Author to tell story of secret SAS war crimes hunt at Dartmouth Book Festival
The book tells the story of Brian Franks, described by organisers as one of the founding fathers of the SAS, despite having remained largely unknown outside the Special Operations world until now.
A late addition to this year's Dartmouth Book Festival will bring the little-known story of one of the SAS's founding fathers to Devon, when Lieutenant Colonel Tim Spicer OBE discusses his new biography, An Axe and Four Balloons.
The book tells the story of Brian Franks, described by organisers as one of the founding fathers of the SAS, despite having remained largely unknown outside the Special Operations world until now. Franks was, by all accounts, a formidable figure, tough, charismatic and charming, loved by officers and soldiers alike.
Franks began his career in the hotel business before being commissioned into the Middlesex Yeomanry in 1939. He soon moved into more unconventional military territory, first to the GHQ Reconnaissance Regiment, known as "Phantom," then to the Commandos. By 1943 he was Brigade Major of the Special Service Brigade, taking part in the invasion of Sicily and the operation at Termoli in Italy, where he won the Military Cross. He was posted to 2 SAS in early 1944 and went on to command the regiment on operations across France, Italy, Germany and Norway.
The most harrowing chapter of his story came during Operation Loyton in the Vosges mountains in September 1944, when Franks parachuted in to lead operations behind enemy lines. Thirty-one of his soldiers were captured, tortured and executed by German forces. Determined to see them avenged, Franks set up an unofficial, "off the books" war crimes hunting team to track down and bring the perpetrators to justice. For his actions during Operation Loyton, he was awarded the DSO, the Croix de Guerre and the Legion d'Honneur.
Author Damien Lewis, known for his SAS: Great Escapes series, has described the book as "gripping, intensively researched and a fitting tribute to one of the founders of Special Forces soldiering," calling it "a fabulous read about an inspirational commander of the wartime SAS."
About the author
Tim Spicer spent twenty years in the British Army, seeing active service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands campaign, the Gulf War and the Balkans, alongside postings in the Far East, Cyprus and Germany. His career included roles as Chief of Staff of an Armoured Brigade, Staff Officer at the Directorate of Special Forces, and Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards. In 2001 he founded the private security company Aegis, whose clients have included the UK, US and Italian governments. He is also the author of An Unorthodox Soldier: Peace and War (1999), A Dangerous Enterprise (2021), and A Suspicion of Spies (2024).
Event details
Lieutenant Colonel Tim Spicer OBE: An Axe and Four Balloons takes place on Saturday 19 September, from 2pm to 3pm, at The Flavel Auditorium, The Flavel Arts Centre, Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 9ND.