Christopher Burney
Encyclopedia
Christopher Arthur Geoffrey Burney MBE
(1917–1980) was an upper-class Englishman who served in the Special Operations Executive
(SOE) during World War II
.
organized AUTOGYRO, one of the first resistance networks of Section F of the Special Operations Executive
. Among de Vomécourt's recruits were Georges Bégué
, the first SOE agent ever to be parachuted into France, who was assigned as the wireless operator; Noel Fernand Raoul Burdeyron (real name: Norman F. Burley); and Mathilde Carre
. Lack of money, weapons and personnel, along with spotty communications with London meant that AUTOGYRO accomplished little. In frustration, Burdeyron/Burley singlehandedly derailed a German supply train by pulling up a rail, AUTOGYRO's only successful attack, causing considerable German casualties.
Impressed, SOE decided to sent Burdeyron some assistance. They recruited Christopher Burney, a lieutenant
in the British Army
and a trained commando, who had lived in France and spoke idiomatic French without an accent. On May 30, 1942, under the code name "Charles", he was inserted by parachute into France along with William Grover-Williams
, on a different mission under the code name "Sebastian".
After being blind-dropped into the French countryside, Burney made his way to his rendezvous with Burdeyron. Circling the building, he spotted several suspicious men watching from various positions. He immediately concluded that his rendezvous had been blown and AUTOGYRO betrayed (it had — Mathilde Carr was in fact, a double agent). He quietly left, and never attempted any further contact with Burdeyron or de Vomécourt.
Burney then tried to create his own network, but after eleven weeks learned that the Abwehr
was passing around a circular warning bank clerks, hotel clerks and others to be on the lookout for a man named "Charles" who was asking strange questions, and offering a reward for tips on his whereabouts. The circular contained a good description of Burney who, tall and blonde, was very conspicuous in Normandy, where the average Frenchman was short and dark. Deciding he had done all he could, he planned his escape over the Pyrenees to Spain and back to England. Grover-Williams offered his help, and Burney met with him several times to organize the escape, but on the morning he was to meet Grover-Williams for the last time, Burney was surprised in his sleep by Abwehr agents who had been tipped off by a hotel clerk familiar with the circular.
The Germans locked him up, firstly in Fresnes prison
, for fifteen months of solitary confinement, then in Buchenwald concentration camp
. While at Buchenwald, Burney would meet F.F.E. Yeo-Thomas and also subsequently meet Phil Lamason
, the senior officer in charge of 168 allied airmen
and would help - at great risk - with their transfer to a POW camp.
Freed in 1945, he worked after the war for the newly-formed United Nations
, helping to commission their building in New York City. When Dutch diplomat and UN Assistant Secretary-General Adrian Pelt was posted from 1949-1951 in the Franco-British UN Trust Territory of Libya
as UN Commissioner for Libyan Independence, Burney was assigned as his assistant.
In the 1950s, banking magnate Siegmund Warburg recruited him as a manager for the British and French Bank.
was mysteriously sunk.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1917–1980) was an upper-class Englishman who served in 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) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Biography
In 1941, Pierre de VomécourtPierre de Vomécourt
Pierre de Crevoisier de Vomécourt 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....
organized AUTOGYRO, one of the first resistance networks of Section F of 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...
. Among de Vomécourt's recruits were Georges Bégué
Georges Bégué
Georges Bégué or George P. Begue was a French engineer and agent in the Special Operations Executive.-Early life:...
, the first SOE agent ever to be parachuted into France, who was assigned as the wireless operator; Noel Fernand Raoul Burdeyron (real name: Norman F. Burley); and Mathilde Carre
Mathilde Carré
Mathilde Carré , known as "La Chatte", was a French Resistance agent during World War II who turned double agent....
. Lack of money, weapons and personnel, along with spotty communications with London meant that AUTOGYRO accomplished little. In frustration, Burdeyron/Burley singlehandedly derailed a German supply train by pulling up a rail, AUTOGYRO's only successful attack, causing considerable German casualties.
Impressed, SOE decided to sent Burdeyron some assistance. They recruited Christopher Burney, a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and a trained commando, who had lived in France and spoke idiomatic French without an accent. On May 30, 1942, under the code name "Charles", he was inserted by parachute into France along with William Grover-Williams
William Grover-Williams
William Charles Frederick Grover-Williams , also known as "W Williams", was a Grand Prix motor racing driver and special agent who worked for the Special Operations Executive inside France. He organized and coordinated the Chestnut network...
, on a different mission under the code name "Sebastian".
After being blind-dropped into the French countryside, Burney made his way to his rendezvous with Burdeyron. Circling the building, he spotted several suspicious men watching from various positions. He immediately concluded that his rendezvous had been blown and AUTOGYRO betrayed (it had — Mathilde Carr was in fact, a double agent). He quietly left, and never attempted any further contact with Burdeyron or de Vomécourt.
Burney then tried to create his own network, but after eleven weeks learned that the 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...
was passing around a circular warning bank clerks, hotel clerks and others to be on the lookout for a man named "Charles" who was asking strange questions, and offering a reward for tips on his whereabouts. The circular contained a good description of Burney who, tall and blonde, was very conspicuous in Normandy, where the average Frenchman was short and dark. Deciding he had done all he could, he planned his escape over the Pyrenees to Spain and back to England. Grover-Williams offered his help, and Burney met with him several times to organize the escape, but on the morning he was to meet Grover-Williams for the last time, Burney was surprised in his sleep by Abwehr agents who had been tipped off by a hotel clerk familiar with the circular.
The Germans locked him up, firstly in Fresnes prison
Fresnes Prison
Fresnes Prison is the second largest prison in France, located in the town of Fresnes, Val-de-Marne South of Paris...
, for fifteen months of solitary confinement, then in Buchenwald concentration camp
Buchenwald concentration camp
Buchenwald concentration camp was a German Nazi concentration camp established on the Ettersberg near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937, one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps on German soil.Camp prisoners from all over Europe and Russia—Jews, non-Jewish Poles and Slovenes,...
. While at Buchenwald, Burney would meet F.F.E. Yeo-Thomas and also subsequently meet Phil Lamason
Phil Lamason
Phillip John Lamason DFC & Bar was a pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force during the Second World War, who rose to prominence as the senior officer in charge of 168 Allied airmen taken to Buchenwald concentration camp, Germany, in August 1944...
, the senior officer in charge of 168 allied airmen
KLB Club
The KLB Club was formed on 12 October 1944, and included the 168 allied airmen who were held prisoner at Buchenwald concentration camp between 20 August and 19 October 1944...
and would help - at great risk - with their transfer to a POW camp.
Freed in 1945, he worked after the war for the newly-formed United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, helping to commission their building in New York City. When Dutch diplomat and UN Assistant Secretary-General Adrian Pelt was posted from 1949-1951 in the Franco-British UN Trust Territory of Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
as UN Commissioner for Libyan Independence, Burney was assigned as his assistant.
In the 1950s, banking magnate Siegmund Warburg recruited him as a manager for the British and French Bank.
Military Trivia
Burney's younger brother Roger Burney was one of two British officers killed on February 18, 1942 when the French submarine Surcouf (N N 3)Surcouf (N N 3)
Surcouf was a French submarine ordered to be built in December 1927, launched on 18 October 1929, and commissioned in May 1934. Surcouf—named after the French privateer Robert Surcouf—was the largest submarine ever built until surpassed by the Japanese I-400s. Her short wartime career was marked...
was mysteriously sunk.