Editing F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas (section)

==Early RAF service==

On the outbreak of war in 1939, Yeo-Thomas was still living in France. He attempted to join the British Army but was turned down as they had received enough recruits at that stage of the war. He then attempted to join the [[French Foreign Legion]] but they were not accepting Britons. After placing his car at the service of the British Air Attaché in France he was granted permission to join the RAF in September 1939.

He applied to be trained as an [[air gunner]] but this application was rejected due to his age, instead he was enlisted as an [[Aircraftman|AC2]] (the lowest rank possible) in the [[RAF Intelligence|Intelligence Branch]] taking up the trade of interpreter. His first posting was to a forward air ammunition park with the [[RAF Advanced Air Striking Force|Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF)]] in France. He was soon promoted to corporal and then acting sergeant before being posted back to HQ Fighter Command and a Bomber Liaison Section at [[RAF Stanmore Park]] in England. While stationed here he met his second 'wife' Barbara who was then a young WAAF. At this point, a second application to become an air gunner was refused.

Posted back to France in April 1940, Yeo-Thomas was based at [[Paris–Le Bourget Airport|Le Bourget Aerodrome]] when he was caught up in the rapid German advance. In June 1940 he withdrew with his unit, travelling 800&nbsp;km across France via [[Tours]], [[Limoges]] and [[Bordeaux]] - finally sailing to England from [[Pointe de Grave]]. Before embarking on a ship to England he purchased a postcard from a stall at the monument commemorating the landing of American troops in France 1917, he sent it to a friend with the prophetic words "I know how you are feeling at present, but don't get discouraged. We will return and liberate France."

Back in England, he was assigned to work as an interpreter with the Free French Forces before being recommended for a commission by his commanding officer. He was commissioned as a pilot officer in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch of the [[Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve|RAFVR]] on 28 November 1940 and posted to [[No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron]] as an intelligence officer, receiving further promotion to flying officer on 28 November 1941. After repeated complaints about his misemployment, and threatening to raise the issue in Parliament, he was posted to RF Section of the [[Special Operations Executive]] in February 1942.<ref>{{cite book |last=Marshall |first=Bruce |title=The White Rabbit |orig-year=1952 |location=London |publisher=W&N Military |edition=Reprint |date=2000 |isbn=978-2280022071}}</ref>