Operation Dunhill

{{Short description|Airborne operation during World War II}}

During World War II, Operation Dunhill was a Special Air Service operation which began on 3 August 1944. Five teams totalling 59 men, led by Captain Greville Bell,{{Cite book |last=Ford |first=Roger |url=https://archive.org/details/firefromforestsa0000ford/l |title=Fire from the forest: the SAS Brigade in France, 1944 |publisher=Cassell |year=2004 |isbn=0304363367 |page=153 |chapter=Dunhill |access-date=2025-03-14}} were to liaise with the French Resistance and disrupt German activity in Rennes and Laval in advance of Operation Cobra, the American breakout from Normandy.{{Cite web |title=Dunhill {{!}} Operations & Codenames of WWII |url=https://codenames.info/operation/dunhill/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=codenames.info}}{{Cite web |date=2013-07-02 |title=Len Owens |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10155687/Len-Owens.html |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=The Telegraph |language=en}}

In the event, four of the teams were relieved by the advancing Americans within twenty-four hours.

The fifth team reported on German movements and secured about 200 Allied airmen before they met with the ground forces on 24 August.