I Need Help Finding OSS and SOE Files

[soalebm]

I interviewed a B-17 pilot that was shot down Oct. 13. 1944 over Yugoslavia. He said that a British agent gathered him and 50 other airmen into the town of Sanski Most in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located on the Sana River in Bosanska Krajina, between Prijedor and Ključ. The agent radioed their location, the village set fires in a field, a C-47 landed (flown by Russian pilots he said) and took them back the Bari, Italy. I would like to get my hands on some of the documents that might tell me who this agent was. Or I would like to find the reports filed about the mission. I'm almost positive it was connected to Operation Halyard. So who should I contact about this? The Imperial War Museum did not have anything is there a center for declassified OSS and SOE files?

Thanks,
Brandon

[Richie B]

Brandon

Any SOE files will be available from the National Archives.

Intelligence and security services | The National Archives

"Unfortunately, the vast majority of SOE operational files have not survived. Many were destroyed in a fire at SOE's headquarters shortly after 1945 and some files, particularly personnel files relating to administrative staff seconded from the armed services were destroyed at the end of the war. As there was no central registry and no indication of the file series it is difficult to estimate overall losses, though these have been estimated as being as high as 80 percent. However, surviving SOE records can be found in department code HS"

Good hunting !

Regards

Richie

[soalebm]

Thank you very much Richie. What about the Air Ministry? Since the SOE reports led to rescue missions conducted by the RAF, SAAF, and USAF is there a chance these operation files might exist somewhere as air force documents?

[Richie B]

I think all official records will be at the Public Record Office although it is possible the RAF Museum might have something.

BTW, have you seen this obituary ?

George Vujnovich - Telegraph

[StefanM]

There is a specialist SOE group on Yahoo which has some very knowledgeable members with large scanned collections of released documents who should be able to help point you in the right direction. They also will be able to help with OSS files—many of which are available through the CIA Special Collections Archive programme.

Good luck hunting

[soalebm]

Thanks Richie I had not seen that but I have not researched Operation Haylard since 2008 or 2009 I just skimmed over it but now I have a diary and it details the whole rescue of him and 50 others. I have the dates and times of the pick up so I would assume there is a paper trail somewhere.

And thanks Skorp! I will check out the SOE group and the collections archive for sure!