T/Lieut James W Jeffrey MBE RNVR

Discussion in 'SOE & OSS' started by Bravo_7, Dec 20, 2022.

  1. Bravo_7

    Bravo_7 Member

    Hi all,

    I am wondering if any of you can help. I'm researching the above named officer as he has an extremely interesting career during World War 2, but it is quite elusive as to where we was and what he got up to:

    He started off on the Coastal Patrol in Dover and was a Landing Craft captain and was co-opted to Combined Operations. He then joined SOE, and in Yugoslavia before was infiltrated into Greece via Submarine.

    He was also listed as participating in Op GLASSHOUSE with SOE (not sure if this is the Greece mission or something different). I can't find an Op GLASSHOUSE in the archives, and the only one I can find is the wrong time period 1941 as opposed to 1943-1944 when he was in SOE.

    I can't find out who he actually worked for and what missions he was on as National Archives records seems to debate who actually owns him - Force 133, 266 or ME66.

    He them seems to have been sent to Australia on HMS GOLDEN HIND. Again anything that he got up to here would be very interesting - welfreighters maybe?

    Finally, his death certification in 1988 lists him as a Colonial Secretary, and I believe was involved in Malaya after the war, so I presume he was SIS to something afterwards. Where would I find the records for this?

    Can anybody point me in the direction of any relevant files that I can use to track him down?

    Many thanks,

    Paul
     
  2. Bravo_7

    Bravo_7 Member

    If anyone was able to answer the following questions that would be most helpful:

    Who / what was SOSO Bari - seems to report into CMF? Why would there be a dispute of ownership over Jeffrey. SOSO Bari was not in Force 133 or ME66. A distinct organisation? My best guess was Special Operations Staff Officer, but I don't know what this person / organisation would be tasked with doing?

    I can find no reference to what Jeffrey was doing for 8 months 21 Mar 44 - 20 Dec 44 in Greece. He also spent a month in Yugoslavia? Possibly Vis?
     
  3. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Paul,

    Operation Glasshouse was a SOE parachute drop on 2/9/1941:September | 1941 | Before Tempsford and on 7/9/1941: Nesbitt-Dufort | Before Tempsford

    Yes, this does not fit your time period for his service with SOE. I am not an expert, he could have been involved before being inducted into SOE in a military support role.

    Considerable time was spent in trying to avoid duplicate operational names; with commands given a block of names.

    Could 'glass house; mean a stretch in a military prison?

    On this forum there is an entry:
    and when found adds:
    From: Royal Navy 1941 to 1946

    Online sources say it was near Sydney and contained a RN Hospital.

    Being a 'Colonial Secretary' could make him a senior British Crown civil servant, in charge of colonial administration.

    Just to add confusion the term also applied to a political office holder / minister. As Wiki states: the British Cabinet minister who headed the Colonial Office, commonly referred to as Colonial Secretary and yes, he was not one of them!

    See: http://www.gulabin.com/britishcolonialgovernors/pdf/BRITISH COLONIAL GOVERNORS SINCE 1900.pdf Look for the entry for Straits Settlement and Malaya, it shows two such office holders 1945-1952, not your subject.

    Puzzled the list ended then. Explained on: Straits Settlements - Wikipedia So you should search with Malayan Union and Federation of Malaya. Malaya became independent 31/8/1957.

    I would expect him to be listed in the Civil List, which was the equivalent of the Army List and published by HMSO. See: Civil list - Wikipedia I have not looked to see if they are available online.

    He is not on this list of UK diplomats: http://www.gulabin.com/britishdiplomatsdirectory/pdf/britishdiplomatsdirectory.pdf
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2022
  4. Bravo_7

    Bravo_7 Member

    Hi David,

    Thank you so much for your reply. Much appreciated.

    Just to add to the confusion, I think GLASSHOUSE was run in Greece as well. It looks separate to the European operation. I've uploaded a confusing page from his PF.

    Any help from anyone on who/what SOSO Bari was would be most useful?

    P
     

    Attached Files:

  5. Richard Lewis

    Richard Lewis Member

    Hello Paul,

    SOSO = Staff Officer Special Operations

    From N-10556-B History of Special Operations AFHQ

    LAURANA [ex ferry boat] was sent to Taranto to be re-gunned and properly converted, and the responsibility of supplying the Jugoslav islands fell on S.O.S.O.(A) in conjunction with the S.N.O. Vis and the local L.C.I Flotilla Control of this service eventually devolved on to S.O.S.O.(Bari) who was exclusively interested in all things Albanian and Jugoslavian.​

    SOSO(A) = Staff Officer Special Operations (Adriatic)
    SNO = Senior Naval Officer

    Richard
     
    Bravo_7 likes this.
  6. Bravo_7

    Bravo_7 Member

    Brilliant, Richard - thank you for the information and the source.
     

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