| FROM THE BOOK: "PIERCING THE REICH" | | | | TRAINED BY FAIRBAIRN AND SYKES FOR DUTY |
| AUTHOR: JOSEPH E. PERSICOThey learned the art | | | | WITH THE HOME GUARD, STILL LIVING IN |
| of silent killing, perfected by W.E. Fairbairn, the | | | | ENGLAND, WRITES:"Of course, we must remember |
| legendary British Major, sometimes known as "Delicate | | | | that in 1939-45 there were still some 'deadheads' in our |
| Dan." Knife strokes taught, should be upward, from the | | | | forces, officers who had not advanced professionally |
| testicles to the chin. The hand in a "tiger claw" position | | | | in civil life, and when called to service life, they were |
| was most effective for gouging out eyes. A single | | | | reluctant to acknowledge they were 'behind' in |
| sheet of newspaper, they learned, could become a | | | | knowledge. "This was one of the aspects with both |
| crude dagger. Fold the paper to approximately six | | | | Fairbairn and Sykes; they both openly criticized the |
| inches by two inches. Then fold it diagonally to form a | | | | Top Brass, for 'Dog in the Bloody Manger' attitude. |
| sharp point at one end. Drive the pointed end hard into | | | | These comments were, in my hearing, openly said to |
| the stomach or under the jaw, just behind the | | | | Staff Officers, by both Fairbairn and Sykes. And they |
| chin.FROM THE BOOK: "BEHIND JAPANESE LINES" | | | | were quite right, the 'Old Guard' of Whitehall Wafflers |
| AUTHOR: RICHARD DUNLOPBritish Major Dan | | | | who had slept soundly from 1918 to 1939, failed to |
| Fairbairn, who had been chief of police in Shanghai | | | | appreciate how advanced other nations were, |
| before the Japanese capture of the city, taught the | | | | compared to Britain, but the worst part was the Old |
| Fairbairn method of assault and murder. His course | | | | Guard were reluctant to allow others who had kept |
| was not restricted to Camp X but later given at OSS | | | | abreast of the times to circulate their knowledge. |
| camps in the United States. All of us who were taught | | | | Obviously, this was to protect their image. This may |
| by Major Fairbairn soon realized that he had an honest | | | | well have some bearing on the lack of written work |
| dislike for anything that smacked of decency in | | | | available today, much has been deliberately destroyed |
| fighting."To him, there were no rules in staying alive. He | | | | out of jealousy."ANOTHER LETTER BY PILKINGTON |
| taught us to enter a fight with one idea; to kill an | | | | DATED OCTOBER 10, 1995. HE WRITES:"Following |
| opponent quickly and efficiently," said Ray | | | | the disaster of the Norwegian campaign, and then |
| Peers.Fairbairn had invented a stiletto as precise as a | | | | Dunkirk in 1940, Britain anticipated that Hitler would |
| surgeon's scalpel. He wielded it with a flashing, slashing | | | | invade. Desperate measures were called for, because |
| vigor that invariably proved fatal to an opponent."Why | | | | there was little left in the way of arms or ammunition, |
| is it so long and thin?" I asked him one day in a | | | | also the nation had suffered a blow to its spirit. "The |
| question period during my own course of instruction. "It | | | | Local Defense volunteer Force became, officially, the |
| doesn't have a cutting edge." | | | | Home Guard, a body of willing but untrained men, |
| "It doesn't leave any marks on the body," he replied. | | | | mostly ex-servicemen from the 1914-18 war. In |
| "Scarcely more than a tiny drop of blood."Fairbairn | | | | desperation the Government of the day called in two |
| taught his trainees to fire anything from a pistol to a | | | | officers from the Shanghai Municipal Police. These |
| BAR at close quarters, by aiming with the body. In | | | | were Captain W.E. Fairbairn and Captain E.A. Sykes. "I |
| unarmed combat he overcame one hulking trainee | | | | was introduced to these officers because I had |
| after another. With a wry smile the wiry major would | | | | already qualified in Jujutsu to a Brown Belt. Also I was |
| admonish his bruised and bleeding students, "Don't let | | | | about the only man who had been taught Kendo and |
| anybody lead you down the garden path."FROM THE | | | | Indian Lathi. Captain Fairbairn explained he intended to |
| BOOK: "THE FIRST COMMANDO KNIVES" | | | | train a dozen men to become instructors in killing |
| AUTHOR: PROF. KELLY YEATON, LT. COL. | | | | tactics, who would then go out to teach other men to |
| SAMUEL S. YEATON (USMC) | | | | become instructors in the Police, Home Guard, and Civil |
| AND COL. REX APPLEGATEOn January 24th, 1933, | | | | Defense Corps. These would become the defense of |
| he wrote me: | | | | Britain in the event of the invasion. "I found that Captain |
| "This man Fairbairn is beyond the shadow of a doubt | | | | Fairbairn was very much in charge. Captain Sykes had |
| the greatest of "the greatest of them all." I've had | | | | equal authority, and great ability. He was the finest rifle |
| about 12 hours of conferences with him and done a | | | | shot I have ever seen, as well as being very good with |
| couple of hour's work on the mats. His stuff is not | | | | the .45 Colt 1911 Automatic pistol. Both officers were |
| jiu-jitsu or judo - he gave us an exhibition of judo using | | | | very skilled in unarmed combat also, Fairbairn was |
| five men, two third-degree black belts, two second, | | | | obviously the master of various disciplines and the first |
| and one first, to prove it. He uses some of their falls | | | | team of 12 potential instructors, including me, soon |
| and a few holds, but not more than about 20% of it | | | | learned to respect both our tutors. "Captain Fairbairn |
| and most with variations. It's not Chinese boxing, of | | | | was very strict, he insisted that the training he gave |
| which 80% is mere ritual. It's a collection of all the | | | | aimed at perfection. In retrospect, I feel both officers |
| known methods of dirty fighting and it will beat them all. | | | | gave us all very good ability to impart knowledge to |
| He knows it will, he's done it. Judo is to clean on every | | | | others. "Captain Fairbairn was a hard man, so was |
| hold a judo man's eyes and testicles are vulnerable. | | | | Sykes [now called Bill Sykes, but most certainly NOT |
| But it is awful fast; still, it's not as fast as boxing. We | | | | to his face] but he had a lot more patience. They were |
| proved that, and to the Japanese, at that. Given men | | | | two different men, of course. 'Bill Sykes looked like a |
| of equal speed, it's the man who is not surprised by | | | | village person, round faced, he had a mild look, unlike |
| the others method of attack who will win. We put | | | | Fairbairn who looked hard, despite white hair, horned |
| Sam Taxis [the third Sam] who boxes featherweight | | | | rimmed glasses giving him the look of a schoolmaster. |
| now against a third degree judo man [the punches not | | | | Bill Sykes was friendly, but never familiar, he would be |
| to be delivered and the throws not to be carried out] | | | | a bad man to cross. Once or twice he did show |
| and it was a draw. But we had a man hold up his hand | | | | temper, but then only for a few moments. "We all |
| as a target and Sammy Taxis put a one-two on it | | | | learned Fairbairn was married, but we never learned if |
| while a man stood beside the hand and tried to grab | | | | Sykes was. Apart from his disclosing that before |
| his hands. All they got was his necktie. The remarkable | | | | joining the police, he had been a representative for |
| thing about Fairbairn is that although he damn near | | | | Remington Arms and Ammunition organization, we |
| does know it all, he doesn't seem to think he does. If | | | | learned little about him. He did have medal ribbons on |
| you've got an idea, he'll not only listen to you and point | | | | his tunic, as did Fairbairn, but I never tried to remember |
| out what's wrong, if anything, but he'll admit if it's new | | | | what these were for. "Sykes had a very good |
| to him and as good as or better than his own current | | | | knowledge of Martial Arts, and like Fairbairn, he was |
| methods."One of the motivating causes for the interest | | | | physically very powerful, and a good boxer. In knife |
| in the fighting knife was the discovery that even | | | | fighting, both Fairbairn and Sykes were excellent. I |
| Fairbairn ("The Greatest of Them all") had no real | | | | thought Fairbairn was the better of the two, he was a |
| defense against a knife in the hands of trained fighters. | | | | Master of the blade. Sykes was always relaxed, his |
| We knew a number of ways of disarming men with | | | | moon face was pleasant but you never knew what |
| pistols, some of them relatively safe. Even trying to | | | | was on his mind. He was full of surprises in training. "I |
| disarm a person with a knife is dangerous, unless the | | | | did teach a few hundred people the killing arts, and I |
| person attacks with the dramatic "assassin's stab" | | | | am grateful for the training I experienced with Fairbairn |
| holding the knife like an ice-pick overhead. For that kind | | | | and Sykes, they were really masters of their |
| of stupidity there is a clear and positive response, | | | | craft.FROM THE BOOK: "MAQUIS - THE ACCOUNT |
| fortunately. But even for the Paris "Apache's" style | | | | OF A FRENCH-AMERICAN OPERTIVE" |
| coming in low, with the knife edge upward and aiming | | | | AUTHOR: GEORGE MILLERSuch training in these |
| at the guts, Fairbairn had only two suggestionsA. | | | | schools had saved his radio operator, he told me. |
| RUNB. "With a lighting-like kick of either foot, kick him in | | | | When his circuit got "blown" the Gestapo had captured |
| the testicles or stomach."But when my brother asked | | | | his operator, a young Frenchman. They searched him, |
| him to demonstrate this move, "Willie never even got | | | | but failed to find the small automatic hidden in a special |
| up from his desk he just said, 'You missed the phrase | | | | holster. [Note: a Colt .380 in a crotch holster] The pistol |
| lighting-like I don't do lighting-like any more.'"FROM THE | | | | following the rule of his master was ready cocked and |
| BOOK: "SOE ASSIGNMENT" | | | | at "safe." When they had handcuffed him they took |
| AUTHOR: DONALD HAMILTON HILL"Another or our | | | | him away in a car. There were three Germans in the |
| distinguished instructors was a tall spare man - who | | | | car. One beside him in the back seat. The radio |
| looked like a bishop - with steel-rimmed spectacles, a | | | | operator had never fired a pistol except in England at |
| soft voice and wrists of iron. He was Captain Bill | | | | the school where he had been taught like us to snap |
| Sykes - formerly of the Shanghai Police - and he | | | | shoot at cardboard targets. He was afraid that he |
| taught unarmed combat and quick shooting reactions | | | | would miss. But he was more afraid of what would |
| such as how to kill four people in a room whilst falling | | | | happen when he arrived where they were taking him. |
| down on the ground near the door lintel to make | | | | Despite his manacles he opened his buttons, pushed |
| oneself a difficult target. His methods of unarmed | | | | down the "safe" lever on his [gun] and brought it to the |
| combat and silent killing were such that many were | | | | point where it would draw freely. A glance around, he |
| able in the years to come to save themselves entirely | | | | held his breath, drew, and fired as he had been taught. |
| owing to his instructions. The Germans in 1942 | | | | "Bang-bang." Two holes sprang red in the back of the |
| published a pamphlet, which portrayed his methods, | | | | driver's neck. The car overturned. He shot the other |
| and used it in neutral countries to enlist sympathy | | | | two.ELSEWHERE MILLER RECORDS:We were |
| against the diabolical British. 'Our man' in Lisbon picked | | | | taught to use the forward-crouching stance and the |
| up one or two and sent them to me for comment with | | | | quick, snap shooting method. Some of us got so |
| a request for a UK posting, and training with Bill | | | | accurate with the pistols that we were like King |
| Sykes."CAPTAIN PETER MASON, A RETIRED | | | | George V knocking down driven grouse. The |
| BRITISH INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, NOW LIVING IN | | | | French-American danced. His legs were tense and |
| CANADA WRITES:"So, E.A. Sykes had far more of | | | | springy, but above the waist, except for his straight |
| an interesting career in the Far East, than just being a | | | | right arm, his body was loosely balanced. As the |
| volunteer special sergeant attached to the sniper | | | | targets popped up, or darted from one screened side |
| squad of the Shanghai Municipal Police! "As to any | | | | of the range to the other, his stiff arm leaped to the |
| 'yarns,' I only recall two stunts that he performed, and | | | | horizontal and the automatic, a blue, shining continuation |
| both involved the Government .45 auto. The first was | | | | of his arm, spoke "crack-crack," and again |
| demonstrated with a proved empty Colt's auto. To | | | | "crack-crack."FROM THE BOOK: "AMATEUR |
| illustrate how pushing a prisoner along with a .45 will | | | | AGENT" |
| push back the slide and perhaps disconnect the firing | | | | AUTHOR: EWAN BUTLER. |
| mechanism, should the prisoner know his pistols (!) | | | | EWAN BUTLER, AN SOE AGENT, RECALLES HIS |
| allowing him to wipe the handgun aside, etc., etc. | | | | TRAINING AT THE HANDS OF E.A. SYKES. |
| "And the other example, which I saw demonstrated, | | | | BULTER GIVES A PARTICULARLY GOOD |
| was after we did the combat pistol course, and all | | | | ACCOUNT OF THE SOE ASSAULT COURSE AT |
| were felling rather over-confident with the knock-down | | | | ARISAIG, JUST WEST OF LOCHAILORT:This |
| power of the issued Colt cartridge, Bill called a | | | | system involved what was called the "battle crouch |
| greatcoat-clad sergeant over to stand at the fifty-yard | | | | position." The gunman crouched slightly, held the pistol in |
| target backstop. The 'target' stood with feet about | | | | line with the center of his body. Soon is became a |
| thirty inches apart, hands in overcoat pockets, and | | | | second forefinger to him. After several periods on a |
| holding the garment away from his body. A loaded | | | | more or less orthodox range, the students were |
| 'Thompson' was set at repetition fire mode, and Bill | | | | shown quite an elaborate little village, which lay at the |
| tapped-off single shots that struck the center of the | | | | foot of a steep bluff. At the top of the cliff a soldier |
| man's coat. At each shot I saw his coat 'flick' and I, like | | | | stood beside a set of levers, which looked somewhat |
| everybody present, assumed that the bullets just hit | | | | like those in a railway signal-box. The village, we were |
| the multi-layers of cloth and dropped to the earth. Our | | | | informed, was full of Germans. It was our business to |
| greatcoats were double breasted heavy woolen | | | | kill them all. We were given two Colt .45 automatics, |
| material, with a same cloth lining, plus a heavy-weave | | | | already loaded and two spare clips of ammunition |
| horse hair-like spacer, so that's six layers. But to this | | | | apiece. Then, one by one, we were to attack each |
| day I wouldn't want to try it!NANCY FORWARD | | | | house in turn. The door of the first house sprang open |
| (SOE) (CODE NAME "WHITE MOUSE") WHO WAS | | | | in response to a brisk kick, and the signalman on the |
| FAMOUS FOR HER WORK WITH THE FRENCH | | | | top of the bluff went into action. The houses were fully |
| MARQUIS, IS ONE OFTHE FEW SOE AGENTS | | | | furnished and fully occupied. No sooner had a dummy, |
| STILL LIVING. SHE WRITES:"I have already told you | | | | impelled by wires, leaped out of bed to tackle the |
| that Sykes was the instructor who taught me 'silent | | | | intruder and been shot for his pains, than a trapdoor |
| killing,' amongst other things. Poor Sykes was forgotten | | | | opened, "men" emerged from beneath tables, bottles |
| like many other people in Great Britain, and elsewhere. | | | | and chairs came hurtling disconcertingly at the |
| My impression of Sykes was very favorable and I | | | | gunman's head. Pistols blazing, one dispatched, as one |
| would have liked to have known him better. I was the | | | | hoped, all the occupants of the first house, and dashed |
| only female in our class and I remember that | | | | to the second, where a fresh set of hazards |
| whenever he addressed me, or gave me an order, his | | | | presented itself. By the time I had gone through five |
| tone of voice was not so 'crisp' - to coin a common | | | | houses in a matter of forty-five seconds or so, and |
| old phrase - 'a thorough gent!' I have always regretted | | | | had been told that I had scored a creditable number of |
| that I was unable to thank him for all the things he | | | | hits, I was inclined to feel quite pleased with myself. |
| taught me."BILL PILKINGTON, WHO WAS ONE OF | | | | Then came the chilling thought that the dummies, |
| THE FIRST CLOSE COMBAT INSTRUCTORS | | | | however lifelike their movements, had not been armed. |