BOOK SPECIAL FORCES (FRENCH INVASION) (BOX50)

 COURTESY OF GIBSONS TACTICAL TAVERN                                                                       MILITARY SURPLUS LISTING INDIVIDUALLY PICTURED

SPECIAL FORCES IN THE INVASIOIN OF FRANCE                                                                     TRANSLATED BY JANICE LERT           

AUTHOR: PAUL GAUJAC

SPECIAL OPERATIONS SERVICES                                                                                          PROJECT EDITOR: BY ERIC  MICHELETTI

ISBN: 2 908 182 947

PUBLISHER: HISTIRE AND COLLECTIONS

COPYRIGHT: HISTOIRE AND COLLECTIONS 1999

 ***DURING THE YEAR, 1944, NEARLY 170 ALLIED SPECIAL FORCES TEAMS WERE OPERATING IN OCCUPIED FRANCE.  THEIR GENERAL MISSION WAS TO HELP THE RESISTANCE MOVEMENT, CARRY MESSAGES TO THEM FROM THE ALLIED COMMAND, AND PARTICIPATE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE OCCUPYING FORCES.   THESE TEAM S WERE MADE UP OF OCCIFERS AND SPECIALISTS AND TOOK VARIOUS FORMS DEPENDING ON THE JOB ASSIGNED TO THEM: LIAISON DETACHMENTS AND INTERALLIED JEDBURGH TEAMS.  BRITISH SPECIAL AIR SERVICE PARTIES, AMERICAN OPERATIONAL GROUPS, FRENCH COUNTERSCORCH GROUPS.                                           ***THEIR STORY IS NOT WELL KNOWN. ENVEN THOUGH THE PRESTIGIOUS SAS FASINATES HISTORIAN AND NOVELISTS. HEDS AND OGS ONLY RARELY APPEAR IN BOOKS DEALING WITH THE ACTIONS OF THE INTELLIGENCE SERVICE OR THE RESISTANCE MOVEMENT.                                                                                                   ***IT IS NOT SO MUCH A QUESION OF LACK OF INTEREST AS IT IS A LACK OF THE DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO UNDERTAKE A SERIOUS STUDY OR A HISTORICAL ACCOUNT. MOREOVER, THE SECRECY SURROUNDING THE SPECIAL SERVICES AND THE LATER CAREERS OF MANY OF THE PARTICIPANTS ARE NOT CONDUCIVE TO REVELATIONS. THE AIM OF THIS BOOK IS TO PRESENT THE ACTION OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ALLIED SPECIAL FORCES WHO WERE PARACHUTED INTO FRANCE ON MISSIONS DICTATED BY THE ALLIED COMMAND.    WE HAVE EXCLUDED THE COMPARATIVELY BETTER KNOWN SAS. IN AN EFFORT TO AVOIR ERRORS AND STICK STRICTLY TO THE DETAILED ACCOUNT OF EAHC TEAM'S OPERATIONS, WE HAVE CHOSEN TO BASE OUR WORK ON WRITTEN REPORTS OF THE TIME, RATHER THAN ON LATER TESTIMONY.