Peter Churchill - Wikipedia

Peter Churchill (1909 - 1972) was a SOE officer during the World War Two. His code name was "Michel".

Peter Churchill was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands in January 14 1909. In Cambridge University he mainly excelled in athletic pursuits.

After the outbreak of World War Two he became an intelligence officer and joined Special Operations Executive. In January 1942 he was landed by submarine at Miramar[?] in France to supply and evaluate the Carte circuit of the [[Maquis (WW2)|Maguis and French Resistance. When he returned to England, he was promoted to captain

In August 1942 Churchill went to Montpellier to France to organize and coordinate the Spindle Network[?]. He recruited Odette Sansom as a radio operator and they apparently became very close. Spindle Network directed aerial delivery of supplies to Maquis. However, many resistance members disapproved of Churchill's flamboyant lifestyle and his tactlessness with his contacts. Spindle transferred to annecy network.

Eventually Abwehr infiltrated the network. Churchill went to England in February 1943 and parachuted back in April 15. Next day in April 16 Hugo Bleicher[?] of Abwehr arrested him and Sansom.

Churchill and Sansom claimed they were a married couple and related to Winston Churchill. They were tortured and sent to concentration camps but avoided execution until the end of the war.

Churchill and Sansom married in 1947. They divorced 1955. Peter Churchill died in 1972.

Peter Churchill's memoirs:

Of Their Own Choice (1952)
Duel of Wits (1953)
The Spirit of the Cage (1954)
By Moonlight (1958)