From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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
Sister of SOE Agent Claude de Baissac
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
1917–1944
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-
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
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
Andrew Croft
Norway
British
1906–1998
DSO , MBE
Mike Cumberlege
1905-1945
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
1918–1997
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
1910–1945
Henri Frager
F
French
1897–1944
MiD , MdlRF
KIA
Louis Francou
Belgian
also known as Bullfrog
G
H
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
1915-1998
Norwegian
Member of the Shetland gang. Crew onboard 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
Max Lafaye
F
French
1912–1986
French Resistance Medal
Deported to KL Buchenwald (Jan 1944 - Jan 45)- Dora (Jan 45 - Avr 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.
Phyliss 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-
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
fr [Joël Le Tac ]
French
French
1918-2005
Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur , fr [Compagnon de la Libération ] , CdG , Médaille de la Résistance
Detained in Dora and Bergen-Belsen
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
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
Isidore Newman
Alfred Newton
[ 10]
Henry Newton
[ 10]
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"[ 13] and "Churchill"
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 pseudonm Christine Granville [ 14]
Brian Skelly
1920–2001
Charles Milne Skepper
Einar Skinnarland
Norway
Norwegian
1918–2002
DCM
V. A. Soskice
Maurice Southgate
French
British
1913-1990
DSO
[ 15]
James William Spencer
1915-|
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 [ 16]
Violette Szabo
French
British
1921–1945
GC , MBE , CdeG
KIA at Ravensbrück concentration camp [ 17]
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
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
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"[ 19]
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