The wife's grandfather has just past away and we are trying to find out about his life as a soe agent in France and Burma is there any organisations that might be able to help? We have his service number/regiment and a couple of co's names from several countries. Hoping to put a little book together for my step father and wife to pass down. I have contacted a few places with being ex armed forces that might be able to help.
I take it this is him referred to in this IWM snippett.http://m.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030005570
Then I found this.... which is maybe someone else with a different first name but seems rather a coincidence with same names bar first name but same initial. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C9121656
He was a member of Jedburgh Team GILES commanded by Bernie Knox and the French Capt Paul Grall who operated under the alias of Lebel. they deployed by Liberator from Harrington to Finnestere operating alongside the DINGSON SAS Mission and Jed Team GEORGE. He was later operational with Force 136 in Burma
He was born in 1923, left school at fifteen to become a Boilermaker Apprentice in Devonport Dockyard and joined the RAF to train as a pilot in 1941 and transferred to the Army in 1942. He joined SOE from the Royal Armoured Corps in 1943 and dropped into France as the WTO of Jedburgh Team Giles - They returned to UK by minesweeper from Quimper. He sailed for the Far East on the Otranto, and after jungle training dropped into Burma on Operation PIG/NATION on 30 March 1945. The team was overrun by the 5th Indian Divion on 25th April 1945. After return to Columbo in ceylon he carried out a second mission in Selangor Malaya on 28th July 1945. When SOE was disbanded he was posted to the 25th Dragoons and was involved in Partition violence in India. He returned to the UK in 1947 and married the girl he had met in 1944 at the RAC Club in Grosvenor Square, he signed on to serve on a 22 year engagement as a regular soldier. He was awarded the Military Medal, a Mention in Despatched and Cited for the Croix de Guerre with a Silver Star. He served in Germany with the 3rd Dragoon Guards, and rose to be a WOI and RSM with the Cheshire Yeomanry. Post his military career he served for 13 years as a Magistrates Court Official and later with British Rail on the security side. His wife died in 1975. His hobbies included D.I.Y., reading and was a Boxing Judge.
David, There is an account of Gordon Tack visiting the Team Giles area of operation in Finistere as published on 22 August 2009.It looks like he was on holiday in the Cotes- d' Armor and visited St Goazec. St Goazec was close to the Chateau Domaine de Trevarez.."the pink chateau" a centre for U Boat crews R&R.Whether the Resistance mounted a raid on the establishment,I do not know.The chateau is shown as damaged and this might be from the RAF daylight raid at the end of July 1944....there used to be two defused 250lb bombs on display outside the chateau...not evident now I am told. Go to http://bugalesantwoazec.blogs.letelegramme.com/archive/2009/08/22/gordon-tack.html As I have said in our PM correspondence,I have some information on Jedburgh operations in Finistere.... a very interesting report made by Captain Knox on Team Giles activities from July to September 1944.In it there is a report of Gordon Tack on his role as the wireless operator of the Team...from US military archives...pdf file (apparently cannot post a pdf file on the forum.) Send me an e mail address via a PM and I will forward the file on to you. A little to the south of St Goazec is the village of Laz and the Foret de Laz which was the scene of much resistance activity and where I have stayed in the past...one of many times we have stayed in Brittany.
Hi David The reference in the linked document is for a Gordon H Tack - so not sure if it is the same person as your mans who is George http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/b148370.pdf - download the document, then press control & F (to search or Find) then type in Tack and it will show you all the references with those letters (yes I know, the word attack comes up often) Hope this is your man TD
David Just done a search on Google via "Gordon Tack" and find that Capt Knox's report on Team Giles is readily available as is the Supplement to the London Gazette which reports the award of the MM to Gordon Tack on June 21 1945.
Rich First class coverage of Gordon Tack's involvement in clandestine activities,especially in Finistere....is a ready reference for anyone interested in his personal account.I note that the resume cannot be printed which is a pity. Just a point about Gordon's reference to women in the resistance.there is an excellent museum on the Crozon peninsula which has a good selection of photographs and there is a photograph of a lady,looked to be of middle age,with a name that crops up and off the cuff,I forget.She was mounted on a jeep as the Crozon peninsula was liberated. The museum is on the Alignments de Lagafiar in a blockhouse facing the Bay of Biscay and beyond,the Atlantic.On this shore line are three large shore battles protecting the natural harbour of Brest, for an enemy who never came...going down south here to the Point de Penhir is the magnificent French Navy Memorial looking out to sea over the high cliffs. an area worth visiting if not for its historical WW2 connections.
Thankyou to you all, having found out lots of things where just trying to get copies, atleast too keep for the family about his time in the war,
is there any way to upload a image, found his medals, and one to come from the French just wanted to know the names of them if possible.
Hi David1980 In the reply box, at the bottom right hand corner there is a box 'More Reply Options' select that and then at the bottom of that page is the option to upload photos (Attach Files) etc Note:you may need to resize them as there is a limit. TD
these are his medals, just wondering if anybody could shed a light on them, I know some of them with the ribbons but not all.
Not my area of expertise, but I think: 1. Military Medal 2. 1939 - 1945 Star 3. Burma Star 4. France & Germany Star 5. British War Medal + Clasp (bronze shows Mentioned in Dispatches 6. Regular Army Long Service and Good Conduct medal An interesting exercise for me - others may well prove me wrong TD
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10599879/Gordon-Tack-obituary.html Link to his Daily Telegraph Obituary
