A member of SOE, in August 1944 Captain Godfrey Marchant was dropped in the Paris area by parachute to assist in the final phase of the liberation of that City. Captain Marchant, who spoke French indifferently, travelled around Paris on a bicycle organising sabotage with the Resistance. He and his wireless operator carried on their work at times within 200 yards of enemy forces who had been searching the neighbourhood for a radio transmitter that had been in use.

On 27th August he was obliged to withdraw. He and his group took the only line of retreat but, his party safely escaping, he was pinned down by German machinegun fire and took refuge in a lake for 8 hours until he was able to make his escape. He was awarded the Military Cross. This .38 Colt Automatic handgun is the one he used during this mission. It has been de-activated.

Captain Marchant MC later served with SOE Force 136 in Burma but was killed when the aircraft taking him and his team on their first mission behind Japanese lines crashed on take-off.