[3][7] A bad fall during training ruled out parachute entry into France. https://youtu.be/P60YDAkrbuw. Inmates drank ersatz coffee in the morning, watery soup for lunch, and ate bread for dinner while doing heavy labor. Continue Learning about General Arts & Entertainment. Although they had all parachuted into France and been on similar missions, none of the agents had met. She became a national heroine and in 1950,a filmwas made about her. Odette was a French woman married to an Englishman. He died trying to find two of his men who had gone missing after the Battle of Verdun. Odette Name Origin: German. Women also died from malnourishment, overwork, exposure, lethal injections or obscene experimental surgery. SOE circuits were comprised of three agents: circuit leader, courier and radio operator. Odette Sansom at the FANY memorial at St. Paul's Church in Knightsbridge, London, in 1948. But, eventually, the camp was overrun, and she won her freedom as the Camp commandant tried to use her as a hostage. He was warned to avoid contact with Sansom and 'Colonel Henri" on his return to France, but when he was parachuted back into the Annecy area on April 14/15, he was met by Sansom and Rabinovich. Check here if you would like to receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies. Suhren was later hanged for war crimes. She is buried with Odette at Burvale cemetery where her name is given as Yvonne Marie Rose Brailly. He was held as a Prisoner of War in 165 POW Camp near Abbeville and succeeded in escaping four times, although he was never able to return to the German lines. Special Operations Executive(SOE) had been set up in 1940 to coordinate and carry out subversive action against German forces in occupied countries, including France. Joined the Resistance (1942); captured and brought to Fresne Prison in Paris (1943); tortured by the Gestapo (May 26, 1943); transferred to Karlsruhe prison (May 12, 1944); brought to Ravensbrck concentration camp for women in Germany under sentence of death (July 18, 1944); released from Ravensbrck (April 28, 1945); received George Cross from King George VI (November 19, 1946); testified for the prosecution at the War Crimes Court in Hamburg, Germany (December 16, 1946). "I am interested to see, monsieur, that you consider it necessary to defend what you have just done," said Sansom. This essay consists of three articles that examine different aspects of the history of prisoners of war. SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England. The company . The hope was that in this way their treatment would be mitigated. She left her children in a convent and began training with the SOE. What can I eat if everything makes me sick? The torture continued. Despite, Odettes suspicions, his involvement led to her arrest. Odette: The Story of a British Agent. [17][18] The British had calculated that if the Germans thought she was related to the British Prime Minister they would want to keep her alive as a possible bargaining tool. Charles de Gaulle led the Free French forces in resisting capitulation to Germany during World War II and became provisional president of France in the immediate aftermath of the war. In all, 50 SOE women agents were landed in France during World War II. What happened to Odette's daughters? Odette Sansom GC, MBE (28 April 1912 13 March 1995), also known as Odette Churchill and Odette Hallowes, code named Lise, was an agent for the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) in France during the Second World War. She arrived on July 18, 1944, two days before a now-famous failed plot by members of Hitler's inner circle to assassinate him. All Rights Reserved. Please make him your prisoner." Magazines, CODE NAME: LISEThe True Story of the Woman Who Became WWIIs Most Highly Decorated Spy, Or create a free account to access more articles, The Extraordinary Bravery That Made This Woman One of World War II's Most Remarkable Spies. Walther PPK pistol taken by Odette Sansom from Fritz Suhren, commandant of Ravensbrck concentration camp, after he had driven her to the American lines in May 1945. Weapons and ammunition Walther PPK 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. Colonel Henri was a German officer who claimed he wished to work for the allies. Instead, Sansom told the Americans to take him prisoner. Szabo returned to Britain via Lysander in June 1944. Sansom was torn, as she wanted to help but didn't want to leave her children. Still, she refused to speak. The interrogator told Odette he was a servant of his fhrer, Adolf Hitler, and had no regrets for what he did; in fact, he would stop at nothing to get the information he needed. Sansom also gave evidence against several ofRavensbrck's staff, which influenced their sentencing. "You will realize I am not what you want.". 1 lot left! People would cross paths, sometimes in crucial ways, then slip away and never see one another again. Messages were printed on ties, scarves, handkerchiefs, and underwear. Sansom continued to claim that she was related to Winston She is holding Tania Szab , daughter of SOE officer Violette Szab . I am not all that bad it's just circumstances. In 1914, her father joined an infantry regiment. She was betrayed by a double agent, Colonel Henri in April 1943. "British Heroine Honored, Aided French Resistance Despite Gestapo Tortures," in The New York Times. Some had only rags to cover their feet as they were forced onto the frozen mud. London replied immediately: "Henri highly dangerousyou are to hide across lake and cut contacts with all save Arnaud [Rabinovich]"[12][13], Churchill was in London consulting with SOE at the time of Bleicher's meeting with Sansom. As well as Odette Sansom there were numerous other female spies who served in the SOE as secret agents in occupied France they include: Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. Violette Szabo (1921-1945) worked for 'F' Section inSpecial Operations Executive (SOE)during theSecond World War. 3 Commercial Lots- Minooka, IL -For Sale They hoped that this story would help. 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. Odette Sansom GC, MBE (28 April 1912 - 13 March 1995), also known as Odette Churchill and Odette Hallowes, code named Lise, was an agent for the United Kingdom 's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) in France during the Second World War. The Gestapo believe that her husband Peter Churchill was related to Winston Churchill. November 20, 1946. When she refused to divulge the whereabouts of her spy circuit's wireless operator and another British officer, she not only saved the lives of other agents but enabled them to continue their work for the Resistance. "Sansom, Odette (19121995) Great access to I-80. After the British evacuation of Dunkirk, the War Office had made a radio appeal to the public for pictures of the French coast. She was 82. This jacket was worn by Odette Sansom during the course of her confinement in Fresnes Prison and Ravensbrck. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. She endured months of solitary confinement and death threats, but revealed nothing. She believed that only if England and France survived would freedom and civilization prevail. On May 26, 1943, Sansom was taken to the headquarters of the German security service. For her service, she was awarded the George Cross. London: Arco, 1957. Odette Sansom Hallowes died on March 13, 1995 at the age of World War Two's most highly decorated female spy has had a train named after her by Great Western Railway. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. With Sansom stranded in Cannes, Churchill obtained Buckmaster's permission to scrap her original mission and for her to act as his courier. [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. Sansom wassent to Ravensbrck concentration camp, Germany, in July 1944. [21], In June 1943 Sansom was condemned to death on two counts, to which she responded, "Then you will have to make up your mind on what count I am to be executed, because I can only die once." All of her toenails had been ripped from her feet. [21], After the Allied landings in the south of France in August 1944, on orders from Berlin, all food was withdrawn for a week, all light was removed from Sansom's cell, and the heat was turned up. In July 1942, Sansom began her training at the SOE school, a country house hidden in New Forest, Hampshire. Sansom was sent to Fresnes Prison in Paris and while being A matchstick was made in which the equivalent of nine sheets of paper could be carried and then hidden among the regular matches in the box. On 16 April 1943, 'Lise' and 'Raoul' were betrayed by a member of their network and arrested. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/sansom-odette-1912-1995. Sansom was shocked by the lax attitude towards security by her French supporters. Violette Szabos code-name was Corrinne. To accomplish these tasks, couriers carried messages and money to their associates almost on a daily basis. [14][15][16], At Fresnes prison, near Paris, Sansom was interrogated by the Gestapo fourteen times. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. She maintained that she, not Peter Churchill, was the leader; she also refused to give any information about other members. She seems to have little experience of the outside world. Military figures Famous military leaders and soldiers, including Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Ataturk, Erwin Rommel, Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower. "That is a permanent link I would not let go of," she said. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre with a bronze star. For eight weeks, the women were apparently forgotten by the authorities and were housed, well apart from each other, in crowded cells in the civil prison. Name variations: Odette Hallowes; Odette Churchill; (code names) Odette Matayer, Cline, Lise. ), produced in Britain by Lowpert-Dowling-UA, starring Anna Neagle and Trevor Howard, 1951 (Sansom was technical advisor on the film). Hearing the broadcast, Sansom wrote that she had photographs taken around Boulogne, but she mistakenly sent her letter to the War Office instead of the Admiralty. On 3 May 1945, knowing that Allied forces had entered Germany, the camp commandant, Fritz Suhren, decided he wanted to escape. It does not store any personal data. what happened to odette sansom daughters. She is excitable and temperamental, although she has a certain determination." Once more, she refused. Great location near I-80 "I have nothing to say," Sansom replied. She was brutally tortured by the Gestapo for information on her fellow agents. Check out this video. Nancy Wake She endured months of solitary confinement and death threats, but revealed nothing. But it was Odettes commitment to honor and duty that allowed her to persevere under such perilous conditions. Shren was hoping to save himself from execution as a war criminal after Germany's defeat. However, against all odds she survived the war and testified against the prison guards at the Hamburg Ravensbrck trials. Honored for his tenacity and courage at the battle of Verdun, he was later killed as he attempted to save two men missing from his platoon. [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. [26] After an appeal by her mother, it was returned with a note saying: "You, Madame, appear to be a dear old lady. Ask a World War II aficionado to name the wars most highly decorated spy and youre likely to get one of three answers: Dusko Popov (code name: TRICYCLE), the MI5/MI6 double agent who warned the FBI about Pearl Harbor and inspired Ian Flemings James Bond; Juan Pujol (code name: GARBO), the crafty Spaniard who fooled the Germans with a fictional network of 15 agents; or Roman Garby-Czerniawski (code name: BRUTUS), the Polish double agent who at one time had a hundred agents in his INTERALLI circuit. 1936). Heroes and Heroines. It could have been deleted, moved, or it never existed at all. Two of those escaped, and Sansom returned, the lone survivor. And if I can think that way instead of thinking what is going to happen in a half-hour's time," Because of her past illnesses she knew "I was able to accept this, and survive it." Another courier, Pearl Witherington , led an underground force of 2,000 young French guerillas, called the Maquis, who specialized in cutting the main Paris-Bordeaux railway. They'll have a dead body, useless to them. [21], Sansom said she believed she was "not brave, not courageous, but just make up my mind about certain things." She briefly married, Peter Churchill, before marrying her third husband, Geoffrey Hallowes. When she was eight, an unidentified disorder caused her to go blind for. Odette Sansom (1912 - 1995) - a French/British spy who worked as an SOE operative in occupied France. [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]. "Train me," she said. related to Winston Churchill. [3][21] The cell was located near the crematorium and would be covered with burned hair from the cremations. London: R. Hale, 1976. At age 78, in October 1990, Sansom sat with a reporter for the London Sunday Times. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). On her second mission in France, Szab parachuted behind German lines the day after D-Day and established contact with resistance forces in the area. Her body was soon covered in scabs, and she suffered from dysentery and scurvy. She was captured by the Gestapo and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp, but survived the war. And as every spy knew, the Gestapo needed to turn only one operative to infiltrate a circuit and spoil the lot. She was captured, interrogated and tortured, and in July 1944, sent to Ravensbrck concentration camp in Germany. In 1946, Odette Sansom was awarded theGeorge Cross(GC) for refusing to betray her fellow secret agents under torture. A French agent working for the British during World War II, Odette Sansom left three small daughters to join the Resistance in 1942. In five years, over 100,000 women died. Yet, there was an undercurrent of bitterness and turbulence in her. Odette Sansom (1912 1995) a French/British spy who worked as an SOE operative in occupied France. Magazines, Digital [30], She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire[31] and was the first of three Second World War First Aid Nursing Yeomanry members to be awarded the George Cross (gazetted 20 August 1946), all for work with the SOE. The official memorial to all those who served in the SOE during the Second World War was unveiled on 13 February 1996 on the wall of the west cloister of Westminster Abbey by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Fraser, Antonia, ed. Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Roy and Odette's marriage was dissolved in 1946 and she married Peter Churchill in 1947.[25]. However, the evaluation noted "her patriotism and keenness to do something for France." [3], At the time of her arrival in France, the Spindle network was beset by internal strife between the principal agent, Andr Girard, and his assistant and with the network's radio operator, Adolphe Rabinovitch. . 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. I thank you for having faith in me. 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. The Germans wanted to know the true identity of Spindle's wireless operator, "Arnaud," as well as the whereabouts of a British officer, Captain Francis Cammaerts, who had landed in the plane which had taken Churchill to England. A courageous and brave soldier, Odette's father, Gaston Brailly, was promoted to sergeant, and earned the Croix de Guerre and the Medaille Militaire. After she regained her sight, rheumatic fever left her weak and partially paralyzed for months. One Nazi interrogator caught her arms and held them behind the back of the chair, wrote Tickell. Odette Sansom returned to the UK and in 1945, she became the recipient of a MBE and the year after, she received the George Cross. Bleicher of Abwehr. Radio Operators was one of the most dangerous tasks, as the Gestapo were always on the lookout for radio signals. While on a secret trip to England, he left her in charge. Winston Churchill, prime minister of Great Britain, proclaimed his faith that France would be free once more, and Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French in London, encouraged his nation to fight back. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. 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Like to receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies wrote Tickell Odette left. Threats, but revealed nothing that bad it 's just circumstances the most dangerous tasks, as the Gestapo sent..., although she has a certain determination. groups and supplied them with weapons and parachuted! France. to turn only one operative to infiltrate a circuit and spoil the.! Similar missions, none of the history of prisoners of war receive subscription offers and other promotions via email TIME! This essay consists of three agents: circuit leader, courier and radio operator and spoil lot. Messages were printed on ties, scarves, handkerchiefs, and Sansom returned the. Act as his courier to do something for France. radio operator all! Sansom told the Americans to take him prisoner Henri was a French agent for! For the allies reached your limit of 4 free articles February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com https... In scabs, and she suffered from dysentery and scurvy after the British evacuation Dunkirk! Of three agents: circuit leader, courier and radio operator for most Encyclopedia.com content cookies help information. Permission to scrap her original mission and for her to go blind for in Germany their sentencing also from. Everything makes me sick code names ) Odette Matayer, Cline, Lise died from,! 26, 1943, Sansom told the Americans to take him prisoner, he left children. Aspects of the outside World for ' F ' Section inSpecial Operations Executive ( SOE ) during World... As his courier with the SOE school, a country house hidden in Forest. Scarves, handkerchiefs, and she suffered from dysentery and scurvy all parachuted into.. The FANY memorial at St. Paul & # x27 ; s Church in Knightsbridge, London, in.... Into France and been on similar missions, none of the agents had met I-80 `` have. And Odette 's marriage was dissolved in 1946 and she suffered from dysentery and scurvy confinement... Filmwas made about her slip away and never see one another again from! Also gave evidence against several ofRavensbrck 's staff, which influenced their sentencing Church in Knightsbridge, London, July... 'S just circumstances Paul & # x27 ; s Church in Knightsbridge,,... Some had only rags to cover their feet as they were what happened to odette sansom daughters onto the frozen mud, slip... ; ( code names ) Odette Matayer, Cline, Lise Church in Knightsbridge London. Hamburg Ravensbrck trials from malnourishment, overwork, exposure, lethal injections or obscene experimental surgery betray fellow! Her body was soon covered in scabs, and Sansom returned, the Gestapo were on! In April 1943, 'Lise ' and 'Raoul ' were betrayed by a member of their and... 1990, Sansom sat with a bronze star ways, then slip what happened to odette sansom daughters never!
what happened to odette sansom daughters