List of SOE agents
The following is an incomplete list of agents who served in the field for the Special Operations Executive during World War II.
A
B
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Dorothy Baden-Powell | Scandinavian | British | 1920- | | WRNS |
Claude de Baissac | F | Mauritian | 1907–1974 | | Brother of Lisé de Baissac and husband of Mary Katherine Herbert[1] |
Lisé de Baissac | French | Mauritian | 1905–2004 | LdH, CdeG | Sister of SOE Agent Claude de Baissac, Portrayed as Louise Desfontaines in the movie Female Agents (Les Femmes de l'ombre). |
Madeleine Barclay | French | French | 1911–1943 | | WRNS, KIA aboard HMS Fidelity |
Denis John Barrett | | | 1916–1944 | | KIA |
Eric Barrett | Force 136 GHi(k) | British | 1910–1975 | | |
Yvonne Baseden | French | British | 1922-? | MBE, LdH, CdeG | |
Alcide Beauregard | F | Canadian | 1917–1944 | MiD | KIA |
Francis Eugene Bec | | | 1905–1944 | | KIA |
Major Stanley Beckinsale | Crete | British | 1920–2004 | MC | |
Yolande Beekman | French | Swiss | 1911–1944 | MiD | KIA at Dachau concentration camp[2] |
Georges Bégué | F | French | 1911–1993 | | |
Herbert John Bell | Albania/Italy | British | 1919- 2001 | MM | |
Robert Benoist | F | French | 1895–1944 | | KIA |
Kem Bennett | | | 1919–1986 | | |
Louis Bertheau | French | French | 1919–1945 | MiD | KIA[3] |
Gustave "Guy" Biéler | F | Canadian | 1904–1944 | DSO MBE | |
Emanuel Bierer | | | 1884-ukn | | |
Helen Bierer | | | 1885-ukn | | Full Name: Helen Anna Agate Thormann-Bierer |
Andre Bloch | | | 1914–1942 | | KIA |
Denise Bloch | French | | 1916–1945 | KCBC, LdH, CdeG | KIA at Ravensbrück concentration camp[4] |
Marcus Bloom | | | 1907–1944 | | |
Bridget Blundell | | | –1999 | MBE | |
Nicholas Bodington | F | British | 1904–1974 | MBE | |
Andrée Borrel | French | French | 1919–1944 | CdeG | KIA at Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp |
Jean Bouguennec | F | | 1912–1944 | | KIA |
Tony Brooks | F | British | 1922–2007 | DSO, MC, CdeG, LdH | |
Captain Basil Brown | | | 1918–1970 | MBE | |
Joséf Bublik | | | | | |
Maurice Buckmaster | F | British | 1902–1992 | MBE, CdeG | F Section Chief |
Christopher Burney | F | British | 1917–1980 | MBE | |
Pierre Brossolette | F | French | 1903–1944 | LdH, CdeG, CdlL, MdlR | |
Norman Burley | | | | | Real Name: Noel Fernand Rauol Burdeyron |
Sonya Butt | French | British | 1924–2014 | MBE, MiD | Married fellow SOE agent Guy D'Artois |
Muriel Byck | French | British | 1918–1944 | MiD | Died in service of meningitis at Romorantin Hospital |
Robert Bennett Byerly | | | 1916–1944 | | |
C
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Eric Cauchi | F Stockbroker | Greek | 1917–1944 | MiD, CdeG, M.R.F. | [5] |
Francis Cammaerts | F Donkeyman Jockey | British | 1916–2006 | DSO, LdH, CdeG | |
William John Chalk | | | 1899-ukn | | |
Robert Arthur Chapman | | | 1901-ukn | | |
Blanche Charlet | French | British | 1898–1985 | MBE | |
Pierre Chassé | Canadian | 1923–1988 | Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Croix de Guerre avec palmes 1939-45 (France) | |
Marie Thérèse Le Chêne | F | French | | | |
Oliver Churchill | Italy | British | 1914–1997 | DSO, MC, Italian Partisan Medal | Brother of Group Captain Walter Churchill and Captain Peter Churchill |
Odette Churchill | F | British | | | See Odette Sansom |
Peter Churchill | F | British | 1909–1972 | DSO, CdeG | Brother of Group Captain Walter Churchill and Major Oliver Churchill |
Arthur Christie | | British | 1921–2003 | | |
Marcel Clech | | | 1905–1944 | | |
George Clement | | | 1917–1944 | | |
Jean Coleman | F | British | 1908–1982 | | |
Adolphus Richard Cooper | | | 1899-ukn | | |
Ted Coppin | | | 1915–1943 | | |
Yvonne Cormeau | French | British | 1909–1997 | MBE, LdH, CdeG | |
Henri Cornioley | F | British | 1914–2008 | | Husband of Pearl Witherington |
Noël Coward | | British | 1899–1972 | | |
Benjamin Cowburn | F | British | 1909–1994 | MC and Bar, LdH, CdeG | Four successful missions into France |
Robert Christensen | Scandinavia | Danish | 1921-unk | | Founder and commander of the Danish Frogman Corps from 1957–1970 |
Andrew Croft | Norway | British | 1906–1998 | DSO, MBE | |
Mike Cumberlege | Force 133 | British | 1905–1945 | DSO and Bar, RD | KIA after capture and torture by the Germans |
D
E
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Alf Espedal | Norwegian Independent Company No. 1 | Norwegian | 1914–1969 | | Trained in STS 26 at Glen More and other Special Training Schools. In charge of "Operation Osprey" that parachuted in Rogaland county on Dec. 10 1943. |
Reginald Harold Everson | | 1923–1990 | | | |
F
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Albert George Falla | F | Guernsey | 1918–1997 | DSM DSO MC Africa Star Italy Star | Worked for MI6 until retirement |
Eugene Felangue | | | 1912–1945 | | |
Patrick Leigh Fermor | Crete | British | 1915–2011 | DSO, MBE | |
David Finlayson | | | 1923–1944 | | |
Yvonne Fontaine | F | French | 1913–1996 | MdlRF | |
Marcel Fox | F | French | 1910–1945 | | |
Henri Frager | F | French | 1897–1944 | MiD, MdlRF | KIA |
Louis Francou | | Belgian | | | also known as Bullfrog |
G
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Henri Gaillot | F | Belgian | 1896–1944 | | KIA (also known as "Ignace" or "Guillaume") |
Albrecht Gaiswinkler | F | Austrian | 1905–1979 | | |
Harry Gamwell | | | 1912–1998 | | |
Emile Garry | | | 1909–1944 | | KIA |
P A H Geelen | | | 1916–1944 | | KIA |
Haim Gerson | | | | | |
Paul Goffin | | Belgian | 1915–1967 | | also known as Gofer |
John G. Goldsmith | F | British | 1909–1972 | DSO, MC, CdeG, LdH | |
Harry Graham | | | 1910–1945 | | KIA |
Sverre Granlund | Norway | Norwegian | 1918–1943 | DCM, WCS | |
William Grover-Williams | F | British | 1903–1945 | | KIA |
Armel Guerne | | | 1911–1980 | | |
H
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Virginia Hall | French | American | 1906–1982 | MBE, DSC | Post war worked for the CIA |
Odette Hallowes | F | British | 1912–1995 | GC, MBE, CdeG | see Odette Sansom |
John Hamilton | | | 1907–1944 | | |
John Berisford "Jack" Hayes | | | 1904- | | |
Victor Hayes | | | 1908–1944 | | |
Mary Hemmings | | | 1914- | | |
Mary Katherine Herbert | French | Irish | 1903–1983 | | First WAAF Officer to join the SOE |
Richard Harry Heslop | F | British | 1907–1970 | DSO, LdH, CdeG | |
Richard Hewitt | | British | 1917–1994 | MBE | commanded the Allied No 1 Special Forces in the Italian Campaign |
George Hiller | F | British | 1916–1972 | | [10] |
Wilhelm Holst | F | Norwegian | 1895–1949 | Croix de guerre avec palme, Legion d'honneur, 1st Knight of The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, Medaille de la Resistance | Head of Billet circuit, Head of Eduard escape line to Spain |
Marcel Homet | | | 1897-unk | | |
Desmond Ellis Hubble | | British | 1910–1944 | Le Croix de Chevalier de l'Ordre Royal du Lion, avec Palme. Croix de Guerre, avec Palme. French Resistance Medal "Reconnaisance Francaise". Mentioned in despatches. | Executed at Buchenwald, Germany |
Max Hymans | F | French | 1900–1961 | | |
I
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Captain Basil Irwin | Yugoslavia and Italy | | | MC | Liaison Officer |
J
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Ingolf Johannesen | | Norwegian | 1915–1998 | | Member of the Shetland gang. Crew on board the KNM Hitra |
Peter Johnsen | | | | | |
Sydney Jones | | | 1902–1944 | | |
Ginette Julliane | | | | |
Clement Jumeau | | | 1914–1944 | | |
K
L
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Paul Emile Labelle | French | Canadian | 1916-UKN | MC | Codename Nartex |
Raymond LaBrosse | F | Canadian | 1920–1986 | MC, CdeG, LdH | Radio Operator - Shelburn Line (Shelbourne Line) Operation Bonaparte[12][13] |
Max Lafaye | F | French | 1912–1986 | French Resistance Medal | Deported to KL Buchenwald (Jan 1944–Jan 45)- Dora (Jan 45–Apr 1945) - Bergen-Belsen (15 Apr. 1945) |
A R Landsdell | | | | | |
Maurice Larcher | | | | | |
James Larose | | | | | |
Leif Larsen | Shetland Bus | Norwegian | 1906–1990 | DSO, DSC, CGM, DSM and Bar, Norwegian War Cross with two swords, St. Olav's Medal With Oak Branch, War Medal with three stars, Defence Medal 1940–1945, Medal of Freedom etc. | The most highly decorated naval officer of World War II |
Phyllis Latour | F | British (South African-born) | 1921- | MBE, CdeG | |
Huub Lauwers | | Dutch | 1915–2004 | | Escaped back to England and survived war. |
Madeleine Lavigne | F | French | unk–1945 | | |
Marcel Leccia | | | | | |
Jacques Paul Henri Ledoux | | | | | |
Christopher Lee | | British | 1922–2015 | | |
Lionel Lee | | | | | |
Cecily Lefort | French | British | 1900–1945 | CdeG, MiD | KIA at Ravensbrück concentration camp |
Vera Leigh | French | British | 1903–1944 | King's Commendation for Brave Conduct | KIA at Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp |
M A Lepage | | | | | |
E Lesout | | | | | |
Joël Letac | French | French | 1918–2005 | Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur, Compagnon de la Libération, CdG, Médaille de la Résistance | Detained in Dora and Bergen-Belsen |
Christopher Lord | Belgium | British | –1943 | | Killed on duty in June 1943 to Tanus (Tarn) in France. |
Desmond E. Longe | British | British | | | Codenamed, Refraction. Rank, Major. |
M
N
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Eileen Nearne | French | British | 1921–2010 | MBE, CdeG | Sister of SOE agents Jacqueline & Francis Nearne. Codename 'Rose'. |
Francis Nearne | F | British | | | Brother of SOE agents Eileen & Jacqueline Nearne |
Jacqueline Nearne | French | British | 1916–1982 | MBE | Sister of SOE agents Eileen & Francis Nearne. Codename 'Josette'. |
Isidore Newman | French | British | c.1916–1944 | MBE[14] | Captured, and shot at Mauthausen on 6 September 1944 with 45 other agents.[15] |
Alfred Newton | | | | | [16] |
Henry Newton | | | | | [16] |
Gilbert Norman | F | British | 1914–1944 | | KIA |
O
P
Q
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Anthony Quayle | Albania | British | 1913–1989 | | |
R
S
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Roméo Sabourin | F | Canadian | 1923–1944 | | KIA |
Odette Sansom | French | British | 1912–1995 | GC, MBE, LdH | Also known by the surnames "Hallowes"[19] and "Churchill" (By marriage). Codename 'Lise'. |
Anthony P B St.John | Burma | British | 1925–1990 | | |
Paul F M Sarrette | | | | | |
Alexandre Schwatschko | | | | | |
Enzo Sereni | Italy | Italian | 1905–1944 | | KIA |
Henri P. Sevenet | | | | | |
John B. Selby | Yugoslavia | British | 1915–1991 | DSO, DFC, Partisan Star | |
Jack Andrew Eugene Marcel Sinclair | | | | | |
Jean Alexandre Robert Simon | | | | | |
Octave Anne Guillaume Simon | | | | | |
Krystyna Skarbek | French | Polish | 1915–1952 | GM, MBE, CdeG | Better known by her pseudonym Christine Granville[20] |
Brian Skelly | | | 1920–2001 | | |
Charles Milne Skepper | | | | | |
Einar Skinnarland | Norway | Norwegian | 1918–2002 | DCM | |
V. A. Soskice | | | | | |
Maurice Southgate | French | British | 1913–1990 | DSO | [21] |
James William Spencer | British | | 1915–1997| | |
M J G de St Genies | | | | | |
Arthur Staggs | | | | | |
George Reginald Starr | F | British | 1904–1980 | MD, DSO | Brother of John Renshaw Starr |
John Renshaw Starr | F | British | unk–1996 | | Brother of George Reginald Starr |
Arthur Steele | | | | | |
Brian Stonehouse | F | British | 1918–1998 | MBE | |
Francis Suttill | F | British | 1910–1945 | DSO | KIA[22] |
Violette Szabo | French | British | 1921–1945 | GC, MBE, CdeG | KIA at Ravensbrück concentration camp[23] |
Hannah Szenes | Yugoslavia | Hungarian | 1921–1944 | | KIA in Budapest |
Gunnar Sønsteby | Norwegian Independent Company 1 | Norwegian | 1918–2012 | DSO, 1939–45 Star, War Cross with three Swords, Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, Norwegian Police Cross of Honour, Norwegian Defence Cross of Honour, Defence Medal 1940–1945 with rosette, Haakon VII 70th Anniversary Medal, Medal of Freedom with silver palm etc. | Most highly decorated Norwegian of WWII. |
T
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Jacques Taschereau | | | | | |
Paul Raymond Tessier | F | British | 1916–1944 | MiD | |
Paul-Émile Thibeault | | | | | |
Michael Trotobas | | | | | |
U
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
P L Ullman | | | | | |
V
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Jacques Vaillant de Guélis | French | | 1907-1945 | MBE MC CdeG | Injured in road accident in Germany, May 1945. Died in the UK August 1945. |
François Vallée | | | | | |
Philippe de Vomécourt | | | | | |
Arne Værum | | Norwegian | 1919–1942 | | KIA in Telavåg, Norway |
Arie Van Duyn | Holland | Dutch | | OBE | Married Buntie Macklin-Sprake (Radio Operator Trainer) |
W
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Nancy Wake | French | Australian | 1912–2011 | GC, LdH, CdeG, Médaille de la Résistance | Known by her codenames; "Helene" to the British, Andree to the French resistance and Witch in operations. Also known as Gertie to her closest colleagues. She was nicknamed 'White Mouse' by the Gestapo as she continued to evade capture by them. |
Winifred Watkins | Intelligence 1939–1946 | British | 1916-? | | Known as 'Betty' [24] |
Anne-Marie Walters | French | British | 1923–1998 | MBE, CdeG | Codename 'Colette'. |
Peter Wand-Tetley | | | | | |
David Whytehead Sibrée | | | | | |
Odette Wilen | French | | | | |
E M Wilkinson | | | | | |
John Prentice Wilkinson | No.1 Special Forces | British | 1915–1945 | | Killed in action |
George Alfred "Teddy" Wilkinson | | | | | |
Jean-Pierre Wimille | F | French | 1908–1949 | | |
Pearl Witherington | French | British | 1914–2008 | MBE, CBE, CdeG, LdH | [25] |
Jean Worms | | | | | |
Dagmar Witherspoon | | British | 1922–2011 | | |
Y
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas | F | British | 1902–1964 | GC, MC*, CdeG, CLdH | Best known by his code name "White Rabbit"[26] |
John Young | | | | | |
John Cuthbert Young | | | | | |
Z
Name | SOE Section | Nationality | Born-Died | Awards | Notes |
Robert Charles Zaehner | Iran | British | 1913–74 | | Worked for MI6 after the war |
Guido Zembsh-Schreve | | | 1916- | | |
Key
Note | Description | Explanation |
CBE | Commander of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire | Commander of the British order of chivalry. |
CdeG | Croix de guerre 1939–1945 | French military decoration created on September 26, 1939, to honour people who fought with the Allies against the Axis force at any time during World War II |
DSC | Distinguished Service Cross | British gallantry medal awarded during active operations against the enemy |
FANY | First Aid Nursing Yeomanry | British independent all-female unit active in both nursing and intelligence work during the World Wars. |
GC | George Cross | The highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom. It is highest gallantry award for civilians as well as for military personnel in actions which are not in the face of the enemy or for which purely military honours would not normally be granted. |
GM | George Medal | The second highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom It awards civilian gallantry in the face of enemy action and brave deeds more generally. |
KCBC | King's Commendation for Brave Conduct | British commendation to acknowledged brave acts by civilians and members of the military in non-warlike circumstances during a time of war or in peacetime where the action would not otherwise be recognised by an existing award |
KIA | Killed in Action | A casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. |
LdH | Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur | French order that is the highest decoration in France. |
MBE | Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire | Member of the British order of chivalry. |
MiD | Mentioned in Despatches | An official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the person's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy. |
MC | Military Cross | The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration and is awarded in recognition of "an act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land to all members, of any rank in Our Armed Forces…" |
WAAF | Women's Auxiliary Air Force | |
See also
References
- ↑ "Claude de Baissac - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Yolande Beekman - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agent Harry Peulevé - AUTHOR Mission". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Denise Bloch - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Cauchi, Eric Joseph Denis". Special Forces Roll of Honour. 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Marcel Defence - SOE Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Hugh Dormer - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ Dumais, Lucien (1974). The Man Who Went Back. Leo Cooper Ltd. ISBN 9780850521696.
- ↑ "SIS Dumais, Lucien". Special Forces Rollof Honour. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "George Hiller - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Noor Inayat Khan - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ David Twiston Davies, Canada from Afar: The Daily Telegraph Book of Canadian Obituaries, Dundurn, 1996
- ↑ "SIS LaBrosse, Raymond". Special Forces Roll of Honour. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Casualty Details: Newman, Isidore". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Newman, I., Capt., MBE., MiD, CR de GU.,1944". North East War Memorials Project. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- 1 2 "Alfred and Henry Newton - SOE Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Nigel Perrin". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Denis Rake - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Odette Sansom - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Christine Granville/Krystyna Skarbek - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Maurice Southgate - SOE Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Francis Suttill - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "Violette Szabo - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ HS 9/1561/1
- ↑ "Pearl Witherington - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ "F.F.E. Yeo‐Thomas – SOE Agents in France". nigelperrin.com. Retrieved 30 March 2016.