Roy Farran
Encyclopedia
Major
Roy Alexander Farran DSO
, MC
& Two Bars
(January 2, 1921 – June 2, 2006) was a British-Canadian soldier, politician, farmer, author and journalist. He was best known for his exploits with the Special Air Service
(SAS) during World War II
, and in Israel
for allegedly kidnapping and killing a 16-year-old member of the underground group Lehi
, also known as the Stern Gang.
He served as a politician on the municipal and provincial level in Canada by holding a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
from 1971 to 1979 sitting with the Progressive Conservative caucus. He served as a cabinet minister in the government of Premier Peter Lougheed
during that period.
, or in India, to a family of Irish Roman Catholics. His father was a Warrant Officer
in the Royal Air Force
. He was educated in India at the Bishop Cotton School in the city of Simla
, and then at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
. After graduating from Sandhurst, Farran was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
into the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards)
and sent to the 51st Training Regiment.
, which was serving in the North African Campaign
at the time, and joined the regiment just in time for the beginning of Operation Compass
. This was a British offensive against Italian forces in North Africa, which began in December, 1940, and participated in the Battle of Sidi Barrani. In the aftermath of one battle, he was detailed to supervise a burial party and came across a damaged Italian tank, its entire crew dead; unable to recover the bodies, Farran set the tank's petrol tank on fire. After Operation Compass came to an end, the Hussars were transferred to the island of Crete
, to reinforce the British and Commonwealth forces that were stationed there after their retreat from Greece
. Farran was attached to the regiment's 'C' Squadron, which was located several miles west of Canea when the Germans began their invasion of Crete
on May 20, 1941. Farran was ordered to take a troop of tanks and block a road that led from the village of Galatas, and shortly afterwards sighted and killed a number of German troops escorting a group of forty captured hospital patients. The troop came under attack from Stukas and well hidden ground forces. Returning from this mission Farran's troop encountered several Germans who attempted to surrender; he ordered them shot, later writing that the incident occurred in the heat of the moment. On May 21, the 10th Infantry Brigade launched a successful assault on Cemetery Hill, in which Farran participated. German forces were eventually able to break through the British and Commonwealth positions around Galatas, and Farran was part of a counter-attack in an attempt to retake the village. He protested about the unsuitability of his light tanks for the task but was told that no heavy tanks were left. Farran later wrote of his guilt at allowing the dangerous lead position to be taken by a subordinate -"I did not care for orders when it suited me, but this time I had chosen to obey them because I knew that I would be killed if I did not. I should have been in that leading tank. Instead, there was Skedgewell dead and his pretty young wife waiting at home. I felt as if I had murdered him." During the action he was wounded in the right arm and both of his legs, and as a result he was captured by German forces. It was at this time that he was awarded the Military Cross
, for gallantry during his service in Crete.
After being captured, he was flown to a hospital for Prisoners of War
in Athens
for treatment, and by August he was able to walk with the aid of crutches. He made several unsuccessful attempts to escape, and finally succeeded when a sentry became distracted; Farran was able to crawl under the wire and make his way unseen to a nearby ditch. Moved between a series of houses, he was eventually able to link up with a number of friendly Greek civilians and three other escaped Australian and British prisoners, and was lent money to hire a caique
to sail from the port of Piraeus
to British-held Egypt
. The group hoped to make it in four days, but a storm pushed the boat off course. The boat ran out of fuel after two days, and Farran created an ad hoc
sail from blankets; their water supplies ran out shortly after, and Farran was forced to knock out one man who became agitated as a result. Fortunately one of the prisoners, a Sergeant Wright, was able to make a crude water distiller that produced enough drinkable water for the party to survive. After ten days adrift, the boat was spotted by a Royal Navy
destroyer
forty miles off the coast of Alexandria
. Farran was awarded a bar
to his Military Cross as a result of leading the Greeks and prisoners to freedom. In January 1942, Farran was appointed as the Aide-de-camp
for Major General
John "Jock" Campbell
, the newly promoted commander of the 7th Armoured Division. He was driving Campbell in his staff car during an inspection of the forward fighting area around Gazala
when he lost control of the car on a road of freshly laid clay. The car overturned, throwing Farran out but killing Campbell in the process and knocking the other occupants unconscious; he later admitted that, during the time that he awaited rescue, he had contemplated committing suicide
. When a new divisional commander was appointed, Farran remained with the divisional staff.
was forced to retreat towards El Alamein
during the summer of 1942, Farran was wounded during a Luftwaffe
attack on the division's headquarters. He was subsequently evacuated to Britain, but pulled a number of strings until he was able to convince a medical board in February 1943 to pass him as capable for combat; he was transferred to three separate units before joining a group of new recruits heading for the Middle East to join the 3rd Hussars. However, he met up with an old friend which led to him attempting to join the new 2nd Special Air Service
being formed near Algiers
. After an interview with the regiment's commander, Lieutenant Colonel
David Stirling
, and a parachute training course, Farran became the second-in-command of a squadron. He commanded it during Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily
, and despite suffering from malaria
led the squadron in an assault against a lighthouse at Cape Passero which was believed to hold a machine gun position. He also led a number of reconnaissance and sabotage patrols behind enemy lines.
During September 1943, a composite squadron from 2 SAS landed at the Italian port of Taranto
with orders to conduct reconnaissance patrols and attack targets of opportunity ahead of the general Allied advance. During this deployment Farran commanded a section of jeeps from 'D' Squadron, which ambushed a number of German convoys and linked up with advancing Canadian forces. They also became involved in street-fighting on several occasions before moving to the city of Bari
, where it was ordered to locate escaped Allied prisoners of war, managing to free fifty. A report on the composite squadron's activities, including Farran's jeeps, concluded that their use had not been justified and that the SAS troops would have been better employed conducting sabotage operations. Michael Asher argues that the squadron's role would have been better suited to an armoured car unit.
On 3 October, the Allies made a seaborne landing at the town of Termoli
, with the aim of outflanking the Axis positions in the area and thereby aid the northwards advance of the Eighth Army and the United States Fifth Army
. The 1st Special Service Brigade
formed part of the amphibious landings, and attached to the Brigade were several Special Air Service units, including 1st Special Air Service Regiment, recently renamed 1st Special Raiding Squadron. Farran, with a detachment of twenty men from 'D' Squadron of 2 SAS, came ashore with the rest of 1 SRS with orders to create a base for future raids behind enemy lines. The seaborne landings soon became stalemated against fierce Axis resistance, and Farran and his men joined the rest of 1 SRS in an attempt to repel a German counter attack supported by armour. Positioned on a ridge with a light mortar and six Bren light machine guns, and later several 6 pounder anti-tank guns
, Farran and his men were able to help repel the attack. The Axis forces launched several more assaults on the Allied positions, which Farran and his men also helped to repulse, before finally retreating from the area. During the closing days of October, Farran commanded four parties of troops from 2 SAS who were landed by motor torpedo boat near the city of Ancona
, and were able to destroy seventeen sections of the railway that linked Ancona and Pescara
, as well as laying mines on the main road between the two towns. After being successfully extracted Farran and the rest of 2 SAS spent another four months in Italy, before returning to Britain in early 1944; around this time Farran received another bar to his Military Cross for his successful actions around Pescara and Ancona.
. With the German forces opposing them worn down by months of airstrikes and mass artillery bombardments, unaided by the Luftwaffe
, Allied commanders expected to be able to achieve a decisive breakout in Normandy. When this occurred, it was believed that a large number of German troops, particularly Panzer divisions, would retreat eastwards through the 'Orléans Gap' situated to the south of Paris; in order to trap these forces, it was planned to drop several British and American airborne divisions into the gap as a blocking force. Given the codename of Operation Transfigure, the divisions would be accompanied by units from 1 and 2 SAS, including three troops from 'C' Squadron, one of which would be commanded by Farran. His part in the operation would be to land by Airspeed Horsa
glider
with twenty jeeps near the Rambouillet
forest, and then link up with pre-existing SAS troops already operating in the area. Ultimately, Transfigure did not take place, as Allied ground forces advanced too quickly during the breakout for the airborne troops to be used effectively. However on 19 August, Farran landed with sixty men and twenty jeeps at Rennes
airfield, which was now under Allied control, with orders to begin Operation Wallace. His jeeps were to advance some two hundred miles behind German lines and link up with fifty SAS troopers who had previously established a base camp near Châtillon, to the north of the city of Dijon
. This was one of a number of bases set up by SAS patrols to attack retreating German troops and lines of communications. Under the command of Captain Grant-Hibbert, the troopers had spent the three weeks prior to Farran's arrival ambushing German convoys and blowing up a stretch of railway between Dijon and Langres.
The journey to Grant-Hibbert's position took Farran and his men four days; the first fity miles were uneventful, as local French resistance fighters were able to help the SAS troopers avoid German positions. To increase the chances of not being discovered, Farran split the jeeps into three groups, and ordered them to maintain a distance of thirty minutes and avoid all German resistance; unfortunately the first group disobeyed the orders and drove through the village of Mailly-le-Chateau, occupied by a German garrison. Although the group made it through the village, losing a jeep in the process, Farran and the next group were ambushed and came under fire, forcing his group and the following one to divert south to the Foret de St Jean, rendezvousing with the first group. The same process took place on the following day, but once again the leading group encountered German troops and suffered heavy losses, only the commander surviving and escaping; they were unable to warn the other two groups, which were also attacked. Farran and his men were able to skirt the Germans, but the third group were all but destroyed, with only a few surviving. The survivors retreated back to Paris, and eventually joined Farran by parachute insertion at a later date.
Now left with only seven of his original jeeps, Farran pressed on, the remainder of the troopers strafing a passing goods train, puncturing the boiler on its engine and forcing it to come to a halt. Eventually they linked up with Grant-Hibbert's men after one final encounter during their journey, assaulting a German radar station and causing the German garrison to flee; prisoners informed the SAS troopers that they believed the jeeps to be the advance guard of General
George S. Patton
's United States Third Army. Farran took command of the combined group, which consisted of a composite squadron of sixty troopers, ten jeeps and a civilian truck, and ordered it to move to another base to avoid further German scrutiny. The squadron roamed around until the end of August, assaulting German troop convoys and facilities, and then split into three groups to maximise the area they could cover and the damage that could be dealt to the German forces. Throughout their entire time behind German lines they were supplied by the Royal Air Force
in thirty-six sorties, which supplied by the SAS with twelve new jeeps and thirty-six supply panniers. Operation Wallace came to an end on 17 September, when the groups linked up with advance elements of the United States Seventh Army
; during the month they had been active, Farran and his men had caused more than five hundred German casualties, destroyed some ninety-five enemy vehicles and more than 100,000 gallons of petrol. Seventeen SAS troopers had been lost, including one in a parachuting accident, as well as sixteen jeeps. After linking up with the American forces, Farran sent the squadron back to Paris and granted it a week's leave in the capital, despite it officially being out of bounds to all British troops. As a result of these actions, Farran was awarded a Distinguished Service Order
, which unusually was awarded under the pseudonym
of 'Patrick McGinty'; Farran had used the name since his escape from German captivity in 1941, and claimed that the name was a reference to an Irish song.
as German forces retreated from the country. In the middle of December, Farran was dispatched to Italy with 3 Squadron, 2 SAS. The squadron had only been recently formed and was composed of volunteers from the British 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions; Farran believed it to be well-trained and highly disciplined. The squadron came under the command of General Mark Clark's Fifteenth Army Group, and between December and February 1945 conducted several small-scale operations in La Spezia
and the Brenner Pass
. These operations were small in scale, however, and Farran began to devise a plan for deploying a larger formation; it would be deployed behind German lines, but still be close enough to Fifteenth Army Group to aid Allied ground forces in their own operations. He focused his planning on the three departments of what is now Emilia Romagna: Parma
, Reggio Emilia
and Modena
; Italian partisan brigades operated in each department, controlled by a headquarters or Commando Unico and supported by an Allied liaison officer who supervised supply drops and tried to persuade them to fight the German forces in their area. The only department with a liaison officer ready to accept the arrival of SAS forces was Reggio Emilia, which suited Farran's plan well as the forward-most point of Fifteenth Army Group was only twelve miles from the department.
Farran wanted to command the operation, known as Tombola
, himself, but was forbidden by staff officers at Fifteenth Army Group's headquarters; he did, however, manage to get permission to accompany the transport aircraft the SAS troopers used to parachute into the area. When the operation began on 4 March, Farran "accidentally" fell out of the aircraft from which he was watching the parachute drop, although he was fortunate enough to have a parachute on at the time and his personal kit with him. All of the troopers landed safely, (although one officer dislocated his shoulder on landing and had to be left in the care of several Italian civilians,) and they were met by the SOE liaison officer, Michael Lees. Lees took Farran and his men to meet the commander of the local Commando Unico, which was formed of four brigades – three Communist and one Christian Democrat. When they arrived, Farran proposed to the Unico that a new battalion known as the Battaglione Alleato be created, with its core an SAS company; it would be fleshed out by a company of right-wing partisans and another of Russian deserters from the Wehrmacht
. Although this was agreed to, Farran was not enamoured with the state of the partisans when he first inspected them, stating that "nearly all of them had some physical defect." To improve their fitness and training, Farran arranged for several instructors and an Italian interpreter to be parachuted in, as well as a large quantity of supplies. Within a few days the SAS company, with a strength of forty men, had arrived to form the core of the battalion, with one officer and four men attached to each of the other companies in a supervisory capacity.
The battalion's first target, as proposed by both Farran and Lees, was the headquarters of the German 51 Mountain Corps (LI Gebirgs Korps) of general Valentain Feurestein and then leaded from general Williem Hauck, stationed in the area of Albinea, 20 miles from where they landed. Army Group Headquarters initially agreed with the proposal and supplied aerial photography of the headquarters. At the same time, it was discovered that local German forces were beginning an anti-partisan drive into the mountains where the battalion was stationed. Despite this however, Farran decided to continue with the attack, and was en route to the headquarters with the battalion when he was contacted by Army Group Headquarters, who withdrew permission for the attack to take place. Farran took the decision to ignore the injunction and continue on towards the target, on the grounds that he might lose all credibility with the partisans if their first operation was cancelled. Farran had conducted a personal reconnaissance of the headquarters on 23 March, and the battalion arrived in three columns at a farm approximately ten miles from the target on 26 March. There they rested until nightfall, and then at 02:00 on 27 March the attack on the headquarters began.
The headquarters consisted of a number of buildings centered around two villas: Villa Rossi, which was inhabited by the Corps commander himself, and Villa Calvi, occupied by his Chief of Staff. The entire garrison consisted of around 300 German soldiers. The assault itself would see the British SAS company and a number of Italians force their way into the two villas, while the Russian company would place themselves between the villas and the other buildings, preventing the rest of the garrison from intervening. The partisans were able to approach the villas without being spotted, quietly eliminating several sentries in the process, but were forced to use a bazooka to blow open the front doors on Villa Calvi after discovering that they were locked. Although they were able to reach the interior of the villa, fierce German resistance meant they were unable to move upstairs and kill the Chief of Staff; they therefore used explosives, petrol and looted furniture to set the villa on fire, ensuring that the remaining Germans stayed inside with bursts of machine gun fire. Although effective, this conflagration meant that the Germans in Villa Rossi were alerted to the attack before the group of partisans attacking the villa could begin their assault; as in the other villa, the occupants put up a stiff resistance and stymied attempts by the partisans to reach the top floor. A number of Germans were killed in the firefight, however, and there is the possibility that one of these was the Corps commander. Under heavy fire, the partisans retreated after setting fire to the villa's kitchen.
The rest of the German garrison reacted swiftly to the attack, and soon brought the Russian screen force under machine-gun fire. On Farran's signal of a red Very light, the entire force retreated from the area, carrying those who had been wounded. After nearly a day marching through the mountains, obscured from German search parties by mist and rain, the battalion arrived in a partisan-controlled village. For their efforts, the battalion had three British soldiers killed, as well as eight British and Italians wounded; this included Lees, who suffered injuries that crippled him permanently – he was eventually taken by light aircraft to a hospital in Florence
. Six Russians from the covering force were captured, and Thompson states that they were probably executed 'on the spot'. (it has been then discovered that the six russian were missing, but they were safe at the Resistance head quarter days later). Approximately sixty Germans had been killed by the partisans, including the Chief of Staff. In the aftermath of the raid, the local German forces undertook a drive into the mountains with the goal of eliminating the partisans. Between 28 March and 12 April, aided by the SAS and using heavy weapons, which included a 75-mm pack howitzer and 3-inch mortars, the partisans openly fought the Germans. The battalion was attacked three times in its previously prepared positions, each time repelling the attacks and inflicting heavy German casualties; in one attack on 10 April, the partisans counted 51 German bodies. After heavy fighting and suffering several local reverses, the Russian company conducted a counter-attack that forced the Germans to retreat and end the drive.
At the beginning of April, Farran was informed that the United States Fifth Army
was planning to launch an offensive in the area in which he and the partisans were operating. As the army's axis of advance would lead through Modena, Farran took the decision, with the approval of Army Group Headquarters, to move the battalion into Modena and support the local partisans operating there. Equipped with jeeps, the battalion would launch attacks on Route 12, the primary Florence-Modena route, with the intention of harassing German troops using it. On 5 April Farran received word that the offensive was beginning, and led the battalion to its new area of operations. When it arrived, it was discovered that the terrain lacked any cover for the partisans; as the road ran along an open valley, this would force the jeeps to drive right up to the convoys before opening fire. Farran therefore decided to target German troops on and around the road with the 75-mm howitzer, and then send in the jeeps after they had been bombarded. An initial attack on the village of Sassuolo, near Modena, was extremely successful, and the partisans launched a number of similar raids against Route 12.
After a series of raids, on 20 April, Farran was informed that Fifth Army had broken through German lines, and he took the decision to have the battalion assault the city of Reggio Emilia
, which straddled Route 12. The howitzer was used to bombard the main square of the town, and Farran later discovered that the local German and Italian Fascist garrison believed the attack to be coming from the vanguard of an American armoured division; as a result, the town was abandoned two hours after the shelling had begun. Then on 22 April, it was discovered that American troops had penetrated near the city of Bologna
, causing German forces to retreat down Route 12. Positioning the partisan battalion near the Sassuolo Bridge, Farran used the howitzer, mortars and a machine gun to open fire on the traffic using the bridge, destroying a number of vehicles. The attack attracted the attention of a flight of Supermarine Spitfire
s, who strafed the area and inflicted more casualties. After fighting all day, Farran withdrew the battalion from the area, and after harassing more German transport columns for a further day, moved the battalion into Modena to help mop up any remaining resistance. Very soon afterwards, orders came for the operation to cease and the British troops to travel to Florence. During its time operating, the battalion had killed an estimated three hundred German soldiers and destroyed twenty vehicles, as well as taking 158 prisoners of war, and had suffered twenty-four casualties in return.
When he returned to Florence and reported to Army Group Headquarters, Farran was informed of the reason why the Headquarters had wanted to delay the raid on the Corps Headquarters; a major attack by Fifteenth Army against that Corps had been scheduled to take place ten days after the raid, and it was feared that Farran's assault on the headquarters would alert the Germans to the attack. The attack had been cancelled, and as a result of this Farran believed that he would be court-martialled for disobeying orders. This did not occur, however, and he was in fact awarded the American Legion of Merit
for his actions during Tombola.
in 1946, and then returned to the 3rd Hussars where he became the regiment's second-in-command. He served with the regiment in Syria
for a time, as well as British Mandate Palestine. During his initial period in Palestine, he was with several fellow officers when a nearby ammunition dump was destroyed by guerrillas; Farran and his comrades pursued the guerrillas, managing to wound two of them. Shortly after this, Farran transferred back to Britain to serve as an instructor at Sandhurst, but then volunteered to be seconded to the Palestine Police Force
, which maintained order in the Mandate.
and Secret Intelligence Service
operatives that the British Joint Intelligence Committee
labelled 'excellent'. Although the Irgun and other Jewish resisters were outnumbered by a ratio of 20:1 by British security forces, British attempts to suppress them were hampered by an inadequate intelligence organization which was understaffed and over-stretched, with many of its small number of personnel consisting of 'enterprising amateurs' seconded from other units. Open rebellion by Jewish resistance groups began when the war came to an end, and by early 1947 Palestine had experienced a large number of guerrilla attacks against British targets. Debates raged in London over what the best course of action was to combat the attacks. On 2 March 1947, martial law was declared throughout Tel Aviv and the Jewish sector of Jerusalem, with the intended aim of differentiating the guerrillas from the civilian population and ending the attacks. However, this had the opposite effect, and the number of attacks actually doubled.
with Orde Wingate the leader of the Special Night Squads
) to create covert teams along similar lines. Those in the police who heard of the new unit were aghast, and even Gray's tough-minded predecessor John Rymer-Jones
was moved to warn that the tactic would end in catastrophe. Fergusson ignored him and recruited two former 2nd SAS men, Alastair MacGregor (then with MI6) and Roy Farran as commanders. Farran was an odd choice given his propensity to contravene direct orders, lack of experience in security or intelligence work and, by his own later account, a drink problem. MacGregor was to operate in north Palestine and Farran the south, while Fergusson took the Jerusalem squad pending the arrival of a third squad commander; interestingly these areas conformed to military zones, not the six Palestine Police districts. Subsequently Fergusson said the concept was to provoke contact and give insurgents a 'bloody nose', while Sir Henry Gurney
insisted that the squads had never been authorized to use anything outside normal police methods. Farran, or so he later claimed, thought he had been given "carte blanch... a free hand". There was only a short period of training and it largely consisted of intensive pistol and close quarters battle
practice. Utilizing jeeps, a citrus-fruit delivery truck and a dry-cleaner's lorry, Farran's team "moved among Jewish civilians in Jewish clothing" and made several arrests in the month they were active, although alert insurgents recognized them as British forces more than once. Farran did not have any fluent Hebrew speakers, but declined to liaise with the Criminal Investigation Department
, and there was a lack of accurate intelligence on insurgents.
. Palestine police CID believed he had been caught and killed by Farran's squad; Gurney ordered them "to proceed with the case as an ordinary criminal offence with the object of bringing Farran and any other accused to trial". According to one account, Rubowitz was taken to a remote location where, after brutal attempts to extract information, he was killed by Farran with a rock. Suspicions of Farran's involvement were first raised after a grey trilby hat, bearing worn lettering compatible with his name, was found near the street corner where a struggling Rubowitz was seen being pushed into a car. Farran claimed he was being framed and fled to Syria. Colonel Bernard Fergusson
persuaded Farran to return voluntarily. However, when, contrary to Fergusson's assurances, he was arrested, Farran escaped to Jordan, finally returning when he heard of reprisals being planned against British officers. He was brought to trial in a British military court in Jerusalem.
Farran was court martialled on a charge of murdering Alexander Rubowitz. Colonel Bernard Fergusson
, to whom Farran was said to have confessed his guilt, refused to testify, on the grounds that he might incriminate himself. Notes made by Farran while in custody and found after his escape reportedly contained a confession, but they were judged to be preparation for his defence, and so inadmissible under the rules of lawyer-client privilege. The prosecution failed to prove that the hat was Farran's or even that Rubowitz was actually dead. The result was that the case collapsed for lack of evidence. Later, Rubowitz' family made many unsuccessful attempts to revive the case. Alexander Rubowitz' body has never been found. After the trial Colonel Bernard Fergusson
was told to resign and be out of the country within 36 hours.
attempted to kill Farran by posting a parcel bomb to his family home in Codsall
, Staffordshire
. The package arrived almost one year to the day after Alexander Rubowitz had disappeared, but Roy Farran was away and the explosion killed Rex, his younger brother. The bomb was sent by a Lehi cell in Britain led by Yaakov Heruti
. In an episode of the BBC2 television documentary series Empire Warriors first broadcast on 19 November 2004, Knesset member and 1940s underground operative Geulah Cohen claimed that the Lehi
had addressed it to "R. Farran", without knowledge of the younger brother. The documentary was shortlisted for an international film award.
After being discharged from the army, Farran moved to Scotland and briefly worked as a quarryman. He briefly went to Africa before returning to the United Kingdom to run in the 1950 United Kingdom general election
in the constituency of Dudley
where he ran as the candidate for the Conservative Party
. He lost to incumbent Labour Member of Parliament George Wigg, finishing second out of the three candidates. After the election Farran moved to Canada in the early 1950s and settled in Calgary
, Alberta
. He began working for the Calgary Herald
, and later became owner and publisher of his own newspaper, the North Hill News. He also wrote and published History of the Calgary Highlanders 1921–1954 in 1955.
Farran launched his political career in Canada in 1961, running for a seat on the Calgary City Council
. His campaign was coordinated by a young RCAF officer, Lynn Garrison
, and would serve his first stint on Council until October 1963.
In June 1963, while he was still serving on Calgary City Council, Farran ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the 1963 Alberta general election
. He ran as an Independent candidate in the provincial electoral district of Calgary Queen's Park and finished in third place out of six candidates, losing to Social Credit incumbent Member of the Legislative Assembly
(MLA) Lee Leavitt
. Farran took over 16% of the popular vote and finished close behind second place Progressive Conservative candidate, Duncan McKilliop.
Farran returned for his second stint on Calgary City Council in 1964 and served until 1971 when he was elected to provincial office. He held his civic seat at the same time he held his provincial seat until his term expired in October that year.
Farran ran for a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
in the 1971 Alberta general election
. He won the new electoral district of Calgary-North Hill, defeating Social Credit incumbent Robert Simpson
and future MLA Barry Pashak
, as well as an Independent candidate in a hotly contested race to pick up the district for the Progressive Conservatives. The electoral district was one of the most hotly contested races in 1971, with just a spread of 0.53% separating Farran and Simpson.
The Progressive Conservatives would form their first government in the province. Premier Peter Lougheed
appointed Farran to the Executive Council of Alberta
in 1973 after the death of Len Werry and served as Minister of Telephones and Utilities. He would run for re-election in the 1975 Alberta general election
with ministerial advantage. Farran faced Simpson for the second time, and a further three candidates. He was returned to office with a landslide plurality, picking up just over 70% of the popular vote. Simpson would see his popular support collapse, while the other three candidates had no significant impact in the race.
After the election Lougheed would shuffle his cabinet, and Farran was appointed as the Solicitor General. He held that position until he retired from provincial politics at the dissolution of the legislature in 1979. During his time in office he served on numerous committees in the Legislature, including Public Accounts; Private Bills; Standing Orders and Printing; Law; Law Amendments and Regulations; Public Affairs; Agriculture; and Education.
and later founded a non-profit organization called French Vosges, providing Franco-Canadian student exchanges. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1994 for his work in founding the organization. He later battled throat cancer which resulted in having his larynx
surgically removed. Farran died in 2006.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Roy Alexander Farran DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
& Two Bars
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(January 2, 1921 – June 2, 2006) was a British-Canadian soldier, politician, farmer, author and journalist. He was best known for his exploits with the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
(SAS) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
for allegedly kidnapping and killing a 16-year-old member of the underground group Lehi
Lehi (group)
Lehi , commonly referred to in English as the Stern Group or Stern Gang, was a militant Zionist group founded by Avraham Stern in the British Mandate of Palestine...
, also known as the Stern Gang.
He served as a politician on the municipal and provincial level in Canada by holding a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
from 1971 to 1979 sitting with the Progressive Conservative caucus. He served as a cabinet minister in the government of Premier Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....
during that period.
Early life
Farran was born on January 2, 1921, either in Purley, SurreyPurley, London
Purley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 11.7 miles south of Charing Cross.The name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Purley has a population of about 72,000....
, or in India, to a family of Irish Roman Catholics. His father was a Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He was educated in India at the Bishop Cotton School in the city of Simla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
, and then at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. After graduating from Sandhurst, Farran was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
into the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards)
3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards)
The 3rd Carabiniers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.-History:The regiment was formed in 1922 as part of a reduction in the army's cavalry by the amalgamation of the 3rd Dragoon Guards and The Carabiniers , to form the 3rd/6th Dragoon Guards...
and sent to the 51st Training Regiment.
North Africa and Crete
He was posted on attachment to the 3rd The King's Own Hussars3rd The King's Own Hussars
The 3rd Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own Hussars in 1958.-The Glorious Revolution:...
, which was serving in the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
at the time, and joined the regiment just in time for the beginning of Operation Compass
Operation Compass
Operation Compass was the first major Allied military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II. British and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces in western Egypt and eastern Libya in December 1940 to February 1941. The attack was a complete success...
. This was a British offensive against Italian forces in North Africa, which began in December, 1940, and participated in the Battle of Sidi Barrani. In the aftermath of one battle, he was detailed to supervise a burial party and came across a damaged Italian tank, its entire crew dead; unable to recover the bodies, Farran set the tank's petrol tank on fire. After Operation Compass came to an end, the Hussars were transferred to the island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, to reinforce the British and Commonwealth forces that were stationed there after their retreat from Greece
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
. Farran was attached to the regiment's 'C' Squadron, which was located several miles west of Canea when the Germans began their invasion of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
on May 20, 1941. Farran was ordered to take a troop of tanks and block a road that led from the village of Galatas, and shortly afterwards sighted and killed a number of German troops escorting a group of forty captured hospital patients. The troop came under attack from Stukas and well hidden ground forces. Returning from this mission Farran's troop encountered several Germans who attempted to surrender; he ordered them shot, later writing that the incident occurred in the heat of the moment. On May 21, the 10th Infantry Brigade launched a successful assault on Cemetery Hill, in which Farran participated. German forces were eventually able to break through the British and Commonwealth positions around Galatas, and Farran was part of a counter-attack in an attempt to retake the village. He protested about the unsuitability of his light tanks for the task but was told that no heavy tanks were left. Farran later wrote of his guilt at allowing the dangerous lead position to be taken by a subordinate -"I did not care for orders when it suited me, but this time I had chosen to obey them because I knew that I would be killed if I did not. I should have been in that leading tank. Instead, there was Skedgewell dead and his pretty young wife waiting at home. I felt as if I had murdered him." During the action he was wounded in the right arm and both of his legs, and as a result he was captured by German forces. It was at this time that he was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, for gallantry during his service in Crete.
Escape and return to duty
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
for treatment, and by August he was able to walk with the aid of crutches. He made several unsuccessful attempts to escape, and finally succeeded when a sentry became distracted; Farran was able to crawl under the wire and make his way unseen to a nearby ditch. Moved between a series of houses, he was eventually able to link up with a number of friendly Greek civilians and three other escaped Australian and British prisoners, and was lent money to hire a caique
Caique
The Caiques are species of parrots in the genus Pionites. There are two main species, the White-bellied Parrot and the Black-headed Parrot . They are relatively small and stocky, with a short, square tail. Due to their very brght, pure colors they are considered among the more beautiful parrot...
to sail from the port of Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
to British-held Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The group hoped to make it in four days, but a storm pushed the boat off course. The boat ran out of fuel after two days, and Farran created an ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
sail from blankets; their water supplies ran out shortly after, and Farran was forced to knock out one man who became agitated as a result. Fortunately one of the prisoners, a Sergeant Wright, was able to make a crude water distiller that produced enough drinkable water for the party to survive. After ten days adrift, the boat was spotted by a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
forty miles off the coast of Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
. Farran was awarded a bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his Military Cross as a result of leading the Greeks and prisoners to freedom. In January 1942, Farran was appointed as the Aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
for Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
John "Jock" Campbell
John Charles Campbell
Major-General John Charles "Jock" Campbell VC, DSO & Bar, MC was a Scottish officer in the British Army, recipient of the Victoria Cross.-History:Campbell was born in Thurso...
, the newly promoted commander of the 7th Armoured Division. He was driving Campbell in his staff car during an inspection of the forward fighting area around Gazala
Gazala
Gazala, or Ain el Gazala , is a small Libyan village near the coast in the northeastern portion of the country. It is located west of Tobruk....
when he lost control of the car on a road of freshly laid clay. The car overturned, throwing Farran out but killing Campbell in the process and knocking the other occupants unconscious; he later admitted that, during the time that he awaited rescue, he had contemplated committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. When a new divisional commander was appointed, Farran remained with the divisional staff.
Sicily and Italy
When the British Eighth ArmyEighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
was forced to retreat towards El Alamein
El Alamein
El Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...
during the summer of 1942, Farran was wounded during a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
attack on the division's headquarters. He was subsequently evacuated to Britain, but pulled a number of strings until he was able to convince a medical board in February 1943 to pass him as capable for combat; he was transferred to three separate units before joining a group of new recruits heading for the Middle East to join the 3rd Hussars. However, he met up with an old friend which led to him attempting to join the new 2nd Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
being formed near Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
. After an interview with the regiment's commander, Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
David Stirling
David Stirling
Colonel Sir Archibald David Stirling, DSO, DFC, OBE was a Scottish laird, mountaineer, World War II British Army officer, and the founder of the Special Air Service.-Life before the war:...
, and a parachute training course, Farran became the second-in-command of a squadron. He commanded it during Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, and despite suffering from malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
led the squadron in an assault against a lighthouse at Cape Passero which was believed to hold a machine gun position. He also led a number of reconnaissance and sabotage patrols behind enemy lines.
During September 1943, a composite squadron from 2 SAS landed at the Italian port of Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
with orders to conduct reconnaissance patrols and attack targets of opportunity ahead of the general Allied advance. During this deployment Farran commanded a section of jeeps from 'D' Squadron, which ambushed a number of German convoys and linked up with advancing Canadian forces. They also became involved in street-fighting on several occasions before moving to the city of Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, where it was ordered to locate escaped Allied prisoners of war, managing to free fifty. A report on the composite squadron's activities, including Farran's jeeps, concluded that their use had not been justified and that the SAS troops would have been better employed conducting sabotage operations. Michael Asher argues that the squadron's role would have been better suited to an armoured car unit.
On 3 October, the Allies made a seaborne landing at the town of Termoli
Termoli
Termoli is a town and comune on the Adriatic coast of Italy, in the province of Campobasso, region of Molise. It has a population of around 32,000, having expanded quickly after World War II, and it is a local resort town known for its beaches and old fortifications...
, with the aim of outflanking the Axis positions in the area and thereby aid the northwards advance of the Eighth Army and the United States Fifth Army
United States Army North
United States Army North, or the Fifth Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army. It is responsible for homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities as the joint force land component command of United States Northern Command.-History:The Fifth United States...
. The 1st Special Service Brigade
1st Special Service Brigade
The 1st Special Service Brigade was a brigade of the British Army. Formed during World War II, it consisted of elements of the army and the Royal Marines. The brigade's component units saw action individually in Norway and the Dieppe Raid , before being combined under one commander for service in...
formed part of the amphibious landings, and attached to the Brigade were several Special Air Service units, including 1st Special Air Service Regiment, recently renamed 1st Special Raiding Squadron. Farran, with a detachment of twenty men from 'D' Squadron of 2 SAS, came ashore with the rest of 1 SRS with orders to create a base for future raids behind enemy lines. The seaborne landings soon became stalemated against fierce Axis resistance, and Farran and his men joined the rest of 1 SRS in an attempt to repel a German counter attack supported by armour. Positioned on a ridge with a light mortar and six Bren light machine guns, and later several 6 pounder anti-tank guns
Ordnance QF 6 pounder
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just 6 pounder, was a British 57 mm gun, their primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War II, as well as the main armament for a number of armoured fighting vehicles...
, Farran and his men were able to help repel the attack. The Axis forces launched several more assaults on the Allied positions, which Farran and his men also helped to repulse, before finally retreating from the area. During the closing days of October, Farran commanded four parties of troops from 2 SAS who were landed by motor torpedo boat near the city of Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
, and were able to destroy seventeen sections of the railway that linked Ancona and Pescara
Pescara
Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...
, as well as laying mines on the main road between the two towns. After being successfully extracted Farran and the rest of 2 SAS spent another four months in Italy, before returning to Britain in early 1944; around this time Farran received another bar to his Military Cross for his successful actions around Pescara and Ancona.
France
Farran remained in Britain until August, by which time the Western Allies had invaded France and gained a foothold in NormandyNormandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. With the German forces opposing them worn down by months of airstrikes and mass artillery bombardments, unaided by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, Allied commanders expected to be able to achieve a decisive breakout in Normandy. When this occurred, it was believed that a large number of German troops, particularly Panzer divisions, would retreat eastwards through the 'Orléans Gap' situated to the south of Paris; in order to trap these forces, it was planned to drop several British and American airborne divisions into the gap as a blocking force. Given the codename of Operation Transfigure, the divisions would be accompanied by units from 1 and 2 SAS, including three troops from 'C' Squadron, one of which would be commanded by Farran. His part in the operation would be to land by Airspeed Horsa
Airspeed Horsa
The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British World War II troop-carrying glider built by Airspeed Limited and subcontractors and used for air assault by British and Allied armed forces...
glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
with twenty jeeps near the Rambouillet
Rambouillet
Rambouillet is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.It is located in the suburbs of Paris southwest from the center...
forest, and then link up with pre-existing SAS troops already operating in the area. Ultimately, Transfigure did not take place, as Allied ground forces advanced too quickly during the breakout for the airborne troops to be used effectively. However on 19 August, Farran landed with sixty men and twenty jeeps at Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
airfield, which was now under Allied control, with orders to begin Operation Wallace. His jeeps were to advance some two hundred miles behind German lines and link up with fifty SAS troopers who had previously established a base camp near Châtillon, to the north of the city of Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
. This was one of a number of bases set up by SAS patrols to attack retreating German troops and lines of communications. Under the command of Captain Grant-Hibbert, the troopers had spent the three weeks prior to Farran's arrival ambushing German convoys and blowing up a stretch of railway between Dijon and Langres.
The journey to Grant-Hibbert's position took Farran and his men four days; the first fity miles were uneventful, as local French resistance fighters were able to help the SAS troopers avoid German positions. To increase the chances of not being discovered, Farran split the jeeps into three groups, and ordered them to maintain a distance of thirty minutes and avoid all German resistance; unfortunately the first group disobeyed the orders and drove through the village of Mailly-le-Chateau, occupied by a German garrison. Although the group made it through the village, losing a jeep in the process, Farran and the next group were ambushed and came under fire, forcing his group and the following one to divert south to the Foret de St Jean, rendezvousing with the first group. The same process took place on the following day, but once again the leading group encountered German troops and suffered heavy losses, only the commander surviving and escaping; they were unable to warn the other two groups, which were also attacked. Farran and his men were able to skirt the Germans, but the third group were all but destroyed, with only a few surviving. The survivors retreated back to Paris, and eventually joined Farran by parachute insertion at a later date.
Now left with only seven of his original jeeps, Farran pressed on, the remainder of the troopers strafing a passing goods train, puncturing the boiler on its engine and forcing it to come to a halt. Eventually they linked up with Grant-Hibbert's men after one final encounter during their journey, assaulting a German radar station and causing the German garrison to flee; prisoners informed the SAS troopers that they believed the jeeps to be the advance guard of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
George S. Patton
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
's United States Third Army. Farran took command of the combined group, which consisted of a composite squadron of sixty troopers, ten jeeps and a civilian truck, and ordered it to move to another base to avoid further German scrutiny. The squadron roamed around until the end of August, assaulting German troop convoys and facilities, and then split into three groups to maximise the area they could cover and the damage that could be dealt to the German forces. Throughout their entire time behind German lines they were supplied by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in thirty-six sorties, which supplied by the SAS with twelve new jeeps and thirty-six supply panniers. Operation Wallace came to an end on 17 September, when the groups linked up with advance elements of the United States Seventh Army
United States Army Europe
United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and the land component of United States European Command. It is the largest American formation in Europe.-Invasion of Sicily:...
; during the month they had been active, Farran and his men had caused more than five hundred German casualties, destroyed some ninety-five enemy vehicles and more than 100,000 gallons of petrol. Seventeen SAS troopers had been lost, including one in a parachuting accident, as well as sixteen jeeps. After linking up with the American forces, Farran sent the squadron back to Paris and granted it a week's leave in the capital, despite it officially being out of bounds to all British troops. As a result of these actions, Farran was awarded a Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, which unusually was awarded under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of 'Patrick McGinty'; Farran had used the name since his escape from German captivity in 1941, and claimed that the name was a reference to an Irish song.
Operation Tombola
After his return, Farran took a brief journey to Greece to locate the Greek civilians who had helped him escape from the prisoner of war camp in 1941; he was successful in doing so, and also witnessed the beginnings of the Greek Civil WarGreek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
as German forces retreated from the country. In the middle of December, Farran was dispatched to Italy with 3 Squadron, 2 SAS. The squadron had only been recently formed and was composed of volunteers from the British 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions; Farran believed it to be well-trained and highly disciplined. The squadron came under the command of General Mark Clark's Fifteenth Army Group, and between December and February 1945 conducted several small-scale operations in La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
and the Brenner Pass
Brenner Pass
- Roadways :The motorway E45 leading from Innsbruck via Bolzano to Verona and Modena uses this pass, and is one of the most important north-south connections in Europe...
. These operations were small in scale, however, and Farran began to devise a plan for deploying a larger formation; it would be deployed behind German lines, but still be close enough to Fifteenth Army Group to aid Allied ground forces in their own operations. He focused his planning on the three departments of what is now Emilia Romagna: Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia is an affluent city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 170,000 inhabitants and is the main comune of the Province of Reggio Emilia....
and Modena
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
; Italian partisan brigades operated in each department, controlled by a headquarters or Commando Unico and supported by an Allied liaison officer who supervised supply drops and tried to persuade them to fight the German forces in their area. The only department with a liaison officer ready to accept the arrival of SAS forces was Reggio Emilia, which suited Farran's plan well as the forward-most point of Fifteenth Army Group was only twelve miles from the department.
Farran wanted to command the operation, known as Tombola
Operation Tombola
During World War II, Operation Tombola was a major Special Air Service raid on German rear areas in Italy.Fifty men parachuted on Cusna Mountain area between 4th and 24th March 1945, under command of Major Roy Farran...
, himself, but was forbidden by staff officers at Fifteenth Army Group's headquarters; he did, however, manage to get permission to accompany the transport aircraft the SAS troopers used to parachute into the area. When the operation began on 4 March, Farran "accidentally" fell out of the aircraft from which he was watching the parachute drop, although he was fortunate enough to have a parachute on at the time and his personal kit with him. All of the troopers landed safely, (although one officer dislocated his shoulder on landing and had to be left in the care of several Italian civilians,) and they were met by the SOE liaison officer, Michael Lees. Lees took Farran and his men to meet the commander of the local Commando Unico, which was formed of four brigades – three Communist and one Christian Democrat. When they arrived, Farran proposed to the Unico that a new battalion known as the Battaglione Alleato be created, with its core an SAS company; it would be fleshed out by a company of right-wing partisans and another of Russian deserters from the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. Although this was agreed to, Farran was not enamoured with the state of the partisans when he first inspected them, stating that "nearly all of them had some physical defect." To improve their fitness and training, Farran arranged for several instructors and an Italian interpreter to be parachuted in, as well as a large quantity of supplies. Within a few days the SAS company, with a strength of forty men, had arrived to form the core of the battalion, with one officer and four men attached to each of the other companies in a supervisory capacity.
Villa Rossi & Villa Calvi
The battalion's first target, as proposed by both Farran and Lees, was the headquarters of the German 51 Mountain Corps (LI Gebirgs Korps) of general Valentain Feurestein and then leaded from general Williem Hauck, stationed in the area of Albinea, 20 miles from where they landed. Army Group Headquarters initially agreed with the proposal and supplied aerial photography of the headquarters. At the same time, it was discovered that local German forces were beginning an anti-partisan drive into the mountains where the battalion was stationed. Despite this however, Farran decided to continue with the attack, and was en route to the headquarters with the battalion when he was contacted by Army Group Headquarters, who withdrew permission for the attack to take place. Farran took the decision to ignore the injunction and continue on towards the target, on the grounds that he might lose all credibility with the partisans if their first operation was cancelled. Farran had conducted a personal reconnaissance of the headquarters on 23 March, and the battalion arrived in three columns at a farm approximately ten miles from the target on 26 March. There they rested until nightfall, and then at 02:00 on 27 March the attack on the headquarters began.
The headquarters consisted of a number of buildings centered around two villas: Villa Rossi, which was inhabited by the Corps commander himself, and Villa Calvi, occupied by his Chief of Staff. The entire garrison consisted of around 300 German soldiers. The assault itself would see the British SAS company and a number of Italians force their way into the two villas, while the Russian company would place themselves between the villas and the other buildings, preventing the rest of the garrison from intervening. The partisans were able to approach the villas without being spotted, quietly eliminating several sentries in the process, but were forced to use a bazooka to blow open the front doors on Villa Calvi after discovering that they were locked. Although they were able to reach the interior of the villa, fierce German resistance meant they were unable to move upstairs and kill the Chief of Staff; they therefore used explosives, petrol and looted furniture to set the villa on fire, ensuring that the remaining Germans stayed inside with bursts of machine gun fire. Although effective, this conflagration meant that the Germans in Villa Rossi were alerted to the attack before the group of partisans attacking the villa could begin their assault; as in the other villa, the occupants put up a stiff resistance and stymied attempts by the partisans to reach the top floor. A number of Germans were killed in the firefight, however, and there is the possibility that one of these was the Corps commander. Under heavy fire, the partisans retreated after setting fire to the villa's kitchen.
The rest of the German garrison reacted swiftly to the attack, and soon brought the Russian screen force under machine-gun fire. On Farran's signal of a red Very light, the entire force retreated from the area, carrying those who had been wounded. After nearly a day marching through the mountains, obscured from German search parties by mist and rain, the battalion arrived in a partisan-controlled village. For their efforts, the battalion had three British soldiers killed, as well as eight British and Italians wounded; this included Lees, who suffered injuries that crippled him permanently – he was eventually taken by light aircraft to a hospital in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. Six Russians from the covering force were captured, and Thompson states that they were probably executed 'on the spot'. (it has been then discovered that the six russian were missing, but they were safe at the Resistance head quarter days later). Approximately sixty Germans had been killed by the partisans, including the Chief of Staff. In the aftermath of the raid, the local German forces undertook a drive into the mountains with the goal of eliminating the partisans. Between 28 March and 12 April, aided by the SAS and using heavy weapons, which included a 75-mm pack howitzer and 3-inch mortars, the partisans openly fought the Germans. The battalion was attacked three times in its previously prepared positions, each time repelling the attacks and inflicting heavy German casualties; in one attack on 10 April, the partisans counted 51 German bodies. After heavy fighting and suffering several local reverses, the Russian company conducted a counter-attack that forced the Germans to retreat and end the drive.
Aftermath
At the beginning of April, Farran was informed that the United States Fifth Army
United States Army North
United States Army North, or the Fifth Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army. It is responsible for homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities as the joint force land component command of United States Northern Command.-History:The Fifth United States...
was planning to launch an offensive in the area in which he and the partisans were operating. As the army's axis of advance would lead through Modena, Farran took the decision, with the approval of Army Group Headquarters, to move the battalion into Modena and support the local partisans operating there. Equipped with jeeps, the battalion would launch attacks on Route 12, the primary Florence-Modena route, with the intention of harassing German troops using it. On 5 April Farran received word that the offensive was beginning, and led the battalion to its new area of operations. When it arrived, it was discovered that the terrain lacked any cover for the partisans; as the road ran along an open valley, this would force the jeeps to drive right up to the convoys before opening fire. Farran therefore decided to target German troops on and around the road with the 75-mm howitzer, and then send in the jeeps after they had been bombarded. An initial attack on the village of Sassuolo, near Modena, was extremely successful, and the partisans launched a number of similar raids against Route 12.
After a series of raids, on 20 April, Farran was informed that Fifth Army had broken through German lines, and he took the decision to have the battalion assault the city of Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia is an affluent city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 170,000 inhabitants and is the main comune of the Province of Reggio Emilia....
, which straddled Route 12. The howitzer was used to bombard the main square of the town, and Farran later discovered that the local German and Italian Fascist garrison believed the attack to be coming from the vanguard of an American armoured division; as a result, the town was abandoned two hours after the shelling had begun. Then on 22 April, it was discovered that American troops had penetrated near the city of Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, causing German forces to retreat down Route 12. Positioning the partisan battalion near the Sassuolo Bridge, Farran used the howitzer, mortars and a machine gun to open fire on the traffic using the bridge, destroying a number of vehicles. The attack attracted the attention of a flight of Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s, who strafed the area and inflicted more casualties. After fighting all day, Farran withdrew the battalion from the area, and after harassing more German transport columns for a further day, moved the battalion into Modena to help mop up any remaining resistance. Very soon afterwards, orders came for the operation to cease and the British troops to travel to Florence. During its time operating, the battalion had killed an estimated three hundred German soldiers and destroyed twenty vehicles, as well as taking 158 prisoners of war, and had suffered twenty-four casualties in return.
When he returned to Florence and reported to Army Group Headquarters, Farran was informed of the reason why the Headquarters had wanted to delay the raid on the Corps Headquarters; a major attack by Fifteenth Army against that Corps had been scheduled to take place ten days after the raid, and it was feared that Farran's assault on the headquarters would alert the Germans to the attack. The attack had been cancelled, and as a result of this Farran believed that he would be court-martialled for disobeying orders. This did not occur, however, and he was in fact awarded the American Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
for his actions during Tombola.
Post-war service
When the Second World War in Europe came to an end, Farran accompanied 2 SAS to Norway, where the unit aided in the process of disarming the German troops stationed there. He was awarded the Croix de guerreCroix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
in 1946, and then returned to the 3rd Hussars where he became the regiment's second-in-command. He served with the regiment in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
for a time, as well as British Mandate Palestine. During his initial period in Palestine, he was with several fellow officers when a nearby ammunition dump was destroyed by guerrillas; Farran and his comrades pursued the guerrillas, managing to wound two of them. Shortly after this, Farran transferred back to Britain to serve as an instructor at Sandhurst, but then volunteered to be seconded to the Palestine Police Force
Palestine Police Force
The Palestine Police Force was a British colonial police service established in the British Mandate for Palestine on 1 July 1920, when High Commissioner Herbert Samuel's civil administration took over responsibility for security from General Allenby's Occupied Enemy Territory Administration...
, which maintained order in the Mandate.
Palestine
When Farran arrived in Palestine, the British authorities were in the midst of attempting to suppress Jewish resistance organizations operating in the Mandate. The largest and most effective of these organizations was known as the Irgun, which controlled between 5,000 and 6,000 guerrillas proficient in sabotage and street fighting, as well as an intelligence section staffed by a number of ex-Special Operations ExecutiveSpecial Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
and Secret Intelligence Service
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
operatives that the British Joint Intelligence Committee
Joint Intelligence Committee
The Joint Intelligence Committee is a nodal government agency in several countries, responsible for the internal and external security apparatus of the respective nations.* Joint Intelligence Committee * Joint Intelligence Committee...
labelled 'excellent'. Although the Irgun and other Jewish resisters were outnumbered by a ratio of 20:1 by British security forces, British attempts to suppress them were hampered by an inadequate intelligence organization which was understaffed and over-stretched, with many of its small number of personnel consisting of 'enterprising amateurs' seconded from other units. Open rebellion by Jewish resistance groups began when the war came to an end, and by early 1947 Palestine had experienced a large number of guerrilla attacks against British targets. Debates raged in London over what the best course of action was to combat the attacks. On 2 March 1947, martial law was declared throughout Tel Aviv and the Jewish sector of Jerusalem, with the intended aim of differentiating the guerrillas from the civilian population and ending the attacks. However, this had the opposite effect, and the number of attacks actually doubled.
"A free hand for us against terror"
After two high-profile kidnappings, the Cabinet acceded to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's request for the restrictions on force employed in security operations to be lifted, despite opposition from the Colonial Office and the fact that the Cabinet had signalled an intention to withdraw from Palestine. Former Royal Marine Nicol Gray, the Inspector General of the Palestine Police, impressed by the wartime exploits of special forces units behind the lines, authorized Brigadier Bernard Fergusson (who had served in the ChinditsChindits
The Chindits were a British India "Special Force" that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines...
with Orde Wingate the leader of the Special Night Squads
Special Night Squads
The Special Night Squads were a joint British-Jewish counter-insurgency unit, established by Captain Orde Wingate in Palestine in 1938, during the 1936-1939 Arab revolt. The SNS comprised British infantry soldiers and Jewish Supernumerary Police...
) to create covert teams along similar lines. Those in the police who heard of the new unit were aghast, and even Gray's tough-minded predecessor John Rymer-Jones
John Rymer-Jones
Brigadier John Murray Rymer-Jones CBE MC & Bar QPM was a British Army and police officer.Rymer-Jones was educated at Felsted School and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery in 1916...
was moved to warn that the tactic would end in catastrophe. Fergusson ignored him and recruited two former 2nd SAS men, Alastair MacGregor (then with MI6) and Roy Farran as commanders. Farran was an odd choice given his propensity to contravene direct orders, lack of experience in security or intelligence work and, by his own later account, a drink problem. MacGregor was to operate in north Palestine and Farran the south, while Fergusson took the Jerusalem squad pending the arrival of a third squad commander; interestingly these areas conformed to military zones, not the six Palestine Police districts. Subsequently Fergusson said the concept was to provoke contact and give insurgents a 'bloody nose', while Sir Henry Gurney
Henry Gurney
Sir Henry Lovell Goldsworthy Gurney KCMG K.St.J. was a British official who was assassinated by communist insurgents during the Malayan Emergency.-Background:...
insisted that the squads had never been authorized to use anything outside normal police methods. Farran, or so he later claimed, thought he had been given "carte blanch... a free hand". There was only a short period of training and it largely consisted of intensive pistol and close quarters battle
Close quarters battle
Close quarters combat or close quarters battle is a type of fighting in which small units engage the enemy with personal weapons at very short range, potentially to the point of hand-to-hand combat or fighting with hand weapons such as swords or knives...
practice. Utilizing jeeps, a citrus-fruit delivery truck and a dry-cleaner's lorry, Farran's team "moved among Jewish civilians in Jewish clothing" and made several arrests in the month they were active, although alert insurgents recognized them as British forces more than once. Farran did not have any fluent Hebrew speakers, but declined to liaise with the Criminal Investigation Department
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
, and there was a lack of accurate intelligence on insurgents.
Murder of Alexander Rubowitz
On May 6, 1947, 16-year-old Alexander Rubowitz disappeared while putting up posters for Jewish resistance organization LehiLehi (group)
Lehi , commonly referred to in English as the Stern Group or Stern Gang, was a militant Zionist group founded by Avraham Stern in the British Mandate of Palestine...
. Palestine police CID believed he had been caught and killed by Farran's squad; Gurney ordered them "to proceed with the case as an ordinary criminal offence with the object of bringing Farran and any other accused to trial". According to one account, Rubowitz was taken to a remote location where, after brutal attempts to extract information, he was killed by Farran with a rock. Suspicions of Farran's involvement were first raised after a grey trilby hat, bearing worn lettering compatible with his name, was found near the street corner where a struggling Rubowitz was seen being pushed into a car. Farran claimed he was being framed and fled to Syria. Colonel Bernard Fergusson
Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae
Bernard Edward Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae, KT, GCMG, GCVO, DSO, OBE was a brigadier in the British Army, military historian and the last British-born Governor-General of New Zealand.- Military service :...
persuaded Farran to return voluntarily. However, when, contrary to Fergusson's assurances, he was arrested, Farran escaped to Jordan, finally returning when he heard of reprisals being planned against British officers. He was brought to trial in a British military court in Jerusalem.
Farran was court martialled on a charge of murdering Alexander Rubowitz. Colonel Bernard Fergusson
Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae
Bernard Edward Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae, KT, GCMG, GCVO, DSO, OBE was a brigadier in the British Army, military historian and the last British-born Governor-General of New Zealand.- Military service :...
, to whom Farran was said to have confessed his guilt, refused to testify, on the grounds that he might incriminate himself. Notes made by Farran while in custody and found after his escape reportedly contained a confession, but they were judged to be preparation for his defence, and so inadmissible under the rules of lawyer-client privilege. The prosecution failed to prove that the hat was Farran's or even that Rubowitz was actually dead. The result was that the case collapsed for lack of evidence. Later, Rubowitz' family made many unsuccessful attempts to revive the case. Alexander Rubowitz' body has never been found. After the trial Colonel Bernard Fergusson
Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae
Bernard Edward Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae, KT, GCMG, GCVO, DSO, OBE was a brigadier in the British Army, military historian and the last British-born Governor-General of New Zealand.- Military service :...
was told to resign and be out of the country within 36 hours.
Reprisal bomb attack
After his return from Palestine, the LehiLehi (group)
Lehi , commonly referred to in English as the Stern Group or Stern Gang, was a militant Zionist group founded by Avraham Stern in the British Mandate of Palestine...
attempted to kill Farran by posting a parcel bomb to his family home in Codsall
Codsall
Codsall is a large village in the South Staffordshire district of Staffordshire, England. It is situated north west of the city of Wolverhampton.-History:...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. The package arrived almost one year to the day after Alexander Rubowitz had disappeared, but Roy Farran was away and the explosion killed Rex, his younger brother. The bomb was sent by a Lehi cell in Britain led by Yaakov Heruti
Yaakov Heruti
Yaakov Heruti is an Israeli lawyer and right-wing activist. He was a member of the pre-state militant group Lehi and the leader of the group Kingdom of Israel, which bombed the Soviet embassy in Tel Aviv and carried out other acts of political violence in the 1950s...
. In an episode of the BBC2 television documentary series Empire Warriors first broadcast on 19 November 2004, Knesset member and 1940s underground operative Geulah Cohen claimed that the Lehi
Lehi (group)
Lehi , commonly referred to in English as the Stern Group or Stern Gang, was a militant Zionist group founded by Avraham Stern in the British Mandate of Palestine...
had addressed it to "R. Farran", without knowledge of the younger brother. The documentary was shortlisted for an international film award.
Post army life
| 1950 United Kingdom general election United Kingdom general election, 1950 The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five... results |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley Dudley (UK Parliament constituency) Dudley was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Dudley, which was historically in Worcestershire, before being transferred into Staffordshire in 1966 and since 1974 has been in the West Midlands.... |
font-size: 90%;">Turnout 86.83% | |||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
George Wigg | 32,856 | 54.62% | |
| Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
Roy Farran | 19,825 | 32.96% | |
| Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
B.S. White | 7,470 | 12.42% | |
| Total | 60,151 | 100% | ||
After being discharged from the army, Farran moved to Scotland and briefly worked as a quarryman. He briefly went to Africa before returning to the United Kingdom to run in the 1950 United Kingdom general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
in the constituency of Dudley
Dudley (UK Parliament constituency)
Dudley was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Dudley, which was historically in Worcestershire, before being transferred into Staffordshire in 1966 and since 1974 has been in the West Midlands....
where he ran as the candidate for the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. He lost to incumbent Labour Member of Parliament George Wigg, finishing second out of the three candidates. After the election Farran moved to Canada in the early 1950s and settled in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. He began working for the Calgary Herald
Calgary Herald
The Calgary Herald is a daily newspaper published in the Canadian city of Calgary, Alberta.- History :The paper was first published on August 31, 1883 by Andrew Armour and Thomas Braden as The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser. It started as a weekly paper with only...
, and later became owner and publisher of his own newspaper, the North Hill News. He also wrote and published History of the Calgary Highlanders 1921–1954 in 1955.
Political career
| 1963 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1963 The Alberta general election of 1963 was the fifteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 17, 1963 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.The Social Credit Party, led by Ernest C... results |
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| Calgary Queens Park Calgary Queens Park Calgary Queens Park was a provincial electoral district that existed in Calgary Alberta from 1963 to 1967.The riding was created from a slice of Calgary Bowness during the 1963 election... |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout 54.64% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
Social Credit Social Credit Party of Alberta The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values.... |
Lee Leavitt Lee Leavitt Lorne Lee Leavitt was a teacher and a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1952 to 1955 and a second stint from 1963 to 1971 sitting both times with the governing Social Credit caucus.-Political career:Leavitt would run... |
4,363 | 48.20% |
Progressive Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
Duncan McKilliop | 1,597 | 17.64% |
Independent | Roy Farran | 1,496 | 16.53% |
Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time... |
John Donnachie | 961 | 10.61% |
NDP Alberta New Democratic Party The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation... |
Ben Greenfield | 509 | 5.62% |
Independent Social Credit | Conrad Pfeifer | 126 | 1.40% | |
| Total | 9,052 | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farran launched his political career in Canada in 1961, running for a seat on the Calgary City Council
Calgary City Council
The Calgary City Council is the legislative governing body that represents the citizens of Calgary. The Council consists of two offices; Office of the Mayor and Office of the Alderman. Naheed Nenshi was elected to the Office of the Mayor in October 2010 as the city's 36th chief executive...
. His campaign was coordinated by a young RCAF officer, Lynn Garrison
Lynn Garrison
Lynn Garrison is a Canadian pilot and political adviser. He was an RCAF fighter pilot from the 403 City of Calgary Squadron, commercial pilot, film producer, director and mercenary...
, and would serve his first stint on Council until October 1963.
In June 1963, while he was still serving on Calgary City Council, Farran ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the 1963 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1963
The Alberta general election of 1963 was the fifteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 17, 1963 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.The Social Credit Party, led by Ernest C...
. He ran as an Independent candidate in the provincial electoral district of Calgary Queen's Park and finished in third place out of six candidates, losing to Social Credit incumbent Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLA) Lee Leavitt
Lee Leavitt
Lorne Lee Leavitt was a teacher and a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1952 to 1955 and a second stint from 1963 to 1971 sitting both times with the governing Social Credit caucus.-Political career:Leavitt would run...
. Farran took over 16% of the popular vote and finished close behind second place Progressive Conservative candidate, Duncan McKilliop.
Farran returned for his second stint on Calgary City Council in 1964 and served until 1971 when he was elected to provincial office. He held his civic seat at the same time he held his provincial seat until his term expired in October that year.
| 1971 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1971 The Alberta general election of 1971 was the seventeenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 30, 1971 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.... results |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary-North Hill | font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout 71.06% | |||||||||||||||||||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
Progressive Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
Roy Farran | 4,961 | 43.81% |
Social Credit Social Credit Party of Alberta The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values.... |
Robert Simpson Robert A. Simpson Robert Archibald "Bob" Simpson was a former provincial politician.-Political career:Simpson attempted to run for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 Canadian federal election. He finished second to incumbent Douglas Scott Harkness in a hotly contested election by roughly 6000 votes... |
4,900 | 43.28% |
NDP Alberta New Democratic Party The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation... |
Barry Pashak Barry Pashak Barry Leonard Pashak is a former college instructor and a Canadian provincial and federal level politician. He served as member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1986 to 1993 sitting with the opposition New Democratic Party caucus... |
1,341 | 11.84% |
Independent | Carl Reich | 121 | 1.07% | |
| Total | 11,323 | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||
Farran ran for a seat to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
in the 1971 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1971
The Alberta general election of 1971 was the seventeenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 30, 1971 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He won the new electoral district of Calgary-North Hill, defeating Social Credit incumbent Robert Simpson
Robert A. Simpson
Robert Archibald "Bob" Simpson was a former provincial politician.-Political career:Simpson attempted to run for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 Canadian federal election. He finished second to incumbent Douglas Scott Harkness in a hotly contested election by roughly 6000 votes...
and future MLA Barry Pashak
Barry Pashak
Barry Leonard Pashak is a former college instructor and a Canadian provincial and federal level politician. He served as member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1986 to 1993 sitting with the opposition New Democratic Party caucus...
, as well as an Independent candidate in a hotly contested race to pick up the district for the Progressive Conservatives. The electoral district was one of the most hotly contested races in 1971, with just a spread of 0.53% separating Farran and Simpson.
The Progressive Conservatives would form their first government in the province. Premier Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....
appointed Farran to the Executive Council of Alberta
Executive Council of Alberta
The Executive Council of Alberta is the cabinet of that Canadian province.Almost always made up of members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, the Cabinet is similar in structure and role to the Cabinet of Canada while being smaller in size...
in 1973 after the death of Len Werry and served as Minister of Telephones and Utilities. He would run for re-election in the 1975 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1975
The Alberta general election of 1975 was the eighteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 25, 1975 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
with ministerial advantage. Farran faced Simpson for the second time, and a further three candidates. He was returned to office with a landslide plurality, picking up just over 70% of the popular vote. Simpson would see his popular support collapse, while the other three candidates had no significant impact in the race.
| 1975 Alberta general election Alberta general election, 1975 The Alberta general election of 1975 was the eighteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 25, 1975 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.... results |
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| Calgary-North Hill | font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout 61.65% | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
Progressive Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
Roy Farran | 6,673 | 70.96% |
Social Credit Social Credit Party of Alberta The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values.... |
Robert Simpson Robert A. Simpson Robert Archibald "Bob" Simpson was a former provincial politician.-Political career:Simpson attempted to run for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 Canadian federal election. He finished second to incumbent Douglas Scott Harkness in a hotly contested election by roughly 6000 votes... |
1,364 | 14.50% |
NDP Alberta New Democratic Party The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation... |
Joan Ryan | 723 | 7.69% |
Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time... |
Dorothy Groves | 584 | 6.21% |
Communist Communist Party (Alberta) Communist Party – Alberta is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. It is a provincial branch of the Communist Party of Canada.-History:... |
Stephen Whitefield | 60 | 0.64% | |
| Total | 9,404 | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||||||
After the election Lougheed would shuffle his cabinet, and Farran was appointed as the Solicitor General. He held that position until he retired from provincial politics at the dissolution of the legislature in 1979. During his time in office he served on numerous committees in the Legislature, including Public Accounts; Private Bills; Standing Orders and Printing; Law; Law Amendments and Regulations; Public Affairs; Agriculture; and Education.
Late life
After leaving provincial politics, he was appointed by the Province of Alberta to serve as head of the Racing Commission. He also became a visiting professor at the University of AlbertaUniversity of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
and later founded a non-profit organization called French Vosges, providing Franco-Canadian student exchanges. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1994 for his work in founding the organization. He later battled throat cancer which resulted in having his larynx
Larynx
The larynx , commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the neck of amphibians, reptiles and mammals involved in breathing, sound production, and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. It manipulates pitch and volume...
surgically removed. Farran died in 2006.
Further reading
- David CesaraniDavid CesaraniDavid Cesarani OBE is an English historian who specialises in Jewish history, especially the Holocaust. He has also written several biographies, notably Arthur Koestler: The Homeless Mind.-Early life:...
, Major Farran's Hat: Counter-Terrorism, Murder, and Cover-Up in Palestine, 1945–1948, William Heinemann, 2009. - Maurice Yacowar, Roy & Me: This Is Not a Memoir, Athabasca University Press, 2010.
- Roy Farran, Winged Dagger: Adventures on Special Service, 1948.
- Roy Farran, Operation Tombola Collins, 1960
- Matteo Incerti, Valentina Ruozi Il bracciale di sterline. Cento bastardi senza gloria. Una storia di guerra e di passioni, Aliberti 2011 (in italian).