Lieutenant Jean BOUGUENNEC

(trained and served as Francis GAREL)

Jean Bougennec was born 25 July 1912 at Saint-Eloy, Finistère (29), the son of Jean François Bouguennec, a soldier in the colonial artillery who was killed in the First World War,  and Marie Bouguennec (née Mevel). Details of his early life and education are not known, but he worked as a journalist in France and was well-informed on politics, having strong communist ideals.  He was married in 1934 to Lysane-France Garel and lived in Marseille after the defeat of France and his demobilisation from the French armed forces, while his wife remained in Paris.  Their marriage was formally dissolved in January 1944.


In August 1941 Bougennec met the French Section W/T operator Gilbert Turck (LEVEE/Crista) in Marseilles and volunteered to work with him. At Turck’s request, he undertook a liaison mission to Châteauroux with a message for F Section’s first agent to be sent to France, W/T operator Georges Bégué (GEORGES). After his return to Marseilles Turck offered him full-time work with F Section, supported by a monthly salary , and from thereon Bougennec worked as a locally-recruited liaison agent for SOE, shuttling backwards and forwards between Châteauroux and Marseilles. On the night of 4/5 September he helped with the reception of the Lysander operation........ [Remainder of case study is complete - contact author for further details].


Copyright  © Paul McCue 2014

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