Date of birth:

October 15th, 1916 (London, United Kingdom)

Date of death:

August 26th, 1944 (Lagny-sur-Marne/Seine-et-Marne, France)

Service number:

262994

Nationality:

British

In May 1940, Paul Tessier, a diamond setter, enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers. Fluent in French due to his French parents, he was quickly recruited by the Special Operations Executive (SOE). After his training, Tessier was parachuted into France in August 1943. His first mission near Escoussan (Gironde) involved attacking a tannery believed to be producing for the Germans. However, the tannery was already discontinued, and the demolition group returned to the UK by crossing the Pyrenees.

In January 1944, Tessier was sent back to France to assist Gustave Biéler in the San-Quentin area. For a while, nothing was heard from Tessier, leading to fears that he had been captured by the Gestapo upon landing. In reality, he was met by the reception party, but Biéler and Yvonne Beekman were arrested by the Germans four days later, and Tessier was captured three days after that. The entire network was dismantled by the Gestapo, resulting in over 50 arrests.

Initially, Tessier was taken to the Gestapo headquarters at 8-12 Rue Charles Picard in Saint-Quentin, notorious for its brutal treatment of prisoners. He was interrogated for three hours, during which his hand was broken. Tessier later admitted that he was on the verge of talking, unable to withstand the torture.

The following day, Tessier, Biéler, and Beekman were moved to 84 Avenue Foch in Paris for further interrogation at the Sicherheitsdienst headquarters, and on February 5, 1944, to 3 bis Place des Etats-Unis. During his two-month confinement, Tessier managed to communicate with or learn about 37 agents of F Section.

On June 17, 1944, Tessier escaped and hid with a contact in Paris, provided by his cellmate George McBain. Instead of fleeing to the liberated zone, Tessier chose to stay and assist a Resistance group. On August 26, 1944, while de Gaulle was celebrating the liberation of Paris, Tessier was transporting arms from Paris to the resistance group at Lagny with three others when they were ambushed by Germans, and he was killed.

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Temporary Captain

Unit:

F Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government

Awarded on:

June 21st, 1945

Citation:
"This officer was parachuted into France in January 1944 to act as assistant to a circuit in Northern France. Some weeks after his arrival the circuit was completely compromised and Tessier was arrested by the Gestapo. He escaped from prison in May, 1944, and having made contact with another British organiser, sent vital information to London concerning other arrested agents. Then, instead of returning to England, though he knew himself to be thoroughly compromised and in great danger, he started to organise a new circuit in the dangerous Paris area, and was killed in action during the fighting just before the liberation.

It is recommended that this officer be Mentioned in Despatches (Posthumous Award)."

Signed Colin Gubbins
Major-General
7.4.45

• - JOHN GREHAN & MARTIN MACE, Unearthing Churchill's Secret Army, Pen & Sword Military, 2012.
  - Recommendation for Award for Tessier, Paul Raymond Rank: Temporary Captain ... | The National Archives
  - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37138/supplement/3241
  - https://secret-ww2.net/ - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2235282/paul-raymond-tessier/ - https://burpham-pages.co.uk/ - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1883259491975947/