Olivey, John/Rogers, Anthony X2 Patrol

Long Range Desert Group September-November 1943

Anthony Rogers continues to reveal new material about operations during the Second World War, in this case with the captivating account of an LRDG hero. Ex-Lance Corporal X, QGM, author of The SAS and LRDG Roll of Honour, 1941-47. John Olivey, an officer in the Long Range Desert Group, served in the western desert region, where he was awarded the Military Cross. He fought in the Dodecanese Islands, for which he was decorated a second time, and served on the Greek mainland and in Istria. In the autumn of 1943, he was sent to the Aegean Sea and in October was put in charge of the Olforce in a poorly thought-out operation to capture the island of Levitha. Of about fifty LRDG soldiers, he was one of only seven who managed to escape capture. During the Battle of Leros in November, he commanded the X2 patrol in Clidi, an important position on a hill. After the British forces on Leros surrendered, Olivey was taken prisoner. While being marched through Athens with hundreds of other prisoners of war, he managed to escape. With the help of locals, Olivey went into hiding in German-occupied Athens. It would take more than four months before he could finally return to Allied territory. During this time, he wrote a compelling, brutally honest and often amusing personal account describing his involvement in an eventful and significant chapter in the history of the LRDG. This is his story.