James Langley
Encyclopedia
James Maydon "Jimmy" Langley MBE
MC
(1916–1983) was an officer in the British Army, who served during World War II. Wounded and captured at the battle of Dunkirk
, he later returned to Britain and served in MI9
.
, and educated at Uppingham School
and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
.
While serving as a Lieutenant
with the Coldstream Guards
at Dunkirk in May 1940, Langley was wounded in the head and arm. Left behind, he was captured, and had his left arm amputated by a German Army doctor. On 10 October 1940 he escaped from a hospital in Lille
and made his way to Marseille
. Like other British prisoners in the Vichy Zone
Langley was held at Fort Saint-Jean
, though this confinement was purely nominal, as they were only required to attend roll-call once a week, but were otherwise free. While in Marseille Langley worked as a courier for the escape line run by the Scottish officer Ian Garrow
and Minister Donald Caskie
.
In February 1941 Langley was declared "unfit for further military service" by a Medical Board containing Dr. George Rodocanachi
, and was repatriated in March.
On his return to England he was recruited by Claude Dansey
into the Secret Intelligence Service
(MI6) to serve as liaison officer between MI6 and MI9
, where most of his work involved the support of escape and evasion lines in north-west Europe.
In January 1944 Langley was appointed to joint command of a new Anglo-American unit; Intelligence School 9 (Western European Area), which was attached to SHAEF
during the western campaign
of 1944-45. IS9(WEA)'s role was to organise escape and evasion, setting up reception centres, collating intelligence and organising the return of personnel to the UK. These operations extended to liberated POW's as their camps were overrun. It was also involved setting up "safe areas" behind enemy lines in which men could congregate until liberated, rather than risk breaking through the front line. The organisation was also involved in "Operation Pegasus
" at Arnhem
. Langley was demobilized in 1946 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Post-war he worked for Fisons
until 1967, then ran a bookshop in Suffolk with his wife, the former Peggy van Lier, a member of the Belgian "Comet line
", who he had married in 1944. They had four sons and a daughter.
Langley retired in 1976, and died in 1983.
for his service in France, and on 29 April 1941 was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
(MBE).
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
MC
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....
(1916–1983) was an officer in the British Army, who served during World War II. Wounded and captured at the battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
, he later returned to Britain and served in MI9
MI9
MI9, the British Military Intelligence Section 9, was a department of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence, part of the War Office...
.
Biography
Langley was born in WolverhamptonWolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, and educated at Uppingham School
Uppingham School
Uppingham School is a co-educational independent school of the English public school tradition, situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England...
and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
.
While serving as 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...
with the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
at Dunkirk in May 1940, Langley was wounded in the head and arm. Left behind, he was captured, and had his left arm amputated by a German Army doctor. On 10 October 1940 he escaped from a hospital in Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
and made his way to Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
. Like other British prisoners in the Vichy Zone
Zone libre
The zone libre was a partition of the French metropolitan territory during the Second World War, established at the Second Armistice at Compiègne on June 22, 1940. It lay to the south of the demarcation line and was administered by the French government of Marshal Philippe Pétain based in Vichy,...
Langley was held at Fort Saint-Jean
Fort Saint-Jean (Marseille)
Fort Saint-Jean is a fortification in Marseille, built in 1660 by Louis XIV at the entrance to the Old Port. Fort Saint-Nicolas was constructed at the same time on the opposite side of the harbour. Commenting on their construction, Louis XIV said, "We noticed that the inhabitants of Marseille were...
, though this confinement was purely nominal, as they were only required to attend roll-call once a week, but were otherwise free. While in Marseille Langley worked as a courier for the escape line run by the Scottish officer Ian Garrow
Ian Garrow
Captain Ian Garrow was a Scottish army officer with the Highland Light Infantry. Following the surrender of the Highland 51st Division at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux on the Normandy coast on 12 June 1940, Garrow evaded to Vichy France where he was interned....
and Minister Donald Caskie
Donald Caskie
Donald Caskie OBE OCF was a minister in the Church of Scotland, best known for his exploits in France during World War II, during which he helped an estimated 2,000 Allied sailors, soldiers and airmen to escape from occupied France...
.
In February 1941 Langley was declared "unfit for further military service" by a Medical Board containing Dr. George Rodocanachi
George Rodocanachi
George Rodocanachi was a British-born physician of Greek descent who helped Allied escapees and Jewish refugees in Vichy France.George Rodocanachi was born February 27 1875 in Liverpool, England, to a Greek family. He studied in Marseille, received his medical degree in Paris in 1903 and opened...
, and was repatriated in March.
On his return to England he was recruited by Claude Dansey
Claude Dansey
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Claude Edward Marjoribanks Dansey , also known as Colonel Z, Haywood, Uncle Claude, and codenamed Z, was the assistant chief of the Secret Intelligence Service known as ACSS, of the British intelligence agency commonly known as MI6...
into the Secret Intelligence Service
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
(MI6) to serve as liaison officer between MI6 and MI9
MI9
MI9, the British Military Intelligence Section 9, was a department of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence, part of the War Office...
, where most of his work involved the support of escape and evasion lines in north-west Europe.
In January 1944 Langley was appointed to joint command of a new Anglo-American unit; Intelligence School 9 (Western European Area), which was attached to SHAEF
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force , was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in command of SHAEF throughout its existence...
during the western campaign
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
of 1944-45. IS9(WEA)'s role was to organise escape and evasion, setting up reception centres, collating intelligence and organising the return of personnel to the UK. These operations extended to liberated POW's as their camps were overrun. It was also involved setting up "safe areas" behind enemy lines in which men could congregate until liberated, rather than risk breaking through the front line. The organisation was also involved in "Operation Pegasus
Operation Pegasus
Operation Pegasus was a military operation carried out on the Lower Rhine near the village of Renkum, close to Arnhem in the Netherlands. Overnight on the 22–23 October 1944, the Allies successfully evacuated a large group of men trapped in German occupied territory who had been in hiding since...
" at Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
. Langley was demobilized in 1946 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Post-war he worked for Fisons
Fisons
Fisons plc was a leading British pharmaceutical, scientific instrument and horticultural chemical manufacturer. The Company was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but it was acquired by Rhone-Poulenc in 1995....
until 1967, then ran a bookshop in Suffolk with his wife, the former Peggy van Lier, a member of the Belgian "Comet line
Comet line
The Comet line was a World War II resistance group in Belgium/France which helped Allied soldiers and airmen return to Britain. The line started in Brussels, where the men were fed, clothed and given false identity papers before being hidden in attics and cellars of houses...
", who he had married in 1944. They had four sons and a daughter.
Langley retired in 1976, and died in 1983.
Awards
On 20 December 1940 Langley was awarded the Military CrossMilitary 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....
for his service in France, and on 29 April 1941 was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
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...
(MBE).
Publications
- Fight Another Day, Collins, 1974 ISBN 978-0002112413
- MI9 : Escape and Evasion 1939-1945 (with M. R. D. Foot), The Bodley HeadThe Bodley HeadThe Bodley Head is an English publishing house, founded in 1887 and existing as an independent entity until the 1970s. The name has been used as an imprint of Random House Children's Books since 1987...
, 1979 ISBN 978-0316288408