More information on on Cecily Lefort may be found at this weblink (2/2):
https://ourwomenheroes.blogspot.com/2011/06/cecily-margot-lefort.html
April 30, 1899: Cecily Lefort was born on April 30, 1899 in Westbourne, London. She was a courier for the JOCKEY circuit in Nazi occupied France during WW2 operating under the codename of Alice. She was arrested September, 1943, imprisoned at Ravensbrück concentration camp, and executed on May 1, 1945. (1/2)
April 28, 1912: On this date, Odette Sansom (AKA Odette Hallowes) was born. A Special Operations Executive agent, she became a courier in the SPINDLE circuit in France. She was awarded the George Cross in 1946. She was the first woman ever to receive the award, and the only woman who has been awarded it while still alive.
April 19, 1920: On this date Marguerite “Peggy” Knight was born in Paris, France. Using the code name Nicole, she was a courier for the DONKEYMAN circuit. After D Day, she crossed the front several times to deliver intelligence and messages; she engaged in an attack on a German military convoy; and she fought her way out of a German encirclement. She survived the war and was awarded the MBE, Croix de Guerre, & Medal of Freedom. She died in 2004.
April 8, 1921: On this date Phyllis “Pippa” Latour was born in Durban South Africa. She joined the WAAF to be an airframe mechanic, but was recruited to the Special Operations Executive because she was fluent in French. She parachuted into Orne, Normandy on May 1, 1944 to join the SCIENTIST circuit as a wireless operator. Her codename was Genevieve. She was the last surviving female SOE agent. She died Oct 7, 2023.
Virginia Hall subsequently joined the OSS, returned to France, and helped train three battalions of resistance forces to wage guerrilla warfare behind German lines. She survived the war and continued to work in intelligence in the post war period. In 1957 she married a fellow OSS operative, Paul Goillot. She died at the age of 76 on July 8, 1982. Much, much more could be said of her career. (2/2)
#WW2 #SOE #OSS #FSection #France
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/wanted-the-limping-lady-146541513/
April 6, 1906: Virginia Hall was born on this date. Hall was considered the most dangerous of all Allied spies by the Gestapo. She worked for both the British Special Operations Executive & later with the American Office of Strategic Services. She had only one foot & used a prosthesis, giving her a limp, leading to her nickname as "the Limping Lady." Despite this, she organized the French Underground in occupied France. (1/2)
April 5, 1944: On this date, Special Operations Executive agent Lilian Rolfe dropped near the city of Orléans in occupied France, where she was deployed to work with the HISTORIAN circuit run by George Wilkinson.
April 5, 1944: On this date, Special Operations Executive agents Violette Szabo (courier) & Philippe Liewer (organizer) of the SALESMAN circuit were flown by Westland Lysander into German-occupied France in the Loire Valley.
For more on Robert Benoist, see military historian Alan Malcher’s post here: (4/4)
https://alanmalcher.com/2021/01/30/robert-benoist-soe-special-operations-executive/
Benoist was arrested 3 days later. In transit to Gestapo headquarters, he lept from the moving vehicle & escaped. He successfully exfiltrated to the UK & returned to France for TWO further missions. He was arrested June 18, 1944, shipped to Buchenwald, & executed on Sept 13. (3/4)
Mar 20, 1895: On this date Robert Benoist was born. French Grand Prix motor racing driver & WW2 war hero. He & fellow race car drivers Jean-Pierre Wimille & William Grover-Williams, fled to Britain after France was invaded. All 3 joined the Special Operations Executive. (1/4)
Sansom was a courier for the SPINDLE circuit. Entrapped by Hugo Bleicher of the Abwehr, she endured brutal interrogation & was imprisoned at Ravensbrück. She was one of the few SOE agents to survive Nazi capture. (2/2)
Mar 13, 1995: On this date, Special Operations Executive agent Odette Sansom (Churchill / Hallowes) passed away at the age of 82. (1/2)
Jan 14, 1909: On this date future Special Operations Executive agent Peter Churchill was born in Amsterdam. He carried out 4 missions in Nazi occupied France during WW2. (1/4)
