ROGER LANDESRoger Landes, a Special Operations Executive agent in France during World War II, died on 16 July, 2008, at the age of 91.Mr Landes was in charge of providing weapons and leading groups of Resistance fighters and he played an important role in the liberation of Bordeaux.Mr Landes was born on 16 December, 1916, in Paris. He was the second of three sons.Mr Landes' great-grandfather had left Russian Poland in 1848 to avoid conscription to the Tsarist army. He had moved to London and set up a jewellery business in Hatton Garden.Mr Landes' father fought for Britain in World War I.His grandfather then moved the family to Paris where Mr Landes was born after the jewellery business had failed due to the Depression.Mr Landes was educated in Paris and graduated from L’Ecole des Beaux Arts. In 1938 Mr Landes was living with his brother Marcel in Paris. He left to go back to London to join his parents. Here he took a job in the architect’s department of London County Council. He worked as a quality surveyor. Even though the war started in 1939, due to his job, Mr Landes was not called up until March 1941 when he joined the Royal Corps of Signals.Because of his dual nationality Mr Landes spoke fluent French. It was this ability that drew him to the attention of the Special Operations Executive. His first mission was as a radio operator to the Scientist network. He was parachuted into France in November, 1942. In August 1943 when the network’s leader, Claude de Baissac, was recalled to London, Mr Landes took over leadership of the network.Mr Landes and the Scientist network had come to the attention of the Gestapo. He knew that his life was in danger and that it was only a matter of time before he was arrested of killed. He decided to go underground, changing his name to Roger Lalande, a real person who was missing so he had authentic papers. As the Gestapo started to round up other agents Mr Landes had no choice but to cut all ties and contact with the network. He informed his superiors who recalled him to London in November, 1943.He crossed into Spain where he was captured and held for a short time in a Spanish prison before he eventually reached Gibraltar. He finally flew back to England on 15 January, 1944. There was a great deal of suspicion that he might have been compromised by the Gestapo and he was thoroughly interrogated until he proved his loyalty.His second mission began in March 1944 when he parachuted into Gascony in France. Mr Landes was now the head of the Actor network which had been built out of the remains of the Scientist network. Mr Landes helped to equip the Resistance and was in charge of several groups up until the liberation of Bordeaux in September 1944.Once the German troops evacuated Bordeaux, a provisional government was set up under the French leader General de Gaulle. When he visited, Mr Landes was presented to General de Gaulle who told him that he did not belong in France because he was British. Mr Landes was greeted by the words: "You are British. Your place is not here."He was asked to leave the country within two days. Mr Landes left Bordeaux but only went as far as Paris where he stayed until October 1944 before returning to England.Mr Landes was awarded the Military Cross for his time in the SOE. He was also appointed to the Legion of Honour and awarded the Croix de Guerre. He was advanced to Officer of the Legion of Honour in 1992 in recognition to wartime services to France.Mr Landes' first wife, Ginette Corbin, was the daughter of the French Scientist agent Charles Corbin. She died in 1983. In 1990 he married Margaret Laing. He was survived by her and his son from his first marriage.
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