George Rudolf Hanbury Fielding
Encyclopedia
George Fielding DSO
(3 July 1915 – 23 January 2005) was a Major
in the World War II
Special Operations Executive
(SOE).
George Fielding was born in Twyford, Hampshire
, three weeks before his father, Captain George Rudolf Fielding of The Sherwood Forresters, was killed at Gallipoli. His mother, Evelyn Carlota (née Jewell), took him to stay at Château d'Oex in Switzerland
; they later returned to England. Fielding was educated at Twyford School
, Shrewsbury School
, and later at Freiburg University where he studied the German that was invaluable to his later military career.
During the late 1930s, he worked as a trapper on the Canadian
Arctic Circle
, a cattle-buyer in Chicago
, and as assistant to a farm manager on an Argentinean estancia
. On the outbreak of World War II, Hanbury returned to England, was commissioned into the 3rd King’s Own Hussars, and was posted to fight in the North Africa Campaign where he was mentioned in dispatches
. Following the Campaign, he volunteered to serve with the Special Operations Executive.
on the Italian mainland
, Fielding was tasked to lead a three strong SOE group into Austria’s
East Tyrol
and Carinthia
, to help and encourage sabotage
on German communication lines
. The group was parachute
d 200 miles behind enemy lines near Tramonti
in northeastern Italy on August 12–13, hoping to gain support from Italian partisans. Although the Garibaldi (communist) partisans showed reluctance, the Osoppo partisans at Forni Avoltri
, 15 miles south of Austria, were willing to help and to hide them. He sent one of his group to reconnoiter within Carinthia, but the report back showed that there was little willingness to take up resistant through fear of Gestapo
reprisal. Fielding decided to reconnoiter the upper Gail Valley and Carinthia personally, and came to the same conclusion. The Germans had learned of the presence of Fielding, and other SOE groups, and offered a reward for his capture. To keep the support of the partisans, he promised supply of arms and provisions by air, a promise that was impossible to keep through lack of suitable dropping zones.
The lack of success of the mission led to an order to evacuate from Italy and to be picked-up in Slovenia
, a march of 300 miles. The group, which by then had been augmented by remnants from other SOE operations, was betrayed and ambushed, but escaped to Slovenia with loss of mules and equipment, and a wounded arm for Fielding. Valuable information had been gathered by Fielding’s mission, and 6000 German troops had been diverted to capture him. For this, in 1945 he was awarded the DSO for courage, resourcefulness, and outstanding leadership.
before returning to Château d'Oex, the place where he stayed as a small boy with his mother; he died there in 2005.
He had married Beatrice Georgina Pope in 1940, and was survived by their daughter, Sarah Georgina (b.10 May 1947), who married Lt.-Col. Hon. Guy Bainbridge Norrie, the son of Lt.-Gen. Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie, and Patricia Merryweather Bainbridge,
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(3 July 1915 – 23 January 2005) was a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
(SOE).
George Fielding was born in Twyford, Hampshire
Twyford, Hampshire
For other places of the same name, see Twyford.Twyford is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, approximately three miles south of Winchester and near the M3 motorway and Twyford Down. In 2001, the population of the parish was 1,456...
, three weeks before his father, Captain George Rudolf Fielding of The Sherwood Forresters, was killed at Gallipoli. His mother, Evelyn Carlota (née Jewell), took him to stay at Château d'Oex in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
; they later returned to England. Fielding was educated at Twyford School
Twyford School
Twyford School is a co-educational, independent, preparatory boarding and day school, located in the village of Twyford, Hampshire.-History:Twyford claims to be the oldest preparatory school in the United Kingdom....
, Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
, and later at Freiburg University where he studied the German that was invaluable to his later military career.
During the late 1930s, he worked as a trapper on the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
, a cattle-buyer in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and as assistant to a farm manager on an Argentinean estancia
Estância
Estância is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Sergipe. Its population was 62,218 and its area is 642 km². The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Estância....
. On the outbreak of World War II, Hanbury returned to England, was commissioned into the 3rd King’s Own Hussars, and was posted to fight in the North Africa Campaign where he was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
. Following the Campaign, he volunteered to serve with the Special Operations Executive.
Austrian SOE mission, August 1944
In August 1944, with German forces retreating to the Gothic LineGothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
on the Italian mainland
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Fielding was tasked to lead a three strong SOE group into Austria’s
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
East Tyrol
East Tyrol
East Tyrol, or East Tirol , is an exclave of the Austrian state of Tyrol, sharing no border with the main North Tyrol part of the state. It corresponds with the administrative district of Lienz....
and Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
, to help and encourage sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
on German communication lines
Lines of Communication
"Lines of Communication" is an episode from the fourth season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5.-Synopsis:Franklin and Marcus attempt to persuade the Mars resistance to assist Sheridan in opposing President Clark...
. The group was parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
d 200 miles behind enemy lines near Tramonti
Tramonti di Sotto
Tramonti di Sotto is a comune in the Province of Pordenone in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 110 km northwest of Trieste and about 35 km northeast of Pordenone...
in northeastern Italy on August 12–13, hoping to gain support from Italian partisans. Although the Garibaldi (communist) partisans showed reluctance, the Osoppo partisans at Forni Avoltri
Forni Avoltri
Forni Avoltri is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 130 km northwest of Trieste and about 70 km northwest of Udine, on the border with Austria...
, 15 miles south of Austria, were willing to help and to hide them. He sent one of his group to reconnoiter within Carinthia, but the report back showed that there was little willingness to take up resistant through fear of Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
reprisal. Fielding decided to reconnoiter the upper Gail Valley and Carinthia personally, and came to the same conclusion. The Germans had learned of the presence of Fielding, and other SOE groups, and offered a reward for his capture. To keep the support of the partisans, he promised supply of arms and provisions by air, a promise that was impossible to keep through lack of suitable dropping zones.
The lack of success of the mission led to an order to evacuate from Italy and to be picked-up in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, a march of 300 miles. The group, which by then had been augmented by remnants from other SOE operations, was betrayed and ambushed, but escaped to Slovenia with loss of mules and equipment, and a wounded arm for Fielding. Valuable information had been gathered by Fielding’s mission, and 6000 German troops had been diverted to capture him. For this, in 1945 he was awarded the DSO for courage, resourcefulness, and outstanding leadership.
Later life
After the war Fielding took to farming in the west of IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
before returning to Château d'Oex, the place where he stayed as a small boy with his mother; he died there in 2005.
He had married Beatrice Georgina Pope in 1940, and was survived by their daughter, Sarah Georgina (b.10 May 1947), who married Lt.-Col. Hon. Guy Bainbridge Norrie, the son of Lt.-Gen. Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie, and Patricia Merryweather Bainbridge,