Rée, Harry Alfred (Oral history)

British officer served with F Section, Special Operations Executive in France, 1943; internee in Switzerland and Spain, 12/1943-7/1944; escaped from Spain to GB, 7/1944; served with F Section, Special Operations Executive at Headquarters, Special Operations Executive, Baker Street, London, GB, 1944

REEL 1 Background in Manchester, GB, 1914-1939: family; education; employment; rejection of idea of becoming conscientious objector. Aspects of period as officer with Special Operations Executive in GB, 1941-1942: background as officer with Royal Artillery and Field Security prior to recruitment; security exercises; request to move from security to active service; attitude towards Second World War and Nazi regime; prior recollection of amusing aspects of Royal Artillery training; question of left wing elements in Special Operations Executive. Recollections of period as officer with F Section, Special Operations Executive in France, 1942-1943: attempts to parachute into Clermont-Ferrand area, 2/1943-4/1943; successful parachute drop near Tarbes; hiding in woods; making contact with French Resistance in Tarbes; reasons for change in objective of mission; contacting Maquis in Jura; opinion of French Resistance; Rodolphe Peugeot's hearing of authentication of Harry Rée via British Broadcasting Corporation broadcast; hearing coded news of birth of daughter via British Broadcast Corporation broadcast; various sabotage activities. REEL 2 Continues: sabotage of German barge; reactions of French population to Royal Air Force raids; proposals to sabotage Peugeot SA factory at Clermont-Ferrand; background to fleeing to Switzerland. Aspects of period as internee in Switzerland, 1943: internment; opening up communications channels via British Embassy; requesting cessation of Royal Air Force raids on Peugeot SA factory in favour of sabotage; amusing story of Russian internee's reaction to reading bible story. Aspects of period as officer with F Section, Special Operations Executive in France, 1943: his return to France; sabotage of transformer house at Peugeot SA factory, 11/1943; refusal of French Resistance worker to betray him; story of his fight with Gestapo agent, 11/1943. Aspects of period as internee in Switzerland and Spain and escape to GB, 1943-1944: escape to Switzerland; hospitalisation in Switzerland, 12/1943-5/1944; journey from Switzerland to Spain; conditions in Miranda del Ebro Internment Camp, Spain; return to GB, 7/1944. REEL 3 Continues: reporting to Maurice Buckmaster on return to GB. Aspects of period as officer with F Section, Special Operations Executive at Headquarters, Special Operations Executive in Baker Street, London, GB, 1944: work as liaison officer for South East France; story of his recruitment of Francis Cammaerts to Special Operations Executive; prior recollection of taking drawings of V2 weapons from contact at Peugeot SA factory; memories of Andre Simon; prior recollections of conditions in Miranda del Ebro Internment Camp, Spain, 1943. Aspects of period as officer with F Section, Special Operations Executive in France, 1943: attitude of French civilians towards war; story of eating in house of Vichy French supporter; opinion of Vichy French Milice; relations with French Resistance; opinion of impact of Special Operations Executive in France; sabotage of German barge with limpet mines; comparison of Maquis in Jura and Savoie; stories illustrating narrow escapes he had in Occupied France; disorganised nature of Maquis in Jura; his attitude to being parachuted into France.