8x10 inch letter signed by Michael Burn
Captain Michael Clive Burn, MC (11 December 1912 – 3 September 2010) was an English journalist, commando, writer and poet.
When World War II came, Burn was at once called up. Upon their formation in 1939–40, he volunteered for the independent companies, formed from men willing to undertake exceptional risks. Having served in Norway in 1940, as part of the failed Allied campaign to counter the German invasion, Burn joined a new elite force known as the Commandos.
In March 1942, as a Captain in command of number 6 Troop, No. 2 Commando, he took part in Operation Chariot, the St. Nazaire Raid, his own 6 Troop contributing 29 men to the overall total of 264 Army personnel taking part. As leader of the starboard column of troop carried in several Motor Launches (MLs), Burn's ML192 was one of the first vessels to come under fire, crashing ablaze into the Old Mole. Of his 6 Troop contingent, 14 men were killed. The rest, many of whom were forced to take to the water, were captured early on.
Having been hauled ashore by one of his men, and despite being wounded several times, Burn was able to make his way to his target, the only member of his team to do so. Burn later attempted to escape the tightening German cordon along with two of his men, one of whom was killed. Burn, along with his remaining companion, was captured and entered a lengthy period of confinement as a "guest of the Reich".
For his actions during the raid Burn received the award of the Military Cross. Of the 609 soldiers and sailors who entered the Loire estuary that fateful night, five were awarded the Victoria Cross – the greatest number for any single action during the war.
Following his capture Burn was first sent to Marlag und Milag Nord, a naval POW camp that was the destination of all Charioteers prior to the separation of Commando and Royal Navy personnel. He was then incarcerated in Spangenberg Castle, Oflag IX-A/H, where he began giving lectures to fellow POWs before being sent to Colditz Castle, Oflag IV-C. There, using shorthand learnt for his previous employment in journalism, Burn acted as scribe to Colditz's secret radio operator, Lieutenant-Colonel Jimmy Yule.
On liberation, Burn sent dispatches to The Times about what had gone on in Colditz, published in the newspaper on 19 and 21 April 1945. Burn had written a novel during his stay, which was published as Yes, Farewell in 1946.
While at Colditz, Burn had received a Red Cross parcel from an old Dutch friend and former lover, Ella van Heemstra.
After his release from Colditz, Burn responded by sending packages with food and cigarettes to van Heemstra. The food helped the malnourished van Heemstra and her daughter, Audrey (future actress and humanitarian activist Audrey Hepburn), survive the hardships following the end of the war. Van Heemstra could also sell the cigarettes for penicillin on the black market to treat the seriously ill Hepburn, perhaps saving her life.
Burn ended the war as a captain
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