On the night 5th/6th June 1944, Lieutenant Poole with another officer and four men landed by parachute near Le Mesnil Vigot, just south of the Cherbourg Peninsula as part of the operation involving 200 dummy parachutists intended to distract the enemy from the 82nd American Airborne Division which were dropping to the north.

German troops in the area were part of the Panzer Grenadier
Ukrainian troops. Although the work of the party was prejudiced by a mis-timing
of their “drop”, the success of the operation as a whole was not inconsiderable
as it drew away approximately one Division away from the area. Lieutenant
Poole’s party had been told that they could expect to be overrun by American
troops in approximately nine days. The party spent six weeks waiting to be
relieved and on 17th July 1944, they were captured. During this period they did
considerable sabotage work to signal and electrical installations and collected
valuable information which they passed to Intelligence channels. Their
situation was highly unenviable. During the third week a German Anti-Parachute
Company was specially despatched to hunt them and on occasions came very close
indeed, as illustrated by the fact that Lieutenant Poole’s party was greatly
hampered by a wounded man who had to be carried. The party was seldom more than a few yards from the Germans, in fact they found greater safety from pursuit in
keeping within 200 yards of different enemy unit Headquarters.

Being within enemy lines they were subjected to constant shell fire from our own guns. Their endurance was severely taxed by lack of food. As from the third week their French contacts could only bring food once or twice a week, and that in very limited quantities. They could not cook as it was impossible to have a fire. For the last two weeks the lived chiefly on raw vegetables. Throughout this period of acute nervous and physical strain, Lieutenant Poole showed outstanding resourcefulness and courage. His coolness and clear mindedness during moments of crisis as well as during the hours of shelling and suspense, sustained the other members of his party incalculably. He carried out numerous sabotage attacks.

Upon the twelfth day a report was received that two escaped American prisoners of War, both unable to walk from wounds and lack of food, were in hiding some 5 miles away. Lieutenant Poole undertook to fetch them and succeeded in doing this despite the hazards of crossing country dense with Germans. The effect of his work and example on his men cannot be overestimated.

On July 17th, 1944, the party worked its way North into ‘No Man’s Land’ and would have gained the American lines had not the Germans not overrun them in a counter attack. They were found in a ditch by an enemy patrol who threw grenades amongst them, wounding every member of the party except Lieutenant Poole and one other. The party repelled the enemy patrol, after which Lieutenant Poole succeeded in leading and carrying his men 200 yards across ‘No Man’s Land’ to a house which necessitated him making several trips across fire-swept ground. He then prepared such defences as his limited resources would permit and made further incursions into ‘No Man’s Land’ to fetch water for the wounded. The house was finally surrounded and attacked by a German platoon. Had it not been for this stroke of ill fated fortune on the 42nd day of their being within enemy lines, Lieutenant Poole would have succeeded against overwhelming odds in bringing back his party to the Allied lines. His determination, courage and leadership were of the highest exemplary value and quality.

During 1945 and 1946, Norman was further engaged by MI 9, British Intelligence for a task with the Allied Screening Commission in Athens.

Before a further mission to the Gobi Desert Norm received his demob papers and settled down as an office boy for the National Provincial Bank in Winchester. With hard work he finally became the National Westminster’s Premises Manager for the South West of England and South Wales. He married his wife Elisabeth Barnes had two daughters and was blessed with four grandchildren and 5 Great Grandchildren.

Norman Harry Poole born April 9th 1920, died aged 95 years on June 26th 2015.