Introduction

The following table contains a summary of life and career of Theodore Schurch.

Summary of Schurch's Life

5 May 1918:	Born at Queen Charlotte’s Hospital. The Father was Theodore Schurch, a hotel porter of Fulham. The Mother was Henrietta Eunice Schurch formerly Chapman. The birth was registered by Schurch’s Mother, whose address was in Britannia Road, Fulham.
8 July 1936:	Schurch joined the British Army as a driver in the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) for 6 years’ service in the regular and reserve army.
11 Nov. 1937:	Embarked at Liverpool on the H.T. California for Palestine.
19 Nov. 1937:	Arrived at Haifa, and joined 14^th Company RASC.
January 1938:	Schurch goes to GHQ Palestine & Transjordan as a Staff Car driver.
Early 1940:	Schurch goes to Sarafand with 68^th Company RASC.
Early 1941:	Posted to Genfa, and then to No. 6 Motor Transport (MT) Depot at Tel-El-Kebir.
June 1942:	Schurch is posted to the front line with 432^nd Company RASC. He is captured by the Germans at Tobruk.
13 Sept. 1942:	Schurch performs his first job for Lieutenant-Colonel Revertria, involving collecting information from POWs taken from H.M.S. Sikh and Zulu. Schurch adopts the disguise of a Captain Richards, RASC.
14 Sept. 1942:	Goes to Benghazi to gain information from prisoners captured from the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG).
October 1942:	Schurch crossed over into British lines at Alamein. Schurch then crosses back into enemy line after 4/5 days.
Jan/Feb. 1943:	He then goes to SIM (Italian Military Intelligence) HQ in Rome. He also meets Lieutenant-Colonel Stirling, who was captured on a SAS operation.
Easter 1943:	Schurch is `moved’ to a POW Camp in Rome to be with Lieutenants J.H. Bromage, RN (H.M. Submarine Sahib) and Hardy, RNVR (H.M. Submarine Splendid).
April 1943:	Schurch then `works’ on Lieutenant A. Hart, RNVR (captured on a SBS operation). Hart, Bromage, Hardy and Stirling are all held at the same POW Camp in Rome.
June 1943:	Theodore Schurch continues to pose as Captain Richards, RASC, in an attempt to gain some information from a Sergeant in the SBS.
Sept. 1943:	Schurch goes to Perugia, wearing civilian clothes, to expose Italians working for British Intelligence. Because of the Italian Armistice, Schurch is arrested by the Germans who believe he is an escaped POW.
Oct. 1944:	Schurch obtains a Swiss Passport from the Swiss Consulate at Como, Italy.
March 1945:	Schurch is detailed by General Hasler, Chief of the SD in Italy, to come to Rome and investigate various activities at the Vatican City. Whilst at La Spezia, Schurch is arrested by an American CIC Officer.
27 May 1945:	Schurch provides a written statement at Carcere Minorenni Aristide Gabelli Prison, Rome.
12 Sept. 1945:	Schurch’s General courts-martial begins at the Duke Of York’s HQ, Chelsea. The court is adjourned by mutual agreement of the Prosecution and Defence.
17 Sept. 1945:	The GCM resumes at the Duke of York’s HQ, Chelsea. The court announces that its findings will be promulgated to Schurch.
10 Nov. 1945:	The finding of the GCM are promulgated to Schurch, who is being held in prison. Schurch has been found guilty of nine counts of Treachery and one count of desertion. He is sentenced to death by hanging.
4 Jan. 1946:	Theodore John William Schurch, aged 27 years, is executed by hanging at H.M.P. Pentonville. His execution took place at 9am, and Schurch was later buried in the prison graveyard.