There were several resistance movements throughout occupied Europe. With their ability to disrupt German communications and movements from behind enemy lines, they were a critical resource to the coming invasion. Their members were also at high risk of being captured and killed. The Allied high command realized that without help, many of these groups would eventually fade out. To keep this from happening, a joint operation between the US, Britain and France called ‘Jedburgh’ was formed.
The mission was to parachute small teams of specially trained commandos behind enemy lines. These teams would assist the guerrilla fighters by training them and arranging supply drops. The radios they carried provided a crucial link between the guerrilla resistance and the Allies. It was a dangerous mission, made all the more hazardous by the fact that they often fought in uniform as opposed to sneaking in disguise. The men chosen for this duty had to be proven veterans and were then put through a rigorous training process to make sure only the best made it to a team.
Weapons & Equipment
Jedburgh teams were equipped by both the American and British armies, leading to some variation in their uniforms and equipment.
These veteran soldiers carried a wide array of small arms, communication equipment and explosives, perfect for sowing discord behind enemy lines and galvanizing reluctant partisans into action.
British Jedburghs
These Jedburghs are armed and outfitted like the British airborne units, the trademark maroon beret replaced with a black one from the Royal Armoured Corps. This included the iconic camouflaged Denison smock, prized by its wearers. They carried the following equipment:
- A Webley Mk3 or Enfield Mk2 .380 revolver, or an Inglis-made Browning Hi Power in 9mm.
- A Fairbairn-Sykes Commando knife
- A No.4 Mk1 37mm Flare Pistol
- Fragmentation and Smoke Grenades
- An assortment of survival and communications gear including a radio set, identification panels and large scale maps.
US Jedburghs
Teams outfitted by the US wore uniforms similar to US paratroopers, augmented with a wide variety of US-made equipment. A US-outfitted operative would carry the following equipment:
- An M1A1 Thompson in .45ACP or an M3A1 Grease Gun in .45ACP, or a Marlin UD-42 in 9mm, an M1 Carbine or an M1 Garand rifle.
- A Colt M1911 pistol in .45ACP
- An ANM8 40mm flare pistol.
- An M3 Fighting Knife
- Fragmentation and Smoke Grenades
- An assortment of survival and communications gear including field dressings, drop-zone indicators and radio sets.
Jedburghs in Bolt Action
The forthcoming Campaign D-Day: US Sector contains rules for incorporating Jedburgh Teams as HQ units in generic platoon selectors for Partisans and Armies of Free France: Late War. In addition to bringing interesting special rules to the table like Supply Co-ordination they can add visual variety to a Partisan force by allowing you to include miniatures in full uniform – whilst most wore civilian clothing to avoid detection there were several recorded instances of Jedburgh teams wearing full uniform, to lessen the chances of being shot as a spy.
The new book is an invaluable resource for French resistance players, providing additional rules for Maquis squads, amongst other more specialist units, as well as being packed with new rules, units and theatre selectors for US Army Rangers, US Airborne, The SAS and German belligerents.
Pre-Order the book to receive a special edition miniature, Robert Capa. This Hungarian-American war photographer is considered one of the all-time great combat and adventure photographers in history. He was the only civilian photographer to land on Omaha Beach on D-Day, attached to the 16th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division. During this operation, he produced a group of images that came to be known as “The Magnificent Eleven”. For his work over World War Two, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom by U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Pre-orders are the only way to secure this miniature.
These miniatures are ideal to represent a Jedburgh team when opting to field operatives in full uniform:
Partisan Miniatures
Our new partisan miniatures are bursting with character, and look absolutely glorious on a Bolt Action gaming table. For a bit of variety, you can even mix in the recent Soviet People’s Militia Squad – which are ideal to represent Partisans.
Tom Mecredy
Craig Nixon