Office of Strategic Services Operational Groups

Mission:
To work with the Maquis in the Dordogne Department.

Summary:
August 11/12. Four planes left England but only three planes recognized the signals. Group was dropped near Gadouin around 0200 hours. One man sprained his ankle but was able to continue with the Group. Radio transmitter was broken in the drop resulting in no further contact with SFGH. Quarters were provided by the Maquis.

19 Aug. Word was received of a 15,000 German garrison at Agen suspected of moving south to join other German forces to repulse a possible Allied invasion. Arriving at Agen the Group found the Germans gone, but left a large quantity of gasoline, apparently to use on their return. The group blew holes in the tanks and set fire with incendiaries.

21 Aug. Advised there was a German petrol train at Marmande with only a small guard, Lt. Lagare and his group started for that possible target. His arrival roused the local population to attack the Milician guards and other Milice and make them prisoners. The Lieutenant, believing the Germans would not return, decided not to destroy the train, but cut the tracks to immobilize it.

After moving to Sauveterre where there was a German garrison but no Germans remaining, the Group continued to Libourne where a German garrison was reported to be surrounded but the Germans would not surrender to the FFI. Lt. Legare sent a message to the German commander but the return message the following morning had the German refusal and the Germans were reported to be evacuating toward Angouleme. Lt. Legare discovered the garrison had not been surrounded as he had been led to believe. Attempts to contact retreating Germans failed.

27 Aug. The Group and Maquis moved toward Bordeaux to ambush a convoy. At a point just south of the Dordogne River they fired a few bursts from automatic weapons and threw some grenades into the convoy but pulled out when they were pinned down against the river edge. They again headed toward for Bordeaux and while waiting for a convoy a French crowd gathered and a free-for-all was touched off by a French girl who was accused of embracing Germans and then Americans. When things calmed down all drove away.

28 Aug. Group entered Bordeauz. In the following days either the Maquis had no plans for operations or failed to support the Group. Lt. Legare was contacted by a Jed who informed him of orders to return to the UK which he reached via Toulouse, Marseilles, Casablanca, and Naples, arriving in London 10 October.

Summary compiled by John Hamblet.