The Special Operations Executive house in Chelsea wrecked by bombing in WW2

Three SOE agents specially trained to work behind enemy lines and among the first to be sent to France were killed in the bombing of 15 Basil Street, Knightsbridge, Chelsea in the massive air raid on London during the night of 10th to 11th May 1941.

Others were severely injured. The extraordinary luck in scoring a direct hit on SOE was an inauspicious start to F-Section’s plan to organise armed resistance, sabotage and subversion.

For the first time, the Chelsea History and Studies project profiles the three brave Frenchmen planning to return to their home country to fight the Nazi occupiers.

One of the French SOE agents who had been residing, at 15 Basil Street, Georges Bégué, had been lucky enough to be parachuted into France five days before to become the first SOE French Section trained agent to land in Vichy France.

He was able to found the first SOE undercover network in France and he was given the codename ‘Bomb Proof’ because of his good fortune in avoiding being killed in the London Blitz with three of his friends and comrades.

The detonation of a parachute mine towards the end of the notorious London Blitz air-raid during the early hours of 11th May 1941 would claim fourteen lives.

At the time, such bombs were catagorised as a ‘Non-Contact, Parachute Ground (Land) Mine Type GC’

Non-Contact, Parachute Ground (Land) Mine Type GC © IWM (MUN 3509)

It is now becoming clear that the up-market boarding house at number 15 Basil Street was effectively a key residential location for the inchoate Special Operations Executive and most likely largely occupied by their agents and staff.

It is reasonable to speculate that apart from the equivalent ‘concierge’ housekeeper and service staff everyone staying in its rooms may have been in some way connected with SOE operations; not only in respect of the French Section.

In an archive interview by the Imperial War Museum with ‘Spymistress’ Vera Atkins, she made it clear the bombing was a major blow to its operations since it killed at least three fully trained agents about to be among the first to be flown to or parachuted into occupied France.

The official histories published about the SOE such as M.R.D. Foot’s S.O.E. In France and Major Robert Bourne-Paterson’s S.O.E. In France 1941-1945 do not explain in any detail about what must have been something of a catastrophe at the very beginning of SOE’s history.

There is one vague notation in Foot’s book elucidated further below.

There is no mention at all in the book written by the head of the SOE French Section, Maurice Buckmaster They Fought Alone: The True Story of SOE’s Agents in Wartime France.

What is also equally sad is that in the new edition of this book, updated and edited by historians, not one of the three SOE agents/officers is included among those listed as having been killed by enemy action during the Second World War.

Their names also appear to be missing from the special memorial and plaques established in Valençay, in the department of Indre in France. This is surely an unfortunate omission which hopefully should be corrected sometime in the future.

It is a fact that they were the first French Section SOE agents to die as a result of enemy action. This happened in Chelsea.

I would have thought their names would have been included in any memorial or written history, but I can understand why the priority of attention in the historical narrative has been the fate of agents who made it to France and died while operating there.

The blast demolished 15 Basil Street and other buildings in Rysbrack Street and Hans Crescent.

The new building’s architecture is late 20th and early 21st century style and has nothing in common with the original end of terrace five storey structure, with basement, Victorian mansion block.

The Historic England aerial photograph of Basil Street, Rysbrack Street and Hans Crescent taken in 1949, about eight years after the bombing shows how the entire five storey end of terrace house was completely destroyed.

In the general shot on the left, at lower centre right you can see the white cement fascia of the side of number 13 Basil Street and in the close-up captured for the purposes of historical review and criticism you can see what is now the open basement of number 15 Basil Street on the corner of Rysbrack Street.

Many of the residents of number 15 were killed instantly, fatally injured, or left with permanently disabling injuries.

Vera Atkins on 15 Basil Street

Vera explained that in the early spring of 1941 she was working with a group of around four to six men starting up the French Section of SOE at 64 Baker Street including Lewis Gielgud, the elder brother of the famous actor John Gielgud and Val Gielgud, head of radio drama at the BBC.

Lewis, who held the army rank of Major and later Lieutenant Colonel, was in charge of recruiting and training agents.

Captain Maurice Buckmaster was in charge of intelligence. Vera Atkins said she was ‘floating between them.’

If I remember two people were killed, two of our chaps. [We know her memory here was not exact as three agents died.] One was very severely damaged and had back injuries and was unable to proceed to the field, but became an administrative person in Baker Street, a man called Willis.

And the one who survived unscathed, was Georges Bégué, known as George Noble. And he was the first agent to be dropped in France as a wireless operator and agent in the unoccupied zone. I believe roughly on the 10th May 1941. [Again, Vera confuses the actual date of his landing in France with the air raid bombing of Basil Street five days’ later.]

And he was dropped under the code-name “Bomb Proof!”‘

Vera Atkins’ recollections were not fully correct. Georges Bégué was first dropped into France by parachute on 5th May 1941, and thus did avoid being in 15 Basil Street with the other agents when it was bombed.

It may have become something of a myth that Bégué had walked out of the wreckage of Basil Street as he had a developing legend in the SOE in terms of his effectiveness and ability to escape after having been arrested by Vichy French police.

It is more than likely Bégué lodged at 15 Basil Street before being despatched to France on the night of 5th/6th May. The fact he avoided being killed in the bombing by getting to France only five days before is clearly the source of the ‘Bomb Proof’ legend.

He left SOE and the British Army in November 1944, after the D-Day landings and successful invasion of North West Europe, to take on the rank of ‘Commandant Georges Bégué’ in the French Army.

M.R.D. Foot’s 1966 history has a single and short notation saying: ‘He had been out on the night of the air raid that hit F section’s holding flat; so they called this operation BOMBPROOF (page 162).

This cannot be strictly accurate as the bombing was on the night of 10th and 11th May 1941, unless they decided to retrospectively name the operation ‘Bomb Proof.’

Key members of the French Section SOE team from 64 Baker Street convened into a cordoned off committee room at Chelsea Town Hall in the King’s Road for the identification of the bodies of their agents and a discussion over the implication of their deaths in the air raid.

Where were they going to be buried? How should their next of kin in occupied territories be informed and what would they be told? Who would look after their effects? Major Lewis Gielgud who had recruited all three of them and managed their training was there and taking charge of the decision making.

The SOE agents killed just before they were being sent to France

The three SOE agents from France had cover names and identities as second lieutenants in the British army.

A fourth Frenchman, an officer in the Free French Forces, was also killed, but apart from his details being recorded in the archives of Chelsea borough casualties of the Blitz, there are no records matching anyone listed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission or SOE.

Extensive searching of databases listing officers in de Gaulle’s Free French Forces also do not produce any matches.

It is not certain whether this man was outside in the street or inside number 15 at the time the parachute mine detonated and visiting the three SOE operatives who were, of course, fellow Fenchmen. He may also have been one of the occupants of the bedsitting rooms.

Number 15 Basil Street appears to have been an up-market boarding house or block of bedsits where people rented rooms and were all attended to by a flats manageress with a cadre of four servants. Occupancy seems to have been somewhat itinerant.

An examination of the 1939 register recording residency on 29th September of that year reveals a cosmopolitan mix of people including an insurance inspector serving in the Auxiliary Fire Service, retired trained nurse, company director, Captain in the Royal Navy on the retired list, the Vice Consul of Colombia, a student, news journalist, Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps, company director from Greece and his wife, and an export representative also working in the Auxiliary Fire Service.

The Historic England aerial photograph of Basil Street and Hans Crescent taken in 1934 on the left below, at centre left, one fifth from the bottom shows the edge of the roof of Harrods Department Store and the close-up selected on the right for the purposes of historical review and criticism provides a view of number 15 Basil Street on the corner of Rysbrack Street.

The Chelsea History and Studies project has examined the files of the agents with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) at the National Archives.

For the first time the background, commitment, training and courage of these three brave Frenchmen, so willing to risk their lives to return to their occupied country and continue the fight against the Nazis, can be fully revealed and described.

35 year old John Gilbert Garner real name Jean Albert Garnier

Commonwealth War Graves Commission records indicate he was eventually buried at Brookwood Military cemetery in his English alias of Garner and real name of Garnier and he had been seconded to the Special Operations Executive SOE.

This means he has two commemorative entries with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. These records state, erroneously, that he was killed in Basil Street on 10th May rather than 11th May 1941.

His body was actually recovered from the debris at 8.55 p.m. on the 12th May 1941.

Garnier was in uniform carrying his army pay book (Second Lieutenant 183048) and a personal diary in the name of John Albert Garner.

He was initially buried at the Catholic St Mary’s cemetery in Harrow north-west London and at some stage must have been disinterred and moved to Brookwood.

His SOE agent’s file (HS 9/565/4) released to the National Archives outlines a wider narrative of his background, life and service training in the Special Operations Executive.

He was formally commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in ‘The Buffs’ of the British Army on the 29th March 1941 with the formal announcement in the London Gazette being published two days after his death. The paperwork refers to the cover-name of the SOE- The I.S.R.B. standing for Inter Services Research Bureau.

His SOE Battle Casualty form reveals he was a French subject born on 13th August 1905 and married to a Madame Garnier of 94 Rue de la République, Saint Maude, in the Seine region.

The fact he was issued with an official ‘SOE Battle Casualty’ form is proof that he was killed by enemy action while on duty.

His next of kin in the United Kingdom was Monseiur J. Grant de Longeueuil of Abbots Drive, Virginia Water, Surrey. Arrangements were made for his burial when his body was laid out for formal identification at Chelsea Town Hall .

A bundle of the dead officer’s effects in a linen bag were handed over to Major Lewis Gielgud in the Town Hall. Mr Grant de Longeueuil made inquiries about the whereabouts of Jean Garnier’s gold wrist watch.

An SOE officer who collected his effects from the wreckage and clothing said he had asked ‘another officer, who was with Garner at the time they were bombed regarding the watch. This officer says that they had all gone to bed, but that when the bombing got bad they got up and dressed. Shortly after, the building was hit, and Garner killed. The assumption is that though Garner dressed he did not put his watch on which was presumably by his bed-side.’

When his death was reported to the War Office Casualties Office in Liverpool on 27th May 1941, they were informed that ‘The next of kin has not been informed. We do not know who this is, but we understand that, as this officer is a foreigner, it is considered inadvisable to get in contact with his relatives for fear of reprisals being taken against them.’

Jean Garnier’s SOE papers provide a detailed report on his training. He was sent to ‘STS 21’ – Arisaig House, Arisaig, Inverness-shire for commando-style training.

His health was described as ‘Fit. Not very strong’ and he was fairly good at physical training. He was fair in fieldcraft, fair in close combat and excellent with pistol weapon training. He was also good with a Tommy gun.

His Morse Code communications though were poor, managing only two words per minute.

He scored well with explosives and demolition with an 83 per cent mark in the practical test and a 73 per cent mark in the written one.

His map reading test scored 76 out of 100 which was ‘good’ and he was ‘farly good with the practical map reading.

He was good at irregular warfare and sabotage.

He could drive a car and ride a motorcycle.

Lieutenant Colonel Evans, the Commandant at S.T.S.21 concluded he was ‘Very keen and is prepared to go to great pains to learn.

He was sent to S.T.S. 33 Finishing School in Beaulieu, Hampshire 7th February 1941.

The Finishing Schools S.T.S. 31 to S.T.S. 36 were various houses and locations in and around Beaulieu, Hampshire.

In the meantime, MI5 (The Security Service) carried out security vetting on him and confused him with another Garnier who they had come across in the Far East and did not impress them:

‘We have records of one Garnier who was in business in Singapore in 1938 but there is insufficient detail to connect. The Garnier in our files came to notice in connection with his voluminous reports on supposed spy activities in Malaya, which were regarded by the Authorities as verging on the crazy. If you are able to establish identity, he is certainly unsuitable for any employment of the kind mentioned above.’

On the 17th February 1941 the French Section decided they did not think their ‘Garnier is identical with the man of the same name in M.I.5’s report. He is going to be used as an organiser.’

At S.T.S 31 Finishing School teaching Propaganda, Garnier did impress and this teaching may have been carried out by Kim Philby who in the early days of SOE did create the propaganda syllabus and instruct at Beaulieu.

On the 26th of April 1941- only days before Jean Garnier was going to be sent to France, Lieutenant-Colonel Munn reported that in the propaganda course he ‘Started from scratch – shows moderate promise’ and in conclusion he was overall rated:

‘Intelligent and very keen. Open and likeable personality. With his enthusiasm and powers of attracting personnel, might well be successful.’

Another SOE report card for Garnier provides a little background on his life, origin and physical appearance. There was no photograph surviving in his file.

At the age of 35 he had a ruddy complexion, brown eyes, black hair, was 5 feet and six inches tall, weighed 148 pounds and obviously spoke native French as well as English. His previous employment and qualifications were ‘Assistant Managing Director’, in the French Army for 18 months serving in the Infantry, liaison with the British Expeditionary Force, Secretary in the French Army Staff and had been in the British Army for six months.

He underwent his preliminary training at S.T.S. No. 5 which was Wanborough Manor, Puttenham, Guildford, Surrey and had operated as the Preliminary School for F (French) Section agents.

It was reported that he was fit in health, good in character, good in physical training, fair in fieldcraft, fair shot in weapons training, fair with explosives and demolition, fair in communications, fair in mapreading and sketching, could drive a motorcycle and car, but not ride a bicycle. The training centre Commandant, Major D.A. Larder on 27th February 1941 concluded he was ‘Not a leader, pleasant rather talkative. Tries hard. I do not recommend that this man be given further training for Special Duties.’

There were other reports from training leaders Lance Corporal Rees and Bisset.

Rees started on 25th February 1941: ‘Like Basin I do not think he is temperamentally suitable, and, although he has Sergeant stripes does not impress one as being too practical. I would qualify this estimate by adding that he is the only Breton in the party and a Breton needs some deeper study than I have permitted to make so far of this man.’

By the 12th of March L/Cpl Rees has decided that Garnier is a ‘Very reliable soldier, but has no aptitude for this kind of work, and its lack has become manifest recently; on the other hand, he mixes very well and is liked by his fellows.’

One week later L/Cpl Rees has decided ‘Garner about whom I have made reservations in previous reports, has done quite well in the week’s trials.’

Lance Corporal Bisset observed on 25th February 1941 that the SOE agent trainee Garner/Garnier was a ‘Nice and willing man – too old and not physically fit for strenuous jobs. Good soldier.’ On the 12th of March 1941 Bisset said Garnier ‘Did not go on 24-hour scheme owing to a bad foot. He is good medium intelligence, would be very useful in an office. Would not be fit for physical work.’

By the 19th of March L/Cpl Bisset has decided that Jean Garnier is a ‘Typical Frenchman in his habits – gets excited easily. Although he does not look young his character is very young.

The card has typed at 10th February 1942 ‘Garnier is deceased (no date given).

In the early spring of 1947 Jean Garnier’s widow in France was beginning to ask questions about what had happened to her husband during the Second World War. She had presumed he might have been killed, but did not know how, why and wanted proof.

His SOE file therefore includes War Office correspondence ascertaining the trail for his body and effects:

‘2nd Lieut. John Albert Garnier. (…) Officer was identified at Chelsea Town Hall by his personal effects which were found on him. These included a diary and Army documents. One of our Officers took possession of these effects and the disposal order for the body from the Authorities at Chelsea Town Hall. The effects were sent with other property of the deceased Officer to the President, Standing Committee of Adjustment, Liverpool. The deceased was buried in a private grave in St. Mary’s Cemetery, N.W. 10. The British Army was represented at the funeral, several of our Officers being present.’

Contemporary images of Chelsea Town Hall where on May 11th and 12th May 1941 there was a secret identification of the three SOE agents killed at 15 Basil Street, Knightsbridge during the worst Luftwaffe air raid on London overnight 10th and 11th May 1941.

On the 26th February 1947, the War Office contacted a Mrs B Livesey at Ornan Court, Ornan Road N.W.3 to find out if she had identified the body and if so how was this done: ‘The reason why I am anxious to know this is that the widow of Lt. Garnier is still not convinced that he was killed, and although there is not the slightest doubt about this, it would assist me to reply if you could give me the information I require.’

It is presumed Mrs Livesey was on the staff of SOE’s French Section in May 1941 and had accompanied the then Major Lewis Gielgud to make the identification and sort things out.

Madame Garnier was in fact anxious to marry again, but it seems she had not had any direct communications about his fate during the War and immediately after. She was asking if it were possible to exhume the body said to be him from Kensal Rise Cemetery where he was apparently buried on 13th May 1941 for the purposes of identification and re-burial in France.

The War Office in Liverpool had confirmed that they had been unable to ascertain the address of his widow so no notification had been sent and they had not been in communication with Monsieur de Longeueiul until 13th October 1945.

Gradually the military and intelligence bureaucracy began to establish the facts and track down necessary documentation:

‘This officer, at the time of his death, was not performing any particular tour of duty, but being on the strength of this branch, London was his normal duty station. At the time of his death he was in his civilian billet which suffered a direct hit and Garner was instantaneously killed.’ [19th October 1945]

‘The only information we have in our records regarding the next-of-kin of this officer is the address of his wife Madame Garnier, 94, Rue de la Republique, St. Mode (Seine). As this was given to us as long ago as 1941, it is quite possible that it is by now out of date. As Garner was killed long before the liberation of France, we have never had any communication direct with his family in France. All correspondence with regard to his death and the disposal of his effects was sent to Mr. T. Grant de Longmeuil, Abbots Drive, Virginia Water, Surrey.’ [8th October 1945]

The Liverpool branch of the War Office had been anxious in October 1945 to send a letter of sympathy and condolences to his widow.

Madame Garnier had begun asking questions as early as December 1944 and sought the help of the Red Cross even before the war had ended. Was there a certificate of death? Did her husband leave a will?

On the 15th January 1945, the International Red Cross in Geneva had contacted the War Office in London explaining they had the following request from their delegation in Paris:

‘We would be grateful if you could obtain an official notification of death of Sous-Leutenant Garner Albert (real name: Garnier), born 13th August 1905, French subject, joined the British Army at the time of the Armistice. This soldier sent news of himself through the War Office, Room 055A, London, from which the notification of death should be obtained. Albert Garnier is believed to have been killed in a shelter in London during an air-raid on the night of 12th to 13th May 1941. His wife, Madame Garnier, 94, rue de la République, Saint Mande, (Seine), requires an official death notification for the Insurance Company. Will you very kindly let us know what to reply to Geneva as you have perhaps already informed Mme Garnier since postal communications have been reopened with France.’

It will be apparent how haphazard the bureaucratic exchange of information had been. Madame Garnier’s address in France was changing from Saint Mande, to Saint Mode, to Saint Maude. Is it any wonder she received any proper notification even if it had been sent?

It seems Jean Albert Garnier’s satchel and contents arrived at the Blue Coat School in Church Road, Wavertree, Liverpool on 16th September 1941 which the War Office was then using for its ‘Standing Committee of Adjustment.’

The satchel contained ‘a notebook, various letters, notes, receipts, snapshots, spectacles, tobacco and various odds and ends’ which belonged to Garnier and no doubt his widow or family would have eventually liked to have received. The paper trail indicated this was sent to Mr. T. Grant de Longmeuil, in Virginia Water. Nothing in the SOE file confirms it eventually reached his family.

There had been enquiries by Mr Grant de Longmeuil about Garnier’s gold wrist watch which presumably had some heritage or sentimental value for the officer’s family, but this had never been found. Grant de Longmeuil had presumably been nominated by Garnier to represent his next of kin in Britain.

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Jacques Edwin Fresco otherwise known as Forrester was a second lieutenant in the British Army with the service number of 183030 and 29 years of age. His body was recovered from the debris and destruction in Basil Street at 8.20 a.m. on 11th May 1941.

He was originally buried in the Catholic St Mary’s cemetery in Harrow on 17th May and then moved to the Free French Forces section of Brookwood cemetery in Surrey before being repatriated by his family at the end of the Second World War.

He has a second record in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database as James Edwin Forrester. His Special Operations Executive File has also been released to the National Archives at Kew.

The Security Service MI5 reported that they had nothing recorded against Jacques Fresco who they had confirmed had been an Avocat Stagière (barrister) in France and later secretary of the family firm, E A Kimpton & Co., 20 Rue Richer, Paris, of which his father was the President.

Jacques was born in Paris, France on 5th June 1911. He was commissioned into E Company, The Intelligence Corps of the East Surrey Regiment as a British Army Second Lieutenant, but was attached to the Inter Services Research Bureau (ISRB) the cover name for the Special Operations Executive.

During the Second World War, and before the armistice between France and Germany, he had served as a junior prosecutor in French court martials and later joined the French mission as agent de liaison 125th Infantry Brigade because of his excellent English language skills.

SOE informed MI5 that they intended to infiltrate him into occupied and/or Vichy France as ‘an organiser’ of an intelligence network.

His SOE records described his complexion as fair, eyes blue, dark brown hair, five feet and eight inches tall and weight 174 pounds. In civil employment, he had been a barrister and shipping manager, who had been called up in June 1939 for service in the French Army in the Saar.

He had undergone SOE preliminary training in S.T.S. No. 5 at Wanborough Manor, Puttenham, Guildford, Surrey.

The Commandant Major D.A. Larder said Fresco was ‘Very cheerful. Has initiative and dash. Energetic and very keen. Will make a leader. He left Wanborough Manor for further training at S.T.S. 21- Arisaig House, Arisaig, Inverness-shire – for commando-style training.

At Wanborough Manor it was reported Jacques was in fit health, had good character, good fieldcraft, was good in weapons training as an average shot, achieved 65% in the explosives and demolitions examination with the grade of good and fair. He was good with Morse Code communications achieving four words a minute, achieved a good grade at 65% for map reading and sketching.

He could not ride either a bicycle or motorbike, but could drive a car.

The Lance Corporals at S.T.S 5 provided their views.

On 25th February 1941 L/Cpl Rees said he was ‘Another quiet type who gets on very well with everyone and gets on with his job unobtrusively. L/Cpl Bisset said he was a ‘Nice and quiet young lad, trustworthy, fairly clever.’

On 19th March 1941 L/Cpl Bisset offered an update: ‘Not as quiet as thought first. Always talking and joking – very moody and bad tempered. Has a good brain but lacks enthusiasm in his training.

At S.T.S. 21 in Arisaig Lieutenant Colonel Evans reported he ‘has much perseverance. Very keen, but hardly a good leader.’

In training his health was graded good, physical training good, fieldcraft fairly good, close combat good, use of a pistol in weapons training fair, Tommy gun good. For explosives and demolition, he achieved 64% in the practical test and 75% in the written examination.

He was good in map reading with 84% and his practical work was very good. He was good with irregular warfare and sabotage. Having completed is training at paramilitary schools he was sent to S.T.S. 33 Beaulieu in Hampshire for Finishing School work.

It sems at S.T.S 31 he never took any interest in propaganda, though it was observed ‘otherwise seems to be of a pretty high level of intelligence.’ On 26th April 1941 Lieutenant Colonel Munn said: ‘Intelligent and quick-witted. Apt to be lazy. A lively personality. A capable and resourceful man who should go far.’

It should be emphasized that Lieutenant Fresco/Forrester and his comrades Garnier and Popoff were not ‘trainee agents.’ Fresco and Garnier were certainly the finished article in terms of all their training. They were at 15 Basil Street waiting to be directed and driven to the air stations taking them to France.

There is a clear memorandum in Fresco’s SOE file stating categorically:

‘As far as our records show the aforementioned officer had just finished a course of operational training and was awaiting instructions in London to proceed to an operational mission in the Field. The night 10/11 May 41 when he was fatally injured can definitely be counted as “on duty.”‘

Jacques Fresco’s father escaped from France to Oran, Alger (Algeria) before the end of the Second World War and contacted the War Office to find out what happened to his son. On 11th October 1944 Monsieur André Fresco Peigne was sent his son’s effects and the formal and official expression of ‘very deep sympathy with you in your bereavement.’

There is something terribly poignant in learning that Monsieur Fresco Peigne received ten items and groups of items: Gold Signet ring; metal cigarette case (broken); leather wallets (both damaged); pay book, Yale key; snapshots; various British Army papers; various French papers; old cheque book and £1. 15s. 4d. in cash.

Jacques Fresco had told a friend in the spring of 1941 that should he not survive war operations, he would prefer that his family and friends in France would not be informed of his death until after the war.

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Lieutenant Richard Goff of the Free French forces, who was 43 years old, was another casualty of this air-raid. That was the name given to the body recovered at 8.45 p.m. on 11th May whose cause of death was ‘burns and bomb blast.’

Chelsea borough records show that he was buried at Brookwood military cemetery in plot 203160 on 16th May 1941. It is recorded that he was married, identified by a Lieutenant P Ladon of Free French Forces, was ‘about 43’ and wore a waistband marked ‘Richard Goff’ and possibly with his date of birth ‘2/11/1898’ on the reverse.

But again ‘Goff’ may have been the cover name for some secret role in the intelligence services.

The speculation that he was outside in the street is based on the fact the Chelsea borough records show he was wearing the remains of a blue Mackintosh when his body was recovered.

However, there is no record of Goff’s existence in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission online database either in the name of his Free French Forces alias Goff or his real French name. Similarly, his name is not currently registered in SOE files released to the National Archives at Kew.

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The records of SOE trainee agent Nicolas B Popoff, who was being trained with Garnier by the SOE to be infiltrated back into occupied France for operations are filed as HS 9/1205/10 in the National Archives under the name Peter Nicholas Powell.

His cover name of Peter Nicholas Powell, with the service number 146525 in the Royal Berkshire Regiment, gives his date of death as 10th May 1941, age of 27, but no location of death.

Like Garnier and Fresco he also has an entry with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission under this second name- Second Lieutenant Peter Nicholas Powell though this is designated as an ‘alias’ with Nicolas B Popoff identified as the ‘true family name.’

The Chelsea borough records indicate his body was recovered at 1 p.m. on 11th May. He was in full battledress uniform and also wearing his overcoat.

This suggests he had got dressed in readiness to leave the building as the air raid intensified like his fellow SOE officers, or that he may have been just outside in the street at the time of the bombing.

His identity card was in the name of ‘Nicholas Popoff’ giving the address of 14 Hertford Street W.1. He also had army papers in the name of Peter Nicholas Powell and was initially buried at St Mary’s cemetery in Harrow on 17th May 1941.

Popoff was more mysterious in terms of his identity, origins and details compared with Fresco and Garnier. Unlike Lieutenant Richard Goff, he does have intelligence and public record trails though after his death there was confusion about this next of kin and even the accuracy of his age.

It seems he had deliberately interrupted his training and he was back in London for a discussion with SOE at 64 Baker Street prior to any further advanced training or being sent back to France.

The MI5 Security Service provided the following intelligence report on his background.

British national of French, Russian and British origin. He was the Secretary of the British Chamber of Commerce in Marseilles, had been on the Intelligence Staff of the French Army in the Marseilles region, and later a liaison officer to the Brigade of Guards.

MI5 explained: Our records give the following regarding one Captain Powell whose address was given as Upper Wick, Worcester:-

On 6.11.40. the following advertisement appeared in the Free French Forces Newspaper “France”:-

“Seeking any French man who is being repatriated to take message, will give a reward.”

The matter was investigated and it was discovered that Captain Powell was a Captain in the Buffs and R.A.C. during the last war. He owns two hotels, the Manor House, Chantilly, and La Voile D’Or, St. Jean Cap Ferrar. He wished to send a message through to the director of the hotels, Mlle. Alice Wahrnund, to get into touch with some friends of his in the south of France.

There did not appear to be anything subversive in his action and no further action was taken.’

The veracity and accuracy of MI5’s intelligence here raises more questions than it answers. La Voile D’Or Hotel was indeed owned by a Mr Powell, but this was Thomas William Powell, a wealthy Kent hop farmer, and father of the successful film maker Michael Powell.

It seems SOE had decided that Nicolas Popoff’s proposed employment would be ‘as a contact’ in field operations in France.

There are further apparent contradictions in the intelligence profile. How can somebody about 30 years of age have been a Captain in the Buffs and Royal Armoured Corps during the last (First World War)?

He was recruited by SOE from the Royal Berkshire Regiment at Brook Barracks in Reading because of his ‘exceptional knowledge of French.’ He held a commission as a Second Lieutenant. When he was killed at Basil Street it was deemed that he was on duty in London for SOE.

After his death, there was considerable confusion about the identity of his father. Was it a Mr H. Powell, Esquire of 13 Edinburgh Road, Glasgow, or a Mrs P.O. Howard of Old Thatches, Preston, Near Sudbury, Suffolk?

Had Nicolas Popoff put these details down as part of his separate legend and British identity of Peter Nicholas Powell?

A letter of condolence sent to his putative father in Glasgow was returned as ‘not known at this address.’

The S.O.E headquarters at 64 Baker Street explained:

‘Regarding the next of kin, we regret that we do not know the relationship of Mrs. P.O. Howard. This is the first intimation that we have received that he has a father in this country. His real name was Nicolas Popoff, and he stated to us that his father was naturalised French from Russian some ten years ago, and was an engineer in the Fabre Freycinet Co. (whose headquarters are in Marseilles). They added ‘I am inclined to think that the alleged father in Glasgow is probably mythical!’ This sentence was crossed out and in longhand it was written: ‘ we are afraid that we cannot connect the association of Mr Howard and Glasgow.’

SOE and the War Office decided to keep all the property of 2nd Lieutenant P.N. Powell- ‘trinkets, personal papers and cash’ to the credit of his military estate. It is not clear how this was resolved after the end of the War.

Popoff was sent for preliminary training at S.T.S. 5 on 21st April 1941 and on the 30th April Lance Corporal Searle reported:

‘Good-natured, generous and a good mixer. He is inclined to resent any lack of attentions on the part of the permanent staff due to an officer. He suffers slightly from a feeling of inferiority and timidity, particularly in sports or subjects with which he is insufficiently acquainted. Although he, personally, considers a part of the present training completely unnecessary for his future work he is conscientiously carrying out the programme to the best of his abilities. Of the three officers in the party his capabilities are perhaps the most difficult to judge.’

The SOE training report card from S.T.S. 5 confirmed he was five feet nine inches tall, weighted 154 pounds, had a sallow complexion with brown eyes and black hair.

In addition to English, he could speak fluent French and Russian. His health status was judged to be fit, character very good, physical training good, fieldcraft fair, use of weapons fair, use of explosives fair, though he was not present for the exam.

He was fair in Morse Code communications- not present for the exam; fair in map reading though not present for the exam and could ride a bicycle, drive a motorbike, car and lorry. The conclusion was that he was ‘Intelligent and keen. This officer was of the opinion that he was waiting his time on this course. He was called to London on 5th May 1941 and was not present for the examination.’

He was, of course, killed at 15 Basil Street on the night of 10/11th May 1941.

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The Secret WW2 Learning Network website discloses that ‘Popoff and Garnier were trainee SOE agents who’d been killed during the Blitz, while in a holding house in central London.’

The website refers further on another page to Garnier and Popoff being ‘buried at Brookwood (a third trainee’s body was repatriated to France at the end of the war) in the Free French plot – despite the fact that they had both served in the British Army before joining SOE – Popoff in the Royal Berkshire Regiment and Garnier in The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment.)

It is likely the third trainee referred to as having been repatriated to France was Jacques Edwin Fresco.

See: https://www.secret-ww2.net/post/free-french-remembered-at-brookwood-military-cemetery and https://www.secret-ww2.net/post/soe-agents-of-many-nationalities-remembered.

Were any of the other 15 Basil Street casualties connected to SOE? None of their names match the personnel SOE files currently released to the National Archives. It is possible the Belgian and Dutch foreign nationals, Maurice Freedman and Amalia Huizinga-De Groot, could have been connected in some way.

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60 year-old Ronald Marryat. He was a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Field Artillery with a Distinguished Service Order, and the son of Admiral Joseph Marryat, and Frances Marryat, of Downe Hall, Downe, Kent. He was a widower and resident of number 15 Basil Street and died from the bomb blast and falling masonry while in his dressing gown, pyjamas and slippers. He was identified by his ‘old friend’ Cynthia Stafford. Marryat was a decorated veteran of the Boer War. In addition to receiving the DSO during the Great War, he was mentioned in dispatches two times.

20 year old Annie Parkes– daughter of John and Mary Parkes, of Baragher, Fivemilebourne P.O., Co. Leitrim, in the Irish Republic and was working as a domestic maid at number 15 Basil Street.

28 year old May Murray– daughter of John and Catherine Murray, of Cuilnakillen, Lahardane, Ballina, Co. Mayo, Irish Republic. May was working as a domestic cook in number 15 Basil Street.

28 year old Diana Sichel daughter of Adrian and Geraldine Dingh; wife of Sub-Lieut. Gerald Theodore S. Sichel, R.N.V.R. She was recovered from the debris at around the same time as Ivy Davis on 15th May with cause of death given as bomb blast and falling debris. She had been in uniform and carried an ARGT identity card.

55 year old Ivy Linda Davis of Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand. Daughter of the late Herbert and Emma Smith; widow of Adolphus Davis.

The Hon. June Mary Forbes-Sempill, aged 18. Daughter of Col. the Rt. Hon. Lord Sempill, A.F.C., of Craigievar Castle, Aberdeenshire, and of the late Lady Eileen Sempill. Lord Sempill was a Scottish peer and record-breaking air pioneer, who was later revealed to have passed secret information to the Imperial Japanese military before the Second World War. June was serving in the WVS and about to go to work at its Ebury Street mobile canteen depot when the landmine descended to wreak its destruction. See: https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/media/fmbiyhy5/wvs_roll_of_honour_2021.pdf

Maurice Freedman, aged 50. A distinguished Belgian subject and described as a diamond merchant in the Chelsea Borough records of Blitz casualties. He was buried in the United Synagogue Burial Society section of Willesdon cemetery. His Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry discloses he had been awarded the Ordre de Leopold; Croix de Guerre and Ordre de la Couronne of Belgium and he was the husband of Suzanne H. Freedman, of The Kingsway Hotel, Minehead, Somerset.

Amalia Huizinga-De Groot, aged 53. A Dutch national of Amsterdam. Daughter of M. and S. De Groot, of Leeuwarden; widow of W. J. C. Huizinga. Mrs Huizinga-De Groot was a Jewish refugee from Holland and had been a resident of number 15 Basil Street.

38 year old Christina Marthe Johnson. A.R.P.warden and Nurse; of Croydon Wilds, Bladen, Oxfordshire. Wife of Capt. D. M. I. Johnson, Royal Army Medical Corps.

69 year old Edith Night, aged 69. Daughter of William and Martha Hammond, of Newbridge House, Bollington, Cheshire; widow of Samuel Knight.

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An RAF flight over Knightsbridge after 1941 shows the bomb site in Basil Street, Rysbrack Street and Hans Crescent. It is possible to follow the Brompton Road and position of Harrods and identify the white-grey patch of the demolished buildings.

This close-up focus of the aerial RAF photograph of Knightsbridge after the end of the Second World War gives a clearer view top middle centre of the empty basement of what was 15 Basil Street at the end of the terrace and the flattened out site on the corner of Basil Street and Hans Crescent.

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A contemporary view of the rebuilt number 15 Basil Street in a photograph taken in 2022 by Tim Crook.

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Special thanks to Karen White and Chris Pain whose families lived in Chelsea during World War Two, and Malachy John McCauley, also brought up in Chelsea, who have very kindly encouraged and assisted my research. Special thanks to Marja Giejgo for editorial assistance. Research and archive facilities from Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council library services, The Imperial War Museum and National Archives at Kew.

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