Operation Collar was the codeword for the first commando raid conducted by the British forces during the Second World War.

Churchill told the joint Chiefs of Staff to propose measures for an offensive against German-occupied Europe, and stated: "They must be prepared with specially trained troops of the hunter class who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast.

The man initially selected as the commander was Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, a veteran of the Gallipoli Campaign and the Zeebrugge Raid in the First World War.

The raid was to take place just three weeks after Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk, and the French had just signed the Second Armistice at Compiègne with Germany on 22 June 1940.

11 Independent Company was moved from its base in Scotland to the south coast British port of Southampton.

Crossing the channel they also came to the notice of patrolling RAF aircraft who, not being aware of the mission, came in close to investigate.

Another German patrol approached across the sand dunes and the group was forced to swim out to the boat, leaving its weapons behind.

[5] The group that landed at Hardelot penetrated several hundred yards inland and returned to its boat without meeting any Germans.

The men that landed at Berck discovered a seaplane anchorage but it was too heavily defended for them to risk an attack.

[8] After the raiders returned to England, the Ministry of Information issued a communique: Collar met with mixed success two German sentries were killed and their only casualty was Lieutenant-Colonel Dudley Clarke, along as an observer, who received a slight wound at Stella Plage.