Tony Hibbert MC is a former British Army officer who fought in World War II.
He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1938, fighting with the British Expeditionary Force in the Battle of France and being evacuated from Dunkirk. He then joined No. 2 Commando in October 1940, later renamed 11th Special Air Service Battalion, with whom he fought in North Africa and Italy. He fought in the airborne Operation Market Garden at Arnhem where he was captured. He managed to escape a few days later, but broke his leg shortly afterwards.[1][2]
On discharge from hospital he led the 500-strong T-Force in Operation Eclipse on 5 May 1945 to capture Kiel, its port, its scientists and the access route to Denmark despite the town being held by a far larger German force and being beyond the surrender line agreed 24 hours earlier at Lüneburg Heath. This prevented the German forces from falling into Russian hands - for which Kiel has bestowed the Great Seal of Kiel in May 2010.[3][4] The story of the advance on Kiel is told in Sean Longden's book, 'T Force, The Race for Nazi War Secrets 1945'[5]
He was discharged from the Army in 1948 and became a businessman.
In 1957 he established "The Salterns" sailing club at Lymington.[6] The club is run by juniors for juniors with oversight by an adult committee.
In the 1980s he moved to Cornwall where he still lives and purchased Trebah Gardens. The garden is one of the UK's most important Victorian gardens and is now a major tourist attraction in the area.