Maurice Buckmaster
Encyclopedia
Colonel Maurice James Buckmaster OBE (11 January 1902 - 17 April 1992,
Forest Row, Sussex) 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. He wrote two memoirs about his service with the Resistance
during World War II
.
. He was educated at Eton College
, but his studies ended when his father went bankrupt. He left school and first became a reporter for the French paper Le Matin
. Later he became a banker and eventually a senior manager with the French branch of the United States (US) Ford Motor Company
.
started, Buckmaster returned to Great Britain. He joined the British Expeditionary Force
and fought in France until the retreat to Dunkirk. Following this he was an IO with 50 Division, which he decided to leave after the division was scheduled to move to the Middle East. Following a meeting with Gerald Templar he was recruited into SOE or MO1(SP) as it was titled by the War Office.
On 17 March 1941, Buckmaster was appointed the Information Officer of the French section of the Special Operations Executive
(SOE), and following an attachment to the Belgian Section from July 1941, in September he was made head of F Section. His job was to form an organization to supply and train French Resistance
members in occupied France
and to gather intelligence. He was directly involved in the agent training and worked with the (communist) FTP. He had a habit of giving his agents personal gifts before they departed for their missions. For his service, France awarded him the Croix de Guerre
, the Americans the Officer of the Legion of Merit
and the British the OBE.
After the war, Buckmaster rejoined the Ford Motor Company, serving in Dagenham as Director of Public Affairs. Just after WWII in 1946 and 1947 he wrote a series of eight articles on F Section for the now defunct Chambers Magazine, entitled They Came By Parachute. He wrote two memoirs, Special Employed (1952) and They Fought Alone (1958), and was interviewed for the 1969 documentary The Sorrow and the Pity
.
Forest Row, Sussex) was the leader of the French section of 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...
and was awarded 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...
. He was a corporate manager with the French branch of the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, in the postwar years serving in Dagenham. He wrote two memoirs about his service with the Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
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...
.
Early life and career
Maurice Buckmaster was born on 11 January 1902 at Ravenhill, Brereton, Staffordshire, EnglandEngland
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...
. He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, but his studies ended when his father went bankrupt. He left school and first became a reporter for the French paper Le Matin
Le Matin (France)
Le Matin was a French daily newspaper created in 1883 and discontinued in 1944.Le Matin was launched on the initiative of Chamberlain & Co, a group of American financiers, in 1883, on the model of the British daily The Morning News. The direction of the project was entrusted to the French...
. Later he became a banker and eventually a senior manager with the French branch of the United States (US) Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
.
World War II
When World War IIWorld 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...
started, Buckmaster returned to Great Britain. He joined the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
and fought in France until the retreat to Dunkirk. Following this he was an IO with 50 Division, which he decided to leave after the division was scheduled to move to the Middle East. Following a meeting with Gerald Templar he was recruited into SOE or MO1(SP) as it was titled by the War Office.
On 17 March 1941, Buckmaster was appointed the Information Officer of the French section 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...
(SOE), and following an attachment to the Belgian Section from July 1941, in September he was made head of F Section. His job was to form an organization to supply and train French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
members in occupied 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...
and to gather intelligence. He was directly involved in the agent training and worked with the (communist) FTP. He had a habit of giving his agents personal gifts before they departed for their missions. For his service, France awarded him 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...
, the Americans the Officer of the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
and the British the OBE.
After the war, Buckmaster rejoined the Ford Motor Company, serving in Dagenham as Director of Public Affairs. Just after WWII in 1946 and 1947 he wrote a series of eight articles on F Section for the now defunct Chambers Magazine, entitled They Came By Parachute. He wrote two memoirs, Special Employed (1952) and They Fought Alone (1958), and was interviewed for the 1969 documentary The Sorrow and the Pity
The Sorrow and the Pity
The Sorrow and the Pity is a two-part 1969 documentary film by Marcel Ophüls about the French Resistance and collaboration between the Vichy government and Nazi Germany during World War II. The film uses interviews with a German officer, collaborators, and resistance fighters from...
.