Michael Clive Burn

Micky Burn recalled being asked by Colonel Gubbins to take a group of men to Kent, alongside the Lovat Scouts, in order to train the local Auxiliary Units. All had served with him under Colonel Gubbins command in the Independent Companies in Norway. He thought that he and his men would not have lasted long as guerillas, but was happy that they would at least do something in the event of invasion. He arrived after Peter Fleming had already set up OBs, created arms dumps and also left booby trapped cigars in stately homes awaiting their occupation by the Germans. His knowledge of Gubbins, Fleming and Lovat Scouts indicate he was in Kent in late 1940 but was back with the Independent Companies by May 1941. Possibly this unit was one of the Kent Battle Patrols, or may have also been an early Scout Section, as initial replacements for the Lovat Scouts.

In late autumn 1941, after leaving Auxiliary Units, he contacted Colonel Gubbins again, who was now heading up SOE, to see if there was a place for a French and German speaking former Times correspondent. Surprisingly it seems there wasn't, though he would later become well known for his part in the famous St Nazaire raid as a troop leader in No.2 Commando, where he was photographed by the Germans in the aftermath making a covert V sign to indicate the success of the raid. He won a Military Cross for his part in the raid. The citation reads;  On 28th March 1942, during the Commando Raid at St. Nazaire, France. Captain Burn was in command of an Assault Group. Following a direct hit on the motor launch carrying his Group, the ship was put out of action and most of his Assault Group were killed or wounded. Captain Burn, after being nearly drowned and pulled ashore by one of his men, quickly recovered and proceeded alone to his objective after ascertaining that these gun positions were not in action. Entirely alone he carried out the destruction of these positions, setting them on fire with incendiaries. He continued causing enemy casualties with hand grenades until all his ammunition was expended, when he was taken prisoner. This action of Captain Burn's showed his determination to carry out his task although his men were out of action; his courage and initiatiave being an example deserving the highest praise.

Subsequently as a prisoner of war, he ended up at Colditz Castle. His remarkable life story, which included being both follower of Hitler & Marxism and sexual liaisons with both Guy Burgess and Audrey Hepburn's mother, has been told in several books and a film.