91:
581:, Stirling took 50 French soldiers out of 2 SAS to form the 2 SAS, French 2nd Squadron under Couraud, under his new title of Captain Lee. The squadron consisted of Couraud as captain and commander, three British lieutenants, two French officers (Lieutenant Robert Sablet, Raillard and Aspiring), and French soldiers, with a large proportion of former Legionnaires. In May 1943, taking advantage of the
349:, who had come to France on a personal mission to help members of Europe's intellectual and artistic community escape the Nazi threat. The three became the core of a volunteer group who sheltered artistic refugees, and through Couraud organized their escape through the mountains to Spain, or smuggling them aboard freighters sailing to North Africa, or ports in North or South America.
71:
641:
approved the plan post D-Day, even though they still didn't know where Rommel's base was. In a bizarre coincidence, on 9 June SAS Lieutenant
General was heading for a meeting with a French Resistance unit. Resting in a barn, he was approached by a man who lived in
505:
Because of repeated indiscretions and security breaches throughout the year 1942, Raymond
Couraud was dismissed from the S.O.Es in January 1943 but recommended for transfer to a commando unit. He then joined the 62nd Commando under the command of Colonel
637:'s headquarters in France. Part of the brief looked at creating a timetable for Rommel, to assess how easy it would be to kill him. Much as though he had been against the plan pre-D-Day, with manpower losses escalating Field Marshal
333:
On release, Couraud joined the new French economy by becoming a gangster, arranging importation, trading, distribution and export of illegal goods and people. It was through this activity that he was introduced to
American socialite
964:
954:
352:
Through the organisation, Couraud and Gold started a relationship. Gold helped subsidize the organisation, which is credited with the rescue of over 2,000 refugees, among whom were: sculptor
715:
Returning to
England in September 1944, with the liberation of France, Couraud left the British Army in December 1944. He returned to France to become part of the French Army General Staff.
929:
447:
In
January to February 1942, Couraud continued his SOE training with a combination of formal courses, including parachuting; to night training on British Southcoast beaches, and
657:. Arriving on 18 July, the team radioed in, but found that Rommel had been severely injured the previous day after his staff car had been over turned in an attack by RAF
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934:
404:
130:
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Name changes were not uncommon during the war, as various people and particularly criminals tried to hide their past while fighting what they saw as a true fight.
924:
299:
Expressed to be a volunteer to dislodge two enemies from a cliff that impeded the attack of the unit. A single close grenade killed one and injured the other
959:
949:
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On learning of the location of Rommel's HQ, Couraud and his unit were moved to a flat in London, to wait for a storm to pass and be parachuted into
387:. Meanwhile, due to criminal activity and associated smuggling of people, he was sentenced by a military court in Marseille to 10 years in prison.
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via the advancing front. After further raids and operations on the
Italian mainland, in April 1944 the unit withdrew for recuperation in
596:, French 2nd Squadron undertook initial reconnaissance. After the landings, they destroyed a large Wehrmacht convoy in the area of
493:, he felt obliged to kill three Vichy policemen. Escaping through the Pyrenees, he made his way to Barcelona, and then onwards to
311:. After the unit was decimated in action, while trying to reach England, Couraud was captured and imprisoned in August 1940 at
672:
lines on foot, while ambushing trains and attacking German units along their route. After an attack on the German
Command at
205:
287:
After training, on 3 March 1940, he was assigned to the 5th
Company of the 13th Brigade. With this unit he took part in the
848:
429:, which covered all of France. After specialist training, in December 1941, Couraud was commissioned as second-Lieutenant
622:
After
Couraud returned to the UK, he was commanded to set up a specialist six-man assassination unit in preparation for
426:
134:
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384:
284:, Belgium. This would have made him 22 and old enough to join, whereas he was actually just over 18 and too young.
919:
523:
475:
248:, who through his World War II military exploits became a highly decorated member of the French-section of the
507:
200:
303:
Returning to France, Courard found a France in turmoil, in July 1940 he joined retreating French Forces in
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527:
380:
519:
530:, over the following 14 months the group undertook various raids into occupied Europe and North Africa:
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any base on the
Atlantic Ocean. Couraud escaped, but was wounded in both legs. He recovered in
338:, who had chosen to relocate from Paris to the new Vichy controlled area, over returning home.
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Couraud and his team orders regarding Rommel were aborted, and they moved toward advancing
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408:(English: Central Bureau of Intelligence and Operations; commonly referred as just BCRA)
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While Gold remained in Marseille until Autumn 1941, in April 1941 Couraud crossed the
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365:
361:
729:, Couraud is referred to as "Killer", due to his murdering of the English language.
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646:, asking for assurances that as Rommel's headquarters was in the village, that the
634:
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315:. Acquitted before a military tribunal in December 1940, he was released by the
265:
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85:
49:
781:
676:, Couraud disguised as a policeman made his way through the judicial police of
485:
Couraud returned to operations with SOE in August 1942, with a beach raid near
759:
701:
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346:
268:, Charente-Maritime, France. Little is known of his early life, or education.
195:
633:
From March 1943, British Intelligence had been trying to find Field Marshal
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On 28 March, Couraud became the only French national to participate in the
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with palm, for dislodging two enemy soldiers with a grenade attack:
849:"August 1944: SAS commandos established his headquarters at Beynes"
696:
After Operation Gaff, Couraud was assigned as second in command of
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411:
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under his real name, but with a birth date of 12 January 1916 in
395:
On arrival in England on 12 October 1941, Couraud joined the
965:
Members of the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action
630:, which would target high-ranking Nazi Wehrmacht staff.
375:
with the aim of reporting to the British Consulate in
244:, Charente-Maritime – 1977), was a French soldier and
600:, and then harassed German units as they withdrew to
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Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)
218:
170:
144:
118:
108:
100:
79:
64:
56:
36:
28:
21:
712:, where they built an SAS field operations base.
704:. Split into two teams starting from Orléans and
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930:Free French military personnel of World War II
544:, with 21 aircraft destroyed on the ground at
788:(in French). Bibliothèque nationale de France
341:In Marseilles, Gold met American art student
8:
405:Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action
131:Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action
585:of 1940, Couraud took British citizenship.
510:, the elder brother of SAS founder Colonel
18:
754:
752:
750:
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489:. In November 1942, in an operation near
410:, the World War II era forerunner of the
945:French expatriates in the United Kingdom
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829:
345:, and American journalist and intellect
738:
577:In March 1943, after a meeting General
935:British Army personnel of World War II
851:. histoiredebeynes.com. Archived from
451:raids on northern French beaches from
925:Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion
399:. He was immediately assigned to the
383:, he was interned for four months in
276:On 19 March 1938, Couraud joined the
7:
723:In Mary Jayne Gold's autobiography,
264:Couraud was born 12 January 1920 at
497:, Portugal for return to England.
14:
960:Recipients of the Military Cross
950:British people of French descent
526:. Based at the regimental HQ in
421:Couraud was assigned to Colonel
89:
69:
836:Daring missions of World War II
1:
915:People from Charente-Maritime
810:. ifrance.com. Archived from
782:"Raymond Couraud (1920–1977)"
762:. Histoire de Beynes (French)
391:SOE: Jack William Raymond Lee
323:Marseille and Mary Jayne Gold
940:Special Air Service officers
427:Special Operations Executive
135:Special Operations Executive
211:War Medal 1939–45 with Star
52:, Charente-Maritime, France
16:French soldier and gangster
981:
615:
565:operation on airfields in
550:Sea born operation on the
440:
326:
524:Small Scale Raiding Force
514:. Assigned to Stirling's
482:from April to July 1942.
431:Jack William Raymond Lee.
238:Jack William Raymond Lee,
708:, the teams met up near
686:General George S. Patton
573:SAS, French 2nd Squadron
518:, the unit later became
240:born 12 January 1920 at
32:Jack William Raymond Lee
474:, intended to deny the
291:, for which he won the
201:France and Germany Star
875:"Crossroads Marseille"
808:"Captain Lee (French)"
592:the Allied assault on
588:In September 1943, in
556:Sea born operation on
528:Philippeville, Algeria
381:Madrid railway station
301:
650:would not bomb them.
540:Airports in southern
364:; Nobel Prize winner
278:French Foreign Legion
272:French Foreign Legion
123:French Foreign Legion
101:Years of service
838:by William B. Breuer
726:Crossroads Marseille
416:intelligence service
590:Operation Slapstick
520:2nd regiment of SAS
254:Special Air Service
181:Norwegian War Medal
177:with palm, 1939–45
161:Operation Slapstick
139:Special Air Service
855:on 7 February 2009
661:, and replaced by
639:Bernard Montgomery
628:Invasion of Europe
425:'s section of the
423:Maurice Buckmaster
397:Free French Forces
313:Fort Saint Nicolas
95:Free French Forces
682:American 3rd Army
680:, and joined the
663:GĂĽnther von Kluge
480:Falmouth Hospital
468:British Commandos
289:Battles of Narvik
231:
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149:Battles of Narvik
127:French Resistance
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920:French gangsters
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692:Post August 1944
501:2nd SAS Regiment
464:Lord Mountbatten
457:Loire-Atlantique
401:Action militaire
354:Jacques Lipchitz
343:Miriam Davenport
317:Vichy government
153:Battle of France
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19:
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877:. varianfry.org
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814:on 15 June 2007
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659:Hawker Typhoons
648:Royal Air Force
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522:, a designated
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443:St Nazaire Raid
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437:St Nazaire Raid
403:section of the
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336:Mary Jayne Gold
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329:Mary Jayne Gold
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293:Croix de Guerre
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234:Raymond Couraud
223:Mary Jayne Gold
175:Croix de Guerre
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157:St Nazaire Raid
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47:12 January 1920
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23:Raymond Couraud
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719:Later memorial
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688:on 12 August.
644:La Roche-Guyon
618:Operation Gaff
616:Main article:
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612:Operation Gaff
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574:
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570:
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552:Galite Islands
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516:No.62 Commando
512:David Stirling
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449:reconnaissance
441:Main article:
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379:. Arrested at
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760:"Captain Lee"
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508:Bill Stirling
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236:(aka Captain
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879:. Retrieved
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857:. Retrieved
853:the original
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835:
816:. Retrieved
812:the original
802:
790:. Retrieved
785:
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764:. Retrieved
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652:
635:Erwin Rommel
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358:Marc Chagall
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250:British Army
237:
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145:Battles/wars
910:1977 deaths
905:1920 births
472:St. Nazaire
191:Africa Star
86:French Army
29:Nickname(s)
899:Categories
881:7 November
859:7 November
818:7 November
766:7 November
733:References
702:Roy Farran
347:Varian Fry
196:Italy Star
65:Allegiance
43:1920-01-12
563:Submarine
558:Lampedusa
535:Ousseltia
377:Barcelona
360:; writer
356:; artist
309:Marseille
260:Biography
219:Relations
104:1938–1944
626:and the
606:Scotland
567:Sardinia
546:Metlaoui
491:Narbonne
470:raid on
453:Normandy
373:Pyrenees
266:Surgères
246:gangster
242:Surgères
80:Service/
50:Surgères
792:7 March
786:bnf.fr/
710:Langres
670:US Army
655:Orléans
594:Taranto
542:Tunisia
476:Tirpitz
414:French
385:Miranda
307:, near
226:(lover)
113:Captain
706:Rennes
700:under
674:Mantes
602:Sangro
598:Chieti
495:Lisbon
487:Cannes
305:Fuveau
171:Awards
82:branch
75:France
698:2 SAS
624:D-Day
537:front
466:-led
412:SDECE
282:Namur
883:2009
861:2009
820:2009
794:2015
768:2009
119:Unit
109:Rank
60:1977
57:Died
37:Born
684:of
455:to
252:'s
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741:^
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41:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
