 alfred george gardyne de chastelain, dso, obe (1906â1974) was a british businessman, soldier, and secret agent, noted for his actions during world war ii. he was the father of canadian general john de chastelain. == early life and stay in romania == thumb|left|mr and mrs de chastelain in 1945 born in london, england, in february 1906, of anglo-scottish parents and of huguenot background, he was educated in scotland and the university of london, from which he received a first class degree in engineering. on graduation, he moved to romania and worked for unirea (a british petroleum branch) in bucharest, rising to a managerial position towards the end of the 1930s. while in bucharest, he married marion elizabeth walsh, the daughter of jack walsh, an american accountant with standard oil of new jersey in romania. ==wartime activities with the soe == on the outbreak of war with nazi germany, de chastelain was commissioned into the artists' rifles and became a member of special operations executive (soe), with which organisation he conducted sabotage operations in the balkans and served in the north african campaign. in late 1943, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, he led a team of two other soe members (ivor porter and silviu meÅ£ianu) by parachute into romania (operation autonomous), to test the possibility of the country's surrender to the allies as the axis was losing battles on the eastern front (see romania during world war ii). captured by the romanian gendarmerie soon after their landing near plosca, teleorman county, he and his team were taken into custody as prisoners of war and held in a bucharest apartment.duÅ£u et al. they were all released in august 1944, when conducÄtor ion antonescu was overthrown and king michael i assumed full powers (see king michael coup). decorated, de chastelain was demobilised after the war, 
1906_births 1974_deaths Alumni_of_the_University_of_London Anglo-Scots Artists\'_Rifles_officers BP_people British_Army_personnel_of_World_War_II British_emigrants_to_Canada Businesspeople_from_London Canadian_businesspeople Canadian_people_of_Huguenot_descent Canadian_people_of_Scottish_descent Companions_of_the_Distinguished_Service_Order English_businesspeople Officers_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire Romania_in_World_War_II Special_Air_Service_officers Special_Operations_Executive_personnel World_War_II_spies_for_the_United_Kingdom