Description
Object description
British civilian aided escape of British servicemen from Nantes, France, 1940-1941; inmate in Perpignan Prison, France and Zaragoza Prison and Miranda del Ebro Internment Camp, Spain, 5/1941-10/1941; officer trained with Special Operations Executive in GB, 11/1941-5/1942; officer served with F Section, Special Operations Executive in France, 6/1942-3/1943; inmate in Neue Bremm Gestapo Camp, Saarbrücken, Germany, Mauthausen Concentration Camp, Austria, Natzweiler-Struthof Concentration Camp, Germany and Dachau Concentration Camp, Germany, 3/1943-4/1945
Content description
REEL 1: Background in Epinay-sur-Seine and Nantes, France, 1922-1939: British family origins; bilingualism; internment of parents, 1940-1944; witnessing arrival of first German Army troops in France; circumstances of father's arrest by German Army military police; status under German occupation; discontinuing studies. Aspects of period as civilian aiding British servicemen to evade capture in France, 1940-1941: numbers of British servicemen hiding in Nantes area, 6/1940-8/1940; setting up escape line through Nantes, problems finding hiding places for British servicemen; relations with British Army in Nantes area. 1939-1940 including sports events and conduct of troops; arrest of mother; leaving fiancee for duration of war; attempt to use escape line out through Paris, problems with escape line; story of seeking help from United States Embassy, Paris, 12/1940; receiving money and having it deducted from war pay in 1945; contacting Pat Escape Line operated by Captain Ian Garrow and Reverend Donald Caskie at Marseille, 1941.
REEL 2: Continues: contact in Perpignan. Aspects of period of imprisonment in Perpignan Prison, France and Zaragoza Prison and Miranda del Ebro Internment Camp, Spain, 5/1941-10/1941: arrest by French police and imprisonment in Perpignan Prison; relations with inmates; getting drunk for first time; story of meeting nurse from Perpignan Prison in Trafalgar Square, London in 1942; stigma of being a prisoner; being returned to Reverend Donald Caskie by French police, 5/1941; initial sense of freedom on crossing into Spain; story of loss at sea of travelling companion; being arrested by Guardia Civil and taken to Lerida; attempt to use British identity to get to GB; executions of Spanish Republicans at Zaragoza Prison; work and food, impressions on meeting Tony Brooks at Miranda del Ebro Internment Camp; arrangements for release; provision of English breakfast at British Embassy in Madrid.
REEL 3 Continues: arrival in Gibraltar and learning new aspects of the English language from members of 4th Bn Devonshire Regt, 10/1941; naval convoy to GB. Recollections of training with Special Operations Executive in GB, 11/1941-6/1942: background to decision to join Special Operations Executive; recruitment via actors Percy Walsh and John Gielgud in London, 10/1941; recruitment interview with John Gielgud; explanation of term for conduct of Special Operations Executive agents; training programme.
REEL 4 Continues: parachute training at No 1 Parachute School, RAF at RAF Ringway; further training in Scotland, winter 1941/1942; physical fitness of agents; use of training ship off Scotland; preparations for service in France; cover story. Aspects of period as officer with F Section, Special Operations Executive in France, 6/1942-3/1943: parachute drop onto house roof next to police station in Anse, 1/6/1942; amusing circumstances of arrest, 2/6/1942; post-war commemoration of his drop into Anse; story of meeting woman who alerted French Police.
REEL 5 Continues: passing money to local resistance; imprisonment in Montluc and Saint-Paul Prisons, Lyon, France, 1942; interrogation by Vichy French policeman who was a member of the French Resistance and members of Gestapo; deception of Gestapo interrogators; codenames; problems escaping from custody; contact with nun in resistance; escape; training in sabotage; directions from London to return to GB, 3/1943; arrest with others by Germans in Pyrenees Mountains; betrayal to Germans by guide; masquerading as Royal Air Force pilot Andrew Fry and plans to get into a prisoner of war camp; assuming identity of fellow agent lost at sea; discovery of his true identity; treatment under interrogation by Gestapo.
REEL 6 Continues: mistreatment of his radio operator Lieutenant Edward Zeff; torture carried out by French police and German Gestapo in private house; determination to maintain dignity; contents of letter sent to fiancee showing ignorance of nature of concentration camps. Recollections of period as inmate in Neue Bremm Gestapo Camp, Saarbrücken, Germany, Mauthausen Concentration Camp, Austria, Natzweiler-Struthof Concentration Camp, Germany and Dachau Concentration Camp, Germany, 1943-1945: initial impressions of Neu Bremm Gestapo Camp, latrines work, attempt to break his spirit in Neue Bremm Gestapo Camp; being placed in 'Nacht and Nebel' category; nature of daily life at Mauthausen Concentration Camp; stone quarries at Mauthausen Concentration Camp; Special Operations Executive personnel losses at Mauthausen Concentration Camp.
REEL 7 Continues: inmates at Natzweiler-Struthof Concentration Camp; lack of information about progress of war; evacuation of Natzweiler-Struthof Concentration Camp, 9/1944; reasons for anonymity in Dachau Concentration Camp; sight of victims of starvation fighting over food; maintainence of military ranks amongst Special Operations Executive inmates; organising camp International Committee; killing of Special Opeartions Executive personnel; hiding with Brian Stonehouse; reaction to liberation of Dachau Concentration Camp, 4/1945; question of taking revenge against guards; circumstances of American troops opening fire on camp guards; restraints on inmate's feelings of revenge; strains on human behaviour of camp conditions; saving life of guard; importance of organisation of inmates in camp.
