Michel Hollard
Encyclopedia
Michel Hollard is a French wartime resister
and engineer that founded the espionage group Réseau AGIR
during World War II.
His contribution was recognised by the British with the award of the Distinguished Service Order
having "reconnoitered a number of heavily guarded V1 sites and reported on them". Hollard's efforts included 49 trips smuggling reports to a British attache
in Switzerland.
, Hollard subsequently became an engineer and was employed by Maison Gazogène Autobloc, a manufacturer of wood gas generators. Hollard founded the AGIR in 1941.
Following his capture in February 1944, he was tortured and imprisoned first at Fresnes Prison
and in June 1944 as a forced laborer at the main Neuengamme concentration camp (prisoner "F 33,948").
In 1945, as a result of Swedish intervention Hollard had been one of a group of prisoners transferred to the ship Magdalena after being evacuated on April 20 via the prison ship Thielbek. The Thielbek was sunk on May 3 by a Royal Air Force
attack on German shipping.
Post-war, Hollard "was given the rank of Colonel" and, despite the V-1's destruction of over 800,000 London houses through September 1944, Sir Brian Horrocks
called him "the man who literally saved London".
high-speed rail
service between Britain
, France
and Belgium
via the Channel Tunnel
was named after him.
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
and engineer that founded the espionage group Réseau AGIR
Réseau AGIR
The Réseau AGIR was a World War II espionage group founded by French wartime resister Michel Hollard that provided human intelligence on V-1 flying bomb facilities)....
during World War II.
His contribution was recognised by the British with the award of the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
having "reconnoitered a number of heavily guarded V1 sites and reported on them". Hollard's efforts included 49 trips smuggling reports to a British attache
Attaché
Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
in Switzerland.
Life
Initially serving in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Hollard subsequently became an engineer and was employed by Maison Gazogène Autobloc, a manufacturer of wood gas generators. Hollard founded the AGIR in 1941.
Following his capture in February 1944, he was tortured and imprisoned first at Fresnes Prison
Fresnes Prison
Fresnes Prison is the second largest prison in France, located in the town of Fresnes, Val-de-Marne South of Paris...
and in June 1944 as a forced laborer at the main Neuengamme concentration camp (prisoner "F 33,948").
In 1945, as a result of Swedish intervention Hollard had been one of a group of prisoners transferred to the ship Magdalena after being evacuated on April 20 via the prison ship Thielbek. The Thielbek was sunk on May 3 by a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
attack on German shipping.
Post-war, Hollard "was given the rank of Colonel" and, despite the V-1's destruction of over 800,000 London houses through September 1944, Sir Brian Horrocks
Brian Horrocks
Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer. He is chiefly remembered as the commander of XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden and other operations during the Second World War...
called him "the man who literally saved London".
Trivia
A highspeed train that operates Eurostar'sEurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
service between Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
via the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
was named after him.