Jean Savy
Encyclopedia
Jean Savy was a French citizen and a commander
in the French army
. He was a good friend of Lisé de Baissac
("ARTIST") and through her, France Antelme
("BRICKLAYER"). He was recruited by the SOE and interviewed by Colonel Buckmaster
. His name was changed to Jean Millet.
officers after D-Day
.
Savy worked undercover as a solicitor
in Paris
and rented an office from a Monsieur Gieules (aka "Marcellin"). The Gestapo
was aware of this. One night in a brave act of courage, Mr. Gieules raced from his office to the Métro
station where Jean Savy was about to descend and informed him that the Gestapo was waiting for him.
On the 19/20 July 1943 Savy and Antelme, both now hunted, were expatriated from France by Lysander
operation near Tour. Meanwhile Monsieur Gieules had been arrested and deported to DORA, a concentration camp.
, France Antelme
and Lionel Lee in February 1944, Jean Savy volunteered to return to France. On 2 March 1944 he arrived near Châteauroux
and was received by 'Greyhound'. Savy was accompanied by Jacqueline Nearne
's sister Eileen Nearne
(ROSE) as his wireless operator. Savy was on a particularly dangerous mission. He was to form a large and wide spread organisation, the establishment and arrangement for the reception and utilisation of uniformed teams to be sent into France by parachute on and after D-Day.
Jean Savy was a prominent figure in French legal circles and very well known, in addition he suffered from a badly disfigured arm, which rendered him conspicuous. In spite of this and with the knowledge that he was posted as wanted by the Gestapo, he displayed a complete disregard of personal danger and traveled extensively in order to visit a large number of contacts and leaders-themselves marked men-in order to make sure of the sound foundation of his plans.
Antelme's arrest disrupted his plans for pursuing supply and financial contacts; seeking to make himself useful, he stumbled accidentally on a piece of intelligence so important that he left Paris, Miss Nearne and a second operator Jean Gernard Maury (Arnaud) and returned to England
. (The two operators attached themselves to 'Spiritualist'). Savy's information was about a large secret ammunition dump in stone quarries at Saint Leu d'Esserent. He had discovered precise details of its site and, more important of its content: 2000 V1 rockets, ready to fire.
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in the French army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
. He was a good friend of Lisé de Baissac
Lisé de Baissac
Lise Marie Jeanette de Baissac was born in Mauritius of French descent and British nationality. She was a heroine of the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War, a special agent who risked her life running her own operations, but was denied a gallantry award after the war.-Escape...
("ARTIST") and through her, France Antelme
France Antelme
Major Joseph Antoine France Antelme OBE was one of 14 Franco-Mauritians who served in the Special Operations Executive , a World War II British secret service that sent spies, saboteurs and guerrilla fighters into enemy-occupied territory.After spying in Vichy-held Madagascar ahead of the allied...
("BRICKLAYER"). He was recruited by the SOE and interviewed by Colonel Buckmaster
Maurice Buckmaster
Colonel Maurice James Buckmaster OBE was the leader of the French section of Special Operations Executive and was awarded the Croix de Guerre. He was a corporate manager with the French branch of the Ford Motor Company, in the postwar years serving in Dagenham...
. His name was changed to Jean Millet.
The Wizard Network
The main brief by the SOE was to form an organisation for the furnishing of safe houses for the reception of teams of BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
officers after D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
.
Savy worked undercover as a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and rented an office from a Monsieur Gieules (aka "Marcellin"). The Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
was aware of this. One night in a brave act of courage, Mr. Gieules raced from his office to the Métro
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
station where Jean Savy was about to descend and informed him that the Gestapo was waiting for him.
On the 19/20 July 1943 Savy and Antelme, both now hunted, were expatriated from France by Lysander
Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War...
operation near Tour. Meanwhile Monsieur Gieules had been arrested and deported to DORA, a concentration camp.
Operation Mitchel
After the arrests of Madeleine DamermentMadeleine Damerment
Madeleine Zoe Damerment was a World War II spy.-Biography:...
, France Antelme
France Antelme
Major Joseph Antoine France Antelme OBE was one of 14 Franco-Mauritians who served in the Special Operations Executive , a World War II British secret service that sent spies, saboteurs and guerrilla fighters into enemy-occupied territory.After spying in Vichy-held Madagascar ahead of the allied...
and Lionel Lee in February 1944, Jean Savy volunteered to return to France. On 2 March 1944 he arrived near Châteauroux
Châteauroux
Châteauroux is the capital of the Indre department in central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called Castelroussines or Castelroussins....
and was received by 'Greyhound'. Savy was accompanied by Jacqueline Nearne
Jacqueline Nearne
Jacqueline Nearne MBE was a secret agent for the British Special Operations Executive in Nazi-occupied France during World War II.-Biography:...
's sister Eileen Nearne
Eileen Nearne
Eileen Mary "Didi" Nearne MBE, was a member of the UK's Special Operations Executive during World War II. She served in occupied France as a radio operator under the codename "Rose".-Early life and career:...
(ROSE) as his wireless operator. Savy was on a particularly dangerous mission. He was to form a large and wide spread organisation, the establishment and arrangement for the reception and utilisation of uniformed teams to be sent into France by parachute on and after D-Day.
Jean Savy was a prominent figure in French legal circles and very well known, in addition he suffered from a badly disfigured arm, which rendered him conspicuous. In spite of this and with the knowledge that he was posted as wanted by the Gestapo, he displayed a complete disregard of personal danger and traveled extensively in order to visit a large number of contacts and leaders-themselves marked men-in order to make sure of the sound foundation of his plans.
Antelme's arrest disrupted his plans for pursuing supply and financial contacts; seeking to make himself useful, he stumbled accidentally on a piece of intelligence so important that he left Paris, Miss Nearne and a second operator Jean Gernard Maury (Arnaud) and returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. (The two operators attached themselves to 'Spiritualist'). Savy's information was about a large secret ammunition dump in stone quarries at Saint Leu d'Esserent. He had discovered precise details of its site and, more important of its content: 2000 V1 rockets, ready to fire.
Sources
- SOE French Section
- http://perso.orange.fr/redtarget
- They Landed by Moonlight by Hugh VerityHugh VerityHugh Beresford Verity was a Royal Air Force officer of the Second World War.At the start of the war he joined a reconnaissance squadron, and in 1941 he joined the RAF's arm of the Special Operations Executive. In 1942, he took command of a section of Lysanders as No. 161 Squadron RAF...