John Eliot Tonkin MC. 2MID 1SAS

Tonkin’s SAS Unit in France

Operation Bulbasket
During Operation Bulbasket (6 June – 24 July 1944), Captain John Tonkin commanded ‘B’ Squadron, 1st Special Air Service (SAS), operating behind German lines in the Vienne department of occupied France. The mission’s key objective was to disrupt German reinforcements moving toward the Normandy beaches after D Day, particularly the 2nd SS Panzer Division ‘Das Reich’.
Discovery of the Petrol Train
On 10 June 1944, a local French railway worker informed Tonkin’s SAS unit that a train comprised of at least eleven petrol tanker wagons — loaded with fuel destined for the 2nd SS Panzer Division — was parked in the railway sidings at Châtellerault.
Tonkin sent Lieutenant Tomos Stephens on a reconnaissance mission: Stephens cycled alone approximately 74 miles (119 km) round trip to confirm the report. On 11 June, he returned and verified the train’s presence and its heavy German guard, making a direct SAS ground attack too risky.
RAF Attack on the Petrol Train
Once confirmed, Tonkin contacted SAS headquarters and requested air support. That same night, a force of 12 Royal Air Force de Havilland Mosquito bombers — drawn from No. 138 Wing RAF and No. 140 Wing RAF — was dispatched to attack the sidings at Châtellerault. The precision air strike destroyed the petrol train and its crucial fuel stockpiles. This strike directly denied fuel to the 2nd SS Panzer Division, helping delay its movement toward Normandy.
Summary of the Petrol Train Action
• 10 June 1944: Local informant reports fuel train to Tonkin.
• 11 June 1944: Lt. Tomos Stephens confirms location by recon ride.
• Same night: RAF Mosquito bombers destroy the Châtellerault petrol train in sidings at Tonkin’s request.

After the war Tonkin continued to serve in unique capacities:
• He took part in Operation Tabarin (1946–47), a British expedition to Antarctica aimed at strengthening sovereignty claims in the Falkland Islands Dependencies, along with Blair Paddy Mayne and Mike Sadler.
• He remained in Antarctica and later lived in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, where he married Heather Sedgwick and raised a family.

Captain John Tonkin’s wartime story is one of remarkable perseverance. He survived capture and escape in hostile territory, returned to lead and inspire his men in critical SAS missions across multiple fronts, and played a role in exposing Nazi atrocities. Today he is remembered as one of the courageous young officers who helped define the ethos of the Special Air Service during its formative years.