Jean Henri Coleman was a wartime member 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...

.

Jean Henri Coleman was born in Neuilly sur Seine, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 the son of John Henry Coleman, an English banker, and Eugenie Eulalie Rime, originating from Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

.
He married Deirdre Brownlow in 1943.

Wartime exploits

After the outbreak of the Second World War, Coleman (RNVR) joined 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...

 as a lieutenant with a codename "Victor". In September 1943 he was parachuted to France and joined the SOE F Section networks#Acolyte around Lyon

Lyon

Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....

s. He ran the circuit after Robert Lyon

Robert Lyon

Robert Lyon may refer to:* Robert Menli Lyon , early settler in Western Australia*Robert Lyon , Canadian politician in Ontario* Robert Adam Lyon , Canadian businessman and politician...

 had been arrested in May 1944, until his escape and return in June.

He was awarded the 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...

 the Médaille de la Résistance

Médaille de la Résistance

The French Médaille de la Résistance was awarded by General Charles de Gaulle "to recognise the remarkable acts of faith and of courage that, in France, in the empire and abroad, have contributed to the resistance of the French people against the enemy and against its accomplices since June 18,...

 and the Croix de Guerre avec Palmes

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...

.

Vera Atkins

Vera Atkins

Vera Atkins, CBE was a British Intelligence Officer during World War II.-Early life:...

"The first thing to say about Jean is that he had in full measure that all too rare quality, charm. This is what secured for him, within hours of meeting her, the delightful Deirdre Brownlow, daughter of General Brownlow. They met at a dinner at Claridge's, became engaged before dawn and were married by Special Licence the following day. It was a marriage stormy at times but never dull, which produced three lovely daughters and during the years of his sad decline Deirdre supported, nursed and protected him from the outside world. Only his utter devotion to "Darling" (his name for her) can perhaps explain the source from which she drew her strength.

After several unsuccessful attempts, Jean was dropped on 15 September 1943 to a circuit organised by Robert Lyon based on the town of the same name with a branch in the Roanne area to which Jean was attached. For over a year he was in charge of parachute and sabotage operations of which the following are mentioned in his Citation for the Croix de Guerre avec Palme: "Attack on the bridge at Régny on the Roanne/Lyon line, derailment of troop train between Roanne and St. Germain des Fossés, attack on train between Roanne and St. Etienne and destruction of the Pont de Changy. He took part in a number of guerilla actions, notably dispersing a German convoy near Mérigny on 22 August 1944. The Citation praises not only his courage but also his tact which gained for him the friendship as well as the admiration of his French comrades.
Unfortunately, towards the end of Jean's life, business worries and disappointments led to a nervous breakdown but until the end he managed to retain much of his courage, humour and undeniable charm."