In October 2023, an intrepid foursome comprising two military historians, an actor, and a former Welsh Guard set off to navigate their way from Ardrossan to Oban in a pair of Klepper canoes to raise funds for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.
The kayaking quartet – Professor Saul David, Tom Holland, Ben Willbond, and Rob Gallimore – raised thousands of pounds for SSAFA. The folding Klepper canoes were similar in design to those used by Royal Marine Commandos on raids such as Op Frankton in 1942, immortalised as “The Cockleshell Heroes”, and many others.
This fundraiser was also the impetus for a generous donation from author Evan Morris. Evan pledged to donate the first six months’ royalties – some £1,185 – from sales of his work The Tiger’s Revenge to SSAFA.
Evan’s fascinating book focuses attention on Operation Jaywick.
Not heard of it? Well, that is exactly why Evan wrote about it, and he says: “Since the end of the Second World War, this audacious operation has remained little known among the public or military in the United Kingdom.
“It – the deepest surface waterborne penetration behind enemy occupied lines undertaken by special forces of WWII – was an incredible endeavour executed by British and Australian service personnel.”
This hand-picked band of men, using canoes called “folboats” of a similar design to Klepper canoes, would achieve what some thought to be impossible, a major strike at the very heart of the Japanese in their newly acquired Empire in South East Asia by placing limpet mines on Japanese vessels in Singapore Harbour. At least six were sunk or seriously damaged by the action in late September 1943.
Evan suggests: “This story ranks and deserves the same acknowledgment as exploits such as the Dambusters or Cockleshell Heroes, and it achieved what everyone thought was impossible.”
Evan explains that because the success of the mission was not used as a propaganda victory – as had been intended by Op Jaywick’s commanders – a terrible price was paid by local Singaporeans who were scapegoated by the Japanese Secret Police.
“This is perhaps the reason that Op Jaywick was never hailed with the success it truly deserved. The highly effective delivery of Op Jaywick gave a green light to an even more ambitious endeavour from which no British or Australian personnel would survive, many being executed by beheading by their Japanese captors.”
The Tiger’s Revenge is the story told by the son – Evan – of a Special Operations Executive crew member George “Taffy” Morris, who was the only British survivor of Op Jaywick. George spent 36 years in the British Army, working his way up through the ranks and leaving as a major.
“Not bad for a former miner from the Rhondda Valley,” says Evan, who continued: “We are delighted to donate this £1,185 to your very worth charity, which I admire, and I know my father would be very proud of the donation and support to you.”
The Tiger’s Revenge is available on Amazon, and the next six months’ royalties will go to an Australian military charity.