Pierre Hentic facts for kids
Pierre Yves Marie Hentic (born April 2, 1917 – died March 12, 2004) was a brave French intelligence agent and army officer. During World War II, he was known by his secret codename, "Maho". He played a very important role in the French Resistance, helping to organize air and sea operations for British intelligence networks in France.
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Early Life and Education
Pierre Hentic was born in Paris, France. His mother was from Brittany. He went to school at Saint-Nicolas d'Issy-les-Moulineaux. When he was about ten, he lived with a foster family. He later joined L'École de Pupilles de la Marine in Brest, which was a special military school for orphans.
He trained to become an officer. After leaving the military school, he worked as a laboratory technician. In 1936, he joined the army, specifically the 27th Chasseurs Alpins (Alpine hunters). This is where he met Claude Lamirault, who would become a fellow resistance fighter. When World War II began, Hentic was called back to serve in the Chasseurs Alpins.
World War II Heroism
Hentic's unit was first sent to the French-Italian border and then to Norway. They faced attacks from the German air force, the Luftwaffe. He returned to France through Scotland. After France was invaded, he tried to continue fighting. When the armistice (a peace agreement) was signed, he went back to his job.
Hentic was determined to fight against the Nazis. He learned about people escaping to England on fishing boats. In February 1941, he joined the Jade-Fitzroy resistance network, working with his friend Claude Lamirault.
Facing Arrest and Imprisonment
In early 1942, Hentic was arrested twice. The first time, German guards stopped him and a friend, but they were able to get away. The second time, he was stopped by two French police officers (gendarmes) who found weapons and British items in his suitcase. He admitted he was part of the Resistance and managed to escape.
On May 28, he was arrested again by gendarmes. He tried to escape, but a rifle bullet just missed him. He was sent to prisons in Châteauroux, Périgueux, and then Mauzac. A Nazi court sentenced him to twelve years of hard labor. However, he was released on November 16, 1942, after Operation Torch began, which changed how military justice officers in Vichy France viewed things. Just ten days later, Adolf Hitler ended the French army that was allowed under the armistice.
Leading Secret Operations
On February 23, 1943, Hentic flew to England for three months of special training. He learned how to spot things, mark locations, and use secret codes. He also trained with parachutes and radio transmitters. He was dropped back into France on May 27.
He was given full control over air and sea operations for two British intelligence networks: Jade-Fitzroy and Jade-Amicol. This meant he had a big budget and his own team of agents. Even though there were disagreements between the leaders of the two networks, Hentic managed things very well. None of his agents were caught during his operations.
They used small planes like Lysanders and Hudsons for secret flights on moonless nights. These flights carried important information, agents, and rescued airmen. On other nights, they used boats to meet small Royal Navy ships offshore. Between May 27 and November 11, he organized ten plane landings and over 20 parachute drops. Many American airmen who were rescued praised "Maho" for his efforts.
Final Arrest and Concentration Camp
Towards the end of 1943 and into 1944, the Jade-Fitzroy network suffered many arrests. Hentic himself was arrested in February 1944. He was questioned for four days by a brutal Belgian Nazi helper named Georges Delfanne. He was then moved to Fresnes Prison and regularly taken to Rue des Saussaies for questioning by the Gestapo (the Nazi secret police). His cell was marked "dangerous."
On June 4, he was transferred to Royallieu-Compiègne internment camp. He was kept alone and then put on a train to Dachau on June 18. His friend Lamirault was also sent there. At Dachau, Hentic was forced to work as a construction laborer.
Post-War Life and Legacy
After Dachau was freed in May 1945, Pierre Hentic rejoined the French army. He held the rank of commander in the British forces and captain in the French army. In 1946, he married Captain Dorothy A. Smith from the US Women's Army Corps. She had written reports during interviews with rescued American airmen during the war.
Also in 1946, Hentic was sent to Indochina (now Vietnam). He continued to serve his country on various missions as an airborne commando. Six years later, he was posted to Algeria, where he trained paratroopers and reservists. He returned to France in 1962 for health reasons and retired with the rank of colonel. Pierre Hentic passed away in 2004.
Honours
- with 13 citations.
- with palm
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