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The Giles Project: Unearthing the Hidden Headquarters of the French Resistance

Across the rolling countryside of Normandy, history often reveals itself quietly. Not in grand monuments or preserved battlefields, but in forgotten farmhouses, weathered timbers, and crumbling stone structures that have stood silently for generations.

Source story — ask about available material

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Overgrown stone farmhouse under a grey sky in Normandy, the Giles Project

Project record

  • Country: France
  • Status: Source story — ask about available material
  • Project Name: The Giles Project
  • Location: Normandy, France
  • Historical Significance: Headquarters of OSS Jedburgh Team Giles and local French Resistance (Maquis) forces, July 1944Primary Materials Recovered:
  • Hand-hewn beam: 12" x 12" x 21'
  • Hand-hewn beam: 12" x 12" x 17'
  • Potential reclaimed mantel from original headquarters fireplace
  • Approximately 8 beams measuring 10" x 10" x 18'
  • More than 40 reclaimed planks measuring 6" x 1" x 8'

The Men Behind Team Giles

The story begins with three extraordinary Allied operatives. American Captain Bernard Knox was born in England, studied languages at Cambridge, fought in the Spanish Civil War, fell in love with an American in Paris, emigrated to Connecticut, became a naturalized U.S.

Hunted by the German Army

The danger intensified when a known Gestapo agent was identified during a meeting involving local resistance contacts. Following the encounter, word spread that German forces were actively searching for Team Giles. Reports indicated that local farms associated with the team had been identified and marked by German authorities.

Preserving a Legacy of Resistance

The headquarters may now stand in ruin, but its timbers remain powerful witnesses to history. Within these beams, Allied operatives planned missions. Resistance fighters received orders. Supply drops were coordinated. Intelligence flowed to London. The liberation of France moved one step closer.

Ask about this project

Ask about available material.

Start Your InquiryCall (844) 433-6757