Nicholas Bodington
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Redner Bodington OBE (6 June 1904 – 3 July 1974, Plymouth
) was, during the Second World War, a head of F section of the Special Operations Executive
. He took part in 4 missions to France.
, he studied at Cheltenham College
and (for a year) at Lincoln College, Oxford
and became a journalist, working from 1930 onwards for the Daily Express
. Prior to the war, he was Reuters
's press correspondent in Paris. There he mixed with Karl Bömelburg, future head of the Gestapo in France and Henri Déricourt
, future triple agent. He also worked for MI6
for a time.
and at the start of summer that year Maurice Buckmaster
became Section F's head. At the start of 1942 Bodington participated in the landing by boat in Brittany which picked up Pierre de Vomécourt
, codename Lucas, head of the AUTOGIRO network, and Mathilde Carré
, codename Victoire, the famous spy nicknamed La Chatte.
's CARTE network. Landing from the sailing ship Seadog at Golfe-Juan
, shortly afterwards he made contact with Girard and Henri Frager
at Cannes. He wished to meet with the head of the Armée d'armistice. André Girard put him in contact with colonel Vautrin, formerly head of Paul Reynaud
's cabinet, and asked for large quantities of arms, which Bodington promised to supply. On this occasion, he also went to Lyon to try to undo the chaos that was then reigning there. On the night of 31 August, Bodington re-embarked on Seadog and sailed for Gibraltar, arriving on 9 September. Returning to England, his enthusiastic report on CARTE (delivered on 12 September) would form the foundation for the use of CARTE's file as the basis for recruitment for the Prosper - PHYSICIAN network by its heads Francis Suttill
(Prosper) and Andrée Borrel
(Denise) on their arrival in France.
, who was engaged by F section and sent to France in February that year, codenamed Gilbert, to organise aerial rendezvous for F Section. Bodington himself was parachuted in from a Hudson on the night of 22/23 July 1943 to clarify the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the Prosper network in June and the role of Henri Déricourt
(Gilbert), strongly suspected of betraying several agents. Jack Agazarian
(Marcel, arrested later in this mission), Cdt Adelin and the Belgian Marissael accompanied him [Source : Verity]. Oddly, it was Déricourt who welcomed them when they landed, in the field Achille 1 km to the southeast of Soucelles
. Having escaped the Germans, exonerated Déricourt (though he was dismissed from SOE) and tried to convince Noor Inayat Khan
to return to England (she refused), Bodington returned on the night of 16/17 August by Lysander
, along with Lise
and Claude de Baissac
. For the following six months he wrote reports on the French political situation for the forces preparing for D-Day.
as the PEDLAR network, and to assist the French Resistance
. He provided useful information for RAF bombing objectives and, from 24 August, was attached to Jedburgh Arnold's team.
, and his testimony was decisive in bringing about his acquittal.
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
) was, during the Second World War, a head of F 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...
. He took part in 4 missions to France.
Pre-war
The son of Oliver BodingtonOliver Bodington
Oliver Eaton Bodington , barrister at law of the Inner Temple, Licensee en Droit, University of Paris, Member of the United States Federal Bar and President of the British Chamber of Commerce, was born March 6, 1859 in Kingsford, Staffordshire, the son of George Fowler Bodington , a physician, and...
, he studied at Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
and (for a year) at Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
and became a journalist, working from 1930 onwards for the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
. Prior to the war, he was Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
's press correspondent in Paris. There he mixed with Karl Bömelburg, future head of the Gestapo in France and Henri Déricourt
Henri Dericourt
Henri Dericourt was a French agent for Special Operations Executive. There is ambiguity as to whether he became a double agent for the Sicherheitsdienst , or was working under British instructions.-Life and work:...
, future triple agent. He also worked for MI6
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...
for a time.
During the war
In 1940 he joined F section as its second in command, assisting Leslie Humphries then (from December) H.R. Marriott. At the start of 1941, he recruited Virginia HallVirginia Hall
Virginia Hall, MBE, DSC was an American spy during World War II. She was also known by many aliases: "Marie Monin", "Germaine", "Diane", "Marie of Lyon" and "Camille". The Germans gave her the nickname Artemis...
and at the start of summer that year Maurice 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...
became Section F's head. At the start of 1942 Bodington participated in the landing by boat in Brittany which picked up Pierre de Vomécourt
Pierre de Vomécourt
Pierre de Crevoisier de Vomécourt was, during the Second World War, a Special Operations Executive agent, who founded and headed SOE's first Resistance network in occupied France, the AUTOGIRO network....
, codename Lucas, head of the AUTOGIRO network, and Mathilde Carré
Mathilde Carré
Mathilde Carré , known as "La Chatte", was a French Resistance agent during World War II who turned double agent....
, codename Victoire, the famous spy nicknamed La Chatte.
1942 mission
On the night of 29/30 July 1942, he was sent to France to evaluate the value to F Section of collaborating with André GirardAndré Girard (1901-1968)
André Girard was a French painter, poster-maker and Resistance worker...
's CARTE network. Landing from the sailing ship Seadog at Golfe-Juan
Golfe-Juan
Golfe-Juan is a seaside resort on France's Côte d'Azur. The distinct local character of Golfe-Juan is indicated by the existence of a demonym, "Golfe-Juanais," which is applied to its inhabitants.-Overview:...
, shortly afterwards he made contact with Girard and Henri Frager
Henri Frager
Henri Jacques Paul Frager was a member of the French Resistance during World War II . He was in succession, second in command of the CARTE network , then head of the SOE network DONKEYMAN, rising to the rank of major within SOE...
at Cannes. He wished to meet with the head of the Armée d'armistice. André Girard put him in contact with colonel Vautrin, formerly head of Paul Reynaud
Paul Reynaud
Paul Reynaud was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany. He was the penultimate Prime Minister of the Third Republic and vice-president of the Democratic Republican Alliance center-right...
's cabinet, and asked for large quantities of arms, which Bodington promised to supply. On this occasion, he also went to Lyon to try to undo the chaos that was then reigning there. On the night of 31 August, Bodington re-embarked on Seadog and sailed for Gibraltar, arriving on 9 September. Returning to England, his enthusiastic report on CARTE (delivered on 12 September) would form the foundation for the use of CARTE's file as the basis for recruitment for the Prosper - PHYSICIAN network by its heads Francis Suttill
Francis Suttill
Major Francis Alfred Suttill DSO was a British special agent who worked for the Special Operations Executive inside France. He organized and coordinated the Physician network, better known by his own code name Prosper...
(Prosper) and Andrée Borrel
Andrée Borrel
Andrée Raymonde Borrel was a French heroine of World War II.-Early life:Andrée Borrel was born into a working-class family in Louveciennes, Yvelines in the suburbs of Paris, growing up an active girl who liked hiking and most other outdoor activities...
(Denise) on their arrival in France.
1943 mission to France
In 1943 Bodington supported the candidacy of Henri DéricourtHenri Dericourt
Henri Dericourt was a French agent for Special Operations Executive. There is ambiguity as to whether he became a double agent for the Sicherheitsdienst , or was working under British instructions.-Life and work:...
, who was engaged by F section and sent to France in February that year, codenamed Gilbert, to organise aerial rendezvous for F Section. Bodington himself was parachuted in from a Hudson on the night of 22/23 July 1943 to clarify the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the Prosper network in June and the role of Henri Déricourt
Henri Dericourt
Henri Dericourt was a French agent for Special Operations Executive. There is ambiguity as to whether he became a double agent for the Sicherheitsdienst , or was working under British instructions.-Life and work:...
(Gilbert), strongly suspected of betraying several agents. Jack Agazarian
Jack Agazarian
Jack Charles Stanmore Agazarian was a British espionage agent who worked for the Special Operations Executive inside France...
(Marcel, arrested later in this mission), Cdt Adelin and the Belgian Marissael accompanied him [Source : Verity]. Oddly, it was Déricourt who welcomed them when they landed, in the field Achille 1 km to the southeast of Soucelles
Soucelles
Soucelles is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France....
. Having escaped the Germans, exonerated Déricourt (though he was dismissed from SOE) and tried to convince Noor Inayat Khan
Noor Inayat Khan
Assistant Section Officer Noor Inayat Khan / Nora Baker, GC, MBE , usually known as Noor Inayat Khan was of Indian Muslim origin...
to return to England (she refused), Bodington returned on the night of 16/17 August 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...
, along with Lise
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...
and Claude de Baissac
Claude de Baissac
Claude Denis Boucherville de Baissac, known as Claude de Baissac or by his codename David was a Mauritius-born agent in the Special Operations Executive...
. For the following six months he wrote reports on the French political situation for the forces preparing for D-Day.
1944 mission
SFHQ sent him back to France under the codename Jean in July 1944 to reactivate the PROFESSOR network in the MarneMarne
Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...
as the PEDLAR network, and to assist the 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...
. He provided useful information for RAF bombing objectives and, from 24 August, was attached to Jedburgh Arnold's team.
After the war
In June 1948 he was a witness at the trial of Henri DéricourtHenri Dericourt
Henri Dericourt was a French agent for Special Operations Executive. There is ambiguity as to whether he became a double agent for the Sicherheitsdienst , or was working under British instructions.-Life and work:...
, and his testimony was decisive in bringing about his acquittal.
Medals
- UK : Member of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe 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) ; Officer of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe 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...
(OBE). - France : Médaille de la RésistanceMédaille de la RésistanceThe 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,...
Sources and external links
- Photographs of Nicholas Bodington on the Special Forces Roll of Honour.
- Michael Richard Daniell Foot, SOE in France. An account of the Work of the British Special Operations Executive in France, 1940-1944, London, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1966, 1968 ; Whitehall History Publishing, in association with Frank Cass, 2004. Ce livre présente la version officielle britannique de l’histoire du SOE en France. Une référence.
- 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...
, Nous atterrissions de nuit, Vario, 2004. - André GilloisAndré GilloisMaurice Diamant-Berger, known as André Gillois, was a French writer, radio pioneer and - during the Second World War - general Charles de Gaulle's spokesman in London. He was the son of Dr Mayer Saül Diamant-Berger and Jenny Birman, and his brother was Henri Diamant-Berger...
, L'Histoire secrète des Français à Londres, Le Cercle du nouveau Livre, Librairie Jules Taillandier, 1973.