AN EXTRAORDINARY tale of a hazardous operation in which 600 agents and fugitives were rescued from the Nazis in war-torn France has been revealed by a Poole fisherman.

Ron Stephens is thought to be the last surviving crew member of a remarkable trawler that operated out of Gibraltar during the Second World War and he is telling the real story for the first time.

To all appearances, HMS Tarana was a battleship grey auxiliary patrol vessel when she was tied up in harbour at the Rock.

But out at sea, her 33-strong crew transformed the 150ft motor trawler into a Portuguese fishing craft, re-painting her brown on the outward journey, before slapping on grey paint again as she neared harbour weeks later.

Two sheets of metal, painted with the Portuguese flag, concealed the two-pounder gun doors in the bows.

In between they carried out top secret and highly dangerous missions taking Special Operations Executive agents in and out of the south of France, escaped prisoners of war and those of importance to the Allied war cause.

One of the first people they delivered was Patrick O'Leary, founder of the famous Pat Line, a network of couriers, guides and safe houses and one of the most decorated men of the war.

Rowing a 12ft dinghy inshore in the dark, to link up with often terrified parcels' hiding on a beach, was no easy task, as Ron reveals in his book, HMS Tarana - In At The Deep End.

"We picked up 100 people one night," recalled Ron, now 87, who lives at Canford Heath, Poole. "When I look back on it I still can't think that we did it."

But proof of his wartime exploits in the Mediterranean exists in his row of six medals, which includes the French gallantry award the Croix de Guerre and Silver Star, which "Stevo" received alongside his friend Dick Draper.

In true Gallic style, M Louis Jacquinot, Commissioner of the French Navy, sealed the presentation with an embrace.

"I have never felt so embarrassed in my life. I have never been kissed by a man before," Ron said.

Watching the presentation at Algiers in June 1944 was a Poole buddy, Gilbert Davis, whose family ran a pleasure boat service.

"Whenever I found myself in Algiers I always seemed to bump into fellow Poolites and began to wonder if the entire population of Poole was in this area of combat," said Ron.

"I was always particularly pleased to bump into Sandy (Wills) for he invariably had news from home, and very often a few local papers. The Poole Echo, although a bit out of date, always made very welcome reading."

Scrapes and escapes, supplying the beachhead at Anzio, selling bottles of half rum and half cold tea to American sailors for £5, waving at German aircraft and returning to marry childhood sweetheart Kathleen are all part of Ron's adventures.

"It was in at the deep end. We didn't have any training for anything," he said. "Would I do it again? Yes I would - with the same crew."

  • HMS Tarana - In At The Deep End, written with Sue and Andy Parlour and published by Serenity at £9.95 is available from Ron. For copies call him on 01202 257409.