Focus: The Jedburgh Teams

This week, we’re looking at the veteran Jedburgh teams that supported the French resistance during the Allied invasion in 1944!

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 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, a 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

These veteran commandos make a characterful addition to any Allied army – use them to represent Liaison Officers in a partisan force or as a Forward Observer in an airborne force.

Here are some of the miniatures you could use for your own Jedburgh team!