CURRENT PROJECT - ROLL OF HONOUR OF THE VALENÇAY MEMORIAL
CURRENT PROJECT - ROLL OF HONOUR OF THE VALENÇAY MEMORIAL
The Valençay Memorial in the Indre département of France commemorates the 104 agents of French Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE) who did not return from active service in the Second World War. The memorial was unveiled on May 6, 1991, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the despatch of F Section's first agent to France. It was designed by Elizabeth Lucas Harrison and inaugurated by Monsieur André Méric, France's Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs, in the presence Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. On May 6th, 2011, the unveiling's 20th anniversary was marked in a ceremony attended by Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne - pictured below with (centre) the Mayor of Valençay and the late Bob Maloubier, former F Section agent.
Photo - Martyn Cox
My current project, with the aim of publication, is a compilation of the stories of the 91 men and 13 women listed on the memorial's Roll of Honour. Some, such as Violette Szabo, have already been made famous with biographies and film coverage. Most have had little or nothing written about them. Their ranks held many unlikely secret agents, including two well-known Grand Prix racing drivers. Most met their deaths by execution in concentration camps; too many were captured as a result of laxity in England or betrayal in France and before they had the opportunity to prove their full worth.
Their individual case studies can be accessed by the 104 Agents page, please click on any underlined name, * = completed and 'taster' extract shown. One sample full case study is offered in respect of Captain Stanislaw Makowski.
My inspiration for the project came from a number of sources: Colonel John Sainsbury's booklet ''The F Section Memorial', produced for the unveiling of the Valençay memorial; the website of French journalist Hervé Larroque: Le Mémorial de la Section F and David Harrison's SOE French Section site.
Photo: Louisa Russell.
The 104 (women agents' names in bold italics) are:
Agazarian, Flt. Lt J.C.S., RAFVR.
Alexandre, Lieutenant R.E.J., General List.
Allard, Lieutenant E.A.L., General List.
Amphlett, Lieutenant P.J., General List.
Amps, Lieutenant J.F., General List.
Antelme, Major J.A.F., General List.
Barrett, Flight Lieutenant D.J., RAFVR.
Beauregard, Lieutenant A., Canadian General List.
Beekman, Section Officer Y.E.M., WAAF.
Benoist, Captain R.M.C., General List.
Bertheau, Lieutenant L.E.D., General List.
Biéler, Major G.D.A., Régt de Maisonneuve, Canadian Inf. Corps.
Bloch, Lieutenant A.G., General List.
Bloch, Ensign D.M., WTS (FANY).
Bloom, Lieutenant M.R., General List.
Borrel, Lieutenant A.R., WTS (FANY).
Bouguennec, Lieutenant J., General List.
Byck, Section Officer M.T., WAAF.
Byerly, Lieutenant R.B., Canadian General List.
Cauchi, Lieutenant E.J.D., General List.
Clech, Lieutenant M., General List.
Clement, Lieutenant G., Royal Armoured Corps.
Coppin, Lieutenant T.C., General List.
Damerment, Ensign M.Z., WTS (FANY).
Defence, Captain M.E., General List.
Defendini, Lieutenant A., General List.
Demand, Lieutenant G.W.H., General List.
Deniset, Captain F.A., Royal Canadian Artillery.
Detal, Lieutenant J.T.J.M., General List.
Dowlen, Lieutenant R., General List.
Dubois, Lieutenant J.R.A., General List.
Duboudin, Captain E.G.J., General List.
Duclos, Lieutenant P.F., General List.
Finlayson, Lieutenant D.H., General List.
Fox, Lieutenant M.G.F., General List.
Frager, Major H.J.P., General List.
Gaillot, Lieutenant H.H., General List.
Garry, Lieutenant E.A.H., General List.
Geelen, Lieutenant P.A.H., General List.
Graham, Sergeant H.H., Royal Artillery.
Grover-Williams, Captain W.C.F., General List.
Hamilton, Lieutenant J.T., General List.
Hayes, Captain V.C., General List.
Inayat Khan, Asst. Section Officer N., WAAF
Jones, Captain S.C., Royal Engineers.
Jumeau, Captain C.M., Intelligence Corps.
Lansdell, Lieutenant A.R., General List.
Larcher, Lieutenant M.L.M.A., General List.
Leccia, Lieutenant M., General List.
Ledoux, Captain J.P.H., Highland Light Infantry.
Lee, Captain L, M.C., Royal Armoured Corps.
Lefort, Assistant Section Officer C.M., WAAF.
Leigh, Ensign V.E., WTS (FANY).
Lepage, Lieutenant M.A., OSS/United States Army.
Lesout, Lieutenant E., OSS/United States Army.
Levene, Lieutenant E.F., Royal Artillery. (Formerly Eugène Felangue).
Macalister, Captain J.K., Intelligence Corps.
McBain, Pilot Officer G.B., RAFVR.
Makowski, Captain S., General List.
Malraux, Lieutenant C.R., General List.
Mathieu, Sergeant R.M.A., OSS/French Army.
Maugenet, Lieutenant A.A.J., General List.
Mayer, Lieutenant J.A., General List.
Menzies, Captain J.F.G., General List. (Formerly Jean Mennesson).
Michel, Lieutenant F.G., General List.
de Montalembert, Lieutenant Comte A., General List.
Mulsant, Captain P.L., General List.
Newman, Captain I., General List.
Norman, Major G.M., Durham Light Infantry.
Pardi, Lieutenant P.B., General List.
Pertschuk, Lieutenant M., General List.
Pickersgill, Captain F.H.D., Canadian Intelligence Corps.
Plewman, Ensign E.S., WTS (FANY).
Rabinovitch, Captain A, General List.
Rafferty, Captain B.D., Royal Berkshire Regiment.
Rechenmann, Captain C., General List.
Renaud, Lieutenant J., General List.
Renaud-Dandicolle, Captain J.M., General List.
Rolfe, Assistant Section Officer L.V., WAAF.
Rowden, Section Officer D.H., WAAF.
Rudellat, Ensign Y.C., WTS (FANY).
Sabourin, Lieutenant R., Canadian General List.
de Saint Geniès, Captain M.J.G., General List.
Sarrette, Captain P.F.M., General List.
Schwatschko, Lieutenant A., General List.
Sevenet, Captain H.P., General List.
Sibree, Lieutenant D.W., General List.
Simon, Lieutenant J.A.R., General List.
Simon, Lieutenant O.A.G., General List.
Sinclair, Lieutenant J.A.E.M., General List.
Skepper, Captain C.M., General List.
Soskice, Lieutenant V.A., OSS/United States Army.
Steele, Captain A., General List.
Suttill, Major F.A., East Surrey Regiment.
Szabó, Ensign V.R.E., WTS (FANY).
Tessier, Captain P.R., Reconnaissance Corps.
Trotobas, Captain M.A.R., Manchester Regiment.
Ullman, Lieutenant P.L., OSS/United States Army.
Vallée, Captain F., M.C., French Army.
Wilkinson, Flying Officer E.M., RAFVR.
Wilkinson, Captain G.A., General List.
Worms, Lieutenant J., General List.
Young, Lieutenant J.C., General List.
Their individual case studies can be accessed by the 104 Agents page, please click on any underlined name, * = completed and 'taster' extract shown. One sample full case study is offered in respect of Captain Stanislaw Makowski.
Please contact me if you have any contribution to make to the stories of these agents - or if I can help you with information on them.
The two main UK-located memorials listing many of the agents are the Brookwood Memorial (below left) near Pirbright, Surrey and the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial (below right) near Englefield Green, Surrey.
Photo - author