St Aulaye Cricket
Chenaud, Dordogne, France
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St Aulaye Cricket Chenaud, Dordogne, France
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News from the Club
HONOURS FOR ST AULAYE CRICKET
MEMBER
We are very pleased to report
that Patrick Barry, long time non-playing member of St Aulaye Cricket and keen
supporter, has been awarded the French honour of "Chevalier de la Legion
d'Honneur" for his part in the raid on St Nazaire on the 28th March 1942.
The medal is to be presented at a ceremony at the French Embassy in London on
the 64th anniversary of the raid.
British naval and
commando forces destroyed major dock installations at St Nazaire in a daring
night-time attack designed to prevent its use by the German battleship Tirpitz.
In wooden speedboats they sailed up the Loire and rammed an old American
destroyer through the dock gates, where it subsequently blew up putting
the dry dock and its installations out of use for the whole of the war. There
were significant casualties and the raid resulted in the award of 5
Victoria Crosses and many other medals for military gallantry.
The raid has been
long recognised as a key event in the war and this is confirmed by the French
Government making this award to a non-French person - a fairly rare event.
Our congratulations to
Patrick and Dot.
Stephen Harrison
President, St Aulaye
Cricket
9th March 2006
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