Teachers’ Guide for Secret Liberators: Canada’s SOE Agents in Occupied France.
John Myers OISE (retired)
Section 2 Key Questions
Some of the key questions presented in individual parts can apply to other parts of the film.
Part 1- from the fall of France to the spring of 1943 (ends at 13:40 minutes)
- The creation of the SOE: goals and strategies, training of agents and why they were fluent in French and sometimes other languages?
- Key Questions: Why would anyone join? What dangers did they face? How did the SOE avoid detection?
- What made St. Quentin a base for SOE operations?
- How did the Germans respond to the work of the SOE?
Part 2- the summer of 1943 (ends at 23 min.)
- How did the SOE operate in secret?
- What mission was featured here? What happened?
- What was the “Radio Game”?
Part 3- fall and winter of 1943-4 (ends at 30 minutes 30 sec)
- What role did technology play in the operations of the SOE and the German forces?
Part 4- spring of 1944 and D Day (ends at 39 minutes 40 seconds)
- How did the mission change in advance of D Day?
- Why was Al Sirois smiling through the telling of his tale?
- How did the Radio Game end?
- What was the significance of the files marked N and N (nacht und nebel)?
Part 5- conclusion
- What happened to the SOE prisoners?
- What was Al Sirois feeling as he made his final comments in the film?
There are a couple of “sensitive” scenes of torture and death that may not be suitable for viewing. These include the last section from Part 1 at about the 13-minute mark for about 30 seconds and the beginning of Part 5 from the 41-minute mark for about 2 minutes 15 seconds. Be sure to preview these sections before deciding to show them!
