Daring SAS raid to liberate hundreds from concentration camp revealed after 80 years

One of the SAS' most daring and outlandish missions of the Second World War has finally been revealed after 80 years.

The raid deep behind enemy lines on a concentration camp in Nazi Germany-occupied southern Italy to free almost 200 Jews and other prisoners was pulled off by the Special Air Service in September 1943.

It had largely been forgotten about, but thanks to research by historian Damien Lewis the audacious prison break has come to light at last.

• Veteran Backlash At BBC One Drama Vigil
• BBC's SAS Rogue Heroes had to be toned down as creator thought truth was too unbelievable
• SAS: Who Dares Wins sparks controversy online after milling between woman and man

The raid occurred on the night of 13 September 1943, days after the Allies landed in Italy.

At that time, the plight of those held in concentration camps across Europe was largely unknown to Allied commanders. 

But that all changed when an escapee from a camp managed to find the Allied headquarters in southern Italy, informing the officers that the prisoners were about to be transferred to another camp in Germany.

Within hours, a plan was hatched to mount an operation to liberate the camp, freeing those being held by the Italians.

'There is no other mission like it'

Incredibly, the operation had been unknown until now, omitted from the commonly understood history of the Second World War. That’s all changed thanks to author and historian Damien Lewis, who has written about the raid in his new book SAS: Forged In Hell.

Speaking to Forces News, Mr Lewis said: "To discover a mission of this unprecedented scope - there's nothing else like it during the war. There is no other mission like it."

The commander of the raid, which was carried out by SAS operatives including a contingent from the French Foreign Legion, was Major Oswald Carey-Elwes, who had been recruited to the SAS by the regiment's founder, David Stirling. 

His plan for the prison break involved the hijacking of a train.

"The idea comes to the fore that they should hijack a train," Mr Lewis said.

"Steam the train through 100 kilometres of enemy territory. Get to the concentration camp, overcome the defences, load the train with all the inmates from the concentration camp and steam the train back again."

After killing the guards, the SAS captured the camp commandant, described by Mr Lewis as a "die-hard Italian fascist".

He added: "They see an Italian train steaming up to the camp. What’s there to be suspicious of?

"It's only when they burst off that train and storm into the camp, guns blazing, that the enemy guards realise that this is an assault. 

"It's inconceivable to them that this is really happening.

"And they take the camp by such surprise that they manage to capture the camp commandant, too, before steaming the train back again."

Too far-fetched?

This incredible story has been - at least until now - unknown beyond those who took part in the operation and the Allied commanders who ordered it be carried out.

Asked why there had been so much secrecy around the operation, Mr Lewis said a mission of such daring and success was almost "unprecedented".

He said: "My theory is that if you publicise the concentration camps to the British, American and wider Allied publics, it would demonise the enemy.

"That would make them less likely to surrender, and the war would go on longer."

In all, the mission resulted in the freeing of 180 Jewish civilians and other European prisoners from the concentration camp at Pisticci and the capture of its commandant.

None of the men involved in the mission were awarded commendations.

Mr Lewis added: "If you wrote this as a Hollywood movie outline people would say 'no, no, no - that's too far-fetched', but this absolutely happened. It's absolutely true."