- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Temporary Captain
- Unit:
- F Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government
- Awarded on:
- November 11th, 1943
Citation:
"Major DE BAISSAC was parachuted into France on 30th July, 1942. He was injured on landing, but as soon as he recovered, he set about carrying out his mission, which was to build up in Occupied Territory a resistance organisation and to arrange for the reception of stores by parachute.
In spite of the fact that the particular area in which he was working was heavily supervised by German troops and by the Gestapo, Major de Baissac has succeeded in building up a very strong organisation which now covers the whole of the ex-occupied zone from the Loire to the Pyrenees, with the sub-groups around Paris and in the North West.
In May, 1943, he returned to this country to report and receive instruction. He was a second time parachuted into France to carry on with his work.
During the time he has been in the Field, Major de Baissac has organised and received about 100 deliveries of stores by parachute.
Intelligence received from his organisation regarding blockade runners operating from Bordeaux has been graded very high by the Ministry of Economic Warfare. The Admiralty have also expressed their appreciation of this information which they, too, rate highly.
Major de Baissac has proved himself to have great powers of leadership. His personal courage is vouched for by the fact that he has carried on his work under very dangerous conditions, having been hunted by the Gestapo, but in spite of all this the continuity of his work has been uniterrupted for over a year.
He has been a fine example to the men working under him and is personally responsible for the large resistance organisation which he has succeeded in creating.
I recommend that he be awarded the DSO."
Signed by Gubbins, Major-General
Initially recommended for a MC but opgraded to a DSO.