Thread by @Vanguard_WW2

The Great (SOE) Escape 🇫🇷 🇬🇧 🇺🇸

In the early hours of 16 July 1942, eleven French and British SOE agents, held in a French prison camp at Mauzac in the Dordogne, make a successful break for freedom. 1/8

A wave of arrests in October 1941 in the non-occupied zone saw many SOE agents fall into the hands of the Vichy police. Among them was Georges Bégué, the first SOE F Section agent to be parachuted into France in May 1941. 2/8

After spells in prisons in Marseille, Limoges and Périgueux, the SOE agents were transferred to Mauzac in March 42. Gaby Pierre-Bloch, whose husband Jean was at Mauzac, and Virginia Hall, an American working for the SOE, tried to hatch plans for an escape, but had thus far failed. 3/8

The escape plan was eventually put together by Lazare Rachline.
Gaby Bloch, using funds provided by Virginia Hall, made regular visits to the camp to see her husband. Staying at the local hotel, she recruited help in the form of camp guard Jose Sevilla who in turn recruited others. 4/8

Georges Bégué had made a key to the hut and at 3 am on 16 July, the eleven agents slipped out of the camp and through the wire, meeting up with Rachline and two other helpers at a pre-arranged pick up point. They then drove off in a Citroën van along with the guard, Sevilla. 5/8

After a few weeks in a forest safe house, the 11 SOE agents were exfiltrated. A first group went to Spain via Lyon - these being Georges Bégué, Jack Hayes, Clément Jumeau (photo), Jean Le Harivel, Jean Pierre-Bloch and Raymond Roche. 6/8

The second group consisted of Jean Bouguennec, George Langelaan, Philippe Liewer (photo 1 - later Violette Szabo's team leader, Robert Lyon, Michael Trotobas (photo 2) and Sevilla. 7/8

The following would return to France - Jean Bouguennec (BUTLER circuit), Jack Hayes (HELMSMAN), Clément Jumeau (REPORTER), Philippe Liewer (SALESMAN), Robert Lyon (ACOLYTE circuit) and Michael Trotobas ( FARMER).
Bouguennec, Jumeau and Trotobas would die on active service. 8/8