Pierre de Vomécourt
Encyclopedia
Pierre de Crevoisier de Vomécourt (1 January 1906, Chassey-lès-Montbozon
, Haute-Saône
-1986) was, during the Second World War, a Special Operations Executive
agent, who founded and headed SOE's first Resistance
network in occupied France, the AUTOGIRO network.
Pierre was educated in England, and escaped from France to England in 1940, where he tried in vain to join the Free French Forces
as a saboteur. He then met the leaders of SOE, and was recruited into their F section for training, under the codename Lucas. On the night of 10/11 May 1941 he was parachuted onto his brother Philippe's property as one of the first agents to land in occupied France. His only reception committee was his radio operator, Georges Bégué
, who had been in position for some days. The three brothers divided up zones among themselves - while Jean chose to intervene in eastern France and Philippe in south-western France, Pierre intervened in the north and set up a network, called AUTOGIRO, based in Paris. He used up a large part of his personal fortune to fund the network's initial activity, looking for safe houses for arms caches, 'dead letterboxes', and depots for arms that would be parachuted in. A second radio operator sent to him was arrested in the meantime.
In December 1941 Pierre met Mathilde Carré
(nicknamed La Chatte, i.e. the She-Cat), who made him believe she had succeeded in escaping the German round-up of the INTERALLIÉ network (in reality, it had been her that led to most of the arrests and she was now working for the German Abwehr
) and that she had access to a radio operator who had also escaped the arrests (in reality, it was the Germans who sent INTERALLIÉ's radio messages and thus, in an operation called funkspiel
, were able to deceive London). Pierre saw the opportunity of at last establishing contact with London, and she accepted (in reality Pierre's messages were sent and received under the complete control of Feldwebel Hugo Bleicher
.
In January 1942, several anomalies made Pierre concerned. In a conversation with Mathilde, he came to recognise her double-crossing. On the night of 26/27 February that year, he and Mathilde returned to England by boat and, during their stay in London, Pierre persuaded general Brooke of the necessity of supplying the Resistance with radio operators. On 1 April he was parachuted back into France, again onto Philippe's land, and re-started his Paris activities under the new codename Sylvain, but was arrested on 25 April. In prison he was beaten by Georges Delfanne
(alias Christian Masuy), then handed over to Hugo Bleicher
of the Abwehr, less brutal but more subtle and thus more dangerous. He and several of his companions were tried together, and he succeeded in convincing the tribunal to treat them as prisoners of war and not as terrorists, thus avoiding their execution. He was imprisoned in Colditz Castle
, where he remained until being freed on 15 April 1945. After the war, he became a consultant in west Paris.
Chassey-lès-Montbozon
Chassey-lès-Montbozon is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.-References:*...
, Haute-Saône
Haute-Saône
Haute-Saône is a French department of the Franche-Comté région, named after the Saône River.- History :The department was created in the early years of the French Revolution through the application of a law dated 22 December 1789, from part of the former province of Franche-Comté...
-1986) was, during the Second World War, a 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...
agent, who founded and headed SOE's first Resistance
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...
network in occupied France, the AUTOGIRO network.
Life
His father died at the front in the first year of the First World War, when Pierre was only eight. His brothers Jean and Philippe (1907–1964) also worked for the Resistance.Pierre was educated in England, and escaped from France to England in 1940, where he tried in vain to join the Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
as a saboteur. He then met the leaders of SOE, and was recruited into their F section for training, under the codename Lucas. On the night of 10/11 May 1941 he was parachuted onto his brother Philippe's property as one of the first agents to land in occupied France. His only reception committee was his radio operator, Georges Bégué
Georges Bégué
Georges Bégué or George P. Begue was a French engineer and agent in the Special Operations Executive.-Early life:...
, who had been in position for some days. The three brothers divided up zones among themselves - while Jean chose to intervene in eastern France and Philippe in south-western France, Pierre intervened in the north and set up a network, called AUTOGIRO, based in Paris. He used up a large part of his personal fortune to fund the network's initial activity, looking for safe houses for arms caches, 'dead letterboxes', and depots for arms that would be parachuted in. A second radio operator sent to him was arrested in the meantime.
In December 1941 Pierre met Mathilde Carré
Mathilde Carré
Mathilde Carré , known as "La Chatte", was a French Resistance agent during World War II who turned double agent....
(nicknamed La Chatte, i.e. the She-Cat), who made him believe she had succeeded in escaping the German round-up of the INTERALLIÉ network (in reality, it had been her that led to most of the arrests and she was now working for the German Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
) and that she had access to a radio operator who had also escaped the arrests (in reality, it was the Germans who sent INTERALLIÉ's radio messages and thus, in an operation called funkspiel
Funkspiel
Funkspiel was the name given to a counter-espionage operation carried out by German counter-intelligence during the Second World War. It consisted of using captured and "turned" clandestine radio operators in France to send false messages back to the enemy , and allowed the German services to...
, were able to deceive London). Pierre saw the opportunity of at last establishing contact with London, and she accepted (in reality Pierre's messages were sent and received under the complete control of Feldwebel Hugo Bleicher
Hugo Bleicher
Hugo Ernst Bleicher was a German senior non-commissioned officer of the Abwehr who worked against French Resistance in German-occupied France....
.
In January 1942, several anomalies made Pierre concerned. In a conversation with Mathilde, he came to recognise her double-crossing. On the night of 26/27 February that year, he and Mathilde returned to England by boat and, during their stay in London, Pierre persuaded general Brooke of the necessity of supplying the Resistance with radio operators. On 1 April he was parachuted back into France, again onto Philippe's land, and re-started his Paris activities under the new codename Sylvain, but was arrested on 25 April. In prison he was beaten by Georges Delfanne
Georges Delfanne
Georges Delfanne, called Christian Masuy was a Belgian collaborator and spy during the German occupation in World War II .- Life :...
(alias Christian Masuy), then handed over to Hugo Bleicher
Hugo Bleicher
Hugo Ernst Bleicher was a German senior non-commissioned officer of the Abwehr who worked against French Resistance in German-occupied France....
of the Abwehr, less brutal but more subtle and thus more dangerous. He and several of his companions were tried together, and he succeeded in convincing the tribunal to treat them as prisoners of war and not as terrorists, thus avoiding their execution. He was imprisoned in Colditz Castle
Colditz Castle
Colditz Castle is a Renaissance castle in the town of Colditz near Leipzig, Dresden, and Chemnitz in the state of Saxony in Germany. Used as a workhouse for the indigent and a mental institution for over 100 years, it gained international fame as a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II for...
, where he remained until being freed on 15 April 1945. After the war, he became a consultant in west Paris.
Sources
- Michael Richard Daniell Foot, SOE in France. An account of the Work of the British Special Operations Executive in France, 1940-1944, London, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1966, 1968 ; Whitehall History Publishing, in association with Frank Cass, 2004. Benjamin Cowburn, Sans cape ni épée, Gallimard, 1958.