Short Answer
Early Life and Recruitment
Lise Marie Jeanette de Baissac (née de Baissac) was born on May 11, 1905, in Curepipe, Mauritius [1]. A British citizen, she moved to Paris at the age of 15 [2]. Following the outbreak of war and the subsequent occupation of France, she fled to Cannes in 1940, eventually travelling through Portugal to reach London [2]. Upon her arrival in England, she was put in contact with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) via a cousin [2].
De Baissac joined the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) and underwent training to become a clandestine agent for the SOE [1, 2]. She was assigned to the F Section, the branch responsible for operations in France [4].
First Mission: The “Artist” Circuit
On the night of September 24, 1942, Lise de Baissac and another agent, Andre Borrel, were parachuted into the Loire valley [3]. De Baissac operated under the codenames Odile and Marguerite [1, 3]. Her primary objective was to establish a new resistance circuit, designated “Artist,” based in Poitiers [3].
The purpose of the Artist circuit was to create a secure center that could provide information and assistance to other agents operating in the region [3]. To maintain her cover, she assumed the identity of Madame Irene Brisse, a widow of quiet habits [3]. In a notable display of sang froid, de Baissac chose a flat located on a busy street near the Gestapo headquarters, reasoning that the high volume of traffic and proximity to the station would make the visits of her contacts less conspicuous [3].
During the initial phase of her deployment, de Baissac operated with significant isolation, noting that her false papers meant she received no personal correspondence [3]. Her work involved bicycling through country lanes to identify potential landing and dropping zones for future SOE deliveries and establishing a network of local contacts [3]. She spent approximately one year in Poitiers receiving other agents [2]. Her first mission ended in a narrow escape after her French assistants were arrested, leading to the death of one of them [2].
Second Mission: Sabotage and the Maquis
De Baissac was parachuted back into France for a second time in April 1944 [2]. During this deployment, she worked alongside her brother, Claude de Baissac, to coordinate the distribution of weapons and equipment to the Resistance in preparation for the Allied liberation of France following D-Day [2].
Operating in the Orne region, she became an inspiring force for local resistance groups [4]. Her initiatives focused heavily on sabotage to disrupt German logistics; specifically, she coordinated the scattering of anti-tyre devices on roads near Saint-Aubin-du-Désert, Saint-Mars-du-Désert, and extending as far as Le Mans, Rennes, and Laval [4]. In addition to these sabotage efforts, she participated in armed attacks against enemy columns to facilitate the American breakthrough in Mayenne [4].
Post-War Life and Legacy
Following the liberation of France, Lise de Baissac’s contributions to the Maquis and the Allied effort were highly regarded [4]. She lived until March 2004, passing away in Marseille at the age of 98 [1, 3]. She was recognized for her bravery and service, receiving the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) and the Croix de Guerre (CdeG) [1].
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