Thomas Christian Sneum (21 May 1917 Fanø - 3 February 2007 Roskilde) was a Danish flight officer who was among the first British agents in Denmark during World War II. His most spectacular achievement was when, in 1941, he photographed two German Freya radar stations on Fanø. In the night of 21–22 June 1941 he and pilot Kjeld Pedersen made a spectacular escape from Denmark to Great Britain in a D.H. Hornet Moth.[2] This would later inspire Ken Follett to write his novel Hornet Flight.[3]
Thomas Christian Sneum | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 May 1917 Sønderho, Fanø, Denmark |
| Died | 3 February 2007 (aged 89) Roskilde, Denmark |
| Buried | |
| Service/ |  Royal Danish Air ForceSIS Free Norwegian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1937-1945 |
| Rank | Flight lieutenant |
| Awards | King's Medal for Courage |
Sneum stated he had planned to assassinate Heinrich Himmler in February 1941 with a longbow from a room in Hotel d'Angleterre, but the plan was cancelled when Himmler failed to appear publicly.[4][5]
Further reading
- Ryan, Mark (February 2011). The Hornet's Sting: The Amazing Untold Story of World War II Spy Thomas Sneum. New York: Skyhorse Publishing Inc. ISBN 978-1-61608-170-6.