List of SOE F Section networks and agents facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British organization during World War II. Its F Section worked in France to help the French people resist the German occupation. They set up secret groups called networks (or circuits, known as réseaux in French).

SOE agents were usually trained in the United Kingdom before being sent into France. Their main goal was to encourage and help the French Resistance. They gathered important information, organized local resistance groups, supplied them with weapons, and sabotaged German transportation, communication, and factories.

A typical SOE network had three key agents:

Organiser: This person was the leader. They planned missions and found new members for the network.
Wireless Radio Operator: This agent sent and received secret messages to and from SOE headquarters in London. They also encoded and decoded messages and kept their radio equipment working.
Courier: This person acted as a messenger, traveling between the organiser, wireless operator, and resistance groups. They delivered messages and sometimes even explosives or other equipment.

Each network had a special name, and every agent used one or more secret code names or aliases while in France. For example, SOE organiser George Reginald Starr led the Wheelwright network and was known as "Hilaire."

By the time France was freed from German control in 1944, nearly 50 SOE networks were active. Sadly, 43 networks no longer existed, and 31 of these had been destroyed by the Germans.

About 470 SOE agents served in France during World War II. The Valençay SOE Memorial in Valençay, France, honors 91 men and 13 women who died while serving as SOE agents.

Secret Spy Networks in France
Map of Networks in June 1943
Important Operations
- Operation Asymptote
See also

Secret Spy Networks in France

All network names and dates are from M. R. D. Foot's SOE in France (2004), pages 466-467. Some networks had quiet periods within the dates listed. Agents might have worked in more than one network or for only part of a network's operation time.

Acrobat (September 1942 to May 1944)

John Renshaw Starr, organiser
George Donovan Jones, wireless operator
Harry Rée
Diana Rowden (1915-1944), courier, code name "Paulette"
John Cuthbert Young (1907-1944), wireless operator, code name "Gabriel"

Author/Digger (September 1943 to August 1944)

Harry Peulevé, wireless operator, organiser
Louis Bertheau, (1919-1944), wireless operator

Autogiro (March 1941 to August 1942)

Pierre de Vomécourt – organiser, code name "Lucas"
Georges Bégué, wireless operator; the first SOE agent sent to France (May 1941)
André Bloch (1914-1942), wireless operator
Noel Fernand Rauol Burdeyron (real name, Norman F. Burley), agent
Christopher Burney, assistant
Marcel Clech (1905-1944), wireless operator, code name "Bastien"
Roger Cottin - assistant
Raymond Henry Flower

Bricklayer (November 1942 to February 1944)

France Antelme (1900-1944), organiser, code name "Dumontet"
Madeleine Damerment, courier, code name "Solange"

Butler (August 1942 to August 1944)

Jean Bouguennec (1912-1944), organiser, code name "Max"
Marcel Rousset, wireless operator, code name "Leopold"
Marcel Fox, courier, code name "Ernest"

Carte (September 1941 to May 1943)

Andrée Girard, organiser

Chancellor (June to September 1944)

George Millar, organiser

Chestnut (May 1942 to August 1943)

William Grover-Williams (1903-1945), organiser, code name "Sebastien"
Robert Benoist (1904-1944), code name "Lionel"
Jean-Pierre Wimille (1908-1949)
Robert Dowlen (1907-1945), wireless operator, code name "Richard"

Cinema/Photo (January 1943 to February 1944)

Emile Garry (1909-1944), organiser
Noor Inayat Khan, wireless operator, code name "Madeleine"

Clergyman (October 1943 to August 1944)

Denise Bloch (1916-1945), courier, wireless operator, code name "Ambroise"

Detective (July 1942 to August 1944)

Henri Sevenet (1914-1944), organiser
Brian Stonehouse (1918-1998), wireless operator, code name "Celestine"

Digger

Jacques Poirier – organiser

Donkeyman (July 1942 to August 1944)

Marguerite Knight, courier, code name "Nicole"
Odette Sansom, courier

Farmer (November 1942 to September 1944)

Michael Trotobas (1914-1943), organiser

Farrier (December 1942 to May 1944)

Henri Dericourt, air operations officer, code name "Gilbert"
Juliane Aisner, courier, code name Clair
Rene Clement, assistant

Fireman (March 1944 to September 1944)

Patricia O'Sullivan, wireless operator, code name "Simonet"

Footman (January to September 1944)

George Hiller — organiser

Freelance (April 1944 to September 1944)

Nancy Wake, courier, code name Helene

Headmaster (September 1942 to August 1944)

Charles Sydney "Soapy" Hudson, organiser
Francisque Eugene Bec (1905-1944), instructor
Sonya Butt, courier, code name "Blanche"
Pierre-Raimond Glaesner, instructor
George Jones, wireless operator
Brian Dominic Rafferty (1919-1945), courier, organiser, code name "Dominique"

Heckler/Saint (September 1941 to August 1944)

Virginia Hall, courier, code names "Marie" and "Diane"

Historian (April 1944 to August 1944)

Lilian Rolfe, courier, code name "Nadine"

Inventor (September 1942 to December 1943)

Vera Leigh, courier, code name "Simone"
Marcel Clech (1905-1944), wireless operator, code name "Bastien"

Jockey (March 1943 to September 1944)

Francis Cammaerts, organiser, code name "Roger"
Christine Granville, courier, code name "Pauline"
Cecily Lefort, courier, code name "Alice"

Juggler (July 1942 to August 1944)

Sonia Olschanezky, courier, code name "Tania"

Labourer (April to June 1944)

Elisée Allard (1906-1944), courier, code name "Baudouin"
Odette Wilen, courier, code name "Sophie"

Marksman (July 1942 to September 1944)

Elizabeth Devereux-Rochester, courier, code name "Elizabeth"

Minister (March to September 1944)

Dennis John Barrett (1916-1944), wireless operator, code name "Honore"
Yvonne Fontaine, courier, code name "Mimi"

Monk (June 1943 to March 1944)

Eliane Plewman, courier, code name "Gaby"

Monkeypuzzle (July 1942 to August 1943)

Marcel Clech (1905-1944), wireless operator, code name "Bastien"

Musician (November 1942 to August 1944)

Gustave Biéler (1904-1944), organiser, code name "Guy"
Yolande Beekman, courier, code name "Yvonne"

Parson (June 1943 to February 1944)

François Vallée (1912-1944), organiser
George Clement (1917-1944), wireless operator, code name "Edouard"
Henri Gaillot (1896-1944), code name "Ignace"

Permit (July to September 1944)

Robert Bruhl – assistant
Gerard Dedieu – organiser
Ginette Jullian, wireless operator, code name "Adele"
Charles Ronald Shearn. Arrived in France 8 August 1944. Killed in Burma, 1945.

Physician/Prosper (June 1942 to August 1943)

This was SOE's most important network in 1942-1943. Even after the Germans took control of it in June 1943, agents were still sent to this network.

Francis Suttill (1910-1945), organiser, code name "Prosper"
Francine Agazarian, courier, code name "Marguerite"
Jack Agazarian – wireless operator
James Frederick Amps (1908-1945), deputy, code name "Tomas"
Andrée Borrel (1919–1944), courier, code name "Denise"
Jacques Bureau – radio technician
George William Darling – group leader
Henri Dericourt, air operations officer
Noor Inayat Khan, wireless operator. Captured, executed 13 Sep 1944 at Dachau.
Gilbert Norman – wireless operator
Yvonne Rudelatt, courier, code name "Jacqueline"
Madeleine Tambour
Germaine Tambour

Pimento (July 1942 to August 1944)

Anthony Brooks, organiser
Lise de Baissac, courier

Plane (April 1942 to August 1943)

Marie-Thérèse Le Chêne, courier, code name "Adele"

Privet (July 1942 to June 1943)

Edward (Teddy) Montfort Wilkinson, organiser, code name "Alexandre"

Prunus (April 1942 to April 1943)

Maurice Pertschuk, organiser
Marcus Bloom (1907-1944), wireless operator, code name "Urbain"
Philippe de Gunzbourg, courier

Salesman (April 1943 to August 1944)

Violette Szabo, courier, code name "Louise"

Scholar (May 1944 to July 1944)

Yvonne Baseden, courier, code name "Odette"

Scientist (July 1942 to August 1944)

Claude de Baissac, organiser
Lise de Baissac, courier, code name "Marguerite"
Mary Katherine Herbert, courier, code name "Claudine"
Roger Landes, wireless operator
Phyllis Latour, wireless operator, code name "Genevieve"

Scullion (April to September 1943)

Phillip John Amphlett (1921-1945), saboteur

Shipwright (May 1944 to September 1944)

Amédée Maingard, organiser

Silversmith (May to September 1944)

Henri Borosh - organiser
Madeleine Lavigne, wireless operator, code name "Isabelle"

Spindle (January 1942 to July 1943)

Peter Churchill, organiser
Adolphe Rabinovitch, wireless operator
Odette Sansom, courier, code name "Lise"

Stationer (January 1943 to April 1944)

Maurice Southgate, organiser
Amédée Maingard, wireless operator
Jacqueline Nearne, courier, code name "Jacqueline"
Pearl Witherington, courier, code names "Marie" and "Pauline"

Stockbroker/Judge (April 1943 to September 1944)

Éric Cauchi (1917-1944), arms instructor, code name "Pedro"

Ventriloquist (May 1941 to November 1942)

Philippe de Vomécourt, organiser
Muriel Byck (1918-1944), wireless operator, code name "Violette"
Blanche Charlet, courier, code name "Christiane"
Henri Sevenet
Brian Stonehouse, organiser

Wheelwright (November 1942 to September 1944)

George Reginald Starr, organiser
Claude Arnault, saboteur, code name "Néron"
Denise Bloch, courier, code name "Ambroise"
Yvonne Cormeau, wireless operator, code name "Annette"
Philippe de Gunzbourg
Charles Ducharlard, saboteur
Dennis Parsons, wireless operator
Anne-Marie Walters, courier, code name "Colette"

Wizard (March 1944 to July 1944)

Eileen Nearne, wireless operator, code name "Rose"

Wrestler (May 1944 to September 1944)

Pearl Witherington, organiser, code name "Marie" and "Pauline"
Henri Cornioley

Map of Networks in June 1943

This map shows the main SOE F Section networks that were active in France in June 1943. It is based on a map from Rita Kramer's book "Flames in the Field" (1995).

Map of SOE F Section networks in France, June 1943

Note: The map does not show the correct location of the original Autogiro network, which was in the Paris area and ended in spring 1942. However, the network was later restarted by Francis Suttill, who also organized the Prosper network.

Important Operations

Operation Asymptote

Operation Asymptote took place in February 1944. Its secret goal was to rescue two agents, Émile Bollaert and Pierre Brossolette. They had been captured on February 2, 1944, while trying to leave Brittany by boat. F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas (also known as Shelley, Asymptote, or Cheval) and Maurice Lostrie (also known as Trieur) were parachuted into France on the night of February 24, 1944. Sadly, Yeo-Thomas was captured by the Gestapo on March 21, 1944. Brossolette died the next day while trying to escape.