SOE Yugoslavia and Italy

Discussion in 'User Introductions' started by Researcher2000, Jan 5, 2011.

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  1. Researcher2000

    Researcher2000 Junior Member

    Hi everyone,

    My father served with SOE, but I was not able to gleen much information from him whilst he was alive. I have been trying to find out more information but have not really got anywhere. I contacted the Army Personnel Centre and paid for a Kinship Search, but that was in May and I am still waiting. I also paid a researcher, but did not get anywhere with that either.

    All I know is that he served in Yugoslavia and Italy and that he was a medic. Can anyone point me in the right direction please? Any advice gratefully received.
     
  2. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Researcher2000,

    Hello and welcome to the forum.

    Several members with specialist knowledge of SOE, will, I am sure, make themselves known to you as soon as they see your post.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  3. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Hi and welcome. Hope we can help you out.
     
  4. Drayton

    Drayton Senior Member

    A major authority on SOE is Professor MRD Foot - he worked in SOE himself, and I believe is still alive, but very elderly. He has written various books on the topic, and a browse through them may at least give some background information.
     
  5. ADM199

    ADM199 Well-Known Member

    If you could get to Kew you could look at the SOE Files for the Maclean Mission to Tito.

    HS 5/878 & 879 & 882 & 969

    You could also read HS 7/200 & 201 & 202

    For Personnel you could try HS 8/1009 and perhaps HS 8/1010
     
  6. PsyWar.Org

    PsyWar.Org Archive monkey

    Also check out HS 9 for SOE personal files. Not all SOE personnel have a P/F but worth a check nevertheless.

    Lee
     
  7. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    Hi, welcome to the forum, any operation names or dates?

    regards

    Steven
     
  8. peteden

    peteden Member

    Researcher.

    Hi and welcome to this great web site. It took me nearly 9 months to get my fathers records, but was worth the wait. When you get them, give those on here the information and you will get the info you need to go on with your quest.
    The experts on here have confirmed for me my fathers link to SOE and now planning my visit to Kew.

    To the experts!!

    I am planning a visit to Kew soon, and as it will be my first wondered if someone can give some advice.
    My interest is also in SOE as it appears my father was with Tito, so can you advice me how long it would it take me to go through a file, photographing it, not studying it till later, say I looked at file HS5/878. Also can I book these files ahead if I do not yet have a readers ticket?

    Looking forward to furthering my knowledge of my fathers wartime experiences.

    Peter
     
  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I am planning a visit to Kew soon, and as it will be my first wondered if someone can give some advice.
    My interest is also in SOE as it appears my father was with Tito, so can you advice me how long it would it take me to go through a file, photographing it, not studying it till later, say I looked at file HS5/878. Also can I book these files ahead if I do not yet have a readers ticket?

    Looking forward to furthering my knowledge of my fathers wartime experiences.

    Peter

    Hi Peter,

    This thread more than prepared me for my first trip last year.

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/research-material/15595-national-archives-kew-tips.html

    Good hunting !
     
  10. peteden

    peteden Member

    Thanks Drew, just what I wanted.

    Hope you are feeling better.

    Peter
     
  11. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    To avoid disappointment on your visit to Kew please make sure you have the correct ID documents proof of address with you when you apply for your readers ticket
     
  12. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    This book could be interesting for you

    Eastern Approaches

    Do you maybe know when he was in Yugoslavia?
     
  13. Researcher2000

    Researcher2000 Junior Member

    Hello Tom

    Thank you very much for your message - I am really looking forward to discovering more about my father's involvement in SOE.
     
  14. Researcher2000

    Researcher2000 Junior Member

    Hello Gage, thank you for your message.
     
  15. Researcher2000

    Researcher2000 Junior Member

    Hello Drayton, yes I have looked through the books that are available on the subject and was not sure which to go for, but as you recommend MRD Foot, I will get one of his. Thank you for the advice.
     
  16. Researcher2000

    Researcher2000 Junior Member

    Hello Lee and ADM199, thank you very much for your messages. The researcher I paid to find out more information said the following:

    Since you mentioned your father was in the Army, I first checked the London Gazette for a Stanley William Chambers and found the following entry:

    Supplement to London Gazette, 24 Oct 1941
    Emergency Commissions
    Royal Regiment of Artillery
    The undermentioned Cadets to be 2nd Lts 4 oct 1941
    ...
    Stanley William Chambers (212495)
    ...

    I also went through a number of Army Lists and established that S W Chambers was commissioned W.S./Lt on 1 OCt 1942 and Temporary Captain on 2 Aug 1944.

    I then put together a list of files of SOE in Yugoslavia. I began with those where the title indicated that they might contain personnel information. Files hightlighted in red are the ones I have checked.

    HS 5/877
    Personnel and re-organisation of Yugoslavia section SOE, 1942

    HS 5/904
    Summary of SOE contacts and work with Yugoslavia, 1941-42

    HS 5/895
    SOE missions to Yugoslavia

    HS 5/919
    staff and operations to Croatia, Yugoslavia, 1942-43

    HS 5/900 and 902
    HAVERSACK mission; personnel and location 1943/44

    HS 5/913
    SIS London and agents in Yugoslavia, 1942

    HS 5/921 and 922
    Planning for OVERLORD and location of staff in Yugoslavia

    HS 5/908
    operations and personnel in Yugoslavia
     
  17. Researcher2000

    Researcher2000 Junior Member

    Hi Steven, I'm sorry, I don't have any operation names. In terms of dates, my understanding is that he was with SOE for the duration of the war. The only bits of operational information that I gleaned were that he worked with the partisans (Yugoslav and Italian) and this must have been over a substantial amount of time as I got the impression firm friendships were formed. He gave the impression that he experienced bombing and hand-to-hand combat.
     
  18. Researcher2000

    Researcher2000 Junior Member

    Hi Peter, thank you for your message - it is really good to know that it is possible to get there in the end! Good luck with your investigations at Kew.
     
  19. Researcher2000

    Researcher2000 Junior Member

    Hello Sol, thank you for your message and the link to the book you recommend. I don't know any dates unfortunately.
     
  20. At Home Dad (Returning)

    At Home Dad (Returning) Well-Known Member

    My step dad's father was in Military Intelligence and one
    of the few stories of his wartime experiences was about
    being sent to a hotel in Paddington where he was to prepare
    for a parachute drop into Yugoslavia. The chap prior to him
    had been killed doing his drop. Fortunately, SD's father's mission
    was cancelled, but the chap who replaced him was also KIA.

    It seems odd that he was to be sent there as he was actually
    in the Greek Section of MI...
     

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