Pre-war Grand Prix drivers and SOE

[ascarmarshal]

Whilst doing some research for a Book of Remembrance for Section France of the Special Operations Executive I came across two names who were Grand Prix drivers before the war.

The first name I came across was Robert Benoist. he was born near Rambouillet, ILe-de-France, France on 20 March 1895. he competed in Grand Prix from 1924-1929 and 1934-1937 when he won Le Mans for Bugatti partnering Jean-Pierre Wimille. When France fell in June 1940 he, along with Wimille and another Grand Prix driver named William Grover-Williams escaped to England. Once in England they were recruited by Section France of the newly formed Special Operations Executive. His first mission into Occupied France was in June 1943 when he and Grover-Williams were dropped into France to organise sabotage cells.

In August 1943 his home was raided by the Gestapo and Grover-Williams was arrested. Three days later Benoist was arrested but escaped and made it back to England. In October 1943 he was back in France until February 1944. he was back in France in march in the Nantes area with fellow SOE agent Denise Bloch. On the 18 June 1944 Benoist was arrested and sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp where he was executed on 11 September 1944. He is remembered on the Brookwood Memorial in Surrey and the SOE Memorial in Valencay France.

The second name I came across has already been mentioned and that is William Grover-Williams. He began his racing career in 1926 which lasted until the late 30's.

Of his SOE career not much is known as 90% of the SOE records were destroyed when SOE was disbanded in 1946. What is know that he went to France with Robert Benoist in June 1943. On 2nd August 1943 he was arrested by the SD and interrogated at length before being sent to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp where in February or March 1945 he was executed by the SS. Like Benoist, he is remembered on the Brookwood Memorial in Surrey and the SOE Memorial in Valencay France.

These brave two men were part of 404 Section F agents of SOE deployed to France. Of those 104 never returned home often dieing in horrific circumstances.

I haven't come across motor sport names in my research but bearing in mind that 90% of SOE records were destroyed in 1946 we will probably never know all the people who served in the Baker Street Irregulars as SOE was known

[rwintle]

Thanks for sharing these stories. It is hard to imagine the bravery required to go back into occupied France after escaping in the first place. Bravo, and to you also for the careful research.

[ascarmarshal]

I am a 1940's Living Historian (one reason why I don't marshal any more). I portray either a code breaker from Bletchley Park and new for this year I will portray a Section F agent of SOE. there is another link between motoring/ motorsport and SOE. The home of the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in Hampshire UK was the site of the SOE Finishing School where agents finished their SOE training

[Unit 2 Racing]

The war record of Robert Benoist and William Grove-Williams is covered in some detail in Joe Saward's excellent book The Grand Prix Saboteurs.
Well worth reading.

[ascarmarshal]

Thanks for that. I'll get a copy when I can afford it

[midgetman]

It is an excellent read well worth it. You could try your local library for inexpensive access.

[MGDavid]

Which reminds me that I must return my borrowed copy. It is a very good read.

[Vitesse]

Jean-Pierre Wimille was also a member of one of Benoist's networks and narrowly escaped capture at about the same time as Benoist - who is believed to have been betrayed by his brother. A number of other French racing drivers were also active in the resistance and some paid with their lives: René Biolay was murdered at Buchenwald, Jean Trémoulet was killed while on a resistance mission and Juan Zanelli (a Chilean who had been European Hillclimb Champion in 1931) died in a shoot-out between resistance forces and Gestapo agents. The great car designer Georges Paulin - who penned the Darl'Mat Peugeots and the iconic Embiricos Bentley - was also executed by the Gestapo. The androgynous Violette Morris, on the other hand, was eliminated by a resistance hit squad.

Modesty forbids and all that, but you might find this useful ascarmarshal: A different danger - three champions at war

You're right to say that a lot of SOE records were destroyed, but it wasn't necessarily deliberate, given that much of that material was lost in a fire. Of course, there are also theories that the fire wasn't exactly accidental: whatever the truth is, it's bloody inconvenient for anyone wanting to know the real story of SOE!

[John Turner]

I've just read a book by Robert Ryan called 'Early One Morning', a work of fiction but loosely based around the wartime activities of Benoist, Williams and to a lesser extent, Wimille. The interesting thing is the Author's note at the end which suggests there is much evidence that Grover Williams survived the war and points to a communication between MI6 and SOE in 1947 in which he was relocated to the States and lived with Yvonne Williams (Grovers wife) as George Tambal.

Also see here:-

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/more-s...iams-1-2321005

[ascarmarshal]

All I can go by is the official records here in the UK, France and Germany. I find that story interesting and I will research it more once I have fully finished this project. Since Grover-Williams is officially listed as Killed in Action in the Spring of 1945 at Sachsenhausen Concentration camp his name will be in my Book of Remembrance

[ascarmarshal]

Thank you Vitesse. As a historian all be it amateur it is frustrating that so much of the SOE records no longer exist and some of those that still exist are still sealed under the Official Secrets Act.

My current project has expanded into a book with bio's of all the fallen Section F agents so any information on the two agents I have mentioned would be gratefully received. PM at first and I will give you my email or go to my website and contact me through there www.kategriffiths.co.uk

[D-Type]

Originally Posted by John Turner

I've just read a book by Robert Ryan called 'Early One Morning', a work of fiction but loosely based around the wartime activities of Benoist, Williams and to a lesser extent, Wimille. The interesting thing is the Author's note at the end which suggests there is much evidence that Grover Williams survived the war and points to a communication between MI6 and SOE in 1947 in which he was relocated to the States and lived with Yvonne Williams (Grovers wife) as George Tambal.

Also see here:-

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/more-s...iams-1-2321005

Early One Morning is a work of fiction with a partially factual basis while The Grand Prix Saboteurs is a serious historical study summarising the results of over 18 years of research by Joe Saward. The stories floating around about Grover Williams survival stem from publicity material for the novel and Joe Saward dismisses them, including specifically confirming that his widow, Yvonne, did receive a British Army widow's pension, the lack of which is a kingpin of Robert Ryan's case for his survival.