14 Facts About Nicolas Bodington

Nicolas Redner Bodington OBE was a British journalist and soldier.

Nicolas Bodington was the son of Oliver Bodington, an international lawyer, and Mary.

Nicolas Bodington studied at Cheltenham College and at Lincoln College, Oxford before becoming a journalist, working from 1930 onwards for the Daily Express.

Nicolas Bodington married Audrey Hoffmann in Cheltenham in September 1926.

At the start of 1942 Nicolas Bodington participated in the landing by boat in Brittany which picked up Pierre de Vomecourt, codename Lucas, head of the 'Autogiro' network, and Mathilde Carre, codename Victoire, the infamous spy nicknamed La Chatte.

Nicolas Bodington wished to meet with the head of the Vichy Armee d'armistice.

Girard put him in contact with colonel Vautrin, formerly head of Paul Reynaud's cabinet, and asked for large quantities of arms, which Nicolas Bodington promised to supply.

Nicolas Bodington met with Peter Churchill, and went to Lyon to try to undo the chaos that was then reigning there.

Nicolas Bodington was recommended for the award of the MBE.

In 1943 Nicolas Bodington supported the candidacy of Henri Dericourt a former civil airline pilot, who was engaged by F section and sent to France in February that year, codenamed Gilbert, to organise aerial rendezvous for F Section.

Nicolas Bodington was decorated with the MBE while temporary major in June 1943.

Nicolas Bodington did not believe that Dericourt was betraying British agents as he had been active in Paris for some time himself and had not been arrested.

Nicolas Bodington was recommended for a Military Cross for gallantry in action in Normandy but eventually received an OBE instead.

Nicolas Bodington was regarded as a distinguished member of SOE during the Second World War.