Raoul Latimer pictured among the war graves in Howard Davis Park ini 1989. Picture: PETER MOURANT

NOT many people in Jersey knew exactly how much of a hero was in their midst when Raoul Latimer lived here.

A very modest man, he had made the Island his home with his Jersey-born wife Rosa (née Roche) in 1982 and remained here until he died in 1994, aged 77.

The extent of this man’s outstanding courage has now been fully revealed in the recent publication by his daughter Rosa Lia Troch of the book he wrote about his experiences as a Special Operations Executive in Belgium during the Second World War.

Born in London, Mr Latimer was turned down by the regular armed services because of his very poor eyesight.

However, his ability to speak six languages led to him being recruited to be an SOE operative – the group set up by Winston Churchill as a separate, independent organisation from M15 and M16 to organise resistance against the Germans.

Intensive training he received included how to handle explosives and arms, wireless transmission, parachuting skills, spying techniques and the use of code and passwords.

In November 1942, Captain Latimer was parachuted into Belgium on a mission to organise the collection of arms and ammunition in co-operation with the Belgian Secret Army.

Over the next five months he organised, with the team he recruited on the ground, the successful collection of 100 containers dropped by the British in the Belgian countryside.

As more people came to know about the operations, they became more dangerous and Captain Latimer was recalled to London.

However, he returned to Belgium on another mission some time afterwards and working undercover he set up a communications network for the Belgian Secret Army, and he also trained operators to use radio equipment.

The nightmare for him began when he was captured by the Gestapo on 28 May 1944, transferred to the prison of St Gilles where he was held for 103 days and brutally tortured.

An article in the London Gazette reported about his torture the following year after Captain Latimer was awarded the Military Cross :

‘The Gestapo were aware that they had a key man in their hands and made every effort to extract from him the maximum information.

Captain Latimer induced them to believe that he was one of the chief ‘detached’ signals experts from Home Station who was organising a clandestine circuit throughout Belgium.

He betrayed no-one, and although he had been in contact with many important members of the Secret Army his arrest had no repercussions.’

The article continued: ‘Captain Latimer throughout his mission showed great courage, devotion to duty and fearlessness in the face of danger.’

He escaped from his captors with other prisoners when the train on which they were being transported was sabotaged by local railway workers who had blown up the tracks.

For his courage, Captain Latimer was also made an MBE and awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre with two bars.

Captain Latimer’s wife Rosa recently celebrated her 100th birthday in Jersey with her three children Rosa Lia, Rosario and Raoul (known as Patrick.)

When interviewed by the JEP a number of years before he died, Mr Latimer said that he was conscious that torture was still being used around the world – which made him angry.

He said at that time: ‘How can they do this to people?’

The book entitled ‘Memoirs of Raoul’ is available on the website http://memoirsofraoul.wordpress.com