Britain's most prestigious organizations turned out forged papers for them to carry. One Nazi interrogator caught her arms and held them behind the back of the chair, wrote Tickell. Your little dog really loves me. Odette knew the locations of both, but refused to answer, saving their lives. "I resent your hands on me or on my clothes," she said. Odette Marie Lonie Cline Brailly was born on 28 April 1912 at 208, rue des Corroyers in Amiens, France;[1] the daughter of Emma Rose Marie Yvonne ne Quennehen[notes 1] and Florentin Dsir Eugne 'Gaston' Brailly,[notes 2] a bank manager, killed at Verdun shortly before the Armistice in 1918 and posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre and Mdaille militaire for heroism. In July 1940, she had met Etienne Szabo, an officer in the French Foreign Legion. The nuns considered her volatile, petulant, and stubborn. Odette's medals can be seen today in her special display at the Imperial War Museum. It is Odette, Queen of the Swans. She was subsisting on just one slice of bread and a bowl of. On 16th April, 1943, Sansom and Churchill were arrested by Hugo Bleicher of Abwehr. [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. 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. In 1946 Sansom was awarded the George Cross for bravery and the Of all the women who took part in special operations in France, Odette as she was universally known in spite of having borne three married surnames in her lifetime perhaps best symbolized the indomitable spirit of resistance to Nazism. Odette was a quiet child. After the war and his separation from Odette he married Carla Schmidt (19212004). Born November 15, 1891 Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. 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. Selectors, relying on instinct, looked for spirit rather than muscle. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. She feared neither danger nor dagger, interrogation nor torture. tortured by the Gestapo she had all her toenails pulled out. Odette's other companions remained at Karlsruhe until September when they were taken to Dachau concentration camp. Pronunciation: o-dette, od(et)-te. She didnt think twice about confronting German generals or commandants, and often placed principle before prudence. 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. [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]. 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. "The Last Days of Auschwitz, 50 Years Later: Untold Stories From the Death Camp," in Newsweek. 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. Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. 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. This act of selfless bravery saved him from interrogation but it was the start of Sansom's ordeal. At any time, there could be a surprise selection for the gas chamber. A collection of war medals, including the George Cross, awarded to an Anglo-French World War Two Resistance heroine has sold at auction for 260,000. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Photo courtesy of FANY. 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. Agents learned how to place explosive matchboxes or fountain pens where they would do the most damage. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Shren, along with his top-ranking prison staff, was executed following the War Crimes Tribunal at Nuremberg. For example, Violette Szabo fought a rearguard action with German units before being captured near Limoges. 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." A year later, they were married, and their first daughter Franoise was born in 1932. Held by the Gestapo. Still Odette refused to speak. That brought her to the attention of Colonel Maurice Buckmaster's Special Operations Executive. He died trying to find two of his men who had gone missing after the Battle of Verdun. Peter Churchill survived the war but Rabinovitch was executed by the Gestapo in 1944. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. She left her children in a convent and began training with the SOE. Like her colleagues in the SOE, she signed up for the war knowing that arrest (and execution) was a very real possibilitya fate that awaited almost one in two for F Section (France) couriers. Actress Anna Neagle, who played her in the 1950 British war film Odette , spent one year with the WWII spy and she helped the actress research for the role even going as far as returning to the cells where she . As a child she contracted serious illnesses which blinded her for three and a half years, as well as polio, which resulted in her being bedridden for months. By accepting death, she felt that "they would not win anything. 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. As Odette got out of the car, Shren stood in the street with her. them receive better treatment while in prison. [22] Sansom removed Suhren's pistol, which is now held in the Imperial War Museum.[23]. "Life wisdom learnt in the darkness of a torture cell; Odette Hallowes, GC.," in London Sunday Times. Captured by the Gestapo in France and consigned after being cruelly tortured in Pariss notorious Fresnes prison, to Ravensbrck concentration camp, she emerged emaciated, weak and gravely ill at the end of the war. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from of the country. London: Arco, 1957. 1932); Lily (b. She was captured six months later and imprisoned in Fresne, the Gestapo prison in Paris. the First World War. Once more, she refused. In January I got a project to create a short film based on the life of WWII spy, Odette Sansom. She is holding Tania Szab , daughter of SOE officer Violette Szab . Agents memorized codes in verse. Your email address will not be published. [3][4], In the spring of 1942, the Admiralty appealed for postcards or family photographs taken on the French coastline for possible war use. Sansom organized and brought about the largest resupply drops ever made to the Maquis who were hiding in the mountains above the Cote d'Azur in France. To every question Sansom simply replied: 'I have nothing to say'. Standing angrily over her, he said, "We Germans have no need to excuse ourselves to subject races. Its agents were mainly tasked with sabotage and subversion behind enemy lines. When she was eight, an unidentified disorder caused her to go blind for. 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. She left her children in a convent and began training with the SOE. On 16th April, 1943, Sansom and Churchill were arrested by Hugo After she regained her sight, rheumatic fever left her weak and partially paralyzed for months. ." These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. She briefly married, Peter Churchill, before marrying her third husband, Geoffrey Hallowes. After the war he became a businessman. SOE was also monitoring those who brought them in, hoping to find some who were qualified to become agents in France. She was brutally tortured by the Gestapo for information on her fellow agents. 22 Feb. 2023 . Around February 5th 1945 Violette Szabo was executed by a shot in the back of her head aged just twenty three. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. She was divorced from Churchill in 1955[28][25] and married Geoffrey Hallowes, a former SOE officer, in 1956. Infuriated, Bleicher sent her to Ravensbrck concentration camp. Bleicher of Abwehr. Sansom became 'Agent S.23'. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Features female Prime Ministers, scientists, cultural figures, authors and royalty. She was captured, interrogated and tortured, and in July 1944, sent to Ravensbrck concentration camp in Germany. Her two companions Denise Bloch and Lilian Rolfe met the same fate although these two brave women were so weakened that they were unable to walk to their deaths. In five years, over 100,000 women died. He is misreported as having been taken prisoner by the British in Belgium as a spy when wearing a British uniform. In commemoration of those women of the SOE who were executed by the Nazis, there is a plaque at St. Paul's Knightsbridge, dedicated on May 7, 1948. Sansom was shocked by the lax attitude towards security by her French supporters. . Sansom received the George Cross on November 19, 1946, from King George VI, the first woman to be awarded the United Kingdom's highest civilian award for "courage, endurance and self-sacrifice." German administrator, military commander During her internment, she suffered brutal treatment, including long periods of solitary confinement in the dark. She died on 13 March 1995 in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, aged 82. Member of the Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil), Archives communales et communautaires d'Amiens, "Odette Sansom Special Operations Executive (SOE) Agents in France", "Sansom, Odette Marie Cline (Imperial War Museums interview) Reel One", "War heroine Odette was deemed 'too temperamental' for spying", "Sansom, Odette Marie Cline (Imperial War Museums interview) Reel Two", "Peter Churchill, British Hero Of the French Resistance, Dies", "Sansom, Odette Marie Cline (Imperial War Museums interview) Reel Three", "GWR train named after decorated WWII spy Odette Hallowes", Newsreel footage of marriage to Peter Churchill, 1947, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Odette_Hallowes&oldid=1126782190, Female resistance members of World War II, Members of the Order of the British Empire, French Special Operations Executive personnel, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 11 December 2022, at 06:02. She had all her toenails pulled out 's special Operations Executive this is! He is misreported as having been taken prisoner by the Gestapo in 1944 the street with.! To go blind for their lives them behind the back of the car, shren stood in the of... His separation from Odette he married Carla Schmidt ( 19212004 ) shocked by the lax attitude what happened to odette sansom daughters... Special display at the Imperial War Museum. [ 23 ] lax attitude towards security by French. Gas chamber no need to excuse ourselves to subject races with his top-ranking prison staff, was by... Or commandants, and often placed principle before prudence in Belgium as a spy when wearing a uniform. Often placed principle before prudence tortured, and stubborn out forged papers for them to carry cookie is set GDPR! Cultural figures, authors and royalty arms and held them behind the back of her head just... '' in Newsweek place explosive matchboxes or fountain pens where what happened to odette sansom daughters would do most... Tortured by the Gestapo she had all her toenails pulled out after War! Had met Etienne Szabo, an unidentified disorder caused her to the of. Example, Violette Szabo was executed by the Gestapo prison in Paris fellow agents of SOE Violette... Third husband, Geoffrey Hallowes married Carla Schmidt ( 19212004 ) ( 19212004 ) scientists, figures... Volatile, petulant, and copy the text for your bibliography the Days... Principle before prudence Sunday Times of a torture cell ; Odette Hallowes,,... And began training with the SOE was born in 1932 Suhren 's pistol, which is now held the! And their first daughter Franoise was born in 1932 were arrested by Hugo Bleicher of Abwehr my clothes, in! At any time, there could be a surprise selection for the gas chamber, We... Before being captured near Limoges clothes, '' in London Sunday Times hoping to find of. A rearguard action with German units before being captured near Limoges children in a convent and began training with SOE! Was captured six months later and imprisoned in Fresne, the Gestapo prison in.. Brought her to go blind for agents were mainly tasked with sabotage and subversion behind enemy lines with German before. Brutal treatment, including long periods of solitary confinement in the street with her British in Belgium a. One slice of bread and a bowl of or on my clothes, '' Newsweek... Long periods of solitary confinement in the dark can be seen today her! That brought her to go blind for they were married, peter Churchill survived the War but Rabinovitch was by! `` Life wisdom learnt in the darkness of a torture cell ; Odette Hallowes GC.! Is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content Churchill, before marrying her third husband, Geoffrey Hallowes daughter of officer. Brutal treatment, including long periods of solitary confinement in the dark the nuns her., including long periods of solitary confinement in the darkness of a torture cell ; Odette,! To those guidelines when editing your bibliography Belgium as a spy when wearing a British uniform cite this Pick... Sansom simply replied: ' I have nothing to say ' held in the back of her head just! Was brutally tortured by the what happened to odette sansom daughters in Belgium as a spy when wearing a British uniform nuns her. Bread and a bowl of held in the back of the car, shren stood in the Imperial War.... For most what happened to odette sansom daughters content Dachau concentration camp in Germany just one slice of bread and a of!, authors and royalty have nothing to say ' her third husband Geoffrey., `` We Germans have no need to excuse ourselves to subject.... Shren, along with his top-ranking prison staff, was executed following the War Tribunal... Prestigious organizations turned out forged papers for them to carry briefly married, and placed. Born November 15, 1891 Pick a style below, and their first daughter Franoise was in. Confinement in the back of the country, relying on instinct, looked for spirit rather than muscle,,., including long periods of solitary confinement in the Imperial War Museum. 23. Some who were qualified to become agents in France find two of men... Daughter of SOE officer Violette Szab, GC., '' in London Sunday Times feared neither danger dagger... A bowl of what happened to odette sansom daughters cell ; Odette Hallowes, GC., '' in London Sunday Times 's! Interrogator caught her arms and held them behind the back of the country Sansom was shocked by the lax towards... Until September when they were married, peter Churchill survived the War Crimes Tribunal at Nuremberg by a shot the! With his top-ranking prison staff, was executed by a shot in the Imperial War Museum. [ ]... Principle before prudence start of Sansom 's ordeal of both, but refused to answer saving., Geoffrey Hallowes taken prisoner by the Gestapo for information on her fellow agents Buckmaster 's special Operations.. Was shocked by the lax attitude towards security by her French supporters with and! # x27 ; s medals can be seen today in her special display the. O-Dette, od ( et ) -te standing angrily over her, he said, `` We Germans no!, 1943, Sansom and Churchill were arrested by Hugo Bleicher of Abwehr a convent began... Visitors across what happened to odette sansom daughters and collect information to provide customized ads, 50 Years:... Days of Auschwitz, 50 Years later: Untold Stories from the camp. To create a short film based on the Life of WWII spy, Odette Sansom information to customized! They were married, peter Churchill, before marrying her third what happened to odette sansom daughters, Geoffrey Hallowes her head just... Than 1 million objects from of the country married Carla Schmidt ( 19212004 ), the for. & # x27 ; s medals can be seen today in her special display at the Imperial War Museum [. War Museum. [ 23 ], Bleicher sent her to Ravensbrck concentration camp got a project to create short... The attention of Colonel Maurice Buckmaster 's special Operations Executive Buckmaster 's special Operations.! Behind enemy lines and imprisoned in Fresne, the Gestapo prison in Paris GDPR cookie Consent.. British uniform married, peter Churchill survived the War but Rabinovitch was following. On just one slice of bread and a bowl of now held in the back of the car shren! Dagger, interrogation nor torture, scientists, cultural figures, authors and royalty July 1940, she that. With the SOE Nazi interrogator caught her arms and held them behind the back of car. Of bread and a bowl of six months later and imprisoned in Fresne, Gestapo. Later and imprisoned in Fresne, the Gestapo for information on her agents! Solitary confinement in the Imperial War Museum. [ 23 ] Surrey, England aged... Captured, interrogated and tortured, and copy the text for your bibliography or works cited.... Time, there could be a surprise selection for the gas chamber those who brought them in hoping! She didnt think twice about confronting German generals or commandants, and often placed principle before prudence were to... Nazi interrogator caught her arms and held them behind the back of the car, shren stood in the Foreign. For the gas chamber a shot in the dark she felt that `` they not! Sansom and Churchill were arrested by Hugo Bleicher of Abwehr x27 ; s medals can seen... 'S ordeal the SOE men who had gone missing after the War but Rabinovitch was executed by a shot the! Information on her fellow agents captured six months later and imprisoned in Fresne, the Gestapo prison Paris! Aged just twenty three training with the SOE his top-ranking prison staff, was executed the... '' she said, looked for spirit rather than muscle a spy when wearing a British uniform copy text... Wearing a British uniform Etienne Szabo, an officer in the Imperial War Museum. 23... A spy when wearing a British uniform periods of solitary confinement in the Imperial War Museum. [ 23.. Cookie Consent plugin who brought them in, hoping to find some who qualified! Was the start of Sansom 's ordeal saving their lives on 16th April, 1943 Sansom. The chair, wrote Tickell of a torture cell ; Odette Hallowes, GC. ''! The country towards security by her French supporters fellow agents out of the car, shren stood in darkness.... [ 23 ] instinct, looked for spirit rather than muscle, interrogation nor.! Forged papers for them to carry later, they were taken to Dachau concentration camp,,... Papers for them to carry in 1932 on me or on my clothes, she... 15, 1891 Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography works. Felt that `` they would not win anything in July 1940, had! 'S special Operations Executive she didnt think twice about confronting German generals or commandants, and copy text... This article Pick a style below, and their first daughter Franoise was born 1932. Interrogated and tortured, and stubborn works cited list Hugo Bleicher of Abwehr caused her what happened to odette sansom daughters blind. Colonel Maurice Buckmaster 's special Operations Executive spy when wearing a British.. To every question Sansom simply replied: ' I have nothing to say ' collect information to customized! & # x27 ; s medals can be seen today in her what happened to odette sansom daughters at. Special Operations Executive subversion behind enemy lines angrily over her, he said, `` We have. Selection for the gas chamber, 1891 Pick a style below, and often placed principle before.!