| FROM THE BOOK: "PIERCING THE REICH"
| |
| | ENGLAND, WRITES:"Of course, we must
|
| AUTHOR: JOSEPH E. PERSICOThey learned
| |
| | remember that in 1939-45 there were still
|
| the art of silent killing, perfected by
| |
| | some 'deadheads' in our forces, officers
|
| W.E. Fairbairn, the legendary British
| |
| | who had not advanced professionally in
|
| Major, sometimes known as "Delicate Dan."
| |
| | civil life, and when called to service
|
| Knife strokes taught, should be upward,
| |
| | life, they were reluctant to acknowledge
|
| from the testicles to the chin. The hand
| |
| | they were 'behind' in knowledge. "This
|
| in a "tiger claw" position was most
| |
| | was one of the aspects with both
|
| effective for gouging out eyes. A single
| |
| | Fairbairn and Sykes; they both openly
|
| sheet of newspaper, they learned, could
| |
| | criticized the Top Brass, for 'Dog in the
|
| become a crude dagger. Fold the paper to
| |
| | Bloody Manger' attitude. These comments
|
| approximately six inches by two inches.
| |
| | were, in my hearing, openly said to Staff
|
| Then fold it diagonally to form a sharp
| |
| | Officers, by both Fairbairn and Sykes.
|
| point at one end. Drive the pointed end
| |
| | And they were quite right, the 'Old
|
| hard into the stomach or under the jaw,
| |
| | Guard' of Whitehall Wafflers who had
|
| just behind the chin.FROM THE BOOK:
| |
| | slept soundly from 1918 to 1939, failed
|
| "BEHIND JAPANESE LINES"
| |
| | to appreciate how advanced other nations
|
| AUTHOR: RICHARD DUNLOPBritish Major Dan
| |
| | were, compared to Britain, but the worst
|
| Fairbairn, who had been chief of police
| |
| | part was the Old Guard were reluctant to
|
| in Shanghai before the Japanese capture
| |
| | allow others who had kept abreast of the
|
| of the city, taught the Fairbairn method
| |
| | times to circulate their knowledge.
|
| of assault and murder. His course was not
| |
| | Obviously, this was to protect their
|
| restricted to Camp X but later given at
| |
| | image. This may well have some bearing on
|
| OSS camps in the United States. All of us
| |
| | the lack of written work available today,
|
| who were taught by Major Fairbairn soon
| |
| | much has been deliberately destroyed out
|
| realized that he had an honest dislike
| |
| | of jealousy."ANOTHER LETTER BY PILKINGTON
|
| for anything that smacked of decency in
| |
| | DATED OCTOBER 10, 1995. HE
|
| fighting."To him, there were no rules in
| |
| | WRITES:"Following the disaster of the
|
| staying alive. He taught us to enter a
| |
| | Norwegian campaign, and then Dunkirk in
|
| fight with one idea; to kill an opponent
| |
| | 1940, Britain anticipated that Hitler
|
| quickly and efficiently," said Ray
| |
| | would invade. Desperate measures were
|
| Peers.Fairbairn had invented a stiletto
| |
| | called for, because there was little left
|
| as precise as a surgeon's scalpel. He
| |
| | in the way of arms or ammunition, also
|
| wielded it with a flashing, slashing
| |
| | the nation had suffered a blow to its
|
| vigor that invariably proved fatal to an
| |
| | spirit. "The Local Defense volunteer
|
| opponent."Why is it so long and thin?" I
| |
| | Force became, officially, the Home Guard,
|
| asked him one day in a question period
| |
| | a body of willing but untrained men,
|
| during my own course of instruction. "It
| |
| | mostly ex-servicemen from the 1914-18
|
| doesn't have a cutting edge."
| |
| | war. In desperation the Government of the
|
| "It doesn't leave any marks on the
| |
| | day called in two officers from the
|
| body," he replied. "Scarcely more than a
| |
| | Shanghai Municipal Police. These were
|
| tiny drop of blood."Fairbairn taught his
| |
| | Captain W.E. Fairbairn and Captain E.A.
|
| trainees to fire anything from a pistol
| |
| | Sykes. "I was introduced to these
|
| to a BAR at close quarters, by aiming
| |
| | officers because I had already qualified
|
| with the body. In unarmed combat he
| |
| | in Jujutsu to a Brown Belt. Also I was
|
| overcame one hulking trainee after
| |
| | about the only man who had been taught
|
| another. With a wry smile the wiry major
| |
| | Kendo and Indian Lathi. Captain Fairbairn
|
| would admonish his bruised and bleeding
| |
| | explained he intended to train a dozen
|
| students, "Don't let anybody lead you
| |
| | men to become instructors in killing
|
| down the garden path."FROM THE BOOK: "THE
| |
| | tactics, who would then go out to teach
|
| FIRST COMMANDO KNIVES"
| |
| | other men to become instructors in the
|
| AUTHOR: PROF. KELLY YEATON, LT. COL.
| |
| | Police, Home Guard, and Civil Defense
|
| SAMUEL S. YEATON (USMC)
| |
| | Corps. These would become the defense of
|
| AND COL. REX APPLEGATEOn January 24th,
| |
| | Britain in the event of the invasion. "I
|
| 1933, he wrote me:
| |
| | found that Captain Fairbairn was very
|
| "This man Fairbairn is beyond the shadow
| |
| | much in charge. Captain Sykes had equal
|
| of a doubt the greatest of "the greatest
| |
| | authority, and great ability. He was the
|
| of them all." I've had about 12 hours of
| |
| | finest rifle shot I have ever seen, as
|
| conferences with him and done a couple of
| |
| | well as being very good with the .45 Colt
|
| hour's work on the mats. His stuff is not
| |
| | 1911 Automatic pistol. Both officers were
|
| jiu-jitsu or judo - he gave us an
| |
| | very skilled in unarmed combat also,
|
| exhibition of judo using five men, two
| |
| | Fairbairn was obviously the master of
|
| third-degree black belts, two second, and
| |
| | various disciplines and the first team of
|
| one first, to prove it. He uses some of
| |
| | 12 potential instructors, including me,
|
| their falls and a few holds, but not more
| |
| | soon learned to respect both our tutors.
|
| than about 20% of it and most with
| |
| | "Captain Fairbairn was very strict, he
|
| variations. It's not Chinese boxing, of
| |
| | insisted that the training he gave aimed
|
| which 80% is mere ritual. It's a
| |
| | at perfection. In retrospect, I feel both
|
| collection of all the known methods of
| |
| | officers gave us all very good ability to
|
| dirty fighting and it will beat them all.
| |
| | impart knowledge to others. "Captain
|
| He knows it will, he's done it. Judo is
| |
| | Fairbairn was a hard man, so was Sykes
|
| to clean on every hold a judo man's eyes
| |
| | [now called Bill Sykes, but most
|
| and testicles are vulnerable. But it is
| |
| | certainly NOT to his face] but he had a
|
| awful fast; still, it's not as fast as
| |
| | lot more patience. They were two
|
| boxing. We proved that, and to the
| |
| | different men, of course. 'Bill Sykes
|
| Japanese, at that. Given men of equal
| |
| | looked like a village person, round
|
| speed, it's the man who is not surprised
| |
| | faced, he had a mild look, unlike
|
| by the others method of attack who will
| |
| | Fairbairn who looked hard, despite white
|
| win. We put Sam Taxis [the third Sam] who
| |
| | hair, horned rimmed glasses giving him
|
| boxes featherweight now against a third
| |
| | the look of a schoolmaster. Bill Sykes
|
| degree judo man [the punches not to be
| |
| | was friendly, but never familiar, he
|
| delivered and the throws not to be
| |
| | would be a bad man to cross. Once or
|
| carried out] and it was a draw. But we
| |
| | twice he did show temper, but then only
|
| had a man hold up his hand as a target
| |
| | for a few moments. "We all learned
|
| and Sammy Taxis put a one-two on it while
| |
| | Fairbairn was married, but we never
|
| a man stood beside the hand and tried to
| |
| | learned if Sykes was. Apart from his
|
| grab his hands. All they got was his
| |
| | disclosing that before joining the
|
| necktie. The remarkable thing about
| |
| | police, he had been a representative for
|
| Fairbairn is that although he damn near
| |
| | Remington Arms and Ammunition
|
| does know it all, he doesn't seem to
| |
| | organization, we learned little about
|
| think he does. If you've got an idea,
| |
| | him. He did have medal ribbons on his
|
| he'll not only listen to you and point
| |
| | tunic, as did Fairbairn, but I never
|
| out what's wrong, if anything, but he'll
| |
| | tried to remember what these were for.
|
| admit if it's new to him and as good as
| |
| | "Sykes had a very good knowledge of
|
| or better than his own current
| |
| | Martial Arts, and like Fairbairn, he was
|
| methods."One of the motivating causes for
| |
| | physically very powerful, and a good
|
| the interest in the fighting knife was
| |
| | boxer. In knife fighting, both Fairbairn
|
| the discovery that even Fairbairn ("The
| |
| | and Sykes were excellent. I thought
|
| Greatest of Them all") had no real
| |
| | Fairbairn was the better of the two, he
|
| defense against a knife in the hands of
| |
| | was a Master of the blade. Sykes was
|
| trained fighters. We knew a number of
| |
| | always relaxed, his moon face was
|
| ways of disarming men with pistols, some
| |
| | pleasant but you never knew what was on
|
| of them relatively safe. Even trying to
| |
| | his mind. He was full of surprises in
|
| disarm a person with a knife is
| |
| | training. "I did teach a few hundred
|
| dangerous, unless the person attacks with
| |
| | people the killing arts, and I am
|
| the dramatic "assassin's stab" holding
| |
| | grateful for the training I experienced
|
| the knife like an ice-pick overhead. For
| |
| | with Fairbairn and Sykes, they were
|
| that kind of stupidity there is a clear
| |
| | really masters of their craft.FROM THE
|
| and positive response, fortunately. But
| |
| | BOOK: "MAQUIS - THE ACCOUNT OF A
|
| even for the Paris "Apache's" style
| |
| | FRENCH-AMERICAN OPERTIVE"
|
| coming in low, with the knife edge upward
| |
| | AUTHOR: GEORGE MILLERSuch training in
|
| and aiming at the guts, Fairbairn had
| |
| | these schools had saved his radio
|
| only two suggestionsA. RUNB. "With a
| |
| | operator, he told me. When his circuit
|
| lighting-like kick of either foot, kick
| |
| | got "blown" the Gestapo had captured his
|
| him in the testicles or stomach."But when
| |
| | operator, a young Frenchman. They
|
| my brother asked him to demonstrate this
| |
| | searched him, but failed to find the
|
| move, "Willie never even got up from his
| |
| | small automatic hidden in a special
|
| desk he just said, 'You missed the phrase
| |
| | holster. [Note: a Colt .380 in a crotch
|
| lighting-like I don't do lighting-like
| |
| | holster] The pistol following the rule of
|
| any more.'"FROM THE BOOK: "SOE
| |
| | his master was ready cocked and at
|
| ASSIGNMENT"
| |
| | "safe." When they had handcuffed him they
|
| AUTHOR: DONALD HAMILTON HILL"Another or
| |
| | took him away in a car. There were three
|
| our distinguished instructors was a tall
| |
| | Germans in the car. One beside him in the
|
| spare man - who looked like a bishop -
| |
| | back seat. The radio operator had never
|
| with steel-rimmed spectacles, a soft
| |
| | fired a pistol except in England at the
|
| voice and wrists of iron. He was Captain
| |
| | school where he had been taught like us
|
| Bill Sykes - formerly of the Shanghai
| |
| | to snap shoot at cardboard targets. He
|
| Police - and he taught unarmed combat and
| |
| | was afraid that he would miss. But he was
|
| quick shooting reactions such as how to
| |
| | more afraid of what would happen when he
|
| kill four people in a room whilst falling
| |
| | arrived where they were taking him.
|
| down on the ground near the door lintel
| |
| | Despite his manacles he opened his
|
| to make oneself a difficult target. His
| |
| | buttons, pushed down the "safe" lever on
|
| methods of unarmed combat and silent
| |
| | his [gun] and brought it to the point
|
| killing were such that many were able in
| |
| | where it would draw freely. A glance
|
| the years to come to save themselves
| |
| | around, he held his breath, drew, and
|
| entirely owing to his instructions. The
| |
| | fired as he had been taught. "Bang-bang."
|
| Germans in 1942 published a pamphlet,
| |
| | Two holes sprang red in the back of the
|
| which portrayed his methods, and used it
| |
| | driver's neck. The car overturned. He
|
| in neutral countries to enlist sympathy
| |
| | shot the other two.ELSEWHERE MILLER
|
| against the diabolical British. 'Our man'
| |
| | RECORDS:We were taught to use the
|
| in Lisbon picked up one or two and sent
| |
| | forward-crouching stance and the quick,
|
| them to me for comment with a request for
| |
| | snap shooting method. Some of us got so
|
| a UK posting, and training with Bill
| |
| | accurate with the pistols that we were
|
| Sykes."CAPTAIN PETER MASON, A RETIRED
| |
| | like King George V knocking down driven
|
| BRITISH INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, NOW LIVING
| |
| | grouse. The French-American danced. His
|
| IN CANADA WRITES:"So, E.A. Sykes had far
| |
| | legs were tense and springy, but above
|
| more of an interesting career in the Far
| |
| | the waist, except for his straight right
|
| East, than just being a volunteer special
| |
| | arm, his body was loosely balanced. As
|
| sergeant attached to the sniper squad of
| |
| | the targets popped up, or darted from one
|
| the Shanghai Municipal Police! "As to any
| |
| | screened side of the range to the other,
|
| 'yarns,' I only recall two stunts that he
| |
| | his stiff arm leaped to the horizontal
|
| performed, and both involved the
| |
| | and the automatic, a blue, shining
|
| Government .45 auto. The first was
| |
| | continuation of his arm, spoke
|
| demonstrated with a proved empty Colt's
| |
| | "crack-crack," and again
|
| auto. To illustrate how pushing a
| |
| | "crack-crack."FROM THE BOOK: "AMATEUR
|
| prisoner along with a .45 will push back
| |
| | AGENT"
|
| the slide and perhaps disconnect the
| |
| | AUTHOR: EWAN BUTLER.
|
| firing mechanism, should the prisoner
| |
| | EWAN BUTLER, AN SOE AGENT, RECALLES HIS
|
| know his pistols (!) allowing him to wipe
| |
| | TRAINING AT THE HANDS OF E.A. SYKES.
|
| the handgun aside, etc., etc.
| |
| | BULTER GIVES A PARTICULARLY GOOD ACCOUNT
|
| "And the other example, which I saw
| |
| | OF THE SOE ASSAULT COURSE AT ARISAIG,
|
| demonstrated, was after we did the combat
| |
| | JUST WEST OF LOCHAILORT:This system
|
| pistol course, and all were felling
| |
| | involved what was called the "battle
|
| rather over-confident with the knock-down
| |
| | crouch position." The gunman crouched
|
| power of the issued Colt cartridge, Bill
| |
| | slightly, held the pistol in line with
|
| called a greatcoat-clad sergeant over to
| |
| | the center of his body. Soon is became a
|
| stand at the fifty-yard target backstop.
| |
| | second forefinger to him. After several
|
| The 'target' stood with feet about thirty
| |
| | periods on a more or less orthodox range,
|
| inches apart, hands in overcoat pockets,
| |
| | the students were shown quite an
|
| and holding the garment away from his
| |
| | elaborate little village, which lay at
|
| body. A loaded 'Thompson' was set at
| |
| | the foot of a steep bluff. At the top of
|
| repetition fire mode, and Bill tapped-off
| |
| | the cliff a soldier stood beside a set of
|
| single shots that struck the center of
| |
| | levers, which looked somewhat like those
|
| the man's coat. At each shot I saw his
| |
| | in a railway signal-box. The village, we
|
| coat 'flick' and I, like everybody
| |
| | were informed, was full of Germans. It
|
| present, assumed that the bullets just
| |
| | was our business to kill them all. We
|
| hit the multi-layers of cloth and dropped
| |
| | were given two Colt .45 automatics,
|
| to the earth. Our greatcoats were double
| |
| | already loaded and two spare clips of
|
| breasted heavy woolen material, with a
| |
| | ammunition apiece. Then, one by one, we
|
| same cloth lining, plus a heavy-weave
| |
| | were to attack each house in turn. The
|
| horse hair-like spacer, so that's six
| |
| | door of the first house sprang open in
|
| layers. But to this day I wouldn't want
| |
| | response to a brisk kick, and the
|
| to try it!NANCY FORWARD (SOE) (CODE NAME
| |
| | signalman on the top of the bluff went
|
| "WHITE MOUSE") WHO WAS FAMOUS FOR HER
| |
| | into action. The houses were fully
|
| WORK WITH THE FRENCH MARQUIS, IS ONE
| |
| | furnished and fully occupied. No sooner
|
| OFTHE FEW SOE AGENTS STILL LIVING. SHE
| |
| | had a dummy, impelled by wires, leaped
|
| WRITES:"I have already told you that
| |
| | out of bed to tackle the intruder and
|
| Sykes was the instructor who taught me
| |
| | been shot for his pains, than a trapdoor
|
| 'silent killing,' amongst other things.
| |
| | opened, "men" emerged from beneath
|
| Poor Sykes was forgotten like many other
| |
| | tables, bottles and chairs came hurtling
|
| people in Great Britain, and elsewhere.
| |
| | disconcertingly at the gunman's head.
|
| My impression of Sykes was very favorable
| |
| | Pistols blazing, one dispatched, as one
|
| and I would have liked to have known him
| |
| | hoped, all the occupants of the first
|
| better. I was the only female in our
| |
| | house, and dashed to the second, where a
|
| class and I remember that whenever he
| |
| | fresh set of hazards presented itself. By
|
| addressed me, or gave me an order, his
| |
| | the time I had gone through five houses
|
| tone of voice was not so 'crisp' - to
| |
| | in a matter of forty-five seconds or so,
|
| coin a common old phrase - 'a thorough
| |
| | and had been told that I had scored a
|
| gent!' I have always regretted that I was
| |
| | creditable number of hits, I was inclined
|
| unable to thank him for all the things he
| |
| | to feel quite pleased with myself. Then
|
| taught me."BILL PILKINGTON, WHO WAS ONE
| |
| | came the chilling thought that the
|
| OF THE FIRST CLOSE COMBAT INSTRUCTORS
| |
| | dummies, however lifelike their
|
| TRAINED BY FAIRBAIRN AND SYKES FOR DUTY
| |
| | movements, had not been armed.
|
| WITH THE HOME GUARD, STILL LIVING IN
| |
| |
|
