution of Allied commandos without trial was also a violation of Article 30 of the 1907 Hague Convention IV – The Laws and Customs of War on Land : "A spy taken in
741-417: The Germans to reinforce their defences along hundreds of miles of coastline, and diverting significant numbers of troops from combat duties elsewhere. However, an injury prevented him from going ashore in the disastrous Operation Aquatint , on 12 September 1942, when an attack at Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes , Normandy, went badly wrong and half the 10-man force were captured, and the other half killed, including
780-499: The SSRF's commanding officer Major Gustavus March-Phillipps . Its failure stemmed in part from Appleyard mistaking the landing beach, though he never knew that. Appleyard took command of the SSRF, and led 10 men of the SSRF and No. 12 Commando , on Operation Basalt , landing on the Channel island of Sark on the night of 3/4 October 1942. Five Germans were taken prisoner, but when one shouted
819-476: The act shall not be punished without previous trial." That provision includes only soldiers caught behind enemy lines in disguises, and not those wearing proper uniforms. Soldiers in proper uniforms cannot be punished for being lawful combatants and must be treated as prisoners of war upon capture except those disguised in civilian clothes or uniforms of the enemy for military operations behind enemy lines. The fact that Hitler's staff took special measures to keep
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#1732858830884858-484: The awarding of the G.C. to Yeo-Thomas describes this process in detail. POW Allied airmen were also killed via the "Commando Order". Victims include: The laws of war in 1942 stated, "it is especially forbidden... to declare that no quarter will be given". This was established under Article 23 (d) of the 1907 Hague Convention IV – The Laws and Customs of War on Land . The Geneva Convention of 1929 , which Germany had ratified, defined who should be considered
897-569: The battle. On the night of 3–4 October 1942, ten men of the Small Scale Raiding Force and No. 12 Commando (attached) made an offensive raid on the German-occupied isle of Sark, called " Operation Basalt ", to reconnoitre the island and to take prisoners. During the raid, five prisoners were captured. To minimise the task of the guard left with the captives, the commandos tied the prisoners' hands behind their backs. According to
936-468: The coast of West Africa, spending six months reporting on enemy submarine activity and carrying out clandestine raids. The highlight of the assignment was Operation Postmaster , in which the Italian liner Duchessa d'Aosta and the German tug Likomba were boarded and towed from the neutral Spanish island of Fernando Po and taken to Nigeria. On his return he was awarded a Bar to his Military Cross. After
975-399: The commandos, one prisoner started shouting to alert his comrades in a hotel and was shot dead. The remaining four prisoners were silenced by stuffing their mouths, according to Anders Lassen , with grass. En route to the beach, three prisoners made a break. Whether or not some had freed their hands during the escape has never been established, and it is unknown whether all three broke at
1014-604: The enemy could be treated as insurgents or spies, as stated in the Ex parte Quirin , the Hostages Trial , and the trial of Otto Skorzeny and others). The order included measures designed to force military staff to obey its provisions. Some German commanders, including Erwin Rommel , had refused to relay the order to their troops since they considered it to be contrary to honourable conduct. German officers who carried out executions under
1053-430: The order secret, including the limitation of its printing to 12 initial copies, strongly suggests that it was known to be illegal. He also knew the order would be unpopular with the professional military, particularly the part that stated it would stand even if captured commandos were in proper uniforms (in contrast to the usual provision of international law that only commandos disguised in civilian clothes or uniforms of
1092-571: The order was "intended for commanders only and must not under any circumstances fall into enemy hands". The order itself stated: To hold them in military custody – for example in POW camps, etc., – even if only as a temporary measure, is strictly forbidden. Dozens of Allied special forces soldiers were executed as the result of this order. "Commandos" of those types captured were turned over to German security and police forces and transported to concentration camps for execution. The Gazette citation reporting
1131-585: The rank of second lieutenant . Mobilised for active service on 24 August 1939, he commanded an RASC mobile motor repair workshop as part of the British Expeditionary Force in northern France. During the Battle of France he was ordered to destroy all his vehicles, and then was evacuated from Dunkirk . Appleyard volunteered to join the Commandos in late 1940, and was posted to B Troop, No. 7 Commando . He
1170-590: The same time. One was shot and another stabbed, while the third managed to escape. The fourth was conveyed safely back to England . A few days after the Sark raid, the Germans issued a communiqué claiming that at least one prisoner had escaped and two were shot while they were escaping, having had their hands tied. They also claimed the "hand-tying" practise was used at Dieppe. Then, on 9 October Berlin announced that 1,376 Allied prisoners (mainly Canadians from Dieppe) would henceforth be shackled. The Canadians responded with
1209-417: The success of "Postmaster", the "Maid Honour Force" was expanded (though it never numbered more than 55 men at any time) and renamed the "Small Scale Raiding Force", though its official designation was No. 62 Commando , under the operational control of Combined Operations Headquarters . Appleyard took part in many SSRF raids on the coast of occupied France, landing in small boats from motor launches, compelling
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1248-521: The war, methods which contravene the International Convention of Geneva". The German high command alleged that they had ascertained from "captured orders" that Allied commandos were "instructed not only to tie up prisoners, but also to kill out-of-hand unarmed captives who they think might prove an encumbrance to them, or hinder them in successfully carrying out their aims", and that commandos had been ordered to kill prisoners. This order, which
1287-563: Was appointed second-in-command. On the night of 12/13 July 1943, during the Allied invasion of Sicily , Appleyard supervised the dropping of a group of SAS paratroopers north of Randazzo in Operation Chestnut . The Albemarle aircraft disappeared on the return flight over the Mediterranean, and Appleyard was declared missing presumed dead. It had probably been shot down by friendly fire. He
1326-568: Was awarded approximately 16,935 times, in addition to 1,910 bars. The figures to 1979 are laid out in the table below, the dates reflecting the relevant entries in the London Gazette : In addition, approximately 90 DSOs were awarded between 1980 and 2017, including awards for the Falklands and the wars in the Gulf , Iraq and Afghanistan , in addition to three bars. The above figures include awards to
1365-529: Was awarded the Distinguished Service Order . On meeting the now Temporary Major Appleyard at his third investiture in eleven months, King George VI was both amused and impressed, greeting him with: "What, you again?" The SSRF was disbanded in April 1943, but many of its members were transferred to Algeria, where they formed the nucleus of Bill Stirling's new 2nd Special Air Service , of which Appleyard
1404-590: Was educated at Bootham School in York , where he combined academic success with natural history and roof-climbing. At Caius College, Cambridge , he obtained a first in Engineering and a skiing blue , while he was also his college's Captain of Boats, and competed as a highly successful international skier. Appleyard was commissioned into the Royal Army Service Corps (Supplementary Reserve) on 1 April 1939 with
1443-549: Was issued in secret, made it clear that failure to carry out its directives by any commander or officer would be considered an act of negligence punishable under German military law. It was issued on October 18 by Chief of the OKW Wilhelm Keitel , and only a dozen copies were distributed by Chief of Operations Staff Alfred Jodl the next day, with an appendix stating that it was intended for commanders only, and must not under any circumstances fall into enemy hands . However it
1482-576: Was promoted to the war substantive rank of lieutenant on 1 January 1941 and, in May, now an acting captain, was awarded the Military Cross for his "gallant and distinguished services in the field", after taking part in an operation by boat and submarine to pick up two Operation Savanna agents on the coast of France and bring them back to England. Appleyard then served aboard the 62-foot (19 m) ketch -rigged Brixham trawler Maid Honour , which sailed to
1521-562: Was sent as an Ultra message, intercepted, and translated. It was in fact the second "Commando Order", the first being issued by Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt on 21 July 1942, stipulating that parachutists should be handed over to the Gestapo . Shortly after World War II , at the Nuremberg trials , the Commando Order was found to be a direct breach of the laws of war , and German officers who carried out illegal executions under
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