alanmalcherhistorian

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Major John Sehmer: SOE Serbia and Hungary.

Major John Sehmer whose home unit was the Royal Tank Regiment had already completed an SOE mission in Serbia when he volunteered for a second mission to Hungary accompanied by Private Willis and Wilson as part of Operation Windproof in Slovakia and Hungary to encourage and support a Slovak uprising by partisans; establish communications with London and assist the Hungarian Government to negotiate…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Wishing all British, allied military personnel and veterans a Happy Christmas and Greeting of the season to those who do not celebrate Christmas.

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Corporal Sefanaia Sukanaivalu VC.

On 23 June 1944 in the Solomon Islands, Corporal Sukanaivalu crawled forward under fire to rescue wounded men. After dragging two men to safety, under heavy Japanese machine gun and mortar fire he returned to rescue another man, but whilst assisting the seriously injured soldier was hit by machine gun fire and fell to the ground. Knowing any attempt to rescue him and the other soldier would…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Operation Banner: A day of infamy.

Operation Banner (Northern Ireland). On 19 March 1988 Corporal Derek Wood, aged 24, and Corporal David Howes, aged 23, both serving with the Royal Signals, were wearing civilian clothes and driving a silver Volkswagen Passat with civilian number plates after completing repairs of signal equipment at a military base and were returning to their barracks. After taking a wrong turning they came…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Kate her Horst the 'Angel of Arnhem'.

During the ill-fated Operation Market Garden (17-26 September 1944) the British 1st Airborne Division suffered heavy casualties fighting in the Dutch city of Arnhem, the town of Oossterbeek, the villages of Wolfheze and Driel. Kate her Horst, described as a housewife and mother, turned her house into a makeshift hospital for the wounded and dying. She personally helped 250 wounded soldiers and…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans.

The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans was formed in Fulham, London in 1948 and the charity is reliant on public donation, businesses and trusts. An amazing group of London taxi drivers volunteer their time and vehicles to transport veterans to events free of charge. More information will be found at the bottom of this page. On 2 July 2024 it was a great privilege to be invited to the Taxi…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Yvonne Cormeau SOE wireless operator in southwestern France. (LWT television 8 November 1989.

This is your Life (Granada TV) Broadcast by LWT on 8 November 1989. SO30 EP3

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Rupert: the dummy parachutists of D-day.

(Image Musée Militaire Paris) Parachute dummies were an important aspect of the Allies’ deception plan for the Normandy Landings. They were nicknamed ‘Rupert’s’ by British troops. It is sometimes suggested they were named after the cartoon character Rupert the Bear.Approximately 500 Paratrooper dummies were dropped as decoys to divert and distract German forces, in what was codenamed Operation…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Operation Tonga: (6 June 1944) The capture of Bénouville Bridge Crossing the Caen Canal renamed Pegasus Bridge.

Actor Richard Todd took part in Operation Tonga on what is now known as D-Day. 60 years on in 2004, he revisited the landing site in Normandy and reflected on his experience. Richard Todd, who was born in Dublin, served with the British 6th Airborne Division and was among the first British soldiers to Land in Normandy and was the first Irishman. The following is from the BBC archives.

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Founder's Day the Royal Hospital Chelsea (Chelsea Pensioners)

Founder’s Day 2024. It was a great pleasure to be invited to attend Founder’s Day at the Royal Hospital Chelsea where the reviewing officer was Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, after being inviting by Tony Millard noted for his many years of continued charitable work supporting veterans. Chelsea Pensioners and guests were given an oak leaf to wear symbolising the oak tree where Prince…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

On His Majesty's Secret Service. A film by Cécile Coolen.

Ian Reed MBE Lég d’Hon, Cécile Coolen, Alan Malcher. At Institut français du Royaume-Uni. 31 May 2024. I was honoured to receive an invitation from Héléne Duchéne Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom via Ian Reed MBE Lég d’Hon to a special viewing of On His Majesty’s Secret Service a film about SOE in occupied Europe by Cécile Coolen.  It was also a pleasure meeting Cécile Coolen and…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Leo Marks MBE: Head of SOE (Special Operations Executive) Codes and Cyphers.

Leo Marks (24 September 1920- 15 January 2021) was born to a devout Jewish family in London. His father was joint owner of Marks and Co and was an antiquarian bookseller in Charring Cross Road, London. Marks joined the army in January 1942 and was sent to Bletchley Park as a codebreaker where he was regarded a misfit. However, SOE saw him has as one of a few unique people who could see patterns…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Alexandre Schwatschko, field name Alexander Shaw: Air Landing Officer SOE French Section.

24 year old Alexandre Schwatschko aka Alexander Shaw Alexandre Schwatschko was born in Russia on 19 July 1919 to a wealthy family with property in the Ukraine and during the Bolshevik Revolution (8 March 1917 to 6 June 1923) the family moved to France. When war was declared in 1939 he enlisted into the French Air Force and served as a pilot until the fall of France in 1940. After being…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

The mysterious death of SOE agent Christopher Lord.

Christopher Lord. Christopher James Lord was born in Birmingham, England on 27 October 1900. He was recruited by SOE in 1942 whilst working for the Guaranty Trust Company of New York after previously working for American Express in Paris and his wife was serving as a lieutenant with the Free French based in London. It is known Lord arrived in France on 15 April 1943 with instructions to…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

British Homefront during the Second Word War: The Blitz.

London Blitz. (No source) The aerial bombardment of British cities was commonly called the Blitz ( 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941) . The Luftwaffe Blitz on Britain began on the afternoon of 7 September 1940 when 348 German bombers with 617 fighter escorts targeted London during which 430 civilians were killed and 1,600 badly injured and attacks continued on London for the next 57…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Pilot Officer Osman McMillian RCAF KIA 24 September 1944.

Wreck of the Spitfire flown by P/O McMillian. (Colour by Piece of Cake, original image credit not listed) 21 year old Pilot Officer Osman McMillian from Windsor Ontario, Canada served with 441 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and was recently commissioned before being killed in action in Gelderland, Netherlands on 24 September 1944. Osman McMillian before qualifying as a pilot and later…

[alanmalcherhistorian]

Pauline Trahan: SOE Agent.

I have recently been informed that on 4 February 2024 one of the last surviving members of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) French Section died at the age of 97. If her age is correct and was 17 when she parachuted into France, Nicola Pauline Marie Trahan was one of the youngest agents serving with F (French ) Section. RIP