(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The
National Archives, London, UK
Catalog numbers HS6/92 #01, #89,
#90, #91, #92, #93, #94, #95, #96, #97, #98
The first 3 pages were translated by N. Alami. The other 7 pages were translated by linguavox. The documents follow the translation. (When you view page 10 of the documents you will see that there is a heading for Return but nothing else.)
MISSION C
23 October 1942
You are
charged to organize a rapid information service to Great Britain, in order to
allow the political action organizations of London to rapidly comment on the
events of Belgium and to react without delay.
You have
therefore to organize and do the following:
.
1)
One reaction committee
.
2) A
photography service
.
3) A
pigeon fancying center
.
4)
Links between the organizations above and a reception committee for
materials sent by parachutes.
You will
take all necessaries measures (collaborators; successors) in order for the
service to function once your mission is done.
-2-
Duration: maximum 3 months
Residence:
Brussels or surroundings
Return:
Modalities:
I. Contact
In the morning
around 10 am, you will go to 26, La Cascade Avenue in Brussels. It is an
apartment building of seventh floors. This building has two entry doors. You will
take the one that is close to the Lanney Road.
Right
inside, on the right, you will see a set of electrical bells. Above there is an
interphone. You will press the one of the seventh floor at the name of Charles
GAUVIN.
Someone
will answer you by interphone and you will say: I desire to speak to Mrs. or
Mr. Gauvin, from Charley.
If, against
all odds, none of them are in the house, you will make an appointment, or if
they are in the country side (around Brussels) you will go and join them or you
will ask that one them to come back to Brussels.
Mrs. Gauvin
is 65 years old. She is short, gray-white hair. She has blues eyes. Mr. Gauvin
is average height. He is 63 years old, has white hair, blue eyes: wears
glasses.
Then you
will say the following:
“Madame, I come from André. I must first tell you
“A while
ago, Charley was at Louvain. Today, Charley
is not at Louvain anymore.”
“The last
word is of the sentence is “BRAVO:”
And now
three personal piece of information:
1.
In this
living room, there is your portrait. It has been painted in 1928, while you
were just recovering from your illness.
2.
André did
not lose his waterman. He knows that you will smile when you will
say that.
3.
You have
learned that André has left. Someone who preceded gave you the
information
regarding this matter.
A prime
quality of the London Radio propaganda should be the actuality. Until now, the actuality has not been
realized, or just sporadically. We trust that with your help, to be able to do
it finally.
You will be
part of an organization that is made of three branches. Do not ask questions
about the branches other than yours. We will tell you what is necessary for all
your activity. For the rest, remind yourself that ignorance is the best
guaranty against indiscretion. This assures as well your security.
-3-
If you
cannot establish this contact, which is improbable, you will call at my house:
12.22.44 and you will say: “ I would like to have a meeting with lawyer
JANSSENS, 54, Rue de la Concorde. When you are at my house, you will ask to
speak to Madame VANDER ELST, my secretary. You will tell her that you will like
to see Madame Claire CAUVIN. You will repeat to her what is written below:
II.
The first
meeting in Brussels will consist of CLAIRE, CAMILLE, RICHARD, ICKX.
This will
be a preliminary meeting, with the aim of creating the propaganda
committee. The four participants will
receive your instructions and will plan as soon as possible definitive reunion
that will include the acting and directing elements.
You will
say:
A prime
quality of the London Radio propaganda should be the actuality. Until now, the actuality has not been
realized, or just sporadically. We trust that with your help, to be able to do
it finally.
You will be
part of an organization that is made of three branches. Do not ask questions
about the branches other than yours. We will tell you what is necessary for all
your activity. For the rest, remind yourself that ignorance is the best
guaranty against indiscretion. This assures as well your security.
Your will
have a double role. In one hand find information, second put it in an adequate
form.
1) Finding
the Information
Need to
have up to date information. Keep in mind that news that is 5 days old, unless
it is extremely important, is of no interest.
Read
newspapers. If an article by Colin or Poulet, or any other well-known
collaborator makes a commentary take care to extract the essential sentences
and carefully keep their citations.
Give news
concerning the General Secretaries, Administration, Justice, the occupying
power, industrial life, agricultural life, etc. You will therefore need to be
introduced to these entities and areas.
Tell us if
Mr. Reeder had lunch at the Savoy with Mr. Matthys, if a bomb has been thrown
the night before at the local of the Gestapo. Put all of this information under
the form of news agency; most importantly give the date and indicate the place
of the incident.
The Belgium
public should be “hooked” at the radio to have the common news of night before,
as well as the announcement of the next deliberation of the highest court of
the land.
-4-
2) Appropriate form of
information
Take a sheet of paper as large as possible. Write legibly or typewrite
on one side only. Put as much as
possible on one sheet to use as little as possible. The precautions are those
that must be taken for subsequent photographing of the document. The
photographer will give you additional instructions.
In addition, you yourselves will prepare the talks that will be read on
the radio in London. We would very much like commentaries written in occupied
territory. Remember that a talk on a given subject must be no longer than 4 to
5 minutes, or [crossed out - 700 to 800
words – altered by hand to 400 to 500 words]. It will be read under the title
“Our correspondent from Belgium calling”.
Also relay all useful suggestions and ask for anything that you might
need.
When a paper is ready, it must be possible to get it off immediately and
the second branch of the organisation must be notified that its work has begun.
I will let you know where and to whom you must give it (the agent, after
establishing contact with the photography service will arrange this issue).
I don’t need to know your collaborators. I am sure you’ll choose them wisely.
I do, however, have a list that I want submit for your approval. This list is
not exclusive (see Annex I). If you want to
convene a meeting with your collaborators with me present, I will be very happy
to be there. However, I do not think it is essential.
In order to specify my position, you can tell them that the BBC will
broadcast the following series of six messages (see Annex II) on the radio on the dates I tell you.
III.
Photography service
1) Contact:
[You will be given the necessary instructions
later. –CROSSED OUT.] See paragraph 3).
2) When
you have made contact you will notify the photographer of the instructions
which you will be given here on the precautions to take to ensure that his work
can be used. Microphotographs have to be taken on gelatin films (the
instructions indicate the procedures to follow), so that the films can be sent
by carrier pigeon. You must insist that he follows the instructions to the
letter.
You will give him time to familiarise himself
with these instructions and verify that he is able to undertake the work
immediately. You will see him four or five days after that first interview and
you will ask him to let you know if he needs anything.
To provide him with what he needs, you will
send a message here as soon as you have received the pigeons indicating
precisely and exactly the nature and amounts of what is required. As the first reception of pigeons
-5-
will take place one month after you arrive, it
will only be possible to send the material requested by the second moon after
your arrival.
Therefore, do not make the Drafting Committee
work prematurely. It will be up to you to indicate to the three services the
moment after which they can pass from the preparatory stage to action. It will
only take a month (after the pigeons arrive) if the photographer can work
immediately.
If your organisation mission is completed
quickly (under two months) you will be able to leave before the photographer
has received what he needs, but you must choose someone to replace you in your
role as coordinator, that is, someone who can synchronise the work of the
different bodies and notify them when to start.
3) You
will ask Madame Claire Cauvin to put you in contact with Salu and Van
Ommeslaghe. Their names are still on the list you have been given in Annex I. Contact
with the photography service is therefore through Madame Claire Cauvin who you
will already have contacted to organise the Propaganda Committee.
-6-
IV. Pigeon service
centre
You will contact Mr. Raymond DEMANET,
father-in-law of André Cauvin at the following address:
Chateau de
Mont-Saint-Jean, at Waterloo.
You will tell him: “I have come on behalf of your son-in-law. Among the six messages that
will be broadcast by the BBC, there is one especially for you: it’s the
following: Cooey, cooey, it’s morning” because when your daughter was three
years old she saw the pigeons in your garden and she would say: “Cooey, cooey”.
This password is sufficient. You can add: “Your
son-in-law knows your dedication and your patriotism. This hard work is
essential and he is counting on you to get the job done with all the caution
and determination at your command”.
You can tell him what type of documents he has
to get through. You will not give him the name of the photographer or that of
any member of the Propaganda Committee so that he has no chance of contacting one
of them.
You will tell him how many pigeons to hide and
look after and you will ask him to get the support of friends from different
regions in the country who might be able to help him.
You will give him the time necessary to carry
out his enquiry and let you know the results, that is, around 15 days and you
may tell him about the different
messages which will be broadcast on fixed dates
from the radio in London on the programme at 21 hundred hours. This will
enable him to specify your position (see Annex II).
You will then tell him about the issue of routes
and reception of pigeons (see paragraph V) You will give him, if necessary, the
list of the initial drop points planned for [crossed out- two- handwritten -4]
months, the pigeon service will be responsible for choosing the next lot (Annex III).
V. Liaisons
You will have to establish two liaisons and a
reception service for the airdropped containers.
Of the entire organisation, the pigeon service
centres are running the greatest risk. Hence the following precautions:
1) It
is absolutely useless and even dangerous to warn the drafting committee and the
photography service of the method of transmission used. You must be very
firm on this subject.
2) An
intermediary must be contemplated who knows the different lofts and the
photographer. This intermediary will be chosen and appointed by the head of the
pigeon carrier service. The photographer will notify the intermediary by letter
containing an agreed sentence or by any other means that has to be chosen. This
intermediary is a linchpin whose task is to ensure the secret. He will
know the different lofts. He must undertake never to reveal to the photographer
the means of transmission used.
A replacement for this linchpin must be
contemplated who will be immediately warned in the case of arrest: his wife
[handwritten: no, because she will be under surveillance after her husband has
been arrested] for example or a close friend. It is understood that this
replacement will not work unless the linchpin is arrested.
-7-
3) It will be preferable for the pigeon
reception to be done by the people who are going to keep them. The idea, once again, is not to increase the
number of people in on the secret. They must therefore be instructed in the
methods used by the reception committees.
[handwritten in the margin: lights? 3 red lights, 1 white]
You will give them the list of airdrop areas
and the airdrop periods. They can change it if it is not suitable for them and
choose others which they will notify by pigeon when sending their message.
They must be told that the area must be along
an axis that can easily be identified at night, like a railway, major road,
river or canal.
It must not be forgotten that the RAF may agree
to some and reject others. The list must therefore be carefully numbered. The
response will be given in the following manner over 3 consecutive days:
Message for Carol: OK for number two hundred
and forty-seven. I repeat two hundred and
forty-seven [crossed out, handwritten to read: two, four, seven]
This will mean that the areas accepted
[handwritten addition: will be used] will be the areas indicated by these
numbers and in the order in which they are given on the radio.
No message will mean it is necessary to keep to
the areas originally designated.
[CROSSED OUT: The evening before departure of] the plane carrying the pigeons, the following message
will be broadcast on the Belgian programme [CROSSED OUT: in the evening]:
[handwritten at 5.30 and confirmation at 9]
[HANDWRITTEN in the margin: In French and in Flemish]
[HANDWRITTEN: Message from Carol:
[HANDWRITTEN IN FRENCH AND FLEMISH: Mother is feeling
ok now and sends her love]
[Crossed out: Let’s go boys, get going, it’s
time to work.”]
[Crossed out: The day after it will be said:
“Beat the iron so much it’s hot”]
The following evening the airdrop will take
place. If the plane cannot leave at the last moment, it will be announced that
same night:]
[handwritten: if there is no airdrop – no
confirmation at 9 o’clock.]
[Crossed out: “Hi boys, rest.”]
Depending on whether the [handwritten:
unsuccessful] airdrop is planned for the next day, two or 3 days later, it will
also be announced with the following message:
“It is one o’clock (or two o’clock or 3
o’clock)
By the village bell. Look closely, it is 1
o’clock (or two o’clock or 3 o’clock).”
If the pigeon service cannot ensure reception,
you must recruit a reception committee. You will get someone from the team to
take the pigeons to the linchpin mentioned in paragraph V2).
If we want you to come back, the following
message will be sent out on the evening Belgian programme for 3 consecutive
days:
“Message for Carol. It is time for Carol to put
on the pilgrim sandals.”
If we have instructions to send you to the
address you have given, it will be announced on the same programme as before so
you will wait for the instructions to arrive:
“Message for Carol: The centuries haven’t
wearied the sphinx’s patience – let him be patient a little longer.
[Handwritten: To announce whether the photos
are good or bad, the announcement will be
“Message for Carol
“Clear weather, excellent visibility”
Or “Variable weather, sufficient visibility”
Or “Bleak weather, no visibility”
3) Drafting
committee-photographer liaison
This liaison can be made from the Drafting
Committee to the photographer or to any person nominated by the photographer. The
intention is to save as much time as possible.
After receiving the documents, the photographer
will notify the linchpin mentioned above that the films will be ready at time X
...
5) England liaison
a) England-Belgium liaison:
This liaison is ensured on the one part through
the personal messages mentioned above; and secondly, the containers may contain
coded letters for your use (Annex IV) [handwritten:
in your code]
b) Belgium-England liaison:
This liaison will be by pigeon; the Drafting
Committee will transmit requests at the same time as its texts to the
photographer. The photographer may include his messages by adding them to the
bottom of the Drafting Committee’s notes. The pigeon service centre will transmit
its remarks to the photographer through the linchpin mentioned in paragraph
V2).
It is still planned to have a liaison with
England by postcard to be sent airmail to Portugal if, for whatever reason, you
do not have any pigeons. This route is fast: around ten days.
VI
Funds required for accomplishing
the mission.
You will have the following sum: 100,000 Francs
to distribute between the Political Action Committee and the photography and pigeon services. You must judge for yourself
the needs of each of these bodies.
A priori, it appears that the major expenses
will be in following order:
1/ for the photography service;
2/ for the pigeon service;
3/for the political action committee.
VII
Salary
In London; The sum of 50
Pounds a month [handwritten and crossed out – for how long?] will be paid into
your bank account no. 3505, at Lloyd’s Bank, Belgravia Branch, 31 Grosvenor
Gardens.
In the field: You will receive
30,000 Belgian francs for your expenses in the occupied country, for the
duration of your stay and 7,500 French francs for expenses which you will be
responsible for on your return.
VIII
Grade; military
situation; pension
For the duration of your mission, you will be a
commissioned warrant officer. This grade will be taken into consideration to
settle any possible pension rights for your beneficiaries.
In the event of accident, your salary will
continue to be paid into your bank account for 6 months after the official
announcement.
IX
Cover.
A)Code name:
in messages addressed to you on the BBC, the name CAROL will be mentioned.
B)Identity
cards: You will have:
1/ one French identity card for your return;
2/ one Belgium identity card in your name;
3/one Belgium identity card in an assumed name.
[Handwritten in the margin connecting 3/ and
1/: same name]
C) Cover story: You will use the one
given to you by the British, explaining that you have lived in the South of
France if you are closely questioned by the German police.
For people not in the know with whom you come
into contact, you will give an occupation in a bank or a company of your
choosing. You will carefully avoid allowing unauthorised people to ask specific
questions.
D) Post boxes. If, before having pigeons
at your disposal, you wish to communicate with us, you will write an apparently
innocent letter to
Abel Eugenio da Costa
Rue Eugenio Santos 12 1º and. Lisbon.
You will sign this letter: Charles Emile.
E) Airdrop areas, for container
[Handwritten: Innocent letters that I receive
will be signed by you as: Jean Joseph.]
-10-
X.
Communications
A/ Codes: the ones given to you by the
British
B/ Radio: None planned for your mission.
C/ Address: To contact you we will write to Mr A.
Guillon, 407, avenue Brugmann.
If you wish to give us another address you will
insert it on 3 consecutive days in the Nouveau Journal published from the 5th
to the 22nd of the month, the following advertisement in the “Furniture”
section: “Wanted, electric cooker. Please write to (name, address, town)” If it
is in Brussels, do not put the name of the town).
If the service agent appears at the above
address he will say:
“I have some excellent photos of the Sphinx.
Would you like to see them?”
XI
Return.
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