John Tonkin (British Army officer)
John Tonkin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 July 1920 Singapore |
| Died | 10 June 1995 (aged 74) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Special Air Service |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
John Eliot Tonkin (21 July 1920 – 10 June 1995) was an officer of the British Army and a member of the Special Air Service (SAS) during the Second World War.[1][2][3] He was one of the few survivors of Operation Bulbasket, where 34 members of SAS, 7 French Resistance fighters and one US Army Air Force pilot were captured and executed by members of the German Army. Following the war, he participated in Operation Tabarin. He later worked for Shell Oil before moving to Australia in the 1950s where he became general manager of a mine.[2]
In popular culture
John Eliot Tonkin is portrayed by Jack Barton in the BBC action drama SAS: Rogue Heroes.[4]
References
- ^ Roxy Simons (20 January 2025). "What happened to John Tonkin after his escape? SAS Rogue Heroes series 2 explained". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ a b Gordon Robin (January 1996). "Obituaries" (PDF). Polar Record. 32 (180). Cambridge University Press: 79–82. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ Joshua Levine (1 January 2025). "The real SAS Rogue Heroes: the true stories behind the WW2 drama". History Extra. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ Katie Palmer (19 January 2025). "True story behind John Tonkin's daring escape from German capture in SAS Rogue Heroes". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 3 May 2025.