668:â he was trained how to make fake and miniature photos, force locks, and to use plastic explosive. Then he was put to the test by sending him across England in civilian clothing and without papers, with the mission to break into an aerodrome and capture plans. He succeeded, and on his return was appointed organizer of a network, while the commander of the aerodrome where he was able to enter fraudulently lost his post and was the subject of a disciplinary procedure. At the time of his departure, we meet him at the bar of the Dorchester Hotel. He settles there at the appointed time in a room full of consumers. A stranger approached his table and said aloud to him, sitting down at his side: "Basin, you are German. You hide badly since the police have spotted you." Basin noted with astonishment that no one has noticed this arrest. Then the newcomer leans to his ear and whispers a few words. At once all the heads turn towards them: "You see," said his interlocutor, "the whispers are more dangerous than the normal conversations. Remember this lesson, and good luck.
27:
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252:. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in countries occupied by the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany. SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England.
371:. Baron Henri Ravel of Malval "Antoine", whom he knew at the beginning of the war and whom he met by chance in Cannes, put his house at his disposal. There, Basin received SOE agents landed on the CĂŽte d'Azur. It formed 31 cells covering several departments:
533:. Basin remained in London until the end of the war, firstly as an instructor at the Beaulieu Special Training School, then at the headquarters of Section F in London. Finally, he was reinstated in the French services (BCRA), staff FFI on 19 September 1944.
292:. Bodington offered him special training to go to France on a dangerous mission. "Think about it," he advised. "You will give me your answer tomorrow." Basin replied: "I prefer to say âyesâ straight away. If I think, I will deflate."
443:
On 18 August 1942 Basin was arrested in Cannes by the
Security Service, having been given away by a Swiss diplomatic courier, Jean Cogniat, who was arrested at the Swiss border in possession of secret reports of Basin.
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280:. Incorporated as a private soldier with thirty other Frenchmen, he undertook all the classes without thinking of becoming a secret agent. He attended the Liaison Officer course at Wanborough Manor (
474:
with false provisional liberty papers. The
Germans, who had invaded the free zone, were searching for him. He was weak and in need of medical care, but had to disappear quickly. With the help of
423:"Julien", the radio operator assigned to him. Impressed by the possibilities of contact with London that Basin could assure, André Girard agreed to send one of his officers to England, and chose
233:
345:. The investigating judge recognised his good faith and released him on 5 October 1941. Then for more than ten months until his arrest in August 1942 he developed the URCHIN network.
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and placed him in a safe house in
Auvergne. He then went to NĂźmes where a plane came to fetch him, but he broke his leg in an accident on the ground.
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He was in contact with London, first by reports sent by the Swiss diplomatic bag, then also by radio from 20 April 1942 after the arrival of
781:
Testimony of
Francis Basin collected by Miss Patrimonio on 18 March 1947, National Archives (CARAN, Paris), dimension 72 AJ 39 / I, room 6.
48:
797:, Lt. Col. EG Boxshall, 1960, typed document (copy from the Pearl Witherington-Pearlioley Library), available at Valençay. See sheet 17,
812:
413:
770:
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70:
805:
Le réseau carte : Histoire d'un réseau de la Résistance antiallemand, antigaulliste, anticommuniste et anticollaborationniste,
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under the name of SPINDLE. Churchill planned to rescue Basin but this attempt was called off, apparently at Basin's request.
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He testified about his wartime experiences on 18 March 1947 with Miss
Patrimonio, and on 3 November 1971 with
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On 4 September 1942 there was a failed attempt by the MAP network to rescue Basin in a train taking him to
352:, whose house in Antibes became a reception centre for many agents in transit. LĂ©vy put him in touch with
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327:
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SOE in France an account of the work of the
British Special Operations Executive in France. 1940â1944
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arrived by submarine to evaluate his network, provide him with Fr.400,000 and revised guidelines.
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was interned for three months in Spain, and the report arrived in London only on 12 August 1942.
431:"Frédéric" for London, Basin sent a report on his relations with the MAP network. Unfortunately,
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He established contact with the leaders of resistance movements and supported them financially:
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The day after his arrival, Basin was arrested by the police at his hotel in Cannes and held in
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He was one of the first recruits of the SOE. On 14 July 1941, he was promoted to
Lieutenant.
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in
Operation AUTOGYRO and on the night of 19/20 September 1941 landed by submarine at
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Chronology of SOE operations with the resistance in France during World War II
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284:) and took the exam on 27 December 1940. He was then visited by the commander
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on the advice of
Colonel Massip to whom he was secretary and who was close to
681:
Set Europe Ablaze: The Story of
Special Operations in Western Europe, 1940â45
342:
319:
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94:
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returned to the south of France to take over the URCHIN network in the
264:, the son of Antoine Basin, a railway employee, and Ălise nĂ©e Vernin.
364:
261:
114:
394:"Marie", based in Lyon. Together, they prepared reports for London.
131:
763:
We Landed by Moonlight: Secret RAF Landings in France, 1940â1944,
427:, his second in command. Taking advantage of the departure of
20:
310:
On 28 August 1941, he sailed from England to Gibraltar in
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Secret History of the French in London from 1940 to 1944
866:
Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939â1945 (France)
387:, of which seven cells were assigned to propaganda.
489:On 20 August 1943 he was flown back to London in a
260:François Marcel Basin was born on 6 August 1903 in
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390:He was in regular contact with American SOE agent
691:
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725:. Michael Foot, Whitehall History Pub., 2004.
819:The spy: Virginia Hall, an American in the war
576:(1946), Officer of the LĂ©gion d'honneur(1951).
307:, working under the nom de guerre of "Olive".
683:, E. H. Cookridge, 'Thomas Y. Crowell (1967)
8:
470:On 29 November 1942 Basin was released from
753:Peter Churchill, Hodder and Stoughton, 1953
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218:Office of the Order of the Legion of Honour
856:Members of the Order of the British Empire
93:
82:
303:He was head of the URCHIN network on the
71:Learn how and when to remove this message
603:
408:(FREEDOM, which became COMBAT), General
34:This article includes a list of general
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851:Special Operations Executive personnel
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548:He died in Paris on 20 October 1975.
7:
821:. Vincent Nouzille, Fayard, Paris.
447:On the night of 27/ 28 August 1942
363:He established his headquarters in
272:In August 1940, he enlisted in the
886:Recipients of the Resistance Medal
40:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
288:, director of Section F prior to
881:Officers of the Legion of Honour
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591:
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493:in Operation DYER, organized by
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414:Emmanuel d'Astier de la Vigerie
557:United Kingdom: Member of the
1:
214:Knight of the Legion of Honor
246:Special Operations Executive
178:Special Operations Executive
629:Order of the British Empire
559:Order of the British Empire
200:Order of the British Empire
902:
666:'Training Francis Basin'
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570:MĂ©daille de la RĂ©sistance
566:Croix de Guerre 1939â1945
204:Croix de guerre 1939â1945
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832:The uncertain adventure
501:"Paul" from section DF;
497:. Accompanying him were
416:"Bernard" (LIBERATION).
236:(1903â1975), code named
529:, Raymonde Mennessier,
412:(LIBERATION NATIONAL),
55:more precise citations.
807:Perrin, 2008, 398 p. (
503:Marie-ThĂ©rĂšse Le ChĂȘne
478:(VIC escape network),
240:, was an agent of the
348:He made contact with
248:in France during the
158:Years of service
765:Hugh Verity, 2004.
531:Jean-Louis de Ganay
397:On 15 January 1942
16:French secret agent
861:People from Grasse
799:DONKEYMAN CIRCUIT
339:Fort Saint-Nicolas
290:Maurice Buckmaster
268:Wartime activities
827:978-2-213-62827-1
731:978-0-714-65528-4
656:, Hachette, 1973.
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299:Mission in France
286:Nicolas Bodington
278:General de Gaulle
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373:Bouches-du-RhĂŽne
332:Georges Duboudin
330:"François", and
250:Second World War
209:Resistance Medal
189:Second World War
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495:Henri DĂ©ricourt
476:Lazare Rachline
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449:Peter Churchill
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410:de La Laurencie
399:Peter Churchill
385:Alpes-Maritimes
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369:Villa Isabelle
356:, head of the
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654:André Gillois
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750:Duel of Wits
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611:(Chevalier)
580:
547:
540:
515:Octave Simon
509:"Alphonse",
488:
482:took him to
469:
457:
446:
442:
425:Henri Frager
418:
406:Henri Frenay
403:
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389:
381:Basses-Alpes
368:
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354:André Girard
347:
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324:Robert Leroy
312:HMS Fidelity
311:
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274:British army
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224:
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185:Battles/wars
152:British Army
127:(1975-10-20)
67:
61:October 2018
58:
39:
18:
876:1975 deaths
871:1903 births
513:"Nicolas",
507:Tony Brooks
499:Peter Deman
316:Le BarcarĂšs
305:CĂŽte d'Azur
180:, Section F
53:introducing
845:Categories
710:, p. | 923
637:References
622:RĂ©sistance
433:Max Hymans
429:Max Hymans
256:Early life
169:Lieutenant
138:Allegiance
108:1903-08-06
36:references
484:Mont-Dore
462:in Lyon.
367:, in the
350:Ălie LĂ©vy
343:Marseille
334:"Alain".
326:"Louis",
320:Perpignan
282:Guildford
161:1940â1945
702:, 1978.
564:France:
537:Post-war
146:Service/
117:, France
466:Release
49:improve
825:
811:
769:
729:
706:
698:, Sir
561:(MBE),
552:Awards
491:Hudson
439:Arrest
365:Cannes
262:Grasse
195:Awards
148:branch
141:France
115:Grasse
38:, but
322:with
318:near
238:Olive
132:Paris
823:ISBN
809:ISBN
767:ISBN
727:ISBN
704:ISBN
453:Midi
231:CdeG
174:Unit
166:Rank
122:Died
102:Born
377:Var
341:of
234:MBE
228:LdH
847::
737:^
715:^
688:^
673:^
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59:(
45:.
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