The Cockleshell Heroes – 1955 | 110 mins | War | Colour

Plot Synopsis

A rollicking World War Two adventure yarn loosely based on the real events of Operation Frankton. This undemanding but solid Technicolor box-office success was directed by José Ferrer, who also stars alongside Trevor Howard. Less than half the action is taken up with the mission itself, the meticulous depiction of the squad’s training gives The Cockleshell Heroes a real air of authenticity.

The film follows the exploits of a small team of volunteer Royal Marines and opens with series of outlandish training exercises. Temporary commander Major Stringer (Jose Ferrer) also clashes with resentful second-in-command Captain Thompson (Trevor Howard); who views Stringer’s unorthodox leadership methods with utter disdain. The marines are being trained for a sabotage mission that involves going behind enemy lines into Nazi-occupied France. In the December of 1942, the ten commandos are carried to their jump-off point by submarine, then paddle downriver in their cockleshell canoes to the Bordeaux harbour and attempt to fix limpet mines to blockade-breaking merchant ships. Of the courageous saboteurs, only two survivors would return.