Refurbishment under way - please forgive the mess and broken links

This is a work in progress and aims to tell some of the story of René Ancel - a refugee from Romania, naturalised French Citizen - soldier in the French Army and agent of the French Secret Service and Britain's SOE. And after the war? Well there are mysteries to discover but we know he married an English woman and had two children - one of whom is my wife. This timeline is currently aimed at family members but you are welcome to read on .....

1880/1890s
exact date unknown
Birth of Sender Ancel

Sender (Alexandre) Ancel - Marcel and Simon's father - an artist. Possibly born in Tecuci. Died March 1916. Buried in the Jewish cemetery in Tecuci

24th August 1890
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Leia Haia Helfman is born

Possibly in Tecuci, Romania though some sources say she is Hungarian. Some sources give an alternative birthdate of 27/08/1890

1912
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Sender and Leia marry

In Tecuci, Romania. exact date unknown

2nd July 1914
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Birth of Meier (Marcel) Ancel

In Tecuci, Romania. The older brother of Simon Rene - changed his name to Marcel as the threat to Jews increased

12th April 1916
Introduced
Birth of Simon Ancel

Born in Tecuci, Romania.  - changed his name to Rene to try and avoid suspicion from the Nazis.

early 1920s
Introduced
Immigration into France

Exact date not known. French nationality granted in 1923 - official source says 24th October 1930 for naturalisation

23rd March 1925
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Marcel, René and Leia arrive in Belgium

Leia moved from Paris to Antwerp for work

October 1937
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René is called up for National Service

René is called up to join the 91st Infantry Regiment at LAON

18th -23rd September 1942
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Arrest, deportation to Auschwitz and death of Leia

Leia was arrested and held at Drancy, Paris (date unknown but possibly 16th July 1942 [le grande rafle]). On the 18th September 1942 she was put on a train to Auschwitz. It is believed she was murdered on arrival on 20th September (some sources give the date as 23rd September 1942)

13 December 1942
Expanded
René (Simon) Escapes from France for Spain

Following a warning from an acquaintance in the Marseilles police that the Nazis had discovered he was Jewish, René decides to attempt to cross the Pyrenees on foot with a companion.

16th January 1943
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René is arrested in Spain

Held in Pampelune prison until 31/01/43 then under house arrest in Burguet and then Lecumberri until 16/04/1943. Then transferred to Miranda prison camp where he was kept until 09/06/1943 when he was taken to Madrid and then on to Gibraltar

1st July 1943
Expanded
René Ancel reaches the UK
Black & White photo of the ship Highland Princess at sea

Having boarded a ship in Gibraltar (HMS Highland Princess) he disembarks at Greenock, Scotland

21st - 29th July 1943
until 29th July 1943
René attends Patriotic School, Camberley


Foreign civilians arriving in the UK were interrogated at the Royal Patriotic School in Wandsworth. René's story was accepted and he was sent for SOE Training.

7/8/9th July 1944
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René is parachuted into France on an SOE flight

Using the alias René Durville (codename Moisseneuse) René is dropped from an RAF Hudson out of RAF Tempsford at Region 1 Gigny sur Saone (Saone et Loire) on Mission Cannelle/John60 to train and organise the Maquis and arrange parachute drops of arms.
There are five men dropped all either SOE or BCRA

4th September 1944
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Liberation of Sennecey-le-Grand

René takes part in the battle to liberate Sennecey-le-Grand and the following day helps to liberate Chalon-sur-Saone. He is mentioned several times in the contemporary accounts in the book the Maquis de Corlay

prior to june 1946 (exact date unknown)
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René visits Buenos Aires on a business trip

According to the BCRA files René approached the Embassy in Buenos Aires in June 1946 offering to courier any documents they wished to the Paris HQ as he was visiting France on business

16/17th April 1948
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The incident at L'aerium de Chabannes

The director of L'aerium de Chabannes, a santorium for poor and malnourished children, is found dead. His mistress who works at the institute is arrested on suspicion of murder. On the night of the death Rene is having dinner nearby with the wife of the deceased