During World War Two, some 400 Belgians escaped their Nazi-occupied country and joined the British and American secret services (SOE, SIS, MI9 and OSS). They became Parachute Agents, infiltrated back into occupied Europe to wage the secret war against the enemy. Of the 333 Agents who deployed, more than half were arrested, and a third never returned. After the war, they founded a Fraternelle; today, their descendants and sympathisers honour their memory to inspire others.

Today, new adversaries are waging a hybrid war against Belgium and Europe. The Russian war against Ukraine is accompanied by a wide range of hybrid attacks, including against Ukraine’s partners. Other adversaries as well daily attempt to undermine our sovereignty through all kinds of hybrid actions. How to understand the place of hybrid attacks in our adversaries’ strategy? Conversely, confronted with both hybrid attacks and large-scale war on our doorstep, what is the role of our own special forces today?

The seminar will be preceded by a ceremony at the Commemorative Tablet outside the house of the Fraternelle to honour the fallen Agents.

Programme

09.00-09.30             Ceremony

09.30-09.45            Signing of the Visitor Book

09-45-10.00           Coffee

10.00-10.15            Welcome & Introduction

Luc Penninckx, Chairman of the Fraternelle

10.15-11.00          Session 1: The History of the Belgian Parachute Agents

Dr Helen Fry, Historian

Chair: Peter Verstraeten, Member of the Board of the Fraternelle

11.00-12.30           Session 2: Hybrid War and Special Forces Today

Major-General Wim Denolf

Bernard Siman OBE, Senior Associate Fellow, Egmont Institute

Chair: Prof. Dr Sven Biscop, Egmont Institute & Ghent University

12.30-13.30           Light Lunch