Operation Hardtack was a series of Commando Raids that took place in the Channel Islands in late 1943, when the islands were under German Occupation.

On Christmas night, 25th December, a troop of ten commandos were carried by boat to Sark and landed on the rocks at Derrible Point. The aim was that of reconnaissance and the capture of prisoners, however, the raid on this night failed to achieve its objectives when the Commandos were unable to scale the cliff below Hog’s Back. Upon return to Dartmouth they were given permission to try again and planned another raid for the 27th December.

The second raid landed the same ten commandos on the rocks below Hog’s Back again but this time from the Dixcart Bay side. The men scaled the cliff but in doing so set off several land mines that killed two of the troop and badly injured three others. The surviving men made it back to their boat and to Dartmouth. The two deceased, Dignac and Bellamy, were buried in the Sark cemetery on the 30th December. It is said that the Dame of Sark demanded to know the names of the men for the Death Register of the island.

The Hardtack raids were eventually ended because they caused the enemy to bring up reinforcements, which could have been detrimental to the Allies’ strategy for D-Day.