WORLD WAR II

The French Resistance

T - Z

Thomas, Martin. "The Discarded Leader: General Henri Giraud and the Foundation of the French Committee of National Liberation." French History 10, no. 1 (1996): 100-131.

Calder: Discusses the political intrigues in determining who would "lead French resistance" and OSS' "primacy in intelligence and covert operations in the Middle East."

Thyraud de Vosjoli, Philippe L. Lamia. Boston: Little, Brown, 1970.

According to Pforzheimer, these are the memoirs of a French intelligence officer who served in the French Resistance in World War II and who was SDECE liaison in Washington at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Leon Uris fictionalized part of this story in his novel Topaz. Constantinides sees the author's intelligence activities relating to Cuba as of "strategic consequence and historical significance," but also notes that there has been no confirmation that his intelligence played an important role in the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.

Tickell, Jerrard. Odette: The Story of a British Agent. London: Chapman, 1949. Odette: Secret Agent, Prisoner, Survivor. London: Headline Review, 2008. [pb]

Clark comment: This is the story of Mrs. Odette Samson who was awarded a George Cross for her service with SOE in France. To Seaman, I&NS 20.1 (Mar. 2005), 30-31, this work "was a virtual hagiography." The author's opportunity to consult some SOE documents did not prevent him from "drifting into a cloying narrative."

Vomécourt, Philippe de. Who Lived to See the Day: France in Arms, 1940-1945. London: Hutchinson, 1961. 1963. [pb] An Army of Amateurs. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1961. New York: Time Life Education, 1991.

From "Foreword" by RAF Marshal Lord Tedder: This book "enables us to see how the spirit and forces of Resistance grew in France first into a gadfly nuisance and ultimately into a serious threat to German security. It shows, too, what it meant to be a member of the Resistance, and what it cost in blood and tears. Monsieur de Vomécourt is in a good position to tell this story. He was in at the beginning in June 1940 with his brothers. Indeed, they can fairly claim to have been the first organizers and leaders."

Wake, Nancy. The White Mouse: Autobiography of the Woman the Gestapo Called the White Mouse. Melbourne: Macmillan, 1985.

See Kim Willsher, "Farewell to Nancy Wake, the Mouse Who Ran Rings around the Nazis," Guardian, 8 Aug. 2011; Adam Bernstein, "Nancy Wake, 'White Mouse' of World War II, dies at 98," Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2011; amd Paul Vitello, "Nancy Wake, Proud Spy and Nazi Foe, Dies at 98," New York Times, 13 Aug. 2011.

Nancy Wake-Fiocca ("Andreé") was an Australian national who was living in Marseilles when France fell in June 1940. She joined the Resistance and had to flee France when the escape organization with which she was working was rolled up in March 1943. She parachuted back into France as an SOE liaison with the Maquis in March 1944. Cookridge, Inside SOE, p. 355. See also, Braddon, The White Mouse (1957); and Fitzsimons, Nancy Wake (2002).

Weitz, Margaret Collins. Sisters in the Resistance: The Women's War to Free France. New York: John Wiley, 1995.

Surveillant 4.2 describes this work as an scholarly, oral history that tells the story of women's role in resisting the Nazi occupation of France. The lives of 70 surviving participants are reviewed.

Wellsted, Ian. SAS with the Maquis: In Action with the French Resistance, June-September 1944. London: Greenhill, 1994. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole, 1997. [pb]

The author ("Gremlin") parachuted deep into France behind the German lines on the night of D-Day with the advance reconnaissance party for A Squadron, 1st SAS.

Wighton, Charles. Pin-Stripe Saboteur: The Story of "Robin," British Agent and French Resistance Leader. London: Odhams, 1959. Le Saboteur. Paris: Fayard, 1959.

Constantinides notes that the basic premise of this work seems to be in error, as "Robin," the organizer of the Juggler Resistance network, was not Jacques Weil, as identified by the author, but Jean Worms.

Woolsey, R. James, Doyle Larson [MAJGEN/USAF (Ret.)], and Linda Zall. "Honoring Two World War II Heroes: Prestigious Intelligence Rewards." Studies in Intelligence 38, no. 5 (1995): 27-36.

Woolsey, Larson, and Zall remarks at 27 October 1993 ceremony at CIA Headquarters honoring R.V. Jones and Jeannie (Rousseau) de Clarens.

Young, George Gordon. The Cat With Two Faces: The Most Amazing Spy Story of the Second World War. New York: Coward-McCann, 1957. London: Putnam, 1957.

Constantinides: "The Cat" was Mathilde Carré, who as mistress of her Abwehr case officer, Hugo Bleicher, was involved in the destruction of the Inter-Allié Resistance network. See also, Carré, J'ai été la chatte (1959); and Paine, Mathilde Carré, Double Agent (1976).

Zembsch-Schreve, Guido. Pierre Lalande: Special Agent. London: Leo Cooper, 1996.

http://www.cloakanddagger.com/dagger: "A member of the Dutch Army in exile, sent to England to join the SOE, parachuted into France to run a very successful resistance network. Captured by the Gestapo, he survived Buchenwald, Ravensbruck, slave labor at a V-2 base."

Return to WWII France Table of Contents