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James Conway, a Royal Marine, was one of 12 men chosen to paddle over 80 miles in canoes to plant mines on vessels in the German-occupied French port of Bordeaux in 1942. Only two men survived the raid. Conway, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, was captured and killed. The operation's significance reportedly led Prime Minister Winston Churchill to say he believed the mission could have shortened the war by six months. The ships were targeted as they carried cargo such as fuses for shells, ball-bearings, oils and natural rubber – needed for the Nazi war effort. Their efforts were depicted in the 1955 film, 'The Cockleshell Heroes'. ('Cockleshell Heroes: Memorial for WW2 hero James Conway', BBC News, 10th December 2017)