Georges Bégué

Georges Bégué or George P. Begue (22 November 1911 – 18 December 1993) was a French engineer and agent in the Special Operations Executive.

Georges Bégué was born 22 November 1911 in Périgueux, France. His father was a railway engineer and the family moved to Egypt when Bégué was a child. Bégué also trained as an engineer at University of Hull where he learned English and met his wife. He went through his military service as a signaller.

At the outbreak of World War II, Bégué was recalled to his unit. Because of his knowledge of English he was assigned to liaison with the British troops. He eventually escaped to Britain during the Dunkirk evacuation. After the surrender of France, he joined the Royal Signals as a sergeant, meeting Thomas Cadett the Paris correspondent of the BBC who was working in SOE's F section. It was suggested that Bégué be parachuted into France.

In 1940 SOE recruited Bégué to the new French section, and gave him the alias Georges Noble. After a short training course, he was parachuted to Indre on the night of 5 May 1941 with a heavy transmitter in a suitcase. He was the first SOE agent in France. He contacted socialist Max Hymans in Valencay and eventually convinced him that he was not a trap.

Bégué settled in Châteauroux with his transmitter and sent the first message to London 9 May 1941. SOE sent three other agents, including Pierre de Vomécourt, to join him. During the following six months Bégué helped to establish resistance network and agents in France and arranged arms drops. Bégué was the main contact to SOE in London and sometimes transmitted three times a day.

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