Frederick Cardozo
Encyclopedia
Lt. Col Frederick Henry Cardozo (1 December 1916 – 7 October 2011), MC
, was a British soldier and SOE
veteran. Cardozo was brought up in the Loire Valley
between 1923 and 1933; his father, Charles Cardozo, was of Portuguese stock. In 1949 he married Simone Bigot - they had two children - one of whom, Col. G Cardozo MBE, is the secretary of the veterans charity Veterans Aid
. At the time of his birth, his father was the commander of a local army garrison, having been being wounded in 1915, at the battle of Loos
.
In recognition of his work for the French resistance, Cardozo was awarded both the Legion of Honour and the Croix de Guerre
.
in Madras. Cardozo's mother, Simone, was the daughter of Henry Daniell, who ran a china and antiques business in Wigmore Street
, London; through his trade interests he had helped to organise the Wallace Collection
and the Pierpont Morgan Collection.
Whilst on exercises in Scotland, Cardozo was approached by Henry Thackwaite, a senior SOE officer, who recruited him for operations in France; as a fluent French speaker he was a natural choice for such a posting. In May 1944 his team was parachuted onto Mont Mouchet
in France to liaise with the maquis
in the Auvergne
. Relations with the maquis were not always easy and they had to cope with a series of vicious German counterattacks on Mont Mouchet and the surrounds.
Once Paris had fallen to the allies, Cardozo led a maquis operation to stop a German battalion leaving Aurillac
; his efforts in this operation lead him to be awarded the Military Cross
.
Before this he had served in India and later in Palestine with the 6th Airborne Division, where he was an instructor at École de guerre in Paris. He later served as the college commander at Sandhurst.
When the Americans left the command structure of NATO in 1966, he returned to England and became the president of the Latin Mass Society. He later moved to Morocco and began working for the Save the Children Fund. Later still, he worked for De Beers
in Sierra Leone
. When he finally retired, he moved back to his childhood home of the Loire Valley.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, was a British soldier and SOE
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...
veteran. Cardozo was brought up in the Loire Valley
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
between 1923 and 1933; his father, Charles Cardozo, was of Portuguese stock. In 1949 he married Simone Bigot - they had two children - one of whom, Col. G Cardozo MBE, is the secretary of the veterans charity Veterans Aid
Veterans Aid
Veterans Aid is a leading UK Charity offering help to ex-forces personnel who are facing homelessness.- History:...
. At the time of his birth, his father was the commander of a local army garrison, having been being wounded in 1915, at the battle of Loos
Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
.
In recognition of his work for the French resistance, Cardozo was awarded both the Legion of Honour and the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
.
Family background
Cardozo's Portuguese ancestors had become established in the London tobacco trade in the late 17th century. A century or so later his forebears, (including his father), were merchants for the East India CompanyEast India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in Madras. Cardozo's mother, Simone, was the daughter of Henry Daniell, who ran a china and antiques business in Wigmore Street
Wigmore Street
Wigmore Street is a street in the City of Westminster, in the West End of London, England. The street runs for about 600 yards parallel and to the north of Oxford Street between Portman Square to the west and Cavendish Square to the east....
, London; through his trade interests he had helped to organise the Wallace Collection
Wallace Collection
The Wallace Collection is a museum in London, with a world-famous range of fine and decorative arts from the 15th to the 19th centuries with large holdings of French 18th-century paintings, furniture, arms & armour, porcelain and Old Master paintings arranged into 25 galleries.It was established in...
and the Pierpont Morgan Collection.
World War II
Cardozo joined the British Army's Supplementary Reserve before the outbreak of war and upon receiving his call up was posted with his regiment The South Lancashire Regiment to France. He was evacuated from Dunkirk and on his return to Britain was posted to coastline duties in anticipation of the expected German invasion.Whilst on exercises in Scotland, Cardozo was approached by Henry Thackwaite, a senior SOE officer, who recruited him for operations in France; as a fluent French speaker he was a natural choice for such a posting. In May 1944 his team was parachuted onto Mont Mouchet
Mont Mouchet
Mont Mouchet is a 1,497-metre high mountain located on the border of the French départements of Cantal, Haute-Loire and Lozère. It is famous for the historical events which took place there, notably during the Second World War where it hosted a group of French resistance fighters, the Maquis du...
in France to liaise with the maquis
Maquis (World War II)
The Maquis were the predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance. Initially they were composed of men who had escaped into the mountains to avoid conscription into Vichy France's Service du travail obligatoire to provide forced labour for Germany...
in the Auvergne
Auvergne (province)
Auvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne. It is now the geographical and cultural area that corresponds to the former province....
. Relations with the maquis were not always easy and they had to cope with a series of vicious German counterattacks on Mont Mouchet and the surrounds.
Once Paris had fallen to the allies, Cardozo led a maquis operation to stop a German battalion leaving Aurillac
Aurillac
Aurillac is a commune in the Auvergne region in south-central France, capital of the Cantal department.Aurillac's inhabitants are called Aurillacois, and are also Cantaliens or Cantalous in Occitan....
; his efforts in this operation lead him to be awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
.
After WWII
Cardozo stayed in the army after the war, retiring in 1958, when he worked as a press attaché for American forces in France.Before this he had served in India and later in Palestine with the 6th Airborne Division, where he was an instructor at École de guerre in Paris. He later served as the college commander at Sandhurst.
When the Americans left the command structure of NATO in 1966, he returned to England and became the president of the Latin Mass Society. He later moved to Morocco and began working for the Save the Children Fund. Later still, he worked for De Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. When he finally retired, he moved back to his childhood home of the Loire Valley.