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Operation Jedburgh: D-Day and America's First Shadow War

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In Colin Beavan's OPERATION JEDBURGH, the now declassified files of the OSS (the precursor of the CIA) are opened to reveal the huge contribution of the French Resistance forces before, during and after the landings at Normandy. Strategic thinkers realized the potential value of the Resistance, but they also knew that these groups needed weapons, explosives, organization and training to be effective saboteurs.

The "Jeds" as the teams were called, consisted of two officers and an enlisted radio operator. One officer, either British or American, was the leader, and the second officer was from the country where the team was to operate (in this case, France). The early part of the book outlined the extensive training these teams underwent, including the dangerous technique of low-altitude parachuting.

So, into France the teams went. Right away, the Jeds were faced with the difficult task of redirecting the Resistance's priorities. All they wanted to do was kill Germans, rather than to assist in the important work of co-coordinating with the needs of the regular Allied forces at the beachhead. To a large extend, these tasks were successful, and the sabotage to delay German forces reinforcing the defenses at Normandy turned out to be critical, especially during the storms in the Atlantic immediately after the invasion.

Then, it was the formidable task of protecting the flanks of Patton's 3rd Army as they slashed across France to the German frontier.

Although I've read many books on the invasion, I'd never learned of the importance or successes of the Resistance during those desperate weeks at the beachhead and the eventual break out.

Well worth the reader's time and I would recommend this book.

Operation Jedburgh is a solid history of the unconventional warfare operation to strengthen the French resistance and prepare the way for the D-day invasion. The author does not hide the failures and does not over-stress the successes but provides an objective narative of the people and events. The writing style is pleasent and easy to read. A very good addition for any WWII or unconventional warfare history library.

This is a fantastic read. I found my heart pounding through much of the book. The author makes you feel like you are there... I never knew about these guys and their mission. I wish the vulgarity was less but it is infrequent. I have really enjoyed this book. These guys were very brave heroes in a horrible situation. I hope there is a movie based on the book.

This is a solid narrative on the early implementation of spec ops "advisors" to corral the fractured French Resistance groups into a force capable of strategic action to support the Allied invasion. Written by the son of of one of the participants (who later become a big wheel in the CIA Operations branch), it never becomes overly sentimental - but it is also short on the analytical side too. It is more a straightforward retelling of a tale lost, if not in the fog of war, in part by time, in part that many of these activities were hidden in the TOP SECRET files for too long.

Some things of interest:

* While it is well known that Britain's SOE jealously sought to maintain control of Spec Ops in France and looked down their noses at their US cousins, they seem to have consciously welcomed American participation here: in part because their own talent pool was bleed out by this stage of the war.

* In a classic example of the callousness required in war - the Allies realized that most of the men and women they were sending (and training to send) into France to work with the Resistance would be caught, captured and dead by the time D-Day came along. So years before the invasion, they began to train a ready reserve of cadre leaders (the Jedburghs)to act as a co-ordinating leadership element. Must have taken balls and a hell of a lot of tact - not just to parachute behind enemy lines in the dead of night, but to walk up to a Resistance leader who had been fighting les Boche for years (most of the Jeds had seen no or little real combat action) and say "you report to me now". Amazing that it worked so well.

* There is some gripping stuff in here on the impact of the Jedburgh led Resistance - which was not just the oft told jamming of railway switches and hit and run raids, but near set piece battles as they fought delaying actions that prevented German armour from reaching Normandy. I was hugely surprised by the overall size of these Jedburgh-led Resistance "armies" - in the thousands, if not more, - a far cry from the 6 bearded guys huddled in a barn one normally associates with the topic.

* Fascinating descriptions of the amorality of war: from the need to take recalcitrant Resistance leaders for a short walk in the woods, to a period known as the "Purification" where nearly 30,000 French died at their compatriots' hands as part of the score settling and power struggle for post war control.

Overall a gripping read - I started on a trans-Atlantic flight and finished the next day. Recommend to any one with a good overall knowledge of Overlord and the Battle for France.

A very personal history of the first soldiers in Europe and how they contributed to the war. You will not want to put it down. I have read many books about the war and this is one of the most compelling. Many of the events in the book were never made public before. I think it will give anyone who reads it a new perspective on the character of the young soldiers of World War II.

Operation Jedburgh, by Colin Beavan, is the story of the super secret operations of clandestine allied fighters during World War II, before the invasion of D-Day. This informative book tells about the origins of the OSS and William "Wild Bill" Donovan, and how these special operation teams played a key role in aiding the war effort. From its conception, to the training and the actual operations, all is revealed in an easy to read and informative manner. Little has been written on this subject, due to its secrecy, but it finally comes to light in this fantastic book.
Their mission was to place teams of men in and around France to harass, destroy and kill Germans before the Allied invasion. The "Jeds", were teams of three men,, a leader, an assistant and a radio operator, and composed of members from America, England and France, that reeked havoc on a much larger and superior German army. These shadow armies, placed in strategic locations in France, would recruit local resistance fighters, "Maquis", to aid in their efforts. The stories are incredible and real, how theses men carried out suicidal missions on a daily basis. But, the risk were high and many were killed and captured. Many never even made it to the ground due to mishaps on airplanes when they got ready to jump into a drop zone, never even getting to start their mission.
Their efforts played a huge part in slowing many German divisions to an almost stand-still, which gave the Allies time to push into France and Germany. From blowing up bridges, derailing trains, and quickly ambushing enemy troops on their to way battle, these fighters were a major player in the war. They also protected the flanks of General Patton's Third Army and General Patch's southern advance, to help in Operations Breakout and Operation Dragoon. But, working with the Maquis, the resistance, also came with its problems. There were many factions, and traitors, with ties to communist, anti Franco groups, and De gaulle loyalist, all with different agendas. Also, very young and old men, consisting of farmers and bakers, had to be trained quickly in military operations, and discipline. These were constant problems but the overall success of the missions were successful.
The book goes in to detail about the individual Jeds and their teams. It starts with their training in America and England, what happens when they parachuted into France, how they recruited the resistance fighters, the actual operations and the daily living conditions they encountered. Many of the stories are quite exciting, leaving the reader on the edge of his seat. But be fair warned, there are very graphic descriptions of human sufferings and some are not for the faint of heart. This was a brutal war, with murder, atrocities, revenge, and torture by both sides. Maps and pictures are provided to give a visual aid to the reader.
In the end, the Jeds were disbanded, and after the war, neither England nor the Truman administration saw the need to continue this type of clandestine operations. But, things would change a few years later with the start of the Cold War, and in later years with other events. US Army Special forces was born in 1952, and many of the former Jeds, i.e William Colby and Jack Singlaub, would rise to national stature. The idea of a well trained and disciplined resistance, fighting along an army in conflict, gave birth to a new concept during World war II, and has continued in similar but in a lesser fashion since. Operation Jedburgh, and the stories told, finally come out of the shadows, and gives credit where credit was not given before.

Robert Glasker

When the Allies invaded Normandy in 1944, the Germans had forces distributed around France. One of the larger formations was the 2nd SS Panzer Division, which was stationed in Toulouse. In cases such as this, armies devise contingency plans, so that everyone can act without much thought when a forseeable event occurs. In this case, the event was the landings in Normandy; the Germans planned to send the 2nd SS Panzer north to the beachhead if this occurred. It was supposed to take two days plus part of a third for the division to arrive near the beachhead; instead it took more than two weeks. While much of the difficulty in moving the formation was caused by Allied air attacks, a considerable portion of the delays was caused by French partisans, who blew up bridges, blocked roads, ambushed isolated small groups of Germans, and generally made a nuisance of themselves. While the partisans would have done this regardless of what the Allies did, they were much better organized, and better-armed, than they otherwise would have been. This was largely the result of training, equipping, and leadership provided by the teams operating under Operation Jedburgh. The American component of these teams was drawn from the ranks of the OSS SO (Special Operations) division, while the British and French components came from their respective organizations.

There were a number of these teams, organized prior to the start of the campaign, and inserted into France for the most part after the landings in Normandy had occurred. The teams typically consisted of 3 people, usually 2 officers and an enlisted radioman. They generally included at least one Frenchman, the thinking being that they would liaise better with the partisans than either a Brit or an American. The intent was to divide the personnel evenly between the three nationalities, and it worked out that way, more or less.

I really found this book very informative. The subject is one that's remained secret, or at least quiet, until relatively recently, and many of the participants never did speak about what they saw and did during this era. This book fills in a lot of gaps, and shows how this operation contributed to the Allied victory in France. I enjoyed this book and think it a valuable addition to my library; highly recommended.

Colin Beavan's grandfather worked as an executive of the CIA, but never talked about his business. The opinions about the CIA began to change in the 1960s from heroes to dirty tricksters (p.xiv). They were seen as Imperial agents who plotted assassinations, tried to control minds with drugs. Ten years after his grandfather's death Beavan searched through boxes of old records. His search of the National Archives discovered more documents about the OSS in World War II. This very readable book is about the "Jedburghs" who were dropped into Nazi-occupied Europe to operate with the Resistance for sabotage and paramilitary raids. This helped to defeat the enemy in western Europe (p.xxi). He learned that Gerry Miller had been CIA station chief in 1950s Italy, then returned to an executive job in Langley. They prepared for a World War III that never happened.

After the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan in 1979 the veterans of the OSS decided to create a jihad (holy war) to unite Moslem people around the world. They taught them how a militia could defeat an invading foreign army [as in Iraq?]. It was a complete success (p.xxiv). The Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 was followed by the end of Communist rule. But this success was followed by Al Qaeda's attacks against the United States. To understand what the CIA did after WW II you must understand what was done by the OSS during the war. Operation Jedburgh set the example for "large-scale covert action in enemy-occupied territory". Beavan talked to many surviving French, British, and American alumni. He then wrote this narrative of their story. The Notes and Sources refer to the documents.

At first the French were not involved with resistance. After June 22, 1941 French Communists began their sabotage (p.17). The Germans then executed prisoners in reprisal, numbers out of proportion that shocked the French and increased the resistance. Many of these did not want De Gaulle as their leader, but accepted this. Page 20 tells how the Carte network was rolled up. [Mere incompetence?] The Resistance was needed to block roads and derail trains when the invasion began. SOE planned a reserve force of agents who could jump into France before D-Day and lead the resistance (tactics and strategy). The Americans provided the resources (p.22). The Resistance in France needed "arms, supplies, and strategic direction" (p.29). Operation Spartan tested this concept, and it worked (p.30). Its actual success required "qualified personnel" (p.43).

Chapter 11 tells of the horrors of their Atlantic crossing. Chapter 13 explains the invasion plans; they needed air superiority and the delay of German reinforcements. Sabotage was increased in the early months of 1944 (p.100). On D-Day the Resistance would delay German forces with their attacks (p.101). The Resistance, armed by the Jedburghs, cut rail lines and highways, slowing German troops (Chapters 18 & 19). German troops had to stay to fight the maquis. This resistance and Allied air forces slowed German reinforcements and ensured the success of the invasion (Chapter 20). Chapter 26 tells of the continuing sabotage (p.199). Chapter 29 tells how they guarded Patton's flanks in the advance into Brittany. Chapter 34 tells of the maquisard's success in southern France.

The `Epilogue' estimates the Resistance in France was equivalent to 15 military divisions or about 300,000 men (p.292). The Allied agents provided tactics, strategy, arms, and ammunition to willing volunteers (p.293). The 'Sources' list the articles, letters, and books used for reference.

This is a graet book easy yet informative reading. Auther did his homework when doing the research and interviews for this book . Excellent use of de-classified historical records.
Has the flow of a Steven Ambrose book

This us the book to read to bring one truly up to date on the behind the lines activity of WW II