DAYS away from the 56th anniversary of one of the most audacious exploits undertaken by Britain's Second World War commandos, the only man still alive to bear testimony to the operation has finally broken his silence.

Original documents on the daring plot to capture or kill Germany's General Erwin Rommel at his Afrika Korps rear headquarters in the Libyan desert are unavailable at the Public Records Office in London. But the memories are still fresh in the mind of 76-year-old veteran Jack Terry, a sergeant in the elite 11th (Scottish) Commando unit.

Over the years he has neatly sidestepped the conversation when the subject has been raised - even with his wife, Joan, and their grown-up family of five daughters and two sons. However, on a visit to Fort William at the weekend to attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Spean Bridge Commando Memorial, he agreed to tell his story

The 6ft 1in veteran, in green commando blazer and the famous Green Beret, with the bristling, black cock's hackle feathers which became the 11th's distinctive cap badge, recalled how his commanding officer, Major Geoffrey Keyes, 24, who was Acting Lieut-Col at the time, was killed in the action, which failed in its main objective. Rommel was not even where British intelligence had predicted.

Nottingham-born Mr Terry gave up his butcher's boy job in 1938, claiming he was 18 to join the Royal Artillery in the hope it would later gain him entry to the police.

''I got through Dunkirk and they asked for volunteers for what they called special service. I joined the 11th (Scottish) Commando at Galashiels. We had to march across country to Ayr. The idea was that anyone who dropped out wasn't accepted and returned to their regiment.''

After training on Arran and in the spectacularly rough terrain of the Scottish Highlands, the 11th, along with the 7th and 8th Commandos, were sent to the Middle East.

The Rommel Raid was mounted in November 1941. '' Keyes got this idea to get Rommel. They didn't tell us what we were going to do until we were on the way - about 53 of us on two submarines. We were to split up for three different operations,'' said Mr Terry.

''We were to float off our submarine, the Torbay, about half-a-mile offshore, in dinghies. But they overturned and we had to get them back and get ashore. I finished up in the water like others, and we had to dry off in a cave.''

On the 18-mile night march to their objective, 250 miles behind the German lines at Rommel's base at Beda Littoria, Keyes' group was caught unexpectedly in torrential rain, making it impossible for them to use their explosives when they reached the target.

''We waited until darkness. Keyes and Captain Robin Campbell, who was his friend but new to the rest of us, and myself were to get right into the place. Others were positioned round about,'' Mr Terry explained.

''The place was closed up. We knocked on a door and a big German opened it. Keyes was at the front and was to overpower him, but he was a great big chap and Campbell had to shoot him. That's what raised the alarm.

''When we first got in we looked at a couple of rooms that were empty, then found a room full of Germans. Keyes was hurled back against the door with a burst of fire. I was at his side. We dragged him out and chucked in a grenade. It wasn't until we got outside that we knew he was dead.''

In the confusion as they fled, Campbell was wounded in a leg by fire from his comrades. The commandos reassembled but had to split up. Some were killed and others - including Campbell - taken prisoner. He had a leg amputated in captivity, survived the war, but died a few years ago.

Sergeant Terry and Colonel Robert Laycock stumbled along the ragged desert coastline, hiding by day, until they eventually reached the British front line just in time for Christmas dinner. ''It wasn't until we were back that we learned that Rommel hadn't even been there when we attacked.''

Shortly afterwards, the Middle East commando groups were disbanded. Mr Terry joined the SAS and survived other behind-the-lines missions in the Middle East and Europe. He holds the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the French Resistance Medal.

Once demobbed he achieved his youthful ambition to join Nottingham Police and served for 28 years until retirement due to ill-health. Colonel Laycock died in 1968.