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Wilkinson, George Alfred "Étienne"

Date of birth:
August 31st, 1913 (France)
Date of death:
October 5th, 1944 (KZ Buchenwald)
Mentioned on:
Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial (Memorial to the Missing)
Service number:
294481
Nationality:
British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Temporary Captain
Unit:
F Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government
Awarded on:
November 15th, 1945
Citation:
"This officer was parachuted into FRANCE on 5 April 1944 as organiser to a circuit in the ORLEANS area. In this important region, where GERMAN repressive measures had effectively checked all previous attempts to build up Resistance, WILKINSON soon developed a strong movement, organising the reception of arms on a large scale, and establishing groups of saboteurs and guerillas for action on D-Day. The measure of his success in organising is shown in the achievements of the circuit on D-Day, when all the railway and telecommunication targets were successfully attacked.

WILSKINSON was arrested towards the end of June 1944 and was executed at BUCHENWALD concentration camp on 5 October 1944.

It is recommeneded that he be Mentioned in Despatches (Posthumously).

Signed
Colin Gubbins
Major-General
23.8.45.

Posthumously awarded
Mentioned in Dispatches
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Captain
Unit:
F Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government
Awarded on:
January 16th, 1946
Croix de Guerre (1939-1945)
Citation:
"This British Oficer volunteered for special missions in ocupied territory and was parachuted on 5 April 1944 to assist in the organisation of a resistance group in the ORLEANS region. With tireless energy he began organising numerous and important parachute drops of arms which contributed largely to arming of the maquis in that area. He is a remarkable organiser and he has formed solid sabotage teams who were operational immediatle after D.Day, making all German communication by railway impossible, himself taking part in numerous operations, in particular the destruction of the Bignets Bridge on 23 June.
On 28 June 1944 he was arrested and deported to Germany and showed on all occasions remarkable courage and ecellent leadership qualities."
Signed: Paris, 16 January 1946. de GAULLE

With palm

Sources