ARISTIDE
Aristide
The Story of Roger Landes
by
DAVID NICOLSON
First published in Great Britain 1994 by
LEO COOPER
190 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JL
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS.
Copyright 1994 David Nicolson
A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 0 85052 365 6
Typeset by Yorkshire Web
in Bembo 11pt
Printed by
Redwood Books
Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Contents
AJUF Anti-Japanese United Forces
AIR Royal Air Force Archives
BCRA Bureau Central de Renseignements et dAction
CAB Cabinet Papers Archives
FFI Forces Franaises de lIntrieur
FTP Francs Tireurs et Partisans
FO Foreign Office Archives
INA Indian National Army
OCM Organization Civiles et Militaire
ORA Organization de Rsistance de lArme de lArmistice
PRO Public Record Office
PWE Political Warfare Executive
RAF Royal Air Force
SD Special Duties Squadrons
SHAEF Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
SOE Special Operations Executive
WO War Office Archives
Angelot, Robert Julot
Bonnier, Captain Hypotenuse
Borde, Alban George
Bouillard, Andr Dd le Basque
Campet, Christian Lancelot
Charlin, Jean Arthur
Chevalier, Pierre Luc
Cominetti Charlie
Corbin, Charles Allyre
Culioli, Pierre Pierre Leclair
de Baissac, Claude David
Defence, Marcel Dd
dMilleret Colonel Carnot
Ducas, Pierre Honore
Dufour Moragglia, Lemaitre
Dussarat, Leonce Leonce de Landes
Duval, Andr Arthur
Expert, Marcel Marcel
Fabas Lulu
Faget, Franois Franois
Faget, Margaret Jacqueline
Flower, Raymond Gaspard
Grandclement, Andr Bernard
Hayes, Charles Victor
Herbert, Mary Claudine
Landes, Roger Robert, Stanislas, Aristide
Langlade Drean
Manolitsakis, John Cyriel
Meunier, Pierre Charles Edouard
Mouchet Jeannot
Norman, Gilbert Archambault
Paillere, Danny Danny
Peulv, Harry Paul
Poirier, Jean Prunier
Rabinovitch, Alec Arnaud
Ree, Harry Csar
Rudellat, Yvonne Jacqueline
Sirois, Allyre Louis Gustav
Starr, George Hilaire
Suttill, Francis Prosper
Yeo-Thomas Shelley
Allyre Charles Corbin
Archambault Gilbert Norman
Aristide Roger Landes
Arnaud Alec Rabinovitch
Arthur Jean Charlin
Arthur Andr Duval
Bernard Andr Grandclement
Csar Harry Ree
Charlie Cominetti
Claudine Mary Herbert
Colonel Carnot dMilleret
Cyriel John Manolitsakis
Danny Danny Paillere
David Claude de Baissac
Dd Marcel Defence
Dd le Basque Andr Bouillard
Drean Langlade
Edouard Pierre Charles Meunier
Francois Francois Faget
Gaspard Raymond Flower
George Alban Borde
Gustav Allyre Louis Sirois
Hilaire George Starr
Honore Pierre Ducas
Hypotenuse Captain Bonnier
Jacqueline Margaret Faget
Jacqueline Yvonne Rudellat
Jeannot Mouchet
Julot Robert Angelot
Lancelot Christian Campet
Lemaitre Dufour
Leonce de Landes Leonce Dussarat
Luc Pierre Chevalier
Lulu Fabas
Marcel Marcel Expert
Moragglia Dufour
Paul Harry Peulv
Pierre Leclair Pierre Culioli
Prosper Francis Suttill
Prunier Jean Poirier
Robert Roger Landes
Shelley Yeo-Thomas
Stanislas Roger Landes
Victor Charles Hayes
This is not the story of SOE, it is the story of one man, myself, Roger Landes. These are the events I witnessed during the Second World War in France and Malaya. I started as Wireless Operator for the Scientist circuit in Bordeaux and became the Organizer later, after we had been betrayed. After escaping over the Pyrenees into Spain and returning to Bordeaux in March, 1944, I organized the Actor circuit until the Liberation in September, 1944.
With one brief break, part of it spent in a Spanish prison, from the time when I first parachuted into France in November, 1942 to when I was personally ordered out of that country by General de Gaulle on 17 September, 1944, I was in almost daily contact with other members of those circuits, while the Germans were trying to arrest us all. When I first parachuted into France, I believed there was an agreement between SOE and the BCRA, and that the plans had de Gaulles full approval. I was to receive a rude awakening when I was confronted by de Gaulle in September, 1944.
When the Dlgu Militaire Regional Triangle arrived in Bordeaux at the beginning of August 1944, I placed myself at his disposal and, as the DMR had no radio contact with London, I also used my own equipment to send his messages. Apart from a few members of the Prosper circuit, I knew no one in any other circuit, and what I knew of this important circuit in Paris was the result of disobedience of the elementary rules of security. I cannot therefore make any comment on the work or worth of any of the other circuits as I only know what I personally saw happen and, as is explained, any other information was given to me after the war by the persons concerned.
I regret the death of my very great friend M. Gaston Cusin, Ex Commissaire de La Republique with whom during the clandestine war in France and the Liberation of the South-West and since, for nearly fifty years, I always had the most cordial relations. I would also like to thank Christian Campet (Lancelot) who was my right-hand assistant on my return to France in March, 1944. His courage and devotion to duty allowed me to remain in personal obscurity, making contact with all my groups in safety.
The honour which I received from the French Government on 30 October, 1992, Officier de Lgion d Honneur, is due to the men, women and children of the Resistance; those who died and those surviving, who helped to build up the Actor circuit under the command of Aristide. I know how much they suffered during the four years of the German occupation and, in spite of their moral and physical suffering, they proved their courage by energetic example. I have had the honour to be associated with their actions which contributed to the liberation of South-West France, and I would like to express my admiration, respect and very deep gratitude to them.
I would also like to express my appreciation to the author, David Nicolson, who has written down the facts of my life and military career; I feel that it has been represented accurately. Anything in the book which has nothing to do with me is due to the research he carried out at the Public Record Office at Kew, London.
Roger Landes (Aristide)
Major. MC and Bar.,
Officier de Legion d Honneur
Croix de Guerre with Palm.