5727819 Trooper George Sydney Herbert Biffin A Tp, B Sqn, 1 SAS. 

The fascinating and curious story of the Trooper who came back to life! 

Various accounts report that Tpr Biffin was lost on one of the intiial drops of personnel and was therefore reported 'Missing, believed killed'.

In fact Biffin was dropped wide of the intended drop zone and was captured by the Germans, remaining a POW until released at the end of the War. A conversation in a Special Forces discussion group in 2010 included this description from forum member wtid45;

Having bought the book Operation BULBASKET by Paul McCue some 7 years ago in a second hand bookshop I have always been curious about inscriptions written in the book by a previous owner who signed himself as F Gleeson. My curiousity was due mainly to a written passage by Gleeson stating "Trooper Biffin is alive and well. He was dropped wide in the BULBASKET operation and was captured.He was a POW in Germany until released at the end of the war. Then he was returned to his parent Regiment unaware that SAS records were searching for him for the last 53 years! F Gleeson 20.12.1997". This statement followed a passage in the book stating that Biffin had disappeared without trace presumed wounded and captured by the Germans.Elsewhere in the book there are other quotations by Gleeson passing comments on various happenings and events before during and after BULBASKET. Having looked again today at this book I went on line to see what I could find about Biffin some 13 years after the written comments all I could find was this litle information that supports Gleesons theory that Biffin survived.."

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Further information is provided in the August 2021 Newsletter No 13 of the Military History Group U3A (Dorking):

Trooper George Biffin was captured. He would avoid an attempt by the Germans to trick him into being shot while escaping, be seriously injured by Allied air attack, have to work in salt mines and then take part in a “death march” across Europe at the end of the war.

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The story becomes even more interesting; from a website online archive "The Liberators of Belsen Concentration Camp", whilst relaying the story of Captain Peter Weaver, one of the liberators of Belsen Camp, and one of the Dorset Auxiliary Units who joined the SAS and was one of BULBASKET's Officers; the following account is given as to how Tpr Biffin avoided being executed under Hitler's  KommandoBefehl issued by Hitler:

They (the Dorset Auxiliary Scout Sections) were famously invited to the Curzon Cinema to hear about the SAS from its legendary second in command Paddy Mayne. Almost the whole West Dorset Scout Section signed up for the SAS and most took part in Operation Bulbasket, an infamous operation in France where after considerable initial success, the SAS men and the French Maquis they were working with came under heavy attack.

Most of those who survived were captured and subsequently executed. Captain Peter Weaver escaped, along with former Norfolk Home Guard Auxilier John Fielding.

One of their number, former West Dorset Scout Section member George Biffin, was long officially thought to have died. He read of his own death in a carefully researched book about Operation Bulbasket and was able to surprise the author with his survival.This was due to a German Medical Orderly swapping his identity with another British soldier who died in the same Prison Hospital. This meant he escaped the planned execution, but was recorded as having died. He lived in Dorset until his death in 2007. (he actually passed away on 8th Oct 2008).

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Another snippet of information was provided in the WW2talk forum by user ASSAMMAN who retells that:

I can confirm "Biff" did survive - para/SAS wings were stripped from his uniform by a "good" enemy that ultimately saved him from the Fuhrer's Commando Order.

whilst author of Operation BULBASKET, Paul McCue, adds to the forum:

I can confirm what Jonathan Saunders has posted re "Biff" Biffin. I updated the details of his fate in the second edition of "Operation Bulbasket" published earlier this year. His survival became known only after "Bulbasket" was first published, the SAS Regtl Association having put a researcher onto the task as it was realised, from the book, that the Regiment had no record of what became of him. After his release from POW camp, Biffin never made contact with the other survivors, nor - until after 2000 - the Regtl Assoc. Thereafter, he did join the SASRA regular trips back to the area of operations in central France, until he died.

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Member ADM199 adds to the forum discussion:

Agricultural Worker for a living. Resided in Fordingbridge Hants. (my notes: Tpr Biffin was born in Fordingbridge, Hants on 29 Dec 1918  
Captured France 11/6/44
Hospital Paris 22/6/44 - 7/7/44 - Hospital Obermasfeld 20/8/44 - 4/9/44.

He was wounded by Strafing Aircraft which was the reason for Hospitalisation.

Stalag 1XC Bad Sulza - Work Camp Menzengraben Salt Mine 27/9/44 - 1/4/45.

Further background to Tpr Biffin's history was provided in an article on the website of the Parham Airfield Musuem; the article is entitled "The British Resistance Organisation Musuem; From Auxiliary Units to the SAS - L/Cpl George Sydney Herbert Biffin."

L/Cpl George Sydney Herbert BIFFIN

5th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment and SAS

Born 29th Dec1918 - Died 8th October 2008

George Biffin joined 5th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment at the outbreak of war aged 21. The regiment was part of 43rd Wessex Division engaged in coastal defences. In 1940 he answered the call for volunteers to join GHQ Auxiliary Units and joined the Dorset Scout Section. With the SAS recruiting from the Auxiliary Units he was one of the 50% of the Dorset Scout Section to volunteer and in

early 1944 he joined 'A' Troop 'B' Squadron 1st SAS. His Scout Section comrades were Lt Peter Weaver, Cpl Jim Ridout, L/Cpl Alan Ashley, Pte George Cogger, Pte Henry Pascoe and Pte Sidney Ryland. On the night of 10th/11th June 1944 he parachuted into France as part of Operation Bulbasket. He jumped with Cpl John Kinnivane and Troopers Joseph Ogg and 'Sam' Pascoe.

Having been blown off course due to his aircraft swerving to avoid enemy ack-ack fire he landed in a garden in the town of Airvault. Whilst trying to evade the Germans, he was captured and taken for questioning during which he was choked and passed out a number of times. Eventually an officer entered the room and, having opened a window, suggested to Biffin “If you want to get away

now is your chance”. Moving to the window Biffin saw an armed sentry disappear behind a bush. Fearing a trap he did not make any attempt to escape. Following this he spent several days under interrogation by civilians. He was then taken by sidecar to a larger prison manned by the Luftwaffe. A Luftwaffe officer cut off his SAS wings and shoulder titles saying “You will stand a better

chance without these” and suggesting that he should say he was captured in Normandy. Clearly the officer was thinking of Hitler’s Commando Order of October 1942.

A week later he and a group of American fliers and a Canadian air gunner were loaded into a truck. They came under rocket and machine gun fire from an Allied aircraft and he was wounded in the left shoulder and leg. The Canadian and two Germans survived but the American airmen were all killed. He was removed to a hospital in Paris and then, after a few days, taken by railway to a Luftwaffe POW camp. Having given his name and Dorsetshire Regiment number and stated that he had been captured in Normandy he was sent to the camp hospital. A week later he was moved to Stalag 9c and put to work in a salt mine. With the

Allies advancing, the prisoners were moved by road marching for five weeks towards the Harz mountains. Having reached the Bavarian Alps their captors disappeared and they were liberated by the advancing US 42nd Infantry (Rainbow) Division.

George Biffin never reached the Bulbasket camp. Of his original Scout Section comrades only Lt Weaver and Cpl Ridout survived the 7th July St Sauvant massacre. Of the three men he jumped with, Cpl Kinnivane was also shot at St Sauvant and Troopers Ogg and Pascoe were murdered by lethal injection having been wounded in the 3rd July attack on the Bubasket camp. Not knowing of his fate the authorities telegraphed his parents that he had been 'Killed In Action' then that he was 'Missing - believed Killed In Action'. Finally, having been flown back to England, he was able to telegraph his parent to say he was coming home..