The FANY Agents — Violette Szabo - Page 1
George
Cross, Croix de Guerre
Codename(s): Louise
My knowledge of her started with the poem "The Life That I Have" and then the 1958 film 'Carve Her Name With Pride'. The movie stars Virginia McKenna, Paul Scofield and Jack Warner, and is based on the book by R.J. Minney. The movie was described thus:
"Violette Bushell is the daughter of an English father and a French mother, living in London in the early years of the Second World War. She meets a handsome young French soldier in the park and takes him back for the family Bastille day celebrations. They fall in love, marry and have a baby girl when Violette Szabo receives the dreaded telegram informing her of his death in North Africa.
Shortly afterwards, Violette is approached to join the Special Operations Executive. Should she stay and look after her baby or 'do her duty'?"
According to 'Carve Her Name With Pride', the poem was written by Violette's husband, but it was really written by codemaster Leo Marks, and was used by her as a code poem whilst she was on a mission in occupied France.
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The Life That I Have The life that I have is all that I have, The love that I have of the life that I have, The sleep I shall have, a rest I shall have, For the peace of my years in the long green grass, |
Violette Reine Elizabeth Bushell was born in Paris on the 26th June 1921. Her mother was French, her father an Englishman and a second hand car dealer, who had met his wife while serving in the First World War. Within a few years her parents brought her back to England, eventually settling in Stockwell/Brixton, South London.
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| The plaque on the wall of the house at 18 Burnley Road. |
Violette
was a popular girl, showing signs of courage at a very early age. When the
Second World War began, Violette met a Captain in the French Foreign Legion,
Etienne Szabo. Within a few weeks, on the 2nd August 1940, they were married.
Etienne was posted abroad, Violette saw nothing of him for a year.
He returned for seven days leave, they met in Liverpool and spent his leave together. Violette became pregnant, it was the last time she saw him alive, he was later killed in North Africa.
Shortly after giving birth to her daughter, Tania, Violette received a letter from a Mr Potter asking her to to attend for an interview at an office in London. When she arrived at the office, she was shown up to a bare room with a table and two chairs.
Mr Potter suggested that her knowledge of France and fluency in French could be useful. He explained that he was looking for people to do 'dangerous work' in occupied France. "You mean spying?" she asked. "No, not spying - but similar", he said. "We want people with special qualities to be trained and go into enemy occupied territory to make life very unpleasant for the Germans".
She agreed immediately, but Mr Potter would not accept that, he wanted to run security checks on her and he wanted her to give it some serious thought. She returned a week later and again gave him the same answer. After training Violette went into France twice. On the second occasion she was captured after a shoot-out in which she killed several German soldiers.
After torture and interrogation in which she gave nothing away, she was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp where she was eventually shot through the back of the neck with two other women SOE agents, Lillian Rolfe and Denise Bloch. Another French section agent, Odette Hallowes, was in the camp with them and gave details to the authorities at the close of the war.
There is an anonymous memorial on the wall of a chapel in Kensington to six women of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, the cover used by SOE for female agents. All six died in concentration camps. Violette Szabo is one of the names. She was posthomously awarded the George Cross, which was presented to her four year old daughter Tania Szabo by King George VI on 28th January 1947. She was also awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French Government in the same year.
The following citation was printed in the London Gazette on 17th December 1946:
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"Madama Szabo volunteered to undertake a particularly dangerous mission in France. She was parachuted into France in April 1944, and undertook the task with enthusiasm. In her execution of the delicate researches entailed she showed great presence of mind and astuteness. She was twice arrested by the German security authorities, but each time managed to get away. Eventually, however, she was surrounded by the Gestapo in a house in the south-west of France. Resistance appeared hopeless, but Madame Szabo, seizing a Sten gun and as much ammunition as she could carry, barricaded herself in part of the house, and, exchanging shot for shot with the enemy, killed or wounded several of them. By constant movement she avoided being cornered and fought until she dropped, exhausted. She was arrested and had to undergo solitary confinement. She was then continuously and atrociously tortured, but never by word or deed gave away any of her acquaintances, or told the enemy anything of value. She was ultimately executed. Madame Szabo gave a magnificent display of courage and steadfastness." |
Violette was 23 years old when she was executed.
A single column article on page three of the:
| Daily Herald | |
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London |
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TANIA GETS THE MEDAL |
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| The Croix de Guerre was pinned alongside the George Cross (left) on seven-year-old Tania Szabo's frock yesterday. It was awarded to her mother, Mrs Violet Szabo, one of Britain's Commando girls executed by the Gestapo. Tania received the Cross from the King in 1947. Yesterday she went to the French Embassy where she received a French award and a gallant kiss from the Ambassador, M. Rene Massigli. | |
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