Captain Michael Trotobas, Manchester Regt and Special Operations Executive

[Paul McCue]

Hello everyone

I am a Trustee of an educational charity, the Secret WW2 Learning Network, that will be unveiling four blue plaques in Brighton on Saturday 12th Nov 2016 at The Dome Corn Exchange, circa 10:30hrs. The plaques are to four former WW2 Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents who were born in Brighton.

One, Captain Michael Trotobas, joined SOE in April 1941 and was killed in France in December 1943, in Lille. He had been commissioned in the Manchester Regt in January 1941, but had previously served as a Regular Army soldier in the Middlesex Regt from 1933 to 1941. His plaque will display both Manchester and Middlesex Regt badges.

Each plaque is to be unveiled by a serving soldier and a veteran of the relevant regiment(s). In the case of Trotobas, I am arranging a representative from B Coy, 3PWRR, who are based in Brighton. To accompany that representative, I would like to extend an invitation to a relevant veteran (not necessarily WW2) of the Manchester Regt. Is there anyone out there who would be interested in attending?

Thanks

Paul McCue

[Robert Bonner]

Good Morning Paul,

That is very good news to learn that Captain Trotobas will be commemorated in this country - long overdue.
I should be able to arrange for a member of the Manchester Regiment Officers Association  to attend the ceremony in Brighton.   I will contact you by email.

[Robert Bonner]

All arranged.  Major Nigel Johnson will attend as the regimental representative.

[themonsstar]

Great News for all

[Robert Bonner]

The unveiling ceremony for the four blue plaques took place in Brighton on 12 November at the Corn Exchange.                                      The plaque commemorating Captain Trotobas will be positioned at his birthplace - 1 North Place.

[themonsstar]

This is from a book I was looking at the last year but I cannot remember what it was called.

[themonsstar]

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[themonsstar]

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[themonsstar]

Last one

[timberman]

Captain Michael Trotobas, The Manchester Regiment, 1942 (c).

Michael Alfred Raymond Trotobas (1914-1943) was born of British and French parents and spent part of his early life in both Northern France and England. In 1939 he became a regular soldier in the Middlesex Regiment. After Dunkirk (1940) he was recruited to the Special Operations Executive's (SOE) French Section and given a commission in the Manchester Regiment.

In 1941, under the code name 'Sylvestre', he was parachuted into the Chateauroux area. Six weeks later he and nine agents were arrested. However, in 1942 Trotobas took part in a mass escape of SOE agents from Mauzac prison. He then went on to establish and lead the Lille- based 'Farmer' circuit.

From 1943 Trotobas, or 'Capitaine Michel', successfully led a sabotage campaign against the Germans, targeting the Lans-Béthune railway, tool factories at Armentières, and naval depots and wharfs at Amiens, Boulogne and Calais. His most important operation was the destruction of the Lilles-Fives S.N.C.F Locomotive works, which was extremely important to the running of the German railway. In June 1943 the factory was destroyed.

Trotobas was killed in November 1943 whilst trying to evade arrest by a Sicherheitsdienst (SD) raiding party who had been given the address of his safe house by a captured agent, code named 'Olivier'. Trotobas was recommended for a posthumous Victoria Cross (VC), but this was rejected as there was no one senior to him present to report on his actions. There is a memorial dedicated to him in Lille.

Timberman

[timberman]

Lance-Corporal Michael Trotobas, The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own), 1934

Timberman

[timberman]

The Lille V.C. that never was

Follow the link

http://2ndww.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/lille-vc-that-never-was.html

Timberman

[timberman]

Michael Trotobas, born out of an English (speaking) Mother and a French father, joined the British Army - Middlesex Regiment in 1933.
In 1937 he was promoted to Sergeant. The Regiment was sent to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force. During the retreat to Dunkirk he got wounded.
He was commissioned into the Manchester Regiment on 19 January 1941 and served at Ladysmith Barracks until 1 June 1941 when he joined the Special Operations Executive. Shortly afterwards he was parachuted into France, was captured by the Vichy police and interned in a concentration camp. He organised a mass escape of British Officers and returned to the UK. In November 1942 he was again parachuted into France where he established and led the 'Farmer' circuit, a sabotage group based in Lille. At the end of February 1943 'Farmer' had its first successful derailment of 40 railway trucks which were destroyed and the Lens-Bethune railway line closed for two days. By mid-summer his railway gangs were achieving 15-20 derailments a week and imposing much delay on goods traffic in the area.
Trotobas - or Capitaine Michel as he was known - had great success with his resistance group but was eventually betrayed and the house where he was staying was raided. Before Trotobas was killed he shot and killed the inspector of the raiding party. In Lille there is a memorial in a cemetery to Captain Michael Trotobas of the Manchester Regiment & also a plaque on the wall of Rue de Capitaine Michel.

Timberman

[timberman]

There is a lot about him on the net

Also a book.


Agent Michael Trotobas and SOE in Northern France:
by Stewar Kent (Author), Nick Nicholas (Author)


Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Published: 30th Nov 2015
Dimensions: w 159mm h 246mm d 30mm
Weight: 670g
ISBN-10: 1473851637
ISBN-13: 9781473851634
Barcode No: 9781473851634

Timberman