Those that served Commander Gerard Alfred HOLDSWORTH DSO, OBE RNVR, SOE Pre-war, carried out reconnaissance of Norwegian coast by yacht for SIS’s Section D: sent to Stockholm when Germans invaded Norway: returned to UK via Finland.  Appointed to D Section Home Defence Organisation: commissioned in Army: posted to SOE and transferred to RNVR: sent to… Read More HOLDSWORTH, Gerard Alfred

Those that served Wing Commander Lewis Macdonald HODGES DSO* DFC* Légion d’Honneur RAF Pre-war regular pilot in RAF; crash landed in Occupied France, September 1940; after many adventures escaped to Spain returning to his squadron in June 1941; appointed Flight Commander, then Commanding Officer, of No. 161 (Special Duties) Squadron, parachuting SOE and SIS agents… Read More HODGES, Lewis Macdonald

Those that served Group Captain Ronald Clifford HOCKEY DSO DFC Croix de Guerre avec Palme Royal Artillery, MI(R), SOE  A Royal Artillery officer who served in France during the First World War; joined the War Office’s MI(R) in 1939 beginning his outstanding career in irregular warfare; was in Poland on the outbreak of war and… Read More HOCKEY, Ronald Clifford

Those that served Major-General Sir Colin Gubbins KCMG DSO MC Royal Artillery, MI(R), SOE  A Royal Artillery officer who served in France during the First World War; joined the War Office’s MI(R) in 1939 beginning his outstanding career in irregular warfare; was in Poland on the outbreak of war and served in the Norwegian Campaign;… Read More GUBBINS, Colin

Those that served Hon Flight Officer Christine GRANVILLE GM OBE Croix de Guerre Born Countess Krystyna Skarbeck, she ran a highly successful escape line across the Carpathians from Poland to Hungary, 1939-40: moved to Cairo: joined SOE’s F Section, parachuted into Vercors as courier to Francis Cammaerts’s Jockey circuit, 6/7 July 1944: crossed the Alps to Italy and… Read More GRANVILLE, Christine

Those that served Lieutenant-Colonel Noel Andrew Cotton CROFT DSO WAAF, SOE Essex Regiment, SOE Served with MI(R) in Finland and Norway, 1939/40 then with Auxiliary Units in East Anglia: posted to Stockholm, June 1941-December 1942: took part in operations in Norway with No 14 Commando, December 1942-March 1943: joined SOE for operations in Tunisia, 31… Read More CROFT, Noel Andrew Cotton

Those that served Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick SPENCER CHAPMAN DSO* TD Seaforth Highlanders, SOE Pre-war explorer and teacher; became Commando instructor in Australia, then Singapore, 1941.  Organised stay-behind parties during Japanese advance into Malaya, 1942. Disrupted enemy supply lines from jungle hide-outs: inflicted significant damage but ran out of supplies at fall of Singapore. Remaining in the jungle,… Read More SPENCER CHAPMAN, Frederick

Those that served Brigadier James Michael CALVERT DSO US Silver Star, Norwegian Cross of Liberty, Légion d’Honneur MIR, SAS Fought in Norway as Captain, Royal Engineers: joined, via MIR, Auxiliary Units stay-behind parties in Kent and Sussex: posted to Australia to train Independent Companies: thence to Burma to command Jungle Warfare School with which he retreated… Read More CALVERT, James Michael

Those that served Flight Officer Yvonne BASEDEN MBE (Military), Croix de Guerre avec Palme WAAF, WTS/FANY, SOE Born in Paris of a British father and French mother; joined WAAF March 1941, commissioned and served in Intelligence Branch. Seconded to SOE (F Section), May 1943.  Parachuted into France as radio operator for Scholar Circuit, 19 March 1944: based… Read More BASEDEN, Yvonne

Those that served Squadron Officer Vera May ATKINS WAAF, SOE Joined SOE F Section with symbol ‘F/Int’, June 1941; duties included a broad range of tasks including conducting and briefing agents and coordinating welfare of their families; was in Baker Street, June 1944, as rear link to the integrated F and Free French Sections; set… Read More ATKINS, Vera May