Home > John Kenneth Macalister

John Macalister graduated from the University of Toronto, then as a Rhodes Scholar studied at Oxford University. He was expanding his education further at the Institute of Corporate Law in Paris, France when World War II began in 1939. Macalister tried to join the infantry but his eyesight was such that he needed thick glasses and as such could not be placed on active duty. However, fluent in the French language, John Macalister volunteered for the Special Operations Executive F Section where as an agent in France, his thick glasses would actually add to his disguise.

Together with fellow Canadian, Frank PickersgillFrank Herbert Dedrick Pickersgill ( May 28, 1915, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada September 14, 1944, Weimar, Thuringia, Germany) is a Canadian hero of World War II. Captain Pickersgill joined the Canadian Intelligence Corps then, because he was fluent in the, John Macalister was parachuted into occupied France on June 20, 1943 to work as wireless operator for the "Archdeacon" network in the ArdennesThe Ardennes is a region of extensive forests and rolling hill country (its highest point is under 700 m), primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France (lending its name to the Ardennes departement and the Champagne-Ardenne region and G area. They were met by agent Yvonne Rudelatt , but were stopped by the GestapoGestapo is a portmanteau contraction of the name of the official secret police force of Nazi Germany, Geheime Staatspolizei ( German for "secret state police"). History The Gestapo was established on April 26, 1933 in Prussia. With members recruited from who had been tipped by an informer. Although they tried to get away, shots were fired and Rudelatt was hit causing the car to crash. They were taken to Fresnes prison where they were interrogated and tortured repeatedly. Macalister steadfastly refused to reveal his security checks to the Germans who had his codes and were anxious to send misleading messages back to the SOE's London headquarters. Macalister gave his interrogators nothing and when his captors tried to send messages, SOE recognized them as fake.

Unable to get anything of value from him, John Macalister, along with Frank PickersgillFrank Herbert Dedrick Pickersgill ( May 28, 1915, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada September 14, 1944, Weimar, Thuringia, Germany) is a Canadian hero of World War II. Captain Pickersgill joined the Canadian Intelligence Corps then, because he was fluent in the and Roméo SabourinRomeo Sabourin ( January 1, 1923, Montreal, Quebec, Canada September 14, 1944, Weimar, Thuringia, Germany) is a Canadian hero of World War II. Lieutenant Sabourin joined the Canadian Army, serving in the Canadian Intelligence Corps. Because of his trainin, were shipped to Buchenwald concentration camp on August 27, 1944. They were known as the Robert Benoist group executed at Buchenwald concentration camp on September 14, 1944.

Captain John Macalister is honored on the Brookwood Memorial in Brookwood, Surrey, England and as one of the SOE agents who died for the liberation of France, he is listed on the "Roll of Honor" on the Valençay SOE Memorial in the town of Valençay, in the Indre departément of France.