war IS 9 was transformed into the 23 SAS Regiment based in the Midlands). Baker's role was to run and reorganise resistance groups and escape routes in France and Belgium in preparation for the forthcoming landings in France on D-Day; his section was attached to 21st Army Group under the ultimate command of SHAEF. Assembling near Portsmouth at the end of May 1944, and crossed into France on D-Day itself (with the unit's support equipment crossing seven days later). In Operation Marathon, Baker was part of the group, led by Airey Neave, that rescued a group of 152 Allied pilots who were hidden in the Fréteval Forest near Châteaudun. Upon their return, they discovered that 10 escapees were unaccounted for, and Baker returned to save the others. He followed the Allied armies into Paris and Brussels when they were liberated, before arriving in the Netherlands and basing himself in Eindhoven in September 1944. He was told to find a member of the Dutch resistance who could cross behind the German defences in Holland to act as a liaison between the allies and the resistance in preparation of the allied landings during Operation Market Garden. It was strongly suggested that Baker would make use of a member of Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld's entourage by the name of Christiaan Lindemans, who turned out to be a double-agent codenamed 'King Kong'. Taken prisoner In early October, Baker and Neave moved their unit to just west of Nijmegen, and Neave obtained permission to send Baker (codenamed 'Harrier') through enemy lines to make contact with the Dutch Resistance. Baker was ordered to wear his British Army uniform and not leave his safe house during the day. On 11 October, Neave accompanied Baker to the River Waal, where he crossed in a canoe, and eventually made contact with the Resistance. The same canoe was used to bring out Dutch diplomat Herman van Roijen (later Dutch foreign minister) with critical intelligence information for his government in exile. He stayed at a farmhouse where he was hosted by local resistance member Fekko Ebbens and his family. Baker was joined there a day or two later by Private First Class Theodore Bachenheimer (from the 504th Parachute Infantry of the US Army). Baker disobeyed orders by exchanging his military uniform for civilian clothes upon the insistence of the local resistance. Baker and PFC Bachenheimer walked around the area during the day