Marcel Jaurant-Singer joined the French Resistance in 1941. In 1942, he was sent across the Pyrenees and was transported – with the help of Allied operatives – to England, where he would be trained as a Special Operations Executive (SOE). Upon arrival in England, Marcel was sent to Commando training in Scotland, before returning to England to complete his wireless training at Thame park – he managed all this despite not speaking a word of English. In March 1944, Marcel was parachuted back into France where he quickly established an undercover network. Marcel goes on to recount his life as a wireless operator, outlining the cat and mouse game of avoiding detection by German troops – including the need to cycle up to 60km per day! Marcel’s contact with London in the build up to D-Day resulted in him taking charge of arming and training 350 men to prepare for the invasion. He talks in detail of how they used the existing infrastructure of secret caves and hills from WW1 to carry out these operations. Marcel’s interview ends with a brief discussion of his experience working alongside female SOE agents. This completes a fascinating insight into the structure of secret operations in occupied France and the development of French resistance forces in the build-up to D-Day.

Laurence Kennedy volunteered to join the RAF in 1943 after turning 18 years old. He trained in Newquay and following this was posted to South Africa for a year. Whilst there, he celebrated VE day (Victory in Europe day) in Cape Town, May 1945. Laurence continued his training and joined Transport Command. After a bout of sickness, he was sent to Fassburg, Germany, where he joined up with a squadron and was sent to assist in the Berlin Airlift. Most of the cargo being flown in was coal and flour, with aircrafts being packed full, Laurence remembers. Sometimes, they would have the important task of flying children out of Berlin to reduce the numbers in the city. This is when the importance of the airlift  sank in for Laurence. He talks about how sorry he felt for the children being taken away from their homes and families. During the airlift Laurence flew 168 sorties and was housed in several bases throughout Germany, including: Wunsdorf, Fassburg, and Lubeck. He met his wife at Lubeck, she was stationed there serving with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. Whilst stationed in Fassburg, he remembers there being lots of pubs and inns, and that he enjoyed life there. Laurence recalls bringing coffee from back home and trading it with locals for Deutsche marks. In his downtime, Laurence visited Hamburg and remembers being shocked at the state of the city, describing it as horrific and he couldn’t see how anyone could survive living there during the war. What Laurence and his fellow servicemen and women did during this time is incredible, all of them led us out of a very uncertain time. This interview was filmed by the late Andrew Emslie.

For Mary Overill, the war offered opportunities for life and work far beyond the bounds of her rural upbringing… although her first posting upon joining the WAAF sent her only 22 miles away to Plymouth! Six months later, Mary was posted to RAF St Eval in Cornwall where she worked with Squadron Leader Shackleton, son of the famous explorer, and she shares her memories of life and work during this time. In 1943, Mary was called to the Air Ministry in London, where she signed the Official Secrets Act and began working at the Cabinet Office Cipher Office (COCO). She vividly recalls operations there, and how regularly she saw Winston Churchill ‘disappearing off somewhere else’ in the building. Mary also shares memories of living in London during the war, navigating the dangers of bombings and experiencing the joy of VE Day. Her stories provide a glimpse into her extraordinary life during wartime, both at the RAF bases of her service and in the heart of London itself.