Prewar John was a Mining Engineer.
The family were very well known in the New Forest. Crosthwaite-Eyre was a name created by Royal Licence by application of his parents. His brother Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre was also in the Army and post-war was Member of Parliament for the New Forest. Oliver’s son, also Oliver, was until recently Official Vederer for the New Forest. Married Susan Elizabeth Sowerby (born 29 Sep 1918, also worked for SOE).
Children Charles and Flops.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampshire | Intelligence Officer | 15 Jul 1940 | 1941 |
| Isle of Wight | Intelligence Officer | 15 Jul 1940 | 1941 |
| Brandon Mission | SOE Agent | 1943 | 1943 |
Cadet at 142 Officer Cadet Training Unit (Royal Engineers)
Commission to General List 22 May without Pay and Allowances indicated Military Intelligence service (where pay was from a non-Army funds) This may be his attachment to Left Flank Company, 5th Battalion Scots Guards, a special force of Ski Trained troops who fought briefly for Finland against Russia
15 July 1940
Transfer to Intelligence Corps as Lieutentant
Probably with Auxiliary Units from this date..
Possibly as Intelligence Officer or Scout Section Officer in Hampshire.
1 November 1940
Transfer to Royal Engineers
Appears in Coleshill photo taken in January 1941
1942 Served in Nigeria
29 January 1943
Captured during Operation Felice while with SOE, a mission to destroy viaduct in Tunisia
Prisoner of War Fontamello Camp, Italy
Escaped at the time of the Italian Armistice and headed for Switzerland, but recaptured at the border
Freed by his brother Oliver from German Prisoner of War Camp in 1945.
http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/soe-operation-felice-1-or-felicity…
https://msmtrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/MSMT-NEWSLETTER-JUNE… https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34944/supplement/5476/data.pdf https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34865/supplement/3423/data.pdf https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35195/supplement/3498/data.pdf
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=172747&sid=f01165032…;