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If you click on the photo, you will be redirected to a webpage dedicated to Benjamin deForest (Pat) Bayly. I offer my many thanks to Evelyn Davis who has supplied much information and insight in regards to this man. Evelyn and her husband Les Davis also served at Camp X during WW-II - Les Davis was one of the Camp X "veterans" featured in the 1-hour "Camp X" documentary produced by Jeremy McCormack in 2001. Other related websites:
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If you click on the photo, you will be redirected to a webpage dedicated to the memory of Georges Bégué. Born in Périgueux (France) on November 22, 1911, he was a wartime officer in the Special Operations Executive (SOE). He was a key figure in terms of the SOE establishing a network of British trained agents in France. He died in Falls Church, Virginia, on December 18, 1993. He was also a loving father and husband. Georges Bégué was the first SOE Section F agent to successfully parachute into France during the night of May 5th/6th 1941. He landed between Valençay and Levroux. Having trained as a "pianist" (or wireless operator), he was the crucial link in the development of several networks of SOE agents which provided a powerful focus of resistance activities. He is also credited with the invention of the system of messages personnels (or commonly referred to as coded messages) broadcast in the overseas services of the B.B.C. Other related websites:
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Photo UK National Archives |
If you click on the photo, you will be redirected to a webpage dedicated to Gustave (Guy) Biéler. Born in Beurlay (France) on 26 March 1904, Gustave Daniel Alfred Biéler emigrated to Montreal when he was 20 and became a Canadian citizen ten years later in 1934. In 1940, as an officer with the Régiment de Maisonneuve, he left for Scotland. He volunteered for SOE service in 1942. After 4 months of training, Biéler parachuted into France southwest of Paris. However, his landing in France did not go well. He severely injured his back in his fall and was forced to spend many months recuperating. As soon as he was able, he used his convalescence period to recruit agents for his sabotage network. The network was to receive arms dropped in by SOE and use them to blow up trains and rail lines and disrupt German troop movements. He eventually oversaw the operation of 25 separate armed teams which systematically blew up rail lines and switching boxes and destroyed and derailed German troop trains in northern France. Biéler was a warm and affable man, highly regarded by his French co-workers. In January 1944, the Germans closed in on Biéler and his radio operator, Yolande Beekman, and arrested them in a small café in northern France. For months Biéler was tortured but the Gestapo learned nothing – except respect for his courage and dignity. When he walked to his death in September he was accompanied by an SS Guard of honor. Instead of being gassed or hanged, he was shot – the only known case of an officer in these circumstances by a firing squad. Other related websites:
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This website is dedicated to the memory of those Canadians who lost their lives while serving at Tempsford during WW-II. Tempsford provided air support to the Special Operations Executive in regards to their missions in Europe - e.g. flying/parachuting agents and supplies. The squadrons involved were 138 and 161. One very meaningful and interesting message is one written by Jack Galbraith in the 2013 spring edition of the Tempsford Veterans and Relatives Association Newsletter titled "Tempsford’s Contribution in WWII". Mr. Galbraith was part of the RAF crews who flew special missions such as dropping SOE agents into various parts of Europe. Sadly, Mr. Galbraith passed away on 31 August 2013. Other related websites: |
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If you click on the photo, you will be redirected to a webpage dedicated to John Dehler. John Dehler was born on 6 April 1919 in Ottawa. He studied at LaSalle Academy and Lisgar Collegiate both in Ottawa - he also undertook studies at St-Patrick's College in Fine Arts but, before he could finish with his degree, he joined the Canadian Army, more specifically the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals on 4 September 1939 and then went on to serve behind enemy lines as an agent and radio operator within the Strategic Operations Executive (SOE) during WW2. He served with S.O.E. and was dropped on 7 August 1944 near the town of Mirepoix between Carcassone and the Spanish frontier. Arranged for supply drops in such quantities that the local resistance was able to take the offensive against German garrisons, killing or capturing two thousand. He returned from France in late 1944. While in England in WW2 on the 11th of July 1942, he married Sally Freda Still (from Cobham, Surrey) and later had a son John and a daughter Sally. He passed away in 1991 in Ottawa. |
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If you click on the photo, you will be redirected to a webpage dedicated to Lucien Durocher. Lucien Durocher was born on 27 June 1920 in Casselman and received his schooling in Embrun, L’Orignal and Ottawa (LaSalle Academy and Ottawa Technical). Lucien Durocher joined the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals on 3 September 1939 and then went on to serve as an agent and radio operator within the Strategic Operations Executive (SOE) and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WW2. When Lucien Durocher returned from the UK in 1945, his new bride Jean eventually joined him. Lucien later had a son Denis. If anyone has contact information regarding Denis, please send me an email! On May 9th 2019, a special event entitled "Spies in the Cemetery" was held at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa. Although many Canadian spies from the Cold War was buried there, none were for World War 2. After some research, I was able to determine that Lucien Durocher was indeed one from WW2 and I gave a short presentation on his contributions. |
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It has been acknowledged that although she was the wife of the famed William F. Friedman, Elizebeth also achieved many cryptologic successes in her long career as cryptanalyst. Other Related websites:
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There are many websites devoted to historical details on the many accomplishments by the famed cryptologist William Friedman. Other Related websites:
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On the night of 5 September 1945, Igor Gouzenko made a momentous decision to defect to Canada while bringing with him proof that the Soviets were spying on Canadians and Americans. He did so with his pregnant wife and 2 year old son in tow. Through much trial and tribulation that follow over the next 48 hours, he is eventually taken under protective custody by the RCMP - thus begins the Cold War. There are many websites devoted to historical details regarding Igor Gouzenko including this excellent one on Wikipedia. My webpage is dedicated to the memory of Igor Gouzenko and especially his significance to the Western World including Canada in regards to the Soviet threat and thus began the Cold War. |
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If you click on the photo, you will be redirected to a webpage dedicated to Raymond LaBrosse. Raymond (Joseph Marcel) LaBrosse was born in Ottawa in 1922. He was 18 years old when he went overseas for the first time in 1940 as a radio operator for the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. LaBrosse became the first Canadian to be part of MI-9 in 1942. His covername was Marcel Desjardin, a seller of medical supplies. Parachuted down in France during Nazi occupation as secret agents, LaBrosse and his colleague Claude Dumais were instrumental in Operation Bonaparte which was a key component of the SHELBURN network. This network became to be one of the most efficient in WW2 with 307 pilots downed behind enemy lines to be smuggled back to England; 128 of these were attributable to Labrosse and Dumais. |
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"Intrepid" |
William Samuel Clouston Stephenson, M.C., D.F.C., Croix de Guerre with Palm, was born on Point Douglas in Winnipeg, January 23, 1897. When Winston Churchill became England's Prime Minister in 1940, he needed a man to coordinate counter-espionage, anti-sabotage and secret intelligence extending to both North and South America. He had selected William Stephenson. Just before the fall of France, Stephenson reached New York and established British Security Coordination (BSC)at the Rockefeller Centre. BSC carried out numerous assignments in North America for various branches of the British Secret Service. Before the war was over the headquarters staff in New York exceeded 1000, many of whom were Canadians including military personnel and civilians. Sir William Stephenson was also a key player when cipher clerk Igor Gouzenko fled the Soviet Embassy in September 1945. Stephenson strongly urged that this source of information be tapped and steps taken to protect Gouzenko and his family - the Gouzenko family was relocated at Camp X in Whitby Ontario. Stephenson died on 31 January 1989, aged 92, in Paget, Bermuda. There are several websites which provide historical details on Sir William Stephenson including:
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Photo UK National Archives |
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If you click on the photo, you will be redirected to a webpage dedicated to Michael Trotobas. Michael (Alfred) Trotobas was born on May 20th 1914 in North Place, Brighton, to a French father and Irish mother. Michael Trotobas was recruited by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in the UK. On 18th November, 1942, Trotobas and Gustave Bieler, were dropped in northern France. Over the next few months Trotobas established the FARMER Network. On 28th November, the Gestapo managed to arrest one of the leaders of the FARMER group. After being tortured he gave the address where Trotobas was living. That night the flat was raided and during the gun battle that followed Michael Trotobas was killed. Related websites:
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Dr. William (Bill) Tutte was instrumental in breaking Fish and in particular Tunny for which he had done critical research and analysis at Bletchley Park during WW-II. Tunny was a high-level command German cryptographic teletypewriter with very sophisticated encryption for its time. After coming to Canada after WW-II, he taught mathematics at the University of Toronto to eventually become a professor in combinatorics at the University of Waterloo in 1962. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Dr. Tutte in 1999 when he came to visit Ottawa to give a presentation on "Fish and I" for which a PDF copy is still available online from the University of Waterloo. |
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I have dedicated a webpage to this most famous/provocative cryptologist whose professional climax was during WW-I in codebreaking for the
United States. He became famous for the publication of "The American Black Chamber" in 1931. The webpage also presents various crypto
puzzles and games he published in various publications and magazines. He also wrote "The Blonde Countess" for which the film "Rendez-Vous"
was based. Another classic book he authored in the late 1950's was "The Education of a Poker Player" as he himself enjoyed a good game
of Poker.
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