Foreign Fields

Sir Peter Wilkinson served under the legendary Major General Sir Colin Gubbins in the Auxiliary Units and SOE. He commanded the Special Force (SOE) from 1943-45. He joined the Diplomatic Service and served in Vienna, Washington and Bonn and was Ambassador in Saigon and Vienna. In 1972 he became Coordinator of Intelligence at the Cabinet Office.

• Early years; school; holidays with my aunts; holidays with my parents; Cambridge; regimental life, 1935-37; Czechoslovakia, 1938-39; summer interlude, 1939; Poland, 1939; France, 1940; auxiliary units; the special operations executive (SOE), 1940-41; Crete, 1941; Polish frustrations, Heydrich's assassination and the formation of the Jedburgh parties; the "Muddle East", 1943; a safe landing, December 1943; Tito approves; the journey North, Christmas 1943; the journey North - the third stage; a short walk in the Third Reich; the submarine fiasco; the long march south; return to base; summer 1944 - "Reculer pour mieux sauter"; Alfgar and Charles; the Drau crossing; the end of Clowder; no.6 Special Force; my marriage; the last round-up; Austria - the end of the road.