Roger Landes
Encyclopedia
Roger Landes, MC & Bar
(16 December 1916 – 16 July 2008) was an agent and radio operator in the Special Operations Executive
(SOE), F section. Heading and arming Resistance groups, he played an important role in the liberation in the Bordeaux region, and ended the war in Force 136
.
mother - Barnet's grandfather had fled Russian Poland to avoid the pogroms and Imperial
conscription, setting up a jewellery business in Hatton Garden
before settling in Paris. Barnet's children had then fought for Britain in the First World War. Barnet spoke poor English and so preferred to live in Paris and run a jewellery business there. It was in Paris that Roger was born and educated, and he remained there with one of his two brothers when his parents' jewellery business collapsed in the Great Depression
and they moved to London. Roger graduated in architecture at the École des Beaux Arts before also moving to London after the Munich Crisis, where he joined London County Council
as a quantity surveyor.
Roger was conscripted into the Royal Corps of Signals
in March 1941 and, speaking better French than English and already knowing Morse code, he was soon recruited into SOE
(F section) at the request of Lewis Gielgud
and Maurice Buckmaster
. His first mission, with his codename as Aristide, was as radio operator to the SCIENTIST network under Claude de Baissac
(David). He was parachuted into France with Gilbert Norman
on the night of 31.10/01.11.1942. After de Baissac's return to England on 16/17 August, Landes succeeded him as the network's head. Recalled to London
, he left on the night of 1 November 1943, crossing the Pyrénées, being held for a time in Spain and finally reaching Gibraltar and then England, landing on 15 January 1944 by plane near Swindon.
His second mission began on 1/2 March 1944 with an aborted attempt to parachute him back into France, in Gascony
this time, postponed to the night of 2/3 March 1944. The second attempt was successful, and he was accompanied by Allyre Sirois
. As the head of the ACTOR network, he rebuilt it from the remains of the SCIENTIST network and equipped and headed several Resistance groups up until the liberation of Bordeaux
. On the city's liberation on 17 September 1944, he was presented to général de Gaulle
, who said to him "You're English? Your place is not here" and asked him to leave the country within 2 days. Roger Landes left Bordeaux, but stayed for a time in Paris
, returning to England on 10 October, where he was looked after.
In 1945, he volunteered to join Force 136
in the Far East. In March he was sent to Colombo
, and in May he and 15 commandos were parachuted into the Malayan
jungle near the Thailand
frontier. His actions as part of this special unit brought him a bar on his Military Cross
.
In August 1950, he was invited to Bordeaux by Jacques Chaban-Delmas
, who awarded him his Légion d'honneur
in a ceremony reuniting the townsfolk and old Resistance workers.
(a French agent of the Scientist network, to whom André Grandclément revealed that he intended to betray the arms caches to the Gestapo), and they had one son. She died in 1983 (obituary - Times, March 12, 1983), and Landes married Margaret Laing in 1990, who survived him.
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....
(16 December 1916 – 16 July 2008) was an agent and radio operator in 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), F section. Heading and arming Resistance groups, he played an important role in the liberation in the Bordeaux region, and ended the war in Force 136
Force 136
Force 136 was the general cover name for a branch of the British World War II organization, the Special Operations Executive . The organisation was established to encourage and supply resistance movements in enemy-occupied territory, and occasionally mount clandestine sabotage operations...
.
Biography
Roger was the second son (of three) born to Barnet Landes, of Polish-Jewish descent, and a RussianRussians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
mother - Barnet's grandfather had fled Russian Poland to avoid the pogroms and Imperial
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
conscription, setting up a jewellery business in Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden is a street and area near Holborn in London, England. It is most famous for being London’s jewellery quarter and centre of the UK diamond trade, but the area is also now home to a diverse range of media and creative businesses....
before settling in Paris. Barnet's children had then fought for Britain in the First World War. Barnet spoke poor English and so preferred to live in Paris and run a jewellery business there. It was in Paris that Roger was born and educated, and he remained there with one of his two brothers when his parents' jewellery business collapsed in the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and they moved to London. Roger graduated in architecture at the École des Beaux Arts before also moving to London after the Munich Crisis, where he joined London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
as a quantity surveyor.
Roger was conscripted into the Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
in March 1941 and, speaking better French than English and already knowing Morse code, he was soon recruited into SOE
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...
(F section) at the request of Lewis Gielgud
Lewis Gielgud
Lewis Evelyn Gielgud, MBE was a British scholar, writer, intelligence officer and humanitarian worker.-Life:...
and 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...
. His first mission, with his codename as Aristide, was as radio operator to the SCIENTIST network under 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...
(David). He was parachuted into France with Gilbert Norman
Gilbert Norman
Gilbert Maurice Norman was born 1914 in Saint-Cloud,Hauts-de-Seine to an English father and a French mother and was educated in France and England....
on the night of 31.10/01.11.1942. After de Baissac's return to England on 16/17 August, Landes succeeded him as the network's head. Recalled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he left on the night of 1 November 1943, crossing the Pyrénées, being held for a time in Spain and finally reaching Gibraltar and then England, landing on 15 January 1944 by plane near Swindon.
His second mission began on 1/2 March 1944 with an aborted attempt to parachute him back into France, in Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
this time, postponed to the night of 2/3 March 1944. The second attempt was successful, and he was accompanied by Allyre Sirois
Allyre Sirois
Allyre Louis Joseph Sirois is a retired Canadian judge of the Court of the Queen's Bench in Saskatchewan , living in Saskatoon.-Wartime experience:...
. As the head of the ACTOR network, he rebuilt it from the remains of the SCIENTIST network and equipped and headed several Resistance groups up until the liberation of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
. On the city's liberation on 17 September 1944, he was presented to général de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
, who said to him "You're English? Your place is not here" and asked him to leave the country within 2 days. Roger Landes left Bordeaux, but stayed for a time 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...
, returning to England on 10 October, where he was looked after.
In 1945, he volunteered to join Force 136
Force 136
Force 136 was the general cover name for a branch of the British World War II organization, the Special Operations Executive . The organisation was established to encourage and supply resistance movements in enemy-occupied territory, and occasionally mount clandestine sabotage operations...
in the Far East. In March he was sent to Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, and in May he and 15 commandos were parachuted into the Malayan
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
jungle near the Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
frontier. His actions as part of this special unit brought him a bar on his Military Cross
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....
.
Recognition
- UK : Military CrossMilitary CrossThe 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 first period in France (bar later awarded for his second period in France) - France : Knight (1950) then officer (1992) of the Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 (1945)
In August 1950, he was invited to Bordeaux by Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jacques Chaban-Delmas was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1969 to 1972. In addition, for almost half a century, he was Mayor of Bordeaux and a deputy for the Gironde département....
, who awarded him his Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in a ceremony reuniting the townsfolk and old Resistance workers.
Marriage and issue
His first wife was Ginette Corbin, daughter of Charles CorbinCharles Corbin
Charles Corbin was a French diplomat who served as ambassador to Britain before and during the early part of the Second World War, from 1933 to 27 June 1940.- Life and career :...
(a French agent of the Scientist network, to whom André Grandclément revealed that he intended to betray the arms caches to the Gestapo), and they had one son. She died in 1983 (obituary - Times, March 12, 1983), and Landes married Margaret Laing in 1990, who survived him.
Sources
- 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.
- E. H. Cookridge, Missions spéciales, translated from the English by Paule Ravenel, Librairie Arthème Fayard, 1966. 2nd part :Roger Landes et la libération de Bordeaux. Guy Penaud, Histoire secrète de la Résistance dans le Sud-Ouest, Éditions Sud Ouest, 1993. Raymond Ruffin, Ces Chefs de Maquis qui gênaient, Presses de la Cité, 1980. See second part, Ceux qu'on jugeait indésirables, ch. VIII à XI Roger Landes en Aquitaine.
- Special Forces roll of honour