Wing Commander Yeo Thomas

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/wing-commader%20yeo-thomas.htm

Wing commander Yeo Thomas WWII hero and hero of the resistance

He was known as White Rabbit (Code name) to the French resistance and joined SOE in February of 42. Parachuted into Normandy, he travelled to Paris to organize various rwesistance movements through out France, a hazrdous (needless to say) undertaking requiring necessary guts, idealism, and daring upon which those that performed these tasked thrived. In April he returned and was given a vital task to find out why so many of the resistance were being arrested in Paris.He was able to successfully solidify security within and between resistance units.He approached CVhurchill to ensufre better armaments for these units.In February 44 he was parachuted back to France to assess damage done by the arrest of two reistsance leaders During this time he was captured and tortured by the Gestapo and sent to Buchenwald from which he escaped in November 44. By Spring 45, he reached the safety of the advancing allies. His pattern of life and activity demonstrates his superb courage with cunning and heroism to resist a merciless Nazi foe knowing the hazards and risks to be encountered when caught and still maintained vigilance, as many did in that era.The trimes called for such as these and they rose to the occasion as they always do in such times.

Wing-Commander Yeo-Thomas joined the Special
Operations Executive in February 1942. Yeo-Thomas was
known to the French
Resistance as 'Shelley' or as the 'White Rabbit'.
In February 1943, Yeo-Thomas was
parachuted into Normandy. From here, he travelled to Paris where he had been
given the task of organising the various resistance movements that were found
throughout France. In April 1943, he returned to France where he was given the
vital task of trying to work out why so many members of the French
Resistance were being arrested in Paris. His influence and guidance ensured
that the various resistance
movements used much greater security not only within each unit but between
the various factions.
On one of his inspections of the resistance,
Yeo-Thomas was appalled at how badly they were equipped with weapons. In an
interview with Winston
Churchill, he claimed that the resistance would only operate better, if they
had access to better armaments. In February 1944, Yeo-Thomas was
parachuted back into France to assess the damage done by the arrest of two
leading resistance leaders. During this work, he was captured and tortured by
the Gestapo. Yeo-Thomas was sent to Buchenwald concentration camp where, in
November 1944, he escaped. By the spring of 1945, Yeo-Thomas had
reached the safety of the advancing Allies in France.
History Learning Site
> World War
Two > Resistance
Movements > Special
Operations Executive > Wing Commander Yeo-Thomas