Spy codenamed the white rabbit to be honoured with blue. Mar 31, 2010 forgotten spy and escape artist extraordinaire comes in from the cold this article is more than 10 years old heritage plaque for edward yeothomas secret agent in second world war who escaped. While at buchenwald, yeothomas met squadron leader phil lamason, the officer in charge of 168 allied airmen being held there. A few days later he escaped with a party of 10 french prisoners of war, whom he led through german patrols to the american lines.
In 1972 a street in pariss th arrondissement was renamed rue yeo. All books on this soe agent will be compared to the bruce marshall book the white rabbit, which was endorsed by yeothomas, shortly after the war, which. This officer returned to england on the 15th april, 1943, in the aircraft which picked up wing commander yeothomas. Modern treatment of the forrest tommy yeo thomas story. The book is a study of the nature of heroism and the reality of fighting behind.
After the torture, yeothomas, who was awarded a george cross for his heroism, spent time at prisoner of war and concentration camps barely surviving a. The white rabbit forest frederick edward yeo thomas. I like to thank northwester1 on deviantart for this concept. Tommy was keen to enlist despite being well underage for the british and french armies. Historian reveals the second world war hero who inspired the. Miss jackson points to several similarities between yeothomass war record and sequences in bond novels. All books on this soe agent will be compared to the bruce marshall book the white rabbit, which was endorsed by yeo thomas, shortly after the war, which was a strong seller. Wing commander yeothomas became separated from his companions after 3 days without food. Yeothomas fought with the white army in poland during the russian civil. Later, long after tommys death another book was written bravest of the brave by mark seaman isbn. Famous british wwii spy the white rabbit who survived. The white rabbit is a 1952 nonfiction book by scottish writer bruce marshall.
Forgotten spy and escape artist extraordinaire comes in from the cold this article is more than 10 years old heritage plaque for edward yeothomas. Forgotten spy and escape artist extraordinaire comes in. One of his tenfranc notes has a phone number scribbled on it by a previous possessor. Miss jackson points to several similarities between yeo thomas s war record and sequences in bond novels. Soon after his arrival in france many patriots were arrested. Written over 50 years after the war, marks recounts in a lively and often selfdeprecating narrative the importance of cypher revolutions that he, at the age of 22, invented. In the first bond novel casino royale and the recent movie of the same name, for example. Mar 30, 2010 after completing his education, undertaken in france, where he grew up, and in england, yeothomas joined the allied armies in the first world war. Historian reveals the second world war hero who inspired.
Yeothomas, aka the white rabbit, parachuted into france to. This book was based on yeothomas own manuscript but loaded with marshalls religious imagery. Once the devastating war had finished, yeothomas was called to give evidence at the war crime trials in dachau after. Ex library, plastic covered octavo hardcover, illus vg. An interesting book written about an outstanding man, wing commander f. Sep 24, 2012 one of britains greatest spies of world war ii known by the code name white rabbit has been identified as the inspiration behind ian flemings celebrated character james bond, claims a new book. Thomas bergers war, guilt, and world politics after world war ii is a masterful comprehensive account explaining germany, austria, and japans different responses to the suffering they inflicted during wwii. Based on the world war ii movie the adventures of thomas directed by shane acker.
Sep 23, 2012 yeothomas, who was known by the code name white rabbit, was parachuted into occupied france three times after one mission reporting back directly to winston churchill before being. He was a key prosecution witness at the buchenwald trial held at dachau concentration camp between april and august 1947. Between silk and cyanide by leo marks is a brilliant autobiography of a master cryptographer in the secret operations executive soe of great britain during wwii. A new biography of wing commander forest tommy yeo thomas, one of britains greatest secret agents of the war, claims the writer based the character of 007 on the spy and recreated many of. Yeothomas was the british special operations executive soe agent, called by the germans the white rabbit of world war ii.
After france fell, he transferred to air intelligence. He continued alone for a week and was recaptured when only 800 yards from the american lines. Wingcommander yeothomas joined the special operations executive in february 1942. Excerpted from the book the war lovers by evan thomas, published by little, brown and company. Fluent in japanese and german, berger is thoroughly at home in dealing with history, politics, and psychology. Wing commander yeothomas undertook a second mission on the 17th september, 1943. A few days later he escaped with a party of 10 french prisoners of war, whom he. His job was to attempt to bring together the many and varied factions of the french resistance under one cohesive group in order to make them more effective in their resistance efforts. From here, he travelled to paris where he had been given the task of organising the various resistance movements that were found throughout. The unbelievable story of the welshman who inspired james. Forgotten spy and escape artist extraordinaire comes in from the.
Ruter went back to germany after the war and the camera, with the film still in it, was left untouched for forty years. Jan 19, 2009 wing commander yeothomas became separated from his companions after 3 days without food. Once the devastating war had finished, yeothomas was called to give evidence at the war crime trials in dachau after witnessing the. With impressive and terrible swiftness, they track down the parisian to whom this phone number was issued. Foot uses classic english understatement early in this book to describe those who joined the resistance in the occupied countries. Yeothomas, who was known by the code name white rabbit, was parachuted into occupied france three times after one mission reporting. At great risk, yeo thomas assisted lamason in getting word out of camp to the german luftwaffe of the airmens captivity, knowing that the luftwaffe would be sympathetic to their situation. In the days following the battle of britain, thomas the tank engine befriends a young boy named christop. World war ii forgery factory that helped our spies fool hitler revealed for first time. His missions for the soe involved him parachuting multiple times in enemy occupied france. At this trial, 31 members of the buchenwald staff were convicted of war crimes.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Aug 01, 2000 modern treatment of the forrest tommy yeothomas story. This book was based on yeothomas own manuscript but loaded with. Apr 01, 2010 after completing more than two years in the raf, including work as an intelligence officer in fighter command, yeothomas wanted a more active part in the war and wanted to help liberate france. I read this in the late 1950s and remember it being a chillingly excellent story about a remarkable man. Thomas, british spy known as white rabbit, is dead. Now declassified documents and a new book can reveal the counterfeiters story for the first time. After the war, yeothomas was to be an important witness at the nuremberg war trials in the identification of buchenwald officials. This is the biography of world war ii secret agent, wing commander tommy yeo thomas. Yeo thomas was known to the french resistance as shelley or as the white rabbit. At great risk, yeothomas assisted lamason in getting word out of camp to the german luftwaffe of the airmens captivity, knowing that. Oct 20, 2012 after the torture, yeothomas, who was awarded a george cross for his heroism, spent time at prisoner of war and concentration camps barely surviving a death train by escaping at the last moment.
One of britains greatest spies of world war ii known by the code name white rabbit has been identified as the inspiration behind ian flemings celebrated character james bond, claims a new book. Forgotten spy and escape artist extraordinaire comes in from. The story of yeothomas rescue effort as filtered through the eyes of his friend back in england would alone justify this book. Yeothomas fought with the white army in poland during the russian civil war in 1919. Jan 04, 2020 however, clemens ruter, a german soldier, stood on the crest of the hill overlooking the clearing where the four men were tied to stakes in front of the firing squad and he took three snapshots. May 18, 2015 wingcommander yeothomas joined the special operations executive in february 1942. Yeothomas, who was known by the code name white rabbit, was parachuted into occupied france three times after one mission reporting back directly to winston churchill. Later, long after tommys death another book was written bravest of the brave by. Between the wars, yeothomas worked for molyneux, a successful fashionhouse in paris. Even when compared with other, more celebrated, members of the. Buchenwald war criminal max schobert is back in the news. The man who inspired james bond written by dan malone on tuesday, september 25th, 2012 after decades of speculations, the debate over who ian fleming based the james bond character on wwii wing commander forest tommy yeothomas. At the age of 16, he lied about his age to join the us army and later served with the polish army against the soviets in 1920.
Though theres evidence that ian fleming was aware of the exploits of the subject of this book, its unlikely that british secret agent forest yeothomas 19021964, codenamed white rabbit by the gestapo, really inspired the fictional character of james bond. Yeothomas was known to the french resistance as shelley or as the white rabbit. The family moved to dieppe in france and at the age of sixteen he lied about his age in order to participate in the first world war and in 1918 served as a dispatch rider. After two years he was captured by the gestapo and eventually sent to. After the war, yeothomas succumbed to recurring nightmares and illness, attributed to his wartime experiences. He continued alone for a week and was recaptured when only a few yards from the american lines.
In 2010 an english heritage blue plaque was erected outside yeo. Modern treatment of the forrest tommy yeothomas story. Thomas, and in 2001 a bust was installed in the mairie of the 16th, the district in which hed lived after the war. In this, he appears closer to the darker and more psychologically troubled. After yeothomas is captured and searched, the gestapo naturally assume that this is the phone number for his contact. Thomas, a british subject, although he lived most of his life in france, joined the royal air force. Yeothomas made several undercover trips to france, the last one to try to rescue another leader of the free french resistance, pierre brossolette, captured by the gestapo in brittany early in 1944. Feb 20, 2018 world war ii forgery factory that helped our spies fool hitler revealed for first time. Edward yeothomas was born in london on 17th june 1902. Yeothomas, aka the white rabbit, was a british agent who parachuted on three occasions into occupied france during wwii.
Bruce marshalls inspiring book vividly and unforgettably describes a battle of. A new biography of wing commander forest tommy yeothomas claims that, like bond, he surrounded himself with women and ruthlessly saw off his enemies. Sep 24, 2012 wwii spy white rabbit the reallife james bond. The real thing, the man who became one of the great agents of the second world war is william stephenson. He says, it would be a piece of grandiose priggery to claim that resisters loved their fellow men more dearly than other people did. After completing his education, undertaken in france, where he grew up, and in england, yeothomas joined the allied armies in the first world war. He continued alone for a week and was recaptured when only 500 yards from the american lines. In february 1943, yeo thomas was parachuted into normandy.
World war ii spy was real life james bond, says book indian. Thomas jefferson university jefferson digital commons department of surgery gibbon society historical profiles department of surgery 212015 vivien thomas. Yeo thomas was the british special operations executive soe agent, called by the germans the white rabbit of world war ii. Sep 23, 2012 miss jackson points to several similarities between yeothomass war record and sequences in bond novels. This book is brought to mind because my gr friend, morgan, is reading it.
After the war, yeo thomas was to be an important witness at the nuremberg war trials in the identification of buchenwald officials. After completing more than two years in the raf, including work as an intelligence officer in fighter command, yeothomas wanted a more active part in. Seaman tells the story of a man, ordinary in many ways, who, when. In february 1943, yeothomas was parachuted into normandy.
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