Personal Number: 182267 Rank: Colonel Name: Louis FRANCK, CBE, MiD Unit: General List London Gazette: 14 June 1945 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37119/supplement/2953/data.pdf The KING has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of the Celebration of His Majesty's Birthday, to give orders for the following pro- motions in, and appointments to, the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire:— To be Additional Commanders of the Civil Division of, the said Most Excellent Order:— Colonel Louis FRANCK, Civil Assistant, War Office. London Gazette: 3 August 1945 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37205/supplement/3970/data.pdf GENERAL LIST. War Subs. Lt.-Col. L. FRANCK (182267) relinquishes his commn., 1st Aug. 1945.
Recommendation for Award for Franck, Louis Rank: Colonel Service No: ... | The National Archives Reference: WO 373/90/418 Name Franck, Louis Rank: Colonel Service No: 182267 Regiment: Headquarters Staff Theatre of Combat or Operation: Italy Award: Mention in Despatches Date of announcement in London Gazette: 29 November 1945 Recommended for CBE Awarded Mention in Depatches 182267 W/S Lt.-Col. (T/Colonel) Louis FRANCK, CBE, General List, SO(M) Col. FRANCK was from 20 December 1944 to 16 Apr 1945 Acting Commander, and from 17 April 1945 to May 1945 Commander, of all British military formations charged with special operations behind enemy lines in the Mediterranean theatre of war. During his above period of command, and the preceding period of four months when he was second-in-command of this large specialist formation, Col. FRANCK has displayed most outstanding ability, a vigorous and imaginative outlook; and an exceptional capacity for swift and efficient reorganisation of the composite and specialist forces he commanded, to meet the changing strategic situation. His tastes included the special training and administrative aspects, as well as the operational direction in conjunction with Army and Army Group commanders under the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean, of the British agencies responsible for clandestine operational activity in enemy occupied territory, including particularly the organisation and material support of patriot resistance movements. The success of the extensive operations, which have made so valuable a contribution to the Allied Victory in the Mediterranean theatre, and particularly in ITALY has been greatly enhanced by the inspiring quality of Col. FRANCK's leadership. Signed Chief of Staff A.F.H.Q.
See also Colonel Louis Franck, Comd. SOM - signature on BEM recommendation. https://www.louisfranckscholarships.com/louis-franck-cbe-biography "Whilst there it became apparent that Samuel Montagu, a London merchant bank then in some difficulty, needed to strengthen its senior staff and they turned for advice to the Governor who recommended Louis Franck. Louis made an immediate impact and over the years created from Samuel Montagu one of the City’s leading merchant banks. Louis was, in almost every sense, a larger than life figure. Early on in the Second World War, after the Germans had occupied Belgium, he spirited the central bank’s gold and silver reserves across the North Sea to England using river barges. Conveniently, the vaults at Samuel Montagu had plenty of space for their storage. Louis joined SOE and became one of the key individuals who managed payments across occupied Europe to the resistance. It was said that he was landed on to occupied Europe more than any other man. The connections he made stood him in good stead after the war when, as a major bullion and foreign exchange operation, Montagu was involved in moving bullion and funds around – in an environment where exchange controls were preventing free transfers. In particular he played a critical role for Lazards in New York as their business was built up after the war by Andre Meyer – one of the few men to whom Louis deferred." PERSONS OF IMPORTANCE "Section D was responsible for developing plans and mustering resources which could be useful for undermining Germany’s economy and war potential by means of subversion, propaganda and sabotage. The SOE did not exist at this time, but came into being in early July 1940. The Special Operations Executive was the product of an amalgamation of three existing organisations; MI(R), a think tank of the Military Intelligence Directorate of the War Office, Electra House (EH), the secret propaganda arm of the Foreign Office and, finally, Section D of the SIS. Civilians who were indoctrinated into the British intelligence services were given the provisional rank of 2nd Lieutenant – the lowest rank for a commissioned officer. After only a short while at Section D, Norman Hope was given the substantive rank of Army Captain. At the time of this mission, Norman Hope was head of the Belgian Section within Section D. The SIS operative originally designated for this mission was French-speaking, Belgian-born agent Colonel Louis Franck. However, the British government had grave concerns about what would happen to the Belgian gold reserves if the country gave up their armed struggle against the Germans and Louis Franck was seconded as a courier to take messages by hand to the Belgian King." https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/45631/1004119.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y "During their visit to de Gaulle, they also learnt to their surprise that, with the support of the British Treasury and the Bank of England – and probably behind the backs of Gutt and Baudewyns – another Belgian officer, Louis Franck, had accompanied the expe- ditionary force, with the aim of getting the Belgian gold to a British African territory34. Confusion reigned and on 8 October Truffaut let it be known from Freetown that he regarded his mission as failed35. Of Franck, nothing more was heard. The grand dream of recovering the Belgian gold had thus fairly quickly come to an inglorious end."
