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No. 30 Commando

It seems many of the blog topics I’ve written about over all these years seem to “connect the dots” and lead to Ian Fleming, author of the James Blond series [refer to blogs, Cynthia: World War II Mata Hari (click here), James Bond’s Lover (click here), Explosive Rats (click here), Agent Jack, “M” and the Fifth Column (click here), The Double Cross System (click here)]. Today’s topic is yet another story that has Mr. Fleming’s fingerprints all over it.


Did You Know?

Did you know it’s likely every war has its stories of elite snipers? You would if you had read several of my blogs, Lady Death (click here to read) and/or Valkoinen kuolema (click here to read). Well, the recent conflict in the Ukraine is no different. One of Ukraine’s premier military groups is their sniper division. Although snipers alone will never win a war, they can certainly help affect the outcome. That is why Ukraine’s snipers concentrate on taking out Russia’s officers. Once a Russian officer is killed, the unit he or she commanded is left without any leadership and the soldiers become disorganized and demoralized. (In the U.S. Army, noncommissioned officers would take up leadership positions in these situations.)

One of Ukraine’s sniper teams is named “Devils and Angels.” Their orders are to kill senior Russian officers and other high-profile targets. Teams of two operate in areas of extreme danger, often cut off completely from their units. One member will be a spotter, calculating distance, air humidity and temperature, and wind speed while the other handles the rifle. At night, they take turns sleeping. Ukraine claims one of their snipers took out their target at a distance of about 12,470 feet, or one third longer than the Golden Gate Bridge. It surpassed the current record by some 850 feet (I haven’t verified sniper records). Reportedly, the shot was recorded and reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

Once his spotter had made the critical measurements and whispered, “You can,” Vyacheslav Kovalskiy pulled the trigger and waited nine seconds for the bullet to descend 330 feet to strike a Russian officer. Gun and sniper experts believe that after a distance of about 4,300 feet, a kill from a sniper’s gun is more luck than anything else.

Vyacheslav Kovalskiy with the rifle he used to shoot at a Russian soldier more than two miles away. Photo by Joseph Sywenkyi (date unknown).
Vyacheslav Kovalskiy with the rifle he used to shoot at a Russian soldier more than two miles away. Photo by Joseph Sywenkyi (date unknown). Wall Street Journal: “Ukrainian Sniper Breaks Cover to Claim World-Record Hit of More Than 2 Miles.” 4 December 2023.
https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/ukrainian-sniper-breaks-cover-to-claim-world-record-hit-of-more-than-2-miles-2b1c820e

What did Napoléon say when asked if he wanted good generals? He said, “No, I want lucky generals.”


Let’s Meet Ian Fleming

Ian Fleming (1908−1964) was born into a wealthy and politically prominent family. Educated at Eaton College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Fleming began writing at an early age and was the editor of Eaton’s magazine, The Wyvern. Following the educational phase of his life, Fleming embarked on a series of jobs including editing and reporting for the Reuters News Agency, banking positions, and financial investments (the latter two he failed at). He also became involved in multiple affairs with one resulting in a marriage proposal that was abruptly ended after Fleming’s mother threatened to cut her son out of the family will. (Fleming may have been an unsuccessful banker and stockbroker but he was certainly pragmatic.) In early 1939, Fleming accepted a job offer that would provide a basis for his future books.

The Admiralty 

Rear Admiral John Godfrey (1888−1970) was the director of British Naval Intelligence Division (NID) prior to the start of World War II. Godfrey approached Fleming and persuaded him to join the intelligence unit as his personal assistant. Less than a month before the war began, Fleming reported for duty at the Admiralty Building (a.k.a. the Ripley Building) and was given the codename “17F.” Read More No. 30 Commando

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The Tartan Pimpernel

How many of you have read The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy? Probably not many. It’s the story of the wealthy but foppish Sir Percy Blakeney who leads a double life. He is an accomplished swordsman, master of disguises, escape artist and as the “Scarlet Pimpernel,” Sir Percy rescues French aristocrats from the guillotine blade during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror.

Today, we are going to focus our attention on a Scottish pastor who led the Paris parish for the Church of Scotland. Rev. Dr. Donald Caskie’s wartime exploits for rescuing downed Allied airmen and leading them to safety through the Pat O’Leary escape line earned him the nickname, “The Tartan Pimpernel.”


I will be the guest speaker for Bonjour Paris on 6 December 2023 for a Zoom presentation to their members and others. The topic will be “Walking History: In the Footsteps of Marie Antoinette” and I will take you on a walk along the exact route in Paris that the queen’s tumbrel took to the guillotine. I invite you to join us for the discussion and slide show.

Bonjour Paris (click here to visit the web-site) is a digital website dedicated to bringing its members current news, travel tips, culture, and historical articles on Paris. I have been a member for more than ten years and have found its content to be quite interesting, practical, and entertaining.

 I will have a direct link to sign up for my presentation at a later date. There is no cost to Bonjour Paris members and €10,00 for non-members. The time of the live presentation on 6 December will be 11:30 AM, east coast time.


Did You Know?

Did you know I could probably write enough blogs on World War II traitors to fill an entire year? Today, I decided to call-out a particular British traitor who was quite dastardly and frankly, a lousy human being. Harold Cole (1906−1946) ⏤ a.k.a. Harry Cole, Paul Cole ⏤ began his criminal career as a teenager. Released from prison shortly after the war began, Cole enlisted in the British army and was stationed in France. Considered handsome with an appealing personality and sharp wits, Cole was never without female company. It didn’t take long before he was caught stealing from the army and jailed. Escaping, Cole was apprehended and thrown into jail once again. As the Germans overran France, Cole was released by the military but rather than returning to England, he remained in France. Read More The Tartan Pimpernel