The role of the French Resistance in the success of Operation Overlord must never be underestimated.
In existence since the early days of the German Occupation of France, originally the resistance was a movement which comprised of many separate units, each working independently, without co-ordination with one another.
Bravely causing as many problems as possible to the occupying German troops. Many allied airmen owe their lives to these Frenchmen, who, through their web of contacts and safe houses, were able to help them back home to England.

In 1941 General Charles de Gaulle, who was based in London after the fall of France, set up the "Bureau Central de Reseignement et d' Action" (Central Intelligence and Operations Agency)
Working in close harmony with the British Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.) and with the American Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.)
Agents were sent to France to equip and regroup all the underground forces.
Eventually all the French Resistance came under the command of the
"Comité Francais de Liberation Nationale" which was headed by General de Gaulle.
From this point the Resistance movement really expanded, from having 40,000 members in 1943, to reach 100,000 by early 1944. It must be remembered that a lot of French women were involved  in the movement and fought bravely side by side with the men.

The transport of the S.O.E. and the O.S.S. was the Westland Lysander aircraft, it was ideal for this kind of work, as it could take off and land in a very short distance and many dimly lit fields in the countryside of Occupied France bore testament to the aircraft's ability. The picture to the right shows a Lysander being loaded with a parachute canister, prior to a mission over France.

One of the most famous agents carried to France by the Lysander was Viollette Szabo, known to the resistance as "Corrine" she joined the S.O.E. in 1943 and went to spy out the Atlantic wall in April 1944.
Returning successfully to England, she was then parachuted in the Limoges area on D-Day + 1 to co-ordinate resistance activity. She was captured by the S.S. eventually to be executed in Ravensbruck in January 1945.
Her story can be seen in the film "Carve Her Name With Pride" excellently portrayed by Virginia Mc Kenna.

Resistance groups received most of their instructions from the U.K. by coded messages via the B.B.C.
The message that informed them of the invasion was :-"les sanglots longs des violons, d'automne blessent mon couer d'une langueur montone"
This was the signal every French man and woman in the resistance had been waiting for!!
                                         
                                                       THE INVASION WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN!

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