Mission Richard

The following story is taken from jottings (in minute copper plate writing) found on the back of an old gas board bill envelope (and very nearly thrown out) while sorting through the papers belonging to my father after his death in 1993. The post mark on the envelope was 7/2/80 so I have deduced that sometime around that date my father and possibly my mother as well were going through the letters that they had written to each other nearly daily during the 1939 and 1940 (some of which I still have) and re-living events of that period.
There is no information of any sensitive nature even this long after the war and when details of a sojourn in France in early 1940 are detailed I still have no idea what exactly they were doing and as most of the records from Bletchley Park were destroyed at the end of the war we may never know. I do know that the code name for the expedition was “Mission Richard” which I presume is because it was led by Major Richard Pritchard. Other members were Captain Gore-Browne, Lt. Geoffrey Evans, NCO Sgt. John Manson . On 10/2 40 five RASC clerks, Privates Jock Kemp, Le Mesurier, Phillips, Roots and Geoffrey Rowe (my Dad, aged 28) in charge of lieutenant Geoffrey Evans left Bletchley and travelled via London Charing Cross, Folkstone, Calais, Paris to La Ferte sous Jouarre on the river Marne, arriving 11.2.40. It was very cold at first there having been further falls of snow. “Our first daylight sight of the small town was a very wintry scene”

JOTTINGS FROM AN ENVELOPE BY G L Rowe {?=not sure of the spelling or guessing at information by me, his daughter}

SOJOURN IN FRANCE

Although we worked quite hard with our days sometimes spilling through into evening duties, we nevertheless had free time as the work allowed, and we were also free from the sort of constraints normally obtaining in army units. We were just like a household, whose members had “their place” so to speak, but there was no military discipline in the accepted sense. Thus, the Officers had their quarters and we had ours. The mansion which we occupied had been commandeered by the French military authorities and put at our disposal for the exercise we embodied known as “Mission Richard”. We owed some sort of liaison allegiance to the larger No 2 British Military Mission which was our link with the outside world and with the British Expeditionary Force HQ but we were isolated from any other British troops, who were all miles away to the north-east of where we were. But we did meet French soldiers who were also at La Ferte under the French Deuxienne Bureau with whom our Mission had a special liaison arrangement. The townsfolk viewed our presence with favour, and we had instances of evidently warm feelings towards the British. The fact that La Ferte had been the point during the First World War where the German’s early thrust towards Paris had been halted by the arrival of British reinforcements (rushed up from Paris by any means available, including whole cohorts of Paris taxi cabs) may well have contributed to the welcome we received locally within the limited opportunities we had for social intercourse.
In recollection, the cold clear weather in the early days of late winter was followed by a fine Spring and a really wonderful summer which began in May. Never had any of us heard so many nightingales singing at the same time; through our open bedroom windows it seemed that the whole of the valley of the Marne was flooded with the sound. The absent owner of the mansion had left his caretaker and wife in their cottage in the grounds, and it was with them that we had our meals. We drew ration allowance which more than covered the amount which Madame Gisson charged us for our keep (and also for our laundry), so that we did not need to draw actual pay, having enough left to meet our modest needs. Rene Gisson had evidently returned to his peasant origins and cultivated the garden for all vegetable needs. Seeing him go to and fro, up and down the garden, with a yoke and a couple of pails of well-water, one would not have guessed that he had actually been at one time a Paris taxi driver. His closeness to the soil was sometimes highlighted by his delight in tucking into a couple of blackbirds which his wife had cooked for him (he, of course, had shot them). Needless to say we did not partake of such fare, and Madame provided us with a very good range of diet. We got on well with them, and seemed to overcome the language difficulty quite well. Madame spoke rapidly but Rene had evidently learned to use economy of words delivered slowly e.g. when he wanted to observe that the weather was a little less severe he said very deliberately “ce matin moing froid” whereas Madame would have used a whole string of words delivered at speed. But she was very kind, and showed special consideration if any of us happened to be a bit poorly.

“ I should have mentioned that there was an NCO in our party SGT John Manson and the officer contingent consisted of Major Richard Pritchard, Captain Gore-Browne and Lt. Geoffrey Evans. Sgt Manson was immediately in charge of us “other ranks” and he fed with us chez Gisson. He and I got on well with each other as the other lads, although good fellows, were a lot younger and (apart from Jock Kemp) had all been Militia boys (the young conscripts pressed into service in 1938) so they tended to go about together. Manson had been in the original advance party with the Major and Capt. Gore-Browne when the mission was set up some time before we arrived. He had made a few social contacts with people in the town {?La Ferte} and had got to know the best places for shopping or refreshment. Through him I also got to know some of the French poilus {?soldier} our counterparts in the local unit with which our officers liaised. We thus managed some very pleasant interludes outside of the routine of our daily work and got to know some agreeable people e.g. from the French soldiers, in particular , Jean and Marc with whom we swapped a photograph. They took the trouble to get a post card from Paris for Enid (Madame Jeff as they put it,) {May 1940} Also, Madame et Monsieur Volk who ran a very nice eating place called Le Grilon{?}, always made us very welcome.{e.g.26th or 28th March 1940} They were an interesting couple. He had been a refugee from the Russian Bolshie revolution in 1917 and had escaped to Paris “in his nightshirt” or en chemise as he put it. His wife had worked in London at some time and spoke good English. They had a charming daughter aged 11 and it was she who found the rather whimsical postcard to send to Enid.{19/4/40} I got on well with Monsieur Volk and he lent me a book from which to try to learn Russian. It was also good exercise for one’s French as the text was written in that language.
And so, after a very few weeks we had settled down to what seemed an agreeable routine, and even the odd formal “away” pass was allowed. John Manson had tried out the Union Jack Club, {presumably in Paris} which catered for British troops and found it satisfactory and I was given the opportunity to have a flying visit to the French capital {13/3/40} leaving La Ferte at lunch time on a Saturday and returning from Paris after lunch time on the Sunday. The Club was fine and I managed to do a sightseeing tour of the city on the Sunday, pictures (French) on the Saturday night and also tried but failed to contact Monsieur Mesemer, a Parisian whom I had met on a coach holiday to Scotland. I visited Notre Dame where I got a little momento for Enid and I also met and shook hands with a real live bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church at the most ancient building of the church of ----{can’t decipher}
Another curious thing was how I got involved with teaching English to a young lad called Michael whose family we had got to know. What I cannot remember is how I came to be asked to undertake this educational tutorial exercise, which was very much subject to the chance of the free time available.

Our fairly stable modus vivendi received the first hint of coming interruption during the early part of April with the news that the Germans had overrun Norway and Denmark. It was about this time that Capt Gore-Browne had taken the opportunity to arrange a short home leave, and (knowing from his obligatory censorship role that Enid was in Bristol where he himself lived) very kindly offered to convey such present as I would like to get for her. I chose a pendant at a local shop, and GB made sure of its safe delivery. (He didn’t manage the time for personal delivery but endorsed it with a charming letter which Enid appreciated no end.)
However, towards the end of April the “powers that be” were confident enough to give us a small increase in staff to cope with our increasing workload.

{The rest of this story is rather garbled and it talks about Cooper/Freeman who up to now have not been mentioned. I think the small group at La Ferte may have linked up with others to move as France was falling. There is mention of move from La Ferte on or about the 6th June and sleeping out in a hayfield, perfect weather 8th June. Then train journey to new town, also 12th June tidying a garden because they couldn’t work (electricians in)}

“The Cooper/Freeman story begins in Paris with reference to efforts to make a contribution to France’s war effort and their lack of success through such dates as 5th April 1940 German attack on Denmark and Norway, withdrawal from Trondheim 24/4/40 etc. and the realization that things were not going well, then ,10th May, Dutch and Belgium neutrality violated by Germans. First refugees arrive in Paris, the false rumours etc. Allied withdrawal west of Brussels then f--- providing —oo---for troops, they became part of the French Redcross service 28th May for a week getting equipped and allocated to a section, then 3rd June 1940 they set off for Villiers sur Marne, their base till 9th June, problems of traffic but they were moving and accepted wounded in different locations. Went through La Ferte sous Jourre on 9th June, through Jourre to Rebais where they slept for the night. Moved on the following day 19th June and camped overnight en route to Betok Baleches {?} but on 11th June new destination, but stopped at a country chateau “Chateau des Miniles” {?}. Here on 12th June the truth of a desperate situation realised. 12th June Proving whence they were to proceed to new HQ at St.Valerien when various duty journeys completed. Made their way there 14th June but were moved on to Champigny and round about the area of Sens Auxerre and St Valerien for a couple more days. 15th June on to Chateau Renard on to Dammerie. 16th June Les Naudins. (13th June report of fights at La Ferte where line of Marne still held), 17th June Bourges. Hear of Reynauds’s resignation and appointment of Petain, and his announcement that he had approached Germans to know terms of a truce. Government had moved to Bordeaux on Saturday. Reached Allogny for night 18th June Issoudin Chateauroux Argentor sur Creuse to spend night at Malicornay Thurs 20th June 1am leave for Le Gros D’Ognon arr 8am. Still there 21st June then on to Limoges and while there (back after mission) newspaper headlines “The Plenipotentine {?} meet”. Saturday 22nd June St Yrieix final decision to make for Bordeaux leaving evening of 22nd. First stop Perigneux for meal then in darkness on towards Bordeaux through the night, Le Bourne {? Bordeaux}at 8am where newspaper with headlines “Armistice signed” (previous evening at 6pm). It is now the 23rd June, Government has moved to Vichy. Board HMS {?} Beagle about lunch time and finally left about tea time on 23rd June. June 24th at sea. Plymouth 6.30am 25th June, London 26th!”

{As I am not familiar with any of the French place names there may be errors and Dad was remembering years later and only for his own interest so, as I said, a bit garbled. I am amazed that he could give so much detail. After this he returned to Bletchley and was involved with intelligence work for the rest of the war. I am not sure which hut he was in, would like to know if anyone else can tell me. After the war in a reference given by Lt Col Pritchard all he says with reference to work is “Mr Geoffrey Rowe served under me during the greater part of the war as my chief clerk. As such he held a responsible post in charge of about a dozen junior clerks carrying out work of a technical nature requiring considerable intelligence--------and on my recommendation was awarded the MBE.”}

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