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Old 15-02-09, 15:21
Hanno Spoelstra's Avatar
Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Netherlands
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Default sole Canadian in raid on TOBRUK

The e-mail below was sent to me by Brian Lewington. If anyone can help him with further information, please put it here.

Thanks in advance,
Hanno

Quote:
Hi Hanno, my father in law was Captain later Major James Henry Gibson (Dr).

In 1939, fresh out of University 'Gibby' enlisted with the British Army 'to see the world'. He was attached to the Black Watch. In '42 he was the sole Canadian and only surgeon to participate in Hazelton's raid on TOBRUK. In the end he was captured and taken off the beach by Nazi sub along with two other prisoners. They were interred in Italy until the Italian government surrendered at which time the prison gates were left open and they all 'escaped'. The Italians guards were real bastards according to Gibby who lost about 50% of his mass due to starvation diets. They wandered the Italian country side until captured by Nazi patrols.

Do you have any images of the raid?
There are some shots of Gibby in Gordon Landsborough's Tobruk Commando.

Kindest regards,
Brian Lewington
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