Randoll Coate

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 01/04/2017 18:05:09

I have just read an article in a magazine about a chap called Randoll Coate. Evidently, he volunteered the for the Operation Archery raid in Norway. Does anybody know anything else about him ?

There is an entry in Wikipedia- under his name, it would appear he went on into a diplomatic career .

He also made his name in maze design.

Hope this helps.

Graham

After the Norway operation he was parachuted into Greece. His interest in mazes started after he retired. I was only wondering how/why he was on the operation at all. The article only says 'he volunteered'. There is no mention of him being in SOE or any other organisation.

Wikipedia entry:
'The son of Charles Philip Coate, an expatriate businessman, Randoll Coate was born in Lausanne, Switzerland. After studying at the Collège de Lausanne he won a scholarship to Oriel College, Oxford, reading French and German. In 1940 he was commissioned into the Intelligence Corps, using his language abilities to interrogate prisoners of war in the "London Cage". He also took part in Operation Archery, a commando raid on port Vågsøy, Norway and helped support Greek resistance fighters in liberating Kalamata.'
Kevin

London Gazettes gives his service number when commissioned 2/Lieut. Gilbert Randoll Coate (112124), General List.

Source: LG Supplement 34791 page 920 amended by Supplement 34813 page 1625.

Gilbert Randoll Coate served with MI9

http://www.specialforcesroh.com/showthread.php?30084-Coate-Randoll

Thanks guys for all your help. A veritable fount of knowledge as always. I was simply intrigued as to why he was allowed to 'volunteer' for a Commando raid. He spoke French and German but not Norwegian.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 02/04/2017 21:29:33

Gilbert Randoll Coate was attached to MI9, the London cage. This unit of the Intelligence Corps were involved in the interrogation of German PoW's.
His participation in Operation Archery was to assist with the interrogation of Germans captured during the raid. Many of the German PoW's were interrogated on the voyage home. Coate produced a report on the PoW Interrogations on the Vaagso raid in January 1942 from the offices of MI19.

Thanks again chaps. My curiosity has been satisfied.