Date of birth:

November 4th, 1920 (London, United KIngdom)

Date of death:

1944 (Gross Rosen KZ, Germany)

Service number:

257910

Nationality:

French

Born out of a Belgian mother and a French Father, Marce Defence grew up in Glasgow.
Following service in the Terriotorials, Royal Army Service Corps and the Intelligence Corps he was recruited by SOE in September 1942.
After training he was sent on two missions. For his first mission he was parachuted to the SCIENTIST circuit on 13/14 May 1943 in the Bordeaux area as second W/T operator. When the network was betrayed by André Grandclément he escaped back to the UK arriving there in January 1944. For his second mission in March he was dropped together with the organiser, Octave Simon, just north of Paris only to fall directly in the arms of the waiting Germans.
He was murdered at Gross‐Rosen between June and September 1944.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Temporary Captain

Unit:

F Section, Special Operations Executive (SOE), British Government

Awarded on:

December 20th, 1945

Citation:
"This officer was parachuted into FRANCE in May 1943 as a assistant W/T operator to an important circuit in the BORDEAUX area. He worked in that region for several months with courage and devotion to duty, maintaining constant W/T contact with LONDON. In August 1943 he was sent to PARIS to assist a local group which was the sole survivor of a widespread organisation broken up by the Gestapo two months before. Owing to new arrests and denunciations in September the group to which DEFENCE was attached was, in its turn, penetrated and he became seriously comprimised. He escaped to ENGLAND by sea from BITTANY in January 1944.

Having volunteered for a further mission DEFENCE was parachuted back into FRANCE in March 1944 but was arrested immediately after his arrival. He spent several months in FRESNES prison and was then deported to GERMANY. He is still missing.

DEFENCE showed great courage during his two missions in FRANCE, and it is recommended that he be awarded a Mention is Despatches."

Colin Gubbins
Major-General
23.9.45

• - Recommendation for Award for Defence, Marcel Rank
  - SOE Personnel File
  - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37396/supplement/6189
  - Nigel Perrin - Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France