The Carte Organisation
Encyclopedia
The Carte Organisation was a putative organ of French resistance
during the Second World War.
It was the brainchild of André Girard
, an artist who claimed to have at his command a secret army of hundreds of thousands of would-be résistants waiting to rise against the Germans once they were properly armed and led. Girard's 'secret army' existed mainly on paper and in the minds of a community of artists, musicians and students in the French Riviera.
Realistically, the organisation extended no further than the group of people around Girard and his deputy Henri Frager
, plus some other small groups.
In November 1942, a list of names and addresses of hundreds of potential Carte members, drawn up by Girard, fell into the hands of the Abwehr
. An assistant of Girard named André Marsac
was carrying the list by train from Marseille
to Paris
. While Marsac slept on the train, an Abwehr agent stole the briefcase which contained the list. This fact was to have implications for the British Special Operations Executive
with which Carte became entangled.
SOE agent Peter Churchill
had arrived in January 1942 to evaluate the usefulness of the Carte network. He was impressed by the people he met but disagreements between Girard and Frager made it necessary for SOE to choose between them. Peter Churchill, having chosen Frager as preferable, took him to London in March 1943 to be briefed by SOE on his future role. There was no need. Carte was already doomed.
On the same night, Francis Cammaerts
arrived to take Peter Churchill's place and subsequently made a much more realistic appraisal of Carte.
The following day, André Marsac
, from whom the Carte list had been stolen by the Abwehr, was arrested near the Champs Élysées by Hugo Bleicher
, a sergeant in the Abwehr, and incarcerated in Fresnes prison
.
Bleicher, posing as an anti-Nazi colonel, convinced Marsac that he wished to defect, and the pair concocted an elaborate scheme involving the co-operation of Marsac's assistant Roger Bardet, who was persuaded by letter to visit Marsac in prison. The outcome of Bleicher's deception was the arrest on April 16th 1943 of Peter Churchill
and Odette Sansom
. A bonus was provided by Marsac, who supplied Bleicher with the addresses of some twenty circuits in Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Marseille.
Roger Bardet had also been arrested, and was still useful to Bleicher.
Henri Frager
had returned to France to assume leadership of the new SOE Donkeyman circuit built on the remnants of Carte. Bardet, having been persuaded to betray Frager, was allowed to 'escape'. Frager was taken in by the escape story. He also fell for Bardet's offer to provide new forged identity papers for the British SOE agents working with him, and allowed photographs of the agents to be supplied to Bardet for that purpose. One of the agents was Vera Leigh
. The 'forged' papers were provided by the Germans.
On 2 July 1944 Frager attended a rendezvous with Bleicher (again posing as the anti-Nazi colonel), and was arrested. The meeting had been arranged by Bardet.
Having obtained his liberty and sensing that Germany would lose the war, Bardet eventually rejoined the resistance movement.
The Abwehr's acquisition of Girard's list in November 1942 would have further implications for other SOE agents not directly involved with Carte. Francis Suttill
had been given a list of contacts provided by Carte, which he used. Andrée Borrel
had been instructed to contact a family in Paris who were on the list, and two sisters of the same family (arrested in April 1943) were known to several members of Suttill's Prosper network, who used them to pass on letters and also held meetings in their home.
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 the Second World War.
It was the brainchild of André Girard
André Girard (1901-1968)
André Girard was a French painter, poster-maker and Resistance worker...
, an artist who claimed to have at his command a secret army of hundreds of thousands of would-be résistants waiting to rise against the Germans once they were properly armed and led. Girard's 'secret army' existed mainly on paper and in the minds of a community of artists, musicians and students in the French Riviera.
Realistically, the organisation extended no further than the group of people around Girard and his deputy 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...
, plus some other small groups.
In November 1942, a list of names and addresses of hundreds of potential Carte members, drawn up by Girard, fell into the hands of the Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
. An assistant of Girard named André Marsac
André Marsac
André Marsac was a member of the French Resistance. He was arrested by the German intelligence operative Hugo Bleicher, who used him to capture Peter Churchill and Odette Sansom. He also lost a list of 200 members of the CARTE network, jeopardising its survival....
was carrying the list by train from Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
to 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...
. While Marsac slept on the train, an Abwehr agent stole the briefcase which contained the list. This fact was to have implications for the British 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...
with which Carte became entangled.
SOE agent Peter Churchill
Peter Churchill
Peter Morland Churchill DSO Croix de Guerre was an SOE Officer in France during World War II.He was a brother of Group Captain Walter Churchill DSO DFC and Major Oliver Churchill DSO MC who was also an SOE Officer during World War II.-Biography:...
had arrived in January 1942 to evaluate the usefulness of the Carte network. He was impressed by the people he met but disagreements between Girard and Frager made it necessary for SOE to choose between them. Peter Churchill, having chosen Frager as preferable, took him to London in March 1943 to be briefed by SOE on his future role. There was no need. Carte was already doomed.
On the same night, Francis Cammaerts
Francis Cammaerts
Francis Charles Albert Cammaerts DSO was an outstanding Special Operations Executive agent who organised French Resistance groups to sabotage German communications in occupied France.-Early life:...
arrived to take Peter Churchill's place and subsequently made a much more realistic appraisal of Carte.
The following day, André Marsac
André Marsac
André Marsac was a member of the French Resistance. He was arrested by the German intelligence operative Hugo Bleicher, who used him to capture Peter Churchill and Odette Sansom. He also lost a list of 200 members of the CARTE network, jeopardising its survival....
, from whom the Carte list had been stolen by the Abwehr, was arrested near the Champs Élysées by Hugo Bleicher
Hugo Bleicher
Hugo Ernst Bleicher was a German senior non-commissioned officer of the Abwehr who worked against French Resistance in German-occupied France....
, a sergeant in the Abwehr, and incarcerated in Fresnes prison
Fresnes Prison
Fresnes Prison is the second largest prison in France, located in the town of Fresnes, Val-de-Marne South of Paris...
.
Bleicher, posing as an anti-Nazi colonel, convinced Marsac that he wished to defect, and the pair concocted an elaborate scheme involving the co-operation of Marsac's assistant Roger Bardet, who was persuaded by letter to visit Marsac in prison. The outcome of Bleicher's deception was the arrest on April 16th 1943 of Peter Churchill
Peter Churchill
Peter Morland Churchill DSO Croix de Guerre was an SOE Officer in France during World War II.He was a brother of Group Captain Walter Churchill DSO DFC and Major Oliver Churchill DSO MC who was also an SOE Officer during World War II.-Biography:...
and Odette Sansom
Odette Sansom
Odette Sansom Hallowes GC, MBE, Chevalier de la légion d'honneur was an Allied heroine of the Second World War.-Early years:...
. A bonus was provided by Marsac, who supplied Bleicher with the addresses of some twenty circuits in Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Marseille.
Roger Bardet had also been arrested, and was still useful to Bleicher.
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...
had returned to France to assume leadership of the new SOE Donkeyman circuit built on the remnants of Carte. Bardet, having been persuaded to betray Frager, was allowed to 'escape'. Frager was taken in by the escape story. He also fell for Bardet's offer to provide new forged identity papers for the British SOE agents working with him, and allowed photographs of the agents to be supplied to Bardet for that purpose. One of the agents was Vera Leigh
Vera Leigh
Vera Leigh was a British spy during World War II who assisted the French Resistance. In 1944 she was captured by the Germans and executed.-Early life:...
. The 'forged' papers were provided by the Germans.
On 2 July 1944 Frager attended a rendezvous with Bleicher (again posing as the anti-Nazi colonel), and was arrested. The meeting had been arranged by Bardet.
Having obtained his liberty and sensing that Germany would lose the war, Bardet eventually rejoined the resistance movement.
The Abwehr's acquisition of Girard's list in November 1942 would have further implications for other SOE agents not directly involved with Carte. 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...
had been given a list of contacts provided by Carte, which he used. 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...
had been instructed to contact a family in Paris who were on the list, and two sisters of the same family (arrested in April 1943) were known to several members of Suttill's Prosper network, who used them to pass on letters and also held meetings in their home.