Thread: Major Roy Farran, DSO, MC

I`m trying to establish if the transcript, or other record, of the court martial of Major Roy Farran exists and, if so, where.

Major Farran was a much decorated WW2 cavalry and SAS officer tried in Palestine (I believe in 1947?) for implication in the death of a member of the Stern Gang after the King David Hotel bomb.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

I`m trying to establish if the transcript, or other record, of the court martial of Major Roy Farran exists and, if so, where.

Major Farran was a much decorated WW2 cavalry and SAS officer tried in Palestine (I believe in 1947?) for implication in the death of a member of the Stern Gang after the King David Hotel bomb.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Try National Archives: WO 373/53/560 - I only have the reference because of a related thing I was researching - the ref is his WO file.

[quote="castlereagh"]

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Try National Archives: WO 373/53/560 - I only have the reference because of a related thing I was researching - the ref is his WO file.

Thanks, castlereagh, I`m new to this so I presume that`s in Kew and will need a personal visit?

Major Roy Farran, DSO, MC

Roy Farran was born in England in 1921, attended school in India, and after service in the Second World War retired to Calgary (at the age of 31) to raise cattle. His Second World War exploits could (and have) fill volumes; Farran was a Commando officer, serving in the now famous Special Air Service. He first saw action in North Africa with the 3rd Hussars before joining the SAS, commanding a troop of tanks. Farran was moved to Crete where he was wounded in action and taken prisoner. After reuperating in a Greek hospital, Farran escaped by boat and were adrift for nine days before being rescued by a British destroyer. After joining the SAS he led many raids behind enemy lines, large and small, and was highly decorated. He won the DSO twice and the Military Cross three times, as well as the US Legion of Merit.
He remained in the SAS after World War Two, being wrongfully accused of the murder of a 16 year old Jewish terrorist in Palestine while serving there. When a mail bomb sent to "R. Farran" at his mother's home killed his brother Rex, he decided to leave the Army.

Once in Calgary, Farran founded the North Hill News in 1954 (at about the same time he wrote the Calgary Highlanders' history), and served as city alderman between 1961 and 1971. Elected a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, he served as Solicitor General from 1975 to 1979.

[quote="TangoFowerAlpha"]

Originally Posted by castlereagh

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Try National Archives: WO 373/53/560 - I only have the reference because of a related thing I was researching - the ref is his WO file.

Thanks, castlereagh, I`m new to this so I presume that`s in Kew and will need a personal visit?

You could pay for an internal researcher to look up the stuff but I would go to Kew myself.
Just register before hand, the catalogue is on line - so you can reserve the documents in advance.
Can I ask why the interest?

Thanks, GDav. I`m specifically after details of the court martial, particularly those who testified against him. Incidently, I`ve been told he "escaped" through an open window in the gents during the trial! Bit of a player from the old school, I think.

He was a 3rd Hussar so some of his details may still be held on file at HHQ Queen's Royal Hussars. You could try the regimental history section. www.qrh.org.uk

[quote="castlereagh"][quote="TangoFowerAlpha"][quote="castlereagh"]

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Can I ask why the interest?

Family interest from somebody else caught up in the whole sordid business.

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Family interest from somebody else caught up in the whole sordid business.

I know that many people who served in post war Palestine felt betrayed by Attlee but as records show there was no alternative, especially with US pressure. Ritchie Ovendale 'Britain, the United States and the End of the Palestine Mandate, 1942-48' is a great over view imo.

[quote="TangoFowerAlpha"][quote="castlereagh"][quote="TangoFowerAlpha"]

Originally Posted by castlereagh

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Can I ask why the interest?

Family interest from somebody else caught up in the whole sordid business.

He was found innocent so why do you think it is sordid?

Originally Posted by GDav

He was found innocent so why do you think it is sordid?

I thought Tango was referring to the police action in Palestine in general ?

[quote="GDav"][quote="TangoFowerAlpha"][quote="castlereagh"]

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Originally Posted by castlereagh

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Can I ask why the interest?

Family interest from somebody else caught up in the whole sordid business.

He was found innocent so why do you think it is sordid?

It bought a lot of promising careers to an end. Hence the need to put some ghosts to rest. The 16 year old helped carry the milk churn filled with explosive in to the basement of the King David. He was caught at the scene. He refused to name names and died under interrogation. Major Farran was in charge of the interrogation.

[quote="TangoFowerAlpha"][quote="GDav"][quote="TangoFowerAlpha"]

Originally Posted by castlereagh

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Originally Posted by castlereagh

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Can I ask why the interest?

Family interest from somebody else caught up in the whole sordid business.

He was found innocent so why do you think it is sordid?

It bought a lot of promising careers to an end. Hence the need to put some ghosts to rest. The 16 year old helped carry the milk churn filled with explosive in to the basement of the King David. He was caught at the scene. He refused to name names and died under interrogation. Major Farran was in charge of the interrogation.

I think Farran was arrested on the suspicion of ordering the 'kidnap' of Alexander Rubowitz. Not excusing the murder or whatever happened to that boy but the Stern gang were causing mass panic and British soldiers and others were dying because of their actions.

[quote="castlereagh"][quote="TangoFowerAlpha"][quote="GDav"]

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Originally Posted by castlereagh

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Originally Posted by castlereagh

Originally Posted by TangoFowerAlpha

Can I ask why the interest?

Family interest from somebody else caught up in the whole sordid business.

He was found innocent so why do you think it is sordid?

It bought a lot of promising careers to an end. Hence the need to put some ghosts to rest. The 16 year old helped carry the milk churn filled with explosive in to the basement of the King David. He was caught at the scene. He refused to name names and died under interrogation. Major Farran was in charge of the interrogation.

I think Farran was arrested on the suspicion of ordering the 'kidnap' of Alexander Rubowitz. Not excusing the murder or whatever happened to that boy but the Stern gang were causing mass panic and British soldiers and others were dying because of their actions.

I agree. there was the case of the two British sergeants who were tortured and castrated by the Stern Gang. It is easy to see why Major Farran may have taken things too far, given the climate at the time. But I`m no expert on the subject - that`s why I`m after the trial transcript.

Found an abstract of article which could help you - Not sure where you are but if you want the article just go to your local library and ask for a inter service request and they should be able to get the article for you at a small cost.


Type: Article
Author: Charters, David A.
Title: SPECIAL OPERATIONS IN COUNTER-INSURGENCY: THE FARRAN CASE, PALESTINE 1947.
Citation: Journal of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies [Great Britain] 1979 124(2): 56-61.
Abstract: By 1947 the Palestinian police force had become highly militarized, especially the special operations group, with the appointment of officers to senior positions. These transformed the role of the police into a military one. The parameters of the counterinsurgency group were never firmly defined, its intelligence was poor, and the trial of Captain Roy Farran in 1947, highlighted the inadequacies of the group and the police.
Documentation: Based on documents in the Public Record Office, London; 34 notes.
Abstracter: E. J. Adams
Language: English
Period: 1947.
Subject: Trials.
Police.
Palestine.
Farran, Roy.
Counterinsurgency.
ISSN: 0953-3559
Entry: 33B:698