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. Held by the Gestapo in Nazi-occupied France, for two years she refused to betray he 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. [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. "Train me," she said. [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." Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan were awarded the George Cross posthumously for their bravery. Heidenheim, Germany She was captured, interrogated and tortured, and in July 1944, sent to Ravensbrck concentration camp in Germany. In desperation, some women would scrape soot with their nails from the prison walls to try to blacken the roots of their gray hair hoping to look younger and be spared death during selection. related to Winston Churchill. Charles de Gaulle/Date of death. Sansom grew close to Churchill and to Rabinovitch, whom she liked and trusted. And danger was ever-present. Hewson, David in Walters, Anne-Marie (2009), Foot, M. R. D. (1966), "SOE in France," London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, p. 252, Undercover: The Men and Women of the SOE, Patrick Howarth, 1980. Check out this video. 3 Commercial Lots- Minooka, IL -For Sale When she was eight, an unidentified disorder caused her to go blind for. According to the Geneva Convention, women were not allowed to engage in physical combat, but she wanted desperately to fight the Nazis and decided to volunteer for the war effort in any way she could. "People in trouble or despair seem to think I am someone of learning to turn to," she explained. In some cases, hit-and-run guerilla attacks were staged. Acting largely alone, the relentless German arrested over one hundred Allied agents, including Czerniawski and Sansom. Please attempt to sign up again. [33], Documents disclosed long after the war indicate that her superiors had to fight for Sansom's George Cross, because she was unable to prove that she had been tortured by the Nazis and that she had not betrayed her fellow agents. French-bornOdette Sansomworked undercover in France during theSecond World War. Sansom, an elegant, vivacious young Frenchwoman who had been living in England, detested the Nazi system, the police state, and Hitler. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. At age 14, Sansom moved with her mother to Boulogne, where Odette and her brother ran barefoot over the rocks and cliffs during the holidays. Instead, Sansom told the Americans to take him prisoner. Inmates drank ersatz coffee in the morning, watery soup for lunch, and ate bread for dinner while doing heavy labor. Odette Hallowes: The WWII British Spy - Forces Network It's 1942 and German troops have occupied most of Europe. Odette Hallowes, from Red Ball in Somerset, was awarded the George Cross, an MBE and the . Odette means: wealth. Returning to Fresne, Sansom expected to be shot. What happened to Odette's daughters? Violette Szabo has no known grave. She was captured six months later and imprisoned in Fresne, the Gestapo prison in Paris. It was there, the next night, that they were arrested by Italian troops and a German security agent. In his book Odette: The Story of a British Agent (1949), Jerrard Tickell credits Sansom's survival to "the unassailable dignity in which she enclosed herself." Digital Sansom was aided in her endurance in prison by her early blindness and paralysis, and by the example of her grandfather, who "did not accept weakness very easily." She spent the rest of the war imprisoned in Ravensbrck Concentration Camp. In all, 50 SOE women agents were landed in France during World War II. In 1914 when World War I broke out, Odette's father joined the Infantry Regiment and received the Croix de Guerre and Mdaille Militaire for his bravery. God bless you and your children. 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. October 14, 1990. Post author: Post published: June 1, 2022 Post category: grafana iframe home assistant Post comments: abkrzungen gehaltsabrechnung ffentlicher dienst jee leg abkrzungen gehaltsabrechnung ffentlicher dienst jee leg Born 16 Aug 1886 in Abbeville, France, moved to England with her daughter and died in 1960. It was at Fresne Prison that they tortured Sansom. she married Roy Sansom, a hotel worker, in 1931. They were sent to Fresnes Prison in Paris, and soon were interrogated at 84 Avenue Foch, the notorious Gestapo headquarters. "You will realize I am not what you want.". Szabo returned to Britain via Lysander in June 1944. Radio Operators was one of the most dangerous tasks, as the Gestapo were always on the lookout for radio signals. She and Churchill were arrested there on 16 April 1943 by spy-hunter Hugo Bleicher. She was a Frenchwoman, married to an Englishman, and was living in Somerset with their three young daughters. (4) Odette Hallowes, The Times (17th March, 1975). On Feb. 23, 2012, almost 70 years after she joined the SOE, the Royal Mail released a stamp in her honor as part of its Britons of Distinction series. They Feared No Evil: The Women Agents of Britain's Secret Armies, 193945. By accepting death, she felt that "they would not win anything. Wehrmacht soldiers, Vichy police, Abwehr (German military intelligence) and Gestapo were everywhere: control checkpoints, hotels, cafes, trains even brothels. (February 22, 2023). 19471956 At any time, there could be a surprise selection for the gas chamber. Buckmaster played himself in the film, and Sansom, then known as Odette Churchill, wrote a personal message that appeared at the end of the film, which was well received. 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. Both Churchill and Sansom were therefore retained in Fresne and frequently interrogated for another eight months. Yet, there was an undercurrent of bitterness and turbulence in her. The company . He was awarded the Croix de Guerre with a bronze star. 42,000 s/f building with Rt. This would mean securing an apartment in a specified part of town in France to which the SOE might send other members, either as part of an escape team or to encourage sabotage and action by the French Resistance. She was subsisting on just one slice of bread and a bowl of. Sansom was shocked by the lax attitude towards security by her French supporters. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. [24] A year later, they were married, and their first daughter Franoise was born in 1932. ), produced in Britain by Lowpert-Dowling-UA, starring Anna Neagle and Trevor Howard, 1951 (Sansom was technical advisor on the film). Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. The following month she was sent to Ravensbruck Odette's other companions remained at Karlsruhe until September when they were taken to Dachau concentration camp. She was betrayed by a double agent, Colonel Henri in April 1943. However, against all odds she survived the war and testified against the prison guards at the Hamburg Ravensbrck trials. But, eventually, the camp was overrun, and she won her freedom as the Camp commandant tried to use her as a hostage. They either had a skill the SS valued, a job where they could steal food, or a protector who looked after them. Odette Hallowes died at Walton-on-Thames on 13th March, Odette Sansom was born in France but later moved to England. This was hard enough for most prisoners and even worse for those suffering from diarrhea which was epidemic in the camps. [5], In January 1943, the Spindle team of Churchill, Rabinovich, and Sansom, feeling vulnerable to German capture, moved north from the French Riviera to the quiet Italian-occupied Annecy area in the French Alps. Sansom told the Germans that Churchill was in the country on her insistence. The average SOE wireless operator in Occupied France lasted for just six weeks before being arrested. Odette Sansom died in 1995. January 16, 1995, pp. IWM collections. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Grove, Valerie. "Sansom, Odette (19121995) They marched long columns of prisoners out of the camp, by the thousand, past the notorious sign Arbeit macht frei (Work makes one free). Nancy Wake was the most decorated woman of the Second World War and by 1943 she was the Gestapos most wanted person with a 5 million-franc price tag and lived most of her life on the edge and in constant danger and her story is one of sheer bravery, strength and defiance. 13th May 1944 the Germans transported Sansom and seven other SOE When she did, he pulled back the material and pressed a red-hot poker to her spine. After a lengthy fire-fight Violette was eventually captured. 19561995 She was captured by the Gestapo and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp, but survived the war. To honor her is to honor them, she felt. Still thinking she was going to be executed, she was driven by the Nazi commandant of Ravensbrck, Fritz Shren, in his Mercedes to the American line. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. 1936). Her humility meant she was not keen on accepting the award, but she did accept it on behalf of all agents who suffered during the war. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved Sincerely yours, A Bad Egg. November 9, 1970 Instead, after the war, she worked for various charities seeking to lessen the pain of war. She would keep the pistol as a memento of the war. On 16 April 1943, 'Lise' and 'Raoul' were betrayed by a member of their network and arrested. 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 London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1980. 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. Odette Sansom Hallowes was born on April 28, 1912 and died on March 13, 1995. 47, Commercial Retail Lots - Minooka, IL- Reduced PriceCheck out a new aerial video of the property! The biography of Odette Sansom Churchill (1912-1995) is absolutely amazing. Britain's most prestigious organizations turned out forged papers for them to carry. 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. Some had only rags to cover their feet as they were forced onto the frozen mud. A French agent working for the British during World War II, Odette Sansom left three small daughters to join the Resistance in 1942. "If you tell me what you want me to do and release one hand I will do it." Odette Sansom, also known as Odette Churchill and Odette Hallowes, was born on 28 April 1912 in Amiens, France. following year she married Peter Churchill. However, her execution was never carried out. Violette Szabo joined the Special Operations Executive in 1943. 1 lot left! Sansom arrived in France on 2 November 1942 and worked as a courier with the Spindle network (or circuit) of SOE headed by Peter Churchill (whom she later married). 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." Odette Sansom had been a prisoner of the Gestapo for five months by October 1943. In fact, Peter Churchill was not related to the British prime minister. Odette: The Story of a British Agent. Her torture was carried out by a "very good-looking young Frenchman" who she believed was mentally ill.[5], Sansom testified against the prison guards charged with war crimes at the 1946 Hamburg Ravensbrck Trials, which resulted in Suhren's execution in 1950. They hid microdots bearing secret codes on their bodies, or in toothpaste tubes, shoelaces or buttons. "I have nothing to say," Sansom replied. She told her story and accepted her GC on behalf of all her comrades who did not survive. London: R. Hale, 1976. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images). Her first mission was to set up a wireless operation at Auxerre. Sansom instructed Rabinovich to send a wireless message to SOE headquarters in London reporting the contact. Later he was an architect of the Fifth Republic and was president from 1958 to 1969. In 1942,Odette Sansomwas invited to join 'F' Section of theSpecial Operations Executive(SOE). Two of those escaped, and Sansom returned, the lone survivor. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Odette's medals can be seen today in her special display at the Imperial War Museum. She soon was made assistant to section head Colonel Maurice Buckmaster, and became a de facto intelligence officer. Despite all this, Sansom didn't want fame. 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. When Louis returned to school, she continued her walks alone and, though she missed him, found an unexpected joy in solitude. Odette Her Remarkable True Storyby Jerrard Tickell at Amazon. She was to land on the Mediterranean coast and work her way north, where SOE hoped to establish a new circuit. Great access to I-80. 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 purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe . 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. They scraped out human fat 18 inches thick from crematoria chimneys. By the end of March 1941, the first members of the French Section were in intensive training in Britain. . 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. Roy and Odette's marriage was dissolved in 1946 and she married Peter Churchill in 1947.[25]. Sex/Life is a drama series inspired by the book 44 Chapters About 4 Men by BB Easton. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from The marriage ended in divorce. In December 1946, giving evidence at a war crimes trial in Hamburg, she would describe how she had seen women being driven screaming and struggling to the crematorium doors. This jacket was worn by Odette Sansom during the course of her confinement in Fresnes Prison and Ravensbrck. The hope was that in this way their treatment would be mitigated. Despite having all her toenails pulled out and a red hot poker placed on her back, she told them nothing. Once more, she refused. As Odette got out of the car, Shren stood in the street with her. The torture involved, beatings, having her toenails torn out and her spine branded by a hot iron. It does not store any personal data. Born 26 Feb 1881 in Ivry-sur-Seine, France, died 14 Oct 1918 from wounds received on 26 September at the battle of Mesnil. But in the years that followed, her undiminished mental and moral energy, combined with a complete absence of bitterness towards her tormentors and the nation that had spawned them, became a beacon to others who had suffered disfigurement, pain or bereavement. What is a good mission statement for a salon? Susan Slosberg , writer, New Rochelle, New York. Mahoney, M.H. In the series Billie (Sarah Shahi) is a housewife living in Connecticut, who has just given birth to her . Some officials did not believe her story and cast doubt upon her integrity. But it was Odettes commitment to honor and duty that allowed her to persevere under such perilous conditions. Held by the Gestapo. Starved and tortured, Odette never broke. In five years, over 100,000 women died. She endured months of solitary confinement and death threats, but revealed nothing. She was also appointed a Chevalier de la Lgion d'honneur for her work with the French Resistance. He hoped that her supposed connections to the Prime Minister might allow him to negotiate his way out of execution. They killed anyone they feared might testify. Sansom was the only one officially condemned to die and, ironically, the only one to live. Those who stumbled or fell were ordered to the Bunker, a maze of tiny, airless cells. Her work brought her initially to Marseilles, then considered a dangerous town because of its infiltration by German agents. For over a year, Odette using the codename Lise, worked as a radio operator, for group leader Peter Churchill. She briefly married, Peter Churchill, before marrying her third husband, Geoffrey Hallowes. The couple moved In July 1940, she had met Etienne Szabo, an officer in the French Foreign Legion. Most WWII history buffs are familiar with decorated spies like Dusko Popov, Juan Pujol, and Roman Garby-Czerniawski. After the war and his separation from Odette he married Carla Schmidt (19212004). On May 12, 1944, 25 days before the Allies landed in Normandy, Sansom, along with six other women agents of the SOE, was taken in handcuffs by night train from Fresne to Karlsruhe Prison in Germany. The forgotten female WWII-era spy who stayed silent under gruesome Nazi torture Odette Sansom was the first woman to receive the UK's second-highest honor for courage under fire. Although they had all parachuted into France and been on similar missions, none of the agents had met. Odette Sansom was born in France but later moved to England. Continue Learning about General Arts & Entertainment. Where is Violette Szabo buried? German field marshal known as the "Desert Fox" But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. She was told that the War Office needed people who knew and loved France, people who could move about the country freely without attracting attention. She was met by Peter Churchill, codename 'Raoul', and joined his resistance group. By signing up you are agreeing to our, How the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 Made the World a Little Bit Safer, The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance. Encyclopedia.com. Sansom wassent to Ravensbrck concentration camp, Germany, in July 1944. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. them receive better treatment while in prison. Then she demanded his revolver, put it into her bag, turned and walked into the nearby village. By July 1940, these activities were brought under the control of a central organization, called the Special Operations Executive (SOE), also known as "the Firm" and "the Racket." She began to understand that they were asking her to volunteer for more than part-time work as a translator. Odette Sansom (1912 - 1995) - a French/British spy who worked as an SOE operative in occupied France. Required fields are marked *. ." Photo courtesy of FANY. Was Peter Churchill related to Winston Churchill? At one point toward the end of the war, she witnessed an instance of cannibalism of a dead inmate by starving prisoners. He died trying to find two of his men who had gone missing after the Battle of Verdun. While Peter followed SOE training and played the village idiot, denying everything other than being a British agent, Odette did the opposite: she told the Germans that she, not Peter, was the circuit leader, and that Peter was just a pawn in their operation. Captain Peter Morland Churchill (code name "Raoul") was the commanding officer of the Marseilles-Cannes SOE circuit (code name "Spindle"), one of nearly 50 secret organizations run by British agents in occupied France. Occasionally, during their imprisonment, Sansom and Churchill managed to meet and talk secretly before he was moved to Germany in February 1944. [21], Sansom said she believed she was "not brave, not courageous, but just make up my mind about certain things." That she survived the war was almost miraculous. They won't have me. Yet, despite the torture and pressure, she remained firm to her story. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. //

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