What happened to Odette Hallowes? "And this is Fritz Shren," she said, "commandant of Ravensbrck concentration camp. Agents wore boots and shoes with secret compartments. Odette was a courier for the SPINDLE circuit of Special Operations Executive (SOE), the secret sabotage outfit Winston Churchill had charged to set Europe ablaze. She was a wife and mother of three who didnt drink, smoke or swear, and to the casual observer she was quite ordinary, perhaps even boring. To accomplish these tasks, couriers carried messages and money to their associates almost on a daily basis. [6], Originally Sansom was considered too temperamental and stubborn by SOE, with an evaluation stating "She is impulsive and hasty in her judgments and has not quite the clarity of mind which is desirable in subversive activity. 4659. Continue Learning about General Arts & Entertainment. At 2:00 a.m. on April 16, Bleicher, no longer in the guise of "Colonel Henri", appeared in the hotel with Italian soldiers and arrested Sansom and Churchill. She wore her FANY uniform and the blue ribbon and silver miniature of the George Cross. Those who managed to live for more than a few weeks or months on this diet had figured out a way to get extra food. [CDATA[ Knowing they were going to die gave them a sense of freedom, and they told each other their real names as well as their code names. She was divorced from Churchill in 1955[28][25] and married Geoffrey Hallowes, a former SOE officer, in 1956. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. She was captured by the Gestapo and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp, but survived the war. En route to the Gestapo prison in Paris, they decided that Sansom would pretend to be Churchill's wife, in order to divert attention from his London mission and the sabotage they had orchestrated in France. She was taken to Fresnes Prison in Paris, where she was interrogated and tortured on many separate occasions. Each country, including France, had its own section in London. Sansom was shocked by the lax attitude towards security by her French supporters. They were joined there by several other members of the Carte network and SOE, a gathering which attracted the attention of the Italian fascist police and the Gestapo. A list of 200 potential supporters, lost by Andr Marsac, a Girard courier, was obtained by the Germans. "You will realize I am not what you want.". agents,Yolande Beekman, Eliane Plewman, Madeleine Damerment, Vera Heidenheim, Germany Buckmaster allowed her training to continue regardless. Other The marriage Nancy Wake She had already made three unsuccessful attempts to get to France. She was subsisting on just one slice of bread and a bowl of. She was then transported to Halle, where she was again treated brutally. The torture continued. Last updated 8 February 2018. Her brave endurance saved the lives of many agents. Odette Sansom, also known as Odette Churchill and Odette Hallowes, was born on 28 April 1912 in Amiens, France. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. "How do you feel?," the interrogator asked. Agents learned how to place explosive matchboxes or fountain pens where they would do the most damage. She left her husband and three children to return to occupied France as a spy for the SOE (Special Operation Executive Program, a British spy agency) The book is well written and researched. Great access to I-80. The following month she was sent to Ravensbruck [4], George Starr, one of SOE's most successful agents and a self-described martinet, called Sansom "a dreadful lady" and deplored what he portrayed as her seductive behaviour. Shren was hoping to save himself from execution as a war criminal after Germany's defeat. Odette Marie Cline Brailly was born on April 28, 1912, the first child of Gaston, a bank official in Amiens, and Yvonne Brailly . As a result she was recruited by the Special Operations Executive This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. On 16th April, 1943, Sansom and Churchill were arrested by Hugo Bleicher of Abwehr. She was awarded not only an Order of the British Empire (Member), but also a Chevalier de la Lgion dHonneur, Frances highest decoration; a George Cross, Britains second highest honor; and five other medals. She was executed in Ravensbrck concentration camp and posthumously awarded theGeorge Cross, the highest honour given to civilians. After receiving basic training in England, she was taken to France by boat in October 1942. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, the date of retrieval is often important. [10] SOE agent Francis Cammaerts visited Annecy briefly in March or early April 1943 and assessed the security of Churchill and Sansom's network as deficient and likely to be penetrated by the Germans. Despite a report by the camp doctor that she would not survive such conditions for more than a few weeks, after being found unconscious in her cell she was placed in solitary confinement. A manifesto signed by about 20 former associates accused Churchill of being in France only to collect material for a book about his experiences and asked what acts of sabotage he and Odette had carried out. The interrogator calmly told her that his colleague was going to pull out her toenails one by one. Sansom replied, "I have nothing to say.". [11], Meanwhile, in Paris in mid-March, spy-catcher Hugo Bleicher, an Abwehr counterintelligence officer, arrested Marsac, persuading him and another Carte associate, Roger Bardet, that he was an anti-Nazi German colonel and that they should work together. Odette Her Remarkable True Storyby Jerrard Tickell at Amazon. They then moved to England where a second daughter Lily was born in 1934. The Gestapo pounced. Violette Szabos code-name was Corrinne. [7], Her wartime record was the subject of a 1950 film, Odette, in which the title role was played by Anna Neagle and Trevor Howard played Churchill. Anyone who fell behind was shot dead. Yet their decorations pale in comparison to those of a courier spy named Odette Sansom (code name: LISE). ." October 14, 1990. German administrator, military commander Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from It seems like you have tried to open a page that doesn't exist. 1934); Marianne (b. In 1942,Odette Sansomwas invited to join 'F' Section of theSpecial Operations Executive(SOE). 47 frontage. To be caught with a wireless radiosomething every SOE agent would transport from time to timewas a capital offense. Radio Operators was one of the most dangerous tasks, as the Gestapo were always on the lookout for radio signals. Letting Odette Sansom face the window as they tortured her . Before spies left England, Scotland Yard detectives scrutinized their clothing. Your email address will not be published. She lived quietly, carrying on an extensive correspondence. The prince is captivated by her soulful countenance and starts to approach her, but she becomes frightened and turns from him. Odette Sansom (1912 1995) a French/British spy who worked as an SOE operative in occupied France. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Klaus Barbie, known as the "Butcher of Lyon," was a leader in the Nazi group called the SS, and was head of anti-Resistance operations in France duri, Himmler, Heinrich Sansom was trained to serve as a courier and a circuit organizer. A year later, they were married, and their first daughter Franoise was born in 1932. The Gestapo believe that her husband Peter Churchill was related to Winston Churchill. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"_AuhmkdrMi1mq61lM9R.VNRK.kGsRUbh0j6SX_5ImLM-86400-0"}; Hero of the French Resistance, known only as Odette, who worked for the British War Department during World War II and, when captured and tortured by the Nazis, refused to divulge classified information. Roy and Odette's marriage was dissolved in 1946 and she married Peter Churchill in 1947.[25]. As the Russians drew closer, the entire Nazi death operation went into reverse. She was captured six months later and imprisoned in Fresne, the Gestapo prison in Paris. Her pat answer was always the same: I have nothing to say. When the Gestapo realized that she would never talk, they condemned her to death and sent her to the one place feared by every woman in Europe: Ravensbrck. Infuriated, Bleicher sent her to Ravensbrck concentration camp. Mrs Odette Marie Celine Hallowes (see Sansom) (28 Apr 1912- 13 Mar 1995). Her body was soon covered in scabs, and she suffered from dysentery and scurvy. Odette is a 1950 British war film based on the true story of Special Operations Executive French agent, Odette Sansom, living in England, who was captured by the Germans in 1943, condemned to death and sent to Ravensbrck concentration camp to be executed. Around February 5th 1945 Violette Szabo was executed by a shot in the back of her head aged just twenty three. By accepting death, she felt that "they would not win anything. she worked under Peter Churchill, the SOE's organizer in that part Some had only rags to cover their feet as they were forced onto the frozen mud. Odette was a French woman married to an Englishman. [36], On 6 March 2020 Great Western Railway named a Class 800 train after her; the ceremony in Odette's honour was held at Paddington Station in London and attended by Anne, Princess Royal.[37]. of the country. Odette's other companions remained at Karlsruhe until September when they were taken to Dachau concentration camp. It reads: In love and homage to Mrs. Yolande E.M. Beekman, Croix de Guerre, Miss Danielle Bloch , Miss Andre M. Borrel, Miss Muriel Byck , Miss Madeleine Damerment, Miss Noor Inayat Khan, Mrs. Cecily M. Lefort , Miss Vera E. Leigh, Mrs. Eliane S. Plewman, Croix de Guerre, Miss Lilian V. Rolfe , Miss Diana H. Rowden, Mrs. Yvonne Rudellat , Mrs. Violette R.E. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Who Can Benefit From Diaphragmatic Breathing? 5 Non-Christmas Movies to Watch This Holiday, Best Online Games to Play with your Friends, 12 tips for creating visual content on social media. The fact she survived undetected for over a year is a testimony to her care and professionalism. Concentration Camp. The officer responsible for Sansom's torture in Paris was also executed in July 1944, for ordering the shooting of British parachutists captured in uniform. 19561995 Coming from a long line of patriots from the province of Picardy, she rose up against indifference and was outraged when the Nazis took over her nation. She learned how to fire British guns, how to identify the insignia on German uniforms, how to write, transmit, and receive Morse code, how to handle a canoe, and how to evade answers under SS (Schutzstaffel or "elite guard") interrogation; in short, all the techniques necessary for leading the double life of a spy. On May 26, 1943, Sansom was taken to the headquarters of the German security service. Mahoney, M.H. She was treated harshly, and was once kept in the dark on her own for three months and 11 days. Yet, despite the torture and pressure, she remained firm to her story. She would keep the pistol as a memento of the war. Odette Sansom (1912 - 1995) - a French/British spy who worked as an SOE operative in occupied France. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Think before you speak. 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