Service Clarence Explained

Service Clarence (1939/40[1] [2] -1945) (or the Clarence network; in French: Le Réseau Clarence)was one of the most successful[3] MI6 networks in Belgium during the Second World War.

Name and leadership

It was led by Hector Demarque (1903-1975) and Walthère Dewé. Dewé had earlier played a leading role in 'La Dame Blanche.'[4] He used the experience of the Dame Blanche network to start a new network, codenamed Clarence.[5]

The network was named 'Clarence' after the pseudonym of Hector Demarque. As Walthère Dewé was targeted for his activities in the First World War, he went into hiding, but behind the scenes he remained the top leader. He adopted the pseudonym 'Cleveland'.[6] [7]

Function and success

Throughout the war, Service Clarence provided valuable information on a wide range of enemy activity, including coastal defenses, the effects of Allied bombing and the location of German units.

The Service Clarence network was a source of high quality and detailed intelligence on enemy troop movements, German order of battle, and Nazi secret weapons.[8] [9]

It was the "most successful Belgian network."[10]

Furthermore, Claude Dansey, who controlled SIS operations in occupied Europe for most of the war, "later said that, in terms of the quality and quantity of its reports,"occupied first place among the military intelligence networks operating in occupied Europe."[11]

Members

Service Clarence was made up of one sector per Belgian province, a road sector and a French sector. In 1940, the network could only rely on short-range radio transmitters and failed to contact London. Attempts to establish contact with London via France and Spain by land courier were not crowned with the expected success. The relationship with London was established when Jean Lamy parachuted into the Manhay region with a two-way radio.[12]

Several former members of Dame Blanche belonged to Service Clarence.[13] One of its agents, since the summer of 1942,[14] was Henri Roth; his son Leon-Henri Roth was a forced labourer at Peenemunde who passed vital information about the secret German rocket development to him,[15] [16] and via another Service Clarence agent Adolphe Godart[16] to the British (SIS). The info was used in Operation Hydra.

Belgian Albert Van den Berg, who saved hundreds of Jews[17] and was honored in 1995 by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations,[18] was also a Clarence member.[19]

Marcel Verhamme, codenamed Fortuné,[20] was caught in 1943 and was executed in November of that year.

At the end of the war, 1,547 resistance fighters were officially recognized as having served in this intelligence network.[21] [22] [6] Among them,  stands out for her courage and efficiency as a liaison officer. She obtained the status of first class auxiliary agent at the proposal of the head of the network, Hector Demarque, in June 1946.[23]

The Brabant section had two sectors, directed by Dr. Antoine Goethals and Franz Leemans.

Dewé's end

Walthère Dewé was shot and killed while trying to avoid capture by the Germans in 1944.[11] [24]

The organization survived his execution.[25]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Palo, Michael F. . Neutrality as a Policy Choice for Small/Weak Democracies: Learning from the Belgian Experience . 2019-07-08 . 240 . BRILL . 978-90-04-39585-5 . en. [Note 110]
  2. Web site: Crespin . Jean-Michel . Le plus grand des résistants . 2023-02-26 . DHnet . fr.
  3. Web site: Remembering Together: The Secret War . 2023-02-23 . goldencharter.co.uk . en.
  4. Book: Carradice, Phil . A Hundred Years of Spying . 2021-08-30 . Pen and Sword History . 129 . 978-1-5267-8144-4 . en.
  5. Web site: 23 January 2013 . Resistance in Belgium in World War Two . TracesOfWar.com. 9 April 2014.
  6. Book: Cools . Marc . Classified: Honderd jaar Belgische Militaire Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst . Leroy . Patrick . Libert . Robin . Pashley . Veerle . Stans . David . Testelmans . Eddy . Acker . Kathleen Van . 2019 . Gompel&Svacina . 238 . 978-94-6371-114-2 . nl.
  7. Web site: Walthère Dewé . 2023-02-26 . Brussels Remembers . en.
  8. Book: Bagaria, Amit . I-SPY: A peep into the world of Spies . 2019-03-07 . Notion Press . 978-1-68466-633-1 . en.
    Web site: SIS – Our History . 2023-02-23 . www.sis.gov.uk.
  9. Web site: Records of the Intelligence Network 'Service Clarence', Second World War . 2023-02-23 . Imperial War Museums . en.
  10. Book: Jeffery, Keith . MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949 . 2010-09-21 . A&C Black . 978-0-7475-9183-2 . en.
  11. Book: Smith, Michael . The Anatomy of a Spy: A History of Espionage and Betrayal . 2020-01-21 . Simon and Schuster . 978-1-950691-17-3 . en.
  12. https://sites.google.com/site/rusraasbl/publications/souvenirs-de-r%C3%A9sistants/le-r%C3%A9seau-clarence-en-r%C3%A9gions-de-marche-et-la-roche RUSRA ASBL - Le Réseau Clarence en régions de Marche et La Roche
  13. Book: Veranneman, Jean-Michel . Belgium in the Great War . 2018-11-30 . Casemate Publishers . 978-1-5267-1662-0 . en.
  14. Book: Whiting, Charles . The Spymasters: The True Story of Anglo-American Intelligence Operations Within Nazi Germany, 1939-1945 . 1976 . Saturday Review Press . 978-0-8415-0418-9 . en.
  15. Book: Garliński, Józef . Hitler's Last Weapons: The Underground War Against the V1 and V2 . 1978 . Times Books . 57 . 978-0-8129-0787-2 . en.
  16. Book: Whiting, Charles . The Spymasters: The True Story of Anglo-American Intelligence Operations Within Nazi Germany, 1939-1945 . 1976 . Saturday Review Press . 150–151 . 978-0-8415-0418-9 . en.
  17. Web site: Portrait of Belgian rescuer Albert van den Berg, who died in the Neungamme concentration camp in 1945. - Collections Search - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum . 2023-02-24 . collections.ushmm.org.
  18. Web site: Berg van den Albert . 2023-02-24 . The Righteous Among The Nations.
  19. Web site: Personnes mentionnées sur les monuments - Op de monumenten genoemde mensen . 2023-02-24 . bel-memorial.org. fr.
  20. Book: La Vie wallonne . 1992 . 146 . fr.
  21. Book: Bernard, Henri . Un Géant de la Résistance: Walthère Dewé. 1971 . La renaissance du livre . fr.
  22. Web site: FREEBELGIANS.BE : Articles - Walthère Dewé, un géant dans la Résistance . 2023-02-26 . www.freebelgians.be.
  23. Web site: Cheramy Alice . 2023-02-26 . www.belgiumwwii.be . nl.
  24. Book: Vescent . Heather . The Secrets of Spies: Inside the Hidden World of International Agents . Gilbert . Adrian . Colson . Rob . 2020-10-27 . Weldon Owen International . 978-1-68188-721-0 . en.
  25. Book: Kochanski, Halik . Resistance: The Underground War Against Hitler, 1939-1945 . 2022-05-24 . Liveright Publishing . 978-1-324-09166-0 . en.

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