Roger Grosjean

Who was Roger Grosjean?

Roger Grosjean started his career as a French Air Force fighter pilot in France, England and North Africa. This involved a short stint as a Security Service double agent during World War II. He then became a successful archeologist in Corsica.

Grosjean was born on 25 July 1920, in Chalon-sur-Saône, France. He entered the French Air Force in 1939 and spent the next three years in various postings, among them Fighter Group 2/1 in Le Luc, Var. When the Germans invaded the non-occupied part of France in November 1942, Grosjean was demobilized.

So as to join Charles de Gaulle in London, he put together a very risky strategy: he made the Germans believe that if they helped him get over to England, he would send back various types of information. Grosjean reached England in July 1943 and reported his cover story at the start of his stay at the Royal Victoria Patriotic School. He agreed to act as a double agent for the Security Service and was part of the Double-Cross System from August 1943 to May 1944.

During that time he was also a member of the Free French Air Force. In the summer of 1944 he was sent to Algeria and then to Morocco where he was an instructor on P39s.