Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Temporary Captain

Unit:

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

Awarded on:

March 22nd, 1945

"This officer volunteered for a mission behind the lines in Brittany in the capacity of Chief Signals Officer.

By reason of the hard work he put in the U.K., organizing the transmissions side of this mission and the rapid movement of events in Normandy which left him with no time for parachute training, he volunteered to do his first jump on the actual operation, and was successfully delivered to the field on the night 5/6 August.

The British Chief of Staff of the Mission, (the French Commanding Officer has been given a new appointment in the field), reports that Capt. SCHOOFS discharged is duties with exceptional efficiency.

He was responsible for organizing and intricate network of intercommunication links as well as maintaining the wireless links to London, and succeeded in establishing all this without delay. Owing to the fluid situation in the field, which necessitated the continuous absence of senior officers from he Headquarters, Capt. SCHOOFS was left in entire command of the Signals and achieved very successful results owing, (in the words of the British Chief of Staff of the mission), "to his own initiative and competence".

In common with the rest of the Signals personnel Capt. SCHOOFS took part in an action against a much stronger German unit at KERRIEN (Querrien red.), having previously safeguarded the signals equipment by hiding it and burying it when the German attack became imminent. This action occurred on the afternoon of 6th August when about 150 Germans of 2 Para. Div. attacked the Headquarters. The village of KERRIEN was successfully defended by about 20 maquis men and 15 officers and O.R.'s of the Mission, until nightfall when the Germans retired leaving three dead, 4 prisoners and 18 cartloads of equipment. Our casualties were 3 civilians killed and one French officer wounded.

In view of his exemplary conduct on this occasion and of the fact that he has previously taken part in a successful mission in West Africa involving great personal risk, I recommend that Capt. SCHOOFS be made a Military Officer of the Order of the British Empire."