Operation Autonomous
Encyclopedia
Operation Autonomous was a clandestine operation carried out on the territory of Romania
by the Special Operations Executive
(SOE) set up by Churchill
for the duration of the war to assist local Resistance movements.
On the night of 22 December 1943 the three agents were parachuted into thick fog and some distance away from the target. They were captured by Romanian gendarmerie
almost immediately near the locality of Plosca parish, Teleorman county. They were held as well-treated prisoners of war at the Gendarmerie headquarters in Bucharest under the care of gen. Constantin Tobescu
, major Constantin C. Roşescu and of major Eugen Dobrogeanu
. Churchill promptly sent a message to Marshal Antonescu
warning him that should the British prisoners fall into German hands he would be held personally responsible. The Prime Minister had been told that de Chastelain had information which in German hands could change the outcome of the war.
On 23 August 1944, the young King Michael of Romania, at considerable personal risk, carried out his well prepared coup d'état which took Hitler completely by surprise and so Romania entered the war against the Axis. The British prisoners were released and that evening the King arranged for de Chastelain to fly to Istanbul from where he could go to Cairo and London to report. Meţianu stayed on for a time and then returned to England. Porter remained to maintain a radio link with SOE Headquarters until the British mission arrived. He later worked at the Legation and in 1948 returned to London to the Foreign Office.
, Soviet
authorities alleged that de Chastelain was keeping contacts with Iuliu Maniu, the leader of the National Peasants' Party
; the latter had opposed both Antonescu's regime and the Soviet occupation of Romania
. During Maniu's trial for treason
in 1947, the Minister of the Interior, Teohari Georgescu
, was handed a report which indicated Maniu's alleged contacts with de Chastelain as proof that the politician was a British spy.
Reportedly, Cpt. Meţianu visited Romania at least once during the Cold War
and visited major Constantin C. Roșescu at home.
In 1989, Porter
's book Operation Autonomous: With SOE In Wartime Romania was published by Chatto and Windus. The translation of this book in Romanian was published by Humanitas in 1991.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
by the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
(SOE) set up by Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
for the duration of the war to assist local Resistance movements.
Participants
In 1943, three secret agents were parachuted into Romanian territory:- Lt. Colonel Alfred Gardyne de ChastelainAlfred Gardyne de ChastelainAlfred George Gardyne de Chastelain, DSO, OBE was a British businessman, soldier, and secret agent, noted for his actions during World War II...
, experienced Special Operations ExecutiveSpecial Operations ExecutiveThe Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
(SOE) officer, who was the operation's commander. - Capt. Ivor PorterIvor PorterIvor F. Porter CMG, OBE is a former British Ambassador and author.-Education:Porter was brought up in the Lake District and educated at Barrow-in-Furness Grammar School and Leeds University.-Special Operations Executive:...
, who later wrote a book about the operation. - Capt. Silviu Meţianu, of Romanian origin, who had previously emigrated to Great BritainGreat BritainGreat 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...
.
Operation aims and outcome
The aim of the operation was primarily political:- to persuade Romanian politicians, especially Iuliu ManiuIuliu ManiuIuliu Maniu was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian politician. A leader of the National Party of Transylvania and Banat before and after World War I, he served as Prime Minister of Romania for three terms during 1928–1933, and, with Ion Mihalache, co-founded the National Peasants'...
, the leader of the National Peasant Party, to negotiate an armistice with the Allied Powers. - in case they were captured by authorities loyal to the AntonescuIon AntonescuIon Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
government, to convince the Romanian secret during their interrogation, that the allies were preparing to land in the Balcans, hoping that this would induce a concentration of German troups to the east, reducing their fire-power in Normandy.
On the night of 22 December 1943 the three agents were parachuted into thick fog and some distance away from the target. They were captured by Romanian gendarmerie
Jandarmeria Româna
Jandarmeria Română is the military branch of the two Romanian police forces .The gendarmerie is subordinated to the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform and does not have responsibility for policing the Romanian Armed Forces...
almost immediately near the locality of Plosca parish, Teleorman county. They were held as well-treated prisoners of war at the Gendarmerie headquarters in Bucharest under the care of gen. Constantin Tobescu
Constantin Tobescu
Constantin Tobescu was a Romanian general. He was the chief of Romanian Gendarmerie before August 23, 1944.- Youth and studies :...
, major Constantin C. Roşescu and of major Eugen Dobrogeanu
Eugen Dobrogeanu
Eugen Dobrogeanu was a Romanian officer , the first bibliographer of the Romanian criminology and active participant to the Operation Autonomous.-School and professional career:...
. Churchill promptly sent a message to Marshal Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
warning him that should the British prisoners fall into German hands he would be held personally responsible. The Prime Minister had been told that de Chastelain had information which in German hands could change the outcome of the war.
On 23 August 1944, the young King Michael of Romania, at considerable personal risk, carried out his well prepared coup d'état which took Hitler completely by surprise and so Romania entered the war against the Axis. The British prisoners were released and that evening the King arranged for de Chastelain to fly to Istanbul from where he could go to Cairo and London to report. Meţianu stayed on for a time and then returned to England. Porter remained to maintain a radio link with SOE Headquarters until the British mission arrived. He later worked at the Legation and in 1948 returned to London to the Foreign Office.
Aftermath
After the start of the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
authorities alleged that de Chastelain was keeping contacts with Iuliu Maniu, the leader of the National Peasants' Party
National Peasants' Party
The National Peasants' Party was a Romanian political party, formed in 1926 through the fusion of the Romanian National Party from Transylvania and the Peasants' Party . It was in power between 1928 and 1933, with brief interruptions...
; the latter had opposed both Antonescu's regime and the Soviet occupation of Romania
Soviet occupation of Romania
The Soviet occupation of Romania refers to the period from 1944 to August 1958, during which the Soviet Union maintained a significant military presence in Romania...
. During Maniu's trial for treason
Tamadau Affair
The Tămădău Affair was an incident that took place in Romania in the summer of 1947, the source of a political scandal and show trial.It was provoked when an important number of National Peasants' Party leaders, including party vice president Ion Mihalache, had been offered a chance to flee...
in 1947, the Minister of the Interior, Teohari Georgescu
Teohari Georgescu
Teohari Georgescu was a high-ranking member of the Romanian Communist Party.-Life:Born in Bacău, he was the third of seven children of Constantin and Aneta Georgescu. Georgescu, whose formal education ended after the fourth grade, began his career as an assistant in his father's store...
, was handed a report which indicated Maniu's alleged contacts with de Chastelain as proof that the politician was a British spy.
Reportedly, Cpt. Meţianu visited Romania at least once during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and visited major Constantin C. Roșescu at home.
In 1989, Porter
Ivor Porter
Ivor F. Porter CMG, OBE is a former British Ambassador and author.-Education:Porter was brought up in the Lake District and educated at Barrow-in-Furness Grammar School and Leeds University.-Special Operations Executive:...
's book Operation Autonomous: With SOE In Wartime Romania was published by Chatto and Windus. The translation of this book in Romanian was published by Humanitas in 1991.