Arnault, Claude Georges 'Jean-Claude'

Date of birth:: November 29th, 1925 (Haiphong, French Indochina)
Date of death:: August 15th, 1986 (Le Chesnay, France)
Nationality:: French

Biography

French secret agent working in the southwestern occupied France for the SOE Buckmaster network more specifically attached to the network Hilaire-WHEELWRIGHT led by George Reginald Starr from 1944 to the Liberation.
Field name: "Néron"
Code name: "Hairdresser"

03.-04.01.1944: parachuted as a sabotage instructor with Anne-Marie Walters field name "Colette" over Créon-d’Armagnac, Landes region, France.

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Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Lieutenant (Flying Officer)
Unit:: Special Operations, Office of Strategic Services (OSS), U.S. Government
Awarded on:: 1946
Awarded for:: Operation Jedburgh

"For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while attached to the United States Office of Strategic Services, European Theater of Operations, in action against enemy forces on 8 April 1944, in France. Lieutenant Arnault distinguished himself by his exceptional coolness, ingenuity and brilliant performance of duty. Asked to sabotage the Eapalet Powder Factory at Toulouse, France, he worked for an hour in the heavily guarded factory building, setting his demolition charges on the irreplaceable American motors and on other key points of the powder mixing machinery. Despite the fact that the first time the fuses set off its charge before he was ready to leave, he succeeded in escaping from the guards. Lieutenant Arnault's bold and unselfish devotion to duty, contributed immeasurably to the success of military operations in Southern France, reflecting the highest credit upon him and the Allied Armed Forces."

Headquarters, U.S. Forces-European Theater, General Orders No. 260 (1946)