MOST SECRET Operations in the Ardennes and Luxembourg during Second World War

This documentary history by Bernard O'Connor details clandestine operations conducted in Luxembourg and the Ardennes during the Second World War. It uses contemporary sources to investigate the lives, training and secret missions of Jean Maus, Andre Fonck, Louis Francou, Paul Goffin, Adolph Heureux, Gerard Bultot, Alexandre Goffin, Andre Berten, Marcel Bufkens, Georges Andre and Paul Hoest. They included wireless operators, a sabotage organiser and a sabotage instructor, men who were trained in Britain by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a top secret organisation. The text describes the specialised training schools established in England and Scotland, the development of wireless technology, and the hazardous use of carrier pigeons for intelligence gathering. It focuses on the day-to-day communication of SOE officers and their counterparts in the Belgian intelligence services. It further highlights the logistical challenges faced by the Royal Air Force when conducting parachute drops and aircraft landings in occupied territory. By utilizing National Archives personnel and mission files, the author reconstructs the experiences of these volunteers and their efforts to sabotage German military and economic infrastructure. Ultimately, the collection provides a comprehensive look at the intelligence networks and Belgian resistance movements that sought to liberate the region.