大象传媒

Frank Vickers Hayhurst was born in Bolton on the 13th of December 1923. At the beginning of the war he joined the Fire Service as a Despatch rider until he was old enough to join the Army. He learned to drive tanks but soon specialised in Signals and was recruited by the Special Operations Executive who sent him out to Palestine in 1943 for specialised training including parachuting.

In July 1944 he was dropped behind enemy lines in Northern Italy. He remained there until the Allied line advanced over the area in April 1945. Together with his two companions, his mission was to set up communication links with Base and organise parachute drops of weapons for the local partisans. They also organised sabotage operations and set up a local intelligence network. It was at this time he learned to speak fluent Italian and develop a love for Italy. He narrowly evaded capture on several occasions and was commended for bravery. He was awarded the British Empire Medal and the Italian Star, the highest Italian medal.

In a report on Tuesday April 23rd 1946, the Bolton Evening News commented: 鈥淭he decoration awarded does not always truly reflect the merit of the action for which it is given, and one always feel that, while it would be unfair to differentiate between the many kinds of war service, the men who operated behind enemy lines performed a dangerous role. One of them is Sergt. Frank Hayhurst of Bolton, who has been awarded the British Empire Medal for distinguished service while working behind the enemy lines in Italy. Sergt. Hayhurst was a pupil at St. Simon and St Jude鈥檚 School, Great Lever. He won a scholarship to Blackpool Grammar School, later transferring to Bolton Municipal Secondary School.鈥�

鈥淗e was called up in 1942 at the age of 18 and while serving with the Tank Corps applied for a transfer to a special force and was selected to go to Palestine for a rigorous training course. From there he was flown to Italy and dropped behind the enemy lines, where he was received by Italian partisans. He and his colleagues were responsible for the safe conduct home of many of the R.A.F. personnel shot down over German-held territory. Sergt. Hayhurst is now in Singapore as Command Librarian for S.E.A.C. and is giving lessons in Italian.鈥�

At the end of the war in Europe, Frank was sent to the Far East to be dropped behind the Japanese lines. However, by the time he reached India, in transit, the war had ended. He went on to Ceylon and Singapore to join Lord Mountbatten鈥檚 headquarters. By this time, all the fighting units were in the process of being run down, and so Frank joined the Education Corps as Command Librarian. He administered the unit libraries, which received the latest textbooks from the United Kingdom. This gave him an excellent chance to fill gaps in his education. Frank was offered a Commission which he turned down. He determined that whatever line of work he took up, he would reach the top of his profession and, of course, he did.

Frank married Barbara Naylor in 1956. Her childhood memories of the war have been recounted in a separate article.

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