| Page Created |
| April 28th, 2025 |
| Last Updated |
| May 5th, 2025 |
| France |
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| Additional Information |
| Unit Order of Battle Commanders Operations Equipment Multimedia Sources Biographies |
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| Motto |
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| Founded |
| July 1st, 1940 |
| Disbanded |
| December 28th, 1945 |
| Theater of Operations |
| France French North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) French Indochina |
| Organisational History |
In July 1940, following the defeat of the French armies, German forces assume control of the French coastline from Spain to Belgium. To counter the threat of a possible German landing in England, Winston Churchill instructs the Intelligence Service to establish, in collaboration with General de Gaulle, an intelligence network composed of personnel from Free France. The service is established in July 1940 by General de Gaulle. André Dewavrin, known by the pseudonym Colonel Passy and a member of the Deuxième Bureau, is tasked with the creation of this network, whose primary objective is to inform London of German military movements along the Atlantic and Channel coasts.
Initially, on July 1st, 1940, it is referred to as the Second Bureau, following the generic designation used since 1870 for the intelligence branch of the French Army.
By the end of September 1940, Lieutenant Honoré d’Estienne d’Orves, a naval officer arriving from Djibouti, joins Dewavrin. The Second Bureau is thus formed in urgent circumstances, with its first mission carried out on July 20th, 1940 through the parachuting of Lieutenant Jacques Mansion.
Volunteers of Free France, many of whom have managed to reach the United Kingdom in the aftermath of the French defeat, are dispatched into occupied France. These operatives come from a variety of national backgrounds and, by the end of the war, their numbers approach two thousand. Among them is Gilbert Renault, known by the pseudonym Rémy, who enters occupied France in August 1940 and goes on to establish one of the largest and most active resistance networks, the Confrérie Notre-Dame.
From April 15th, 1941, it adopts the title Service de Renseignements. From 1941 onwards, supported by a growing number of networks, the Service de Renseignements begins sending equipment and armed parachutists into France to carry out sabotage missions along the Atlantic coast.
On January 17th, 1942, it becomes the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d’Action Militaire, placed under the authority of the special staff of General de Gaulle, itself created in September 1941 at the time of the establishment of the National Committee. Through the efforts of Rémy, Pierre Brossolette is able to travel clandestinely to London in April 1942, where he becomes Deputy to Colonel Passy at the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d’Action Militaire and plays a significant role in its reorganisation. Daniel Cordier, who joins de Gaulle in London in June 1940, is parachuted into France in July 1942 and serves as secretary first to Jean Moulin and later to his successors until March 1944. Finally, from September 1st, 1942, the service assumes the name Bureau Central de Renseignements et d’Action Militaire.
Although intelligence gathering constitutes a major part of its activity, the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d’Action Militaire’s remit extends beyond espionage. Its collaboration with the British services, including the Special Operations Executive section RF and the Secret Intelligence Service section R, and its participation in the highly secret Jedburgh operations, grants the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d’Action a pivotal role during the Allied landings. This cooperation becomes one of General de Gaulle’s greatest assets in his dealings with the Allies.
| Générale des Services Spéciaux |
Following the Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942, the formation of the Comité Français de la Libération Nationale is established on June 3rd, 1943 in Algiers, then part of French Algeria. The Comité Français de la Libération Nationale serves as the provisional government of Free France. It was co-chaired by Generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud, aiming to unify the French resistance against Germany and the Vichy regime. The Comité Français de la Libération Nationale coordinated military efforts and administrative functions across French territories not under Axis control, laying the groundwork for the re-establishment of democratic institutions in France.
On October 4th, 1943, an initial attempt at coordination between the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d’Action in London and the intelligence services based in Algiers is undertaken. This effort aims to unify the clandestine operations of Free France under a single command structure. At the time, the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d’Action, under de Gaulle, while the French intelligence services in North Africa are under the leadership of Colonel Louis Rivet and Commander Paul Paillole, align with General Henri Giraud. The latter is initially backed by the Americans and controlled parts of North Africa after Operation Torch.
With the formation of the Comité Français de la Libération Nationale the question of unifying the French secret services arises. In the second half of 1943, the unification of Free French and Vichy-aligned intelligence services in North Africa leads to the formation of the Direction Générale des Services Spéciaux on November 19th, 1943, with Jacques Soustelle appointed as its head.
The Bureau de Renseignements et d’Action d’Alger emerges from the reorganisation of French intelligence services in North Africa after the Allied invasion. It is designed to consolidate intelligence operations in the region and to coordinate with Allied forces. The Bureau de Renseignements et d’Action d’Alger’s structure includes various sections responsible for intelligence gathering, counter-espionage, and support to resistance movements within occupied France and French North Africa.
The Bureau Central de Renseignements et d’Action becomes the Bureau de Renseignements et d’Action de Londres, under the leadership of Colonel André Dewavrin, known as “Colonel Passy”, plays a pivotal role in coordinating intelligence and resistance activities within occupied France. Operating from London, the Bureau de Renseignements et d’Action de Londres managed clandestine operations, including the parachuting of agents and supplies, as well as maintaining secure communication lines with various resistance networks. This autonomy allowed the Bureau de Renseignements et d’Action de Londres to effectively support and guide the French Resistance, ensuring a continuous flow of intelligence and strategic directives despite the overarching unification under the Direction Générale des Services Spéciaux.
The dual existence of the Bureau de Renseignements et d’Action de Londres in London and the Bureau de Renseignements et d’Action d’Alger in Algiers, each with distinct operational focuses, exemplified the complex structure of French intelligence. While the Direction Générale des Services Spéciaux provided a unified command, the Bureau de Renseignements et d’Action de Londres’s continued operations from London were crucial in sustaining the momentum of resistance efforts within occupied territories.
The Corps Franc Pommiès (CFP) is a unit within the French Resistance, stablished on November 17th, 1942, by Captain André Pommiès. It is one of the most structured and effective clandestine military forces in occupied France. The Corps franc Pommiès reports operationally and directly to the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d’Action in London from September 1943, maintaining continuous contact by radio. This connection suggests that the London-based central bureau for intelligence and action retains its distinct identity throughout this period, at least operationally on the ground.
| Section de Liaison Française en Extrême-Orient |
In 1944, the Free French establish the Section de Liaison Française en Extrême-Orient (SLFEO), or French Liaison Section in the Far East, headquartered in Calcutta, India. This intelligence unit includes an Action service, known as the French Indo-China Section, led by François de Langlade. The section operates under the authority of Force 136, the British-led branch of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) responsible for coordinating resistance efforts in Japanese-occupied territories across Southeast Asia.
The Section de Liaison Française en Extrême-Orient’s headquarters in Calcutta allow close collaboration with the French Mission Militaire Française d’Extrême-Orient, commanded by General Roger Blaizot and based in Kandy, Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka). Force 136 also maintains its central office in Kandy, facilitating direct coordination between the British and Free French operations.
From November 1944, the Mission Militaire Française d’Extrême-Orient begins the deployment of commando teams into French Indochina, with operations focused particularly on Laos. These missions aim to gather intelligence and support resistance activities against Japanese forces. However, following the Japanese coup of March 1945, which dismantles the French colonial administration, the objectives of these operations evolve. The focus shifts to countering the influence of the Viet Minh, who are receiving assistance from both the Japanese and the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS).
Eventually, the Section de Liaison Française en Extrême-Orient is absorbed into the Direction Générale des Études et Recherches.
| Direction Générale des Études et Recherches |
On June 3rd, 1944, the Comité Français de la Libération Nationale, based in Algiers, transforms into the Gouvernement Provisoire de la République Française under the leadership of General Charles de Gaulle. This move aims to assert the continuity of the French Republic and reject the legitimacy of the Vichy regime. The Gouvernement Provisoire de la République Française considers the Vichy government unconstitutional and declares all its constitutional acts void ab initio through the Ordinance of August 9th, 1944.
On October 26th, 1944, the Direction Générale des Services Spéciaux (DGSS) is reorganised into the Direction Générale des Études et Recherches (DGER).
Jacques Soustelle, is confirmed as the first Director General of the Direction Générale des Études et Recherches on November 6th, 1944. However, his tenure is brief; on April 19th, 1945, he is succeeded by Colonel André Dewavrin, known by his wartime alias “Colonel Passy.”
Colonel Dewavrin had previously led the Direction Technique des Services Spéciaux. Under his leadership, the Direction Générale des Études et Recherches undergoes significant reforms, including a substantial reduction in personnel to streamline operations and improve efficiency. This reorganisation aims to adapt the intelligence services to peacetime conditions while preparing for emerging post-war challenges.
On December 28th, 1945, the Direction Générale des Études et Recherches evolves into the Service de Documentation Extérieure et de Contre-Espionnage (SDECE), further consolidating France’s external intelligence capabilities.