194 Pages
ISBN 978-1-917120-77-7
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The evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk under Operation Dynamo marked the end of a desperate retreat. German forces had swept through France and Belgium, forcing the British Army to retreat until it stood with its backs to the English Channel. Many feared that the Wehrmacht would soon cross the Channel and invade Britain.
Churchill set about rallying the country to prepare for a possible German invasion. Although France was occupied, he was determined that the struggle against Germany should continue until Britain and its allies were strong enough to return to Europe.
As plans for Operation Overlord took shape, it became clear that the French Resistance would need greater support to help the invading Allied armies disrupt German movements and delay their retreat. Consequently, the Jedburgh Teams were
created to provide this support. Each Team consisted of three highly trained men who were parachuted into France ahead of the advancing Allies to organise, train and arm Resistance groups.
The Jedburghs trained at Milton Hall in Northamptonshire and, although the initiative began as a British concept, the Teams soon included British, American and French officers and NCOs. Working closely with the French Resistance and the advancing Allied forces, they played an important part in the liberation of France.
Drawing on contemporary official reports, memoirs and third-hand accounts, this book explores the origins of the Jedburghs, their training and their methods of working with the French Resistance. It examines the work of the 18 teams deployed in Western France and their relationships with Special Air Service units and Special Operations Executive agents who had worked with the French since the early days of the German invasion. The importance of this cooperation was captured by General Eisenhower who said:
‘In no previous war, and in no other theater during this war, have resistance forces been so closely harnessed to the main military effort.’