By Brad Cook

April 4, 1941

FROM: Captain Thomas Denton

TO: Major John Ashwood

Herewith follows a summary of my efforts to assemble a commando unit, a “butcher and bolt” raiding force commensurate with the goals laid out in Prime Minister Churchill’s June 1940 directive. As I noted in an earlier memo, this task required selecting individuals who might otherwise be unfit for duty within a typical Army regiment, due to their troubled histories.

I have discovered, however, that such fellows often possess the single-minded drive needed for the team to succeed in its missions. Each has been chosen for their skill in a particular area, allowing me to assemble the right team for each task. Above all else, I have insisted that stealth is key to our success. This is not a team brought together for frontal assaults — rather, they will slip into enemy territory, carry out their duties and retreat before the Germans even know they were there.

Brute Force

The first man I recruited is Jerry McHale, a strapping Irish chap who ironically prefers the nickname “Tiny.” When I came across his dossier, he was serving a 14-year sentence handed down in 1937 for striking a superior officer. His previous status as heavyweight boxing champion of the Army, however, showed me that this Green Beret is a man who can handle incapacitating enemy soldiers with a minimum of fuss. I have since ensured that his sentence was commuted.

When we can get away with setting off explosives, Liverpudlian Thomas “Inferno” Hancock is the one to call on. He actually volunteered to join the team — his often-rash behavior didn’t sit well with his former commanding officer, forcing him to find another outlet for his skills. In addition to his ability to plant bombs, mines and other explosives, he has the know-how required to find and disarm such devices planted by the enemy.

Given the likelihood that we will encounter missions involving large bodies of water, I recruited James “Fins” Blackwood, an Australian who studied at Oxford before joining the Royal Navy. His gambling and drinking problems merited him a series of demotions from Captain to Private, but he has his act together now. He can operate all types of marine craft as well as use his diving equipment to sneak into harbors and similar environments.

Sir Francis T. Woolridge, a.k.a. “Duke,” may be the only member of the team who has been to the heart of Germany before, having won a gold medal in rifle shooting during the 1936 Olympics in Munich. No matter what situation we throw at him, I know that his reserved temperament will enable him to fire his sniper rifle with deadly precision.

Shady Dealings

On those occasions when we do need to engage German troops, I can call on French Secret Service veteran Rene “Spooky” Duchamp, who speaks French, German, English, Italian, Russian and Spanish fluently. Armed with nothing more than a stolen uniform, he can slip in among the enemy and issue false orders or gain valuable information. When necessary, a poison-filled syringe quietly eliminates the suspicious.

Duchamp actually shares a previous connection with Paul “Lupin” Toledo, a fellow Frenchman who once stole Spooky’s briefcase while the spy was impersonating a German officer in Paris. Spooky brought Lupin to my attention and I immediately added his thieving skills to the team. Like his pet rat Spike, who he uses to divert enemy soldiers’ attention, Lupin can access any building, whether he sneaks in through an opening, picks a lock or simply uses a stolen key.

Lupin isn’t the only thief in the group, although I expect that Sam “Tread” Perkins will not use his shady past experience to steal from us, since I can easily send him back to the United States to serve the prison term that awaits him there. In the meantime, I have put his driving and mechanic skills to good use working for me. I have yet to find another man who can hotwire a tank when necessary, or who would be willing to smash a jeep into a Luftwaffe fighter to prevent it from taking off. He’s also well-versed in the use of Molotov cocktails, grenades and smoke bombs.

Wild Cards

You may think I have lost my mind when you see the final two members of the group, but bear with me as I explain why I selected them. Natasha “Lips” Nikochevski combines the skills to perform spy and sniper duties with the unique ability to leave German soldiers’ tongues hanging out. She puts her aristocratic background to good use by getting vital information out of the enemy while wearing nothing more than a fancy dress, lipstick and high heels. It seems the male mind works the same everywhere.

Whiskey is also able to move freely in enemy territory, which isn’t a surprise given that he’s a dog. I plan to have the team use him to send equipment, weapons and messages between each other, as well as distract guards when necessary. He can also sniff out mines, although I have yet to teach him how to defuse them. I have issued each team member a dog whistle that they can use to summon him to their position.