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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Women also died from malnourishment, overwork, exposure, lethal injections or obscene experimental surgery. Her wartime experiences and endurance of a brutal interrogation and imprisonment, which were chronicled in books and a motion picture, made her one of the most celebrated members of the SOE and one of the few to survive Nazi imprisonment. He is misreported as having been taken prisoner by the British in Belgium as a spy when wearing a British uniform. During her interview, Sansom was puzzled by the questions and by how much the British knew about her. 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. Digital They were not expected to carry out acts of sabotage or to join in guerilla operations, though there were exceptions. Your email address will not be published. She was captured by the Gestapo and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp, but survived the war. 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. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Again, he asked, "Where is Arnaud?" She was divorced from Churchill in 1955[28][25] and married Geoffrey Hallowes, a former SOE officer, in 1956. In January 1943, to evade arrest, Churchill and Sansom moved their operations to near Annecy in the French Alps. In July 1942, Sansom began her training at the SOE school, a country house hidden in New Forest, Hampshire. 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. "British Heroine Honored, Aided French Resistance Despite Gestapo Tortures," in The New York Times. "Sansom, Odette (19121995) French-born Odette Sansom worked undercover in France during the Second World War. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. "Now would you care to tell me Arnaud's address?," the interrogator asked. [20] Bleicher occasionally appeared and suggested that they might go to concerts and visit restaurants together in Paris, in return for which he hoped she could be induced to talk. In 1942,Odette Sansomwas invited to join 'F' Section of theSpecial Operations Executive(SOE). [35], She served as a technical advisor on a film on her fellow SOE agent Violette Szabo, Carve Her Name with Pride. Sansom replied, "I have nothing to say.". Was Odette a true story? It could have been deleted, moved, or it never existed at all. After four months of agonizing indecision over leaving her three children, and still feeling unqualified, she accepted. What happened to Odette Sansom daughters? Roy and Odette's marriage was dissolved in 1946 and she married Peter Churchill in 1947.[25]. Odette Sansom was born in France but later moved to England. Odette Sansom, also known as Odette Churchill and Odette Hallowes, was born on 28 April 1912 in Amiens, France. When German counter-intelligence became more of a threat, Churchill moved his circuit of saboteurs and information gatherers to Upper Savoy in February 1943. [24] German field marshal known as the "Desert Fox" She was captured by the Gestapo and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp, but survived the war. Both Churchill and Sansom were therefore retained in Fresne and frequently interrogated for another eight months. After he landed by parachute in a remote mountainous area, Churchill and Sansom hid in an inn in St. Jorioz. Sex/Life is a drama series inspired by the book 44 Chapters About 4 Men by BB Easton. She was captured six months later and imprisoned in Fresne, the Gestapo prison in Paris. Great access to I-80. What happened to Odette's daughters? Letting Odette Sansom face the window as they tortured her . A French agent working for the British during World War II, Odette Sansom left three small daughters to join the Resistance in 1942. Held by the Gestapo in Nazi-occupied France, for two years she refused to betray he Some officials did not believe her story and cast doubt upon her integrity. We use cookies on our website to collect relevant data to enhance your visit. Check out this video. Other The marriage ChatGPT mentioned that FastPass and Genie+ can reduce wait times at Disney World, which is partly right. Women in Espionage. Fifteen of them were captured by the Nazis. In January I got a project to create a short film based on the life of WWII spy, Odette Sansom. The pain was excruciating. https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/sansom-odette-1912-1995, "Sansom, Odette (19121995) Despite, Odettes suspicions, his involvement led to her arrest. Infuriated, Bleicher sent her to Ravensbrck concentration camp. Charles de Gaulle led the Free French forces in resisting capitulation to Germany during World War II and became provisional president of France in the immediate aftermath of the war. [7], Her wartime record was the subject of a 1950 film, Odette, in which the title role was played by Anna Neagle and Trevor Howard played Churchill. "People in trouble or despair seem to think I am someone of learning to turn to," she explained. 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. To be caught with a wireless radiosomething every SOE agent would transport from time to timewas a capital offense. All of her toenails had been ripped from her feet. She left her three daughters in a convent school, and was trained to be sent into Nazi-occupied France to work with the French Resistance. Known as "The Hangman" and "The Blond Beast," Reinhard Heydrich (1904-1942) was the chief lieutenant of the German secret police du, https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/sansom-odette-1912-1995. Susan Slosberg , writer, New Rochelle, New York. Her father was a soldier in the French Army and was killed during She became a national heroine and in 1950,a filmwas made about her. After a lengthy fire-fight Violette was eventually captured. The Germans began a massive campaign to hide the evidence of their crimes. They would stand on their swollen feet as the Nazis came, smoking and chatting, handing out pink tickets for the crematorium. [3][7] A bad fall during training ruled out parachute entry into France. Magazines, CODE NAME: LISEThe True Story of the Woman Who Became WWIIs Most Highly Decorated Spy, Or create a free account to access more articles, The Extraordinary Bravery That Made This Woman One of World War II's Most Remarkable Spies. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". "[27] In 1955, she co-founded the annual Women of the Year Lunch with Tony Lothian and Lady Georgina Coleridge (journalist and daughter of the Marquess of Tweeddale). Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The couple had three daughters: Franoise Edith, born 1932 in Boulogne; Lily Marie, born 1934 in Fulham; and Marianne Odette, born 1936 in Fulham. 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. Was Peter Churchill related to Winston Churchill? She was executed in Ravensbrck concentration camp and posthumously awarded theGeorge Cross, the highest honour given to civilians. Something about the future seemed to haunt her. In some cases, hit-and-run guerilla attacks were staged. After the war he became a businessman. [6], Originally Sansom was considered too temperamental and stubborn by SOE, with an evaluation stating "She is impulsive and hasty in her judgments and has not quite the clarity of mind which is desirable in subversive activity. Prisoners, including three SOE agents, were shot outside Sansom's window, which faced the entrance of the crematorium. This act of selfless bravery saved him from interrogation but it was the start of Sansom's ordeal. Churchill and Sansom took up residence at the Hotel de la Poste in the village of Saint-Jorioz. Though the camp was designed to contain a maximum of 6,000 prisoners, after 1943, there were never fewer than 12,000. Yet their decorations pale in comparison to those of a courier spy named Odette Sansom (code name: LISE). Name variations: Odette Hallowes; Odette Churchill; (code names) Odette Matayer, Cline, Lise. Born Odette Marie Cline Brailly on April 28, 1912, in France; died in 1995 in England; daughter of Yvonne Brailly and Gaston Brailly (a bank official and soldier); married Roy Sansom, in 1930; married Captain Peter Morland Churchill, in 1947; married Geoffrey Hallowes; children: (first marriage) Franoise (b. It seems like you have tried to open a page that doesn't exist. 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. But, eventually, the camp was overrun, and she won her freedom as the Camp commandant tried to use her as a hostage. Odette (123 min. By accepting death, she felt that "they would not win anything. They were sent to Fresnes Prison in Paris, and soon were interrogated at 84 Avenue Foch, the notorious Gestapo headquarters. Violette Szabo (1921-1945) worked for 'F' Section inSpecial Operations Executive (SOE)during theSecond World War. Odette Sansom Hallowes was born on April 28, 1912. At Ravensbrck, Sansom was put in solitary confinement underground, in an attempt to break her spirit. She was brutally interrogated in prison before being deported to Germany and eventually executed at Ravensbrck concentration camp in 1945. Odette Sansom (1912 - 1995) - a French/British spy who worked as an SOE operative in occupied France. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images). One secret policeman, sergeant Hugo Bleicher, did just that. They summoned her to Avenue Foch 14 times, always pressing her for the whereabouts of SPINDLEs radio operator and the hideout of another circuit leader. [3][4] Sansom, posing as "Madame Odette Metayer", was required to find food and lodging for Rabinovitch, who was in France illegally and had no ration card, and also to tend to air drops that were sometimes carelessly placed in dangerous areas. I am not all that bad it's just circumstances. What can I eat if everything makes me sick? "You will realize I am not what you want.". In 1946 Sansom was awarded the George Cross for bravery and the document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved 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. London replied immediately: "Henri highly dangerousyou are to hide across lake and cut contacts with all save Arnaud [Rabinovich]"[12][13], Churchill was in London consulting with SOE at the time of Bleicher's meeting with Sansom. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"_AuhmkdrMi1mq61lM9R.VNRK.kGsRUbh0j6SX_5ImLM-86400-0"}; They were cremated, but evidence emerged later that some of them were still alive when they went into the ovens. When Sansom would not answer, the man kneeling at her feet fastened pincers around the tip of one of her toenails and pulled. In all, 50 SOE women agents were landed in France during World War II. October 14, 1990. The prince is captivated by her soulful countenance and starts to approach her, but she becomes frightened and turns from him. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1980. Her body was soon covered in scabs, and she suffered from dysentery and scurvy. Eventually, she was sentenced to death and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp for her execution. She told her story and accepted her GC on behalf of all her comrades who did not survive. Fraser, Antonia, ed. At first, Odette's instructors . 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. 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. Resistance groupswere activethroughout German-occupied France and made important contributions to the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. On 16 April 1943, 'Lise' and 'Raoul' were betrayed by a member of their network and arrested. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. They won't have me. The following month, after American and British troops landed in French North Africa, the Germans were prompted to enter the unoccupied zone, at which point the Mediterranean coast took on new significance for the SOE. In June 1943, she was brought before an improvised military court and condemned to death as a British spy. Acting largely alone, the relentless German arrested over one hundred Allied agents, including Czerniawski and Sansom. She was captured six months later and imprisoned in Fresne, the Gestapo prison in Paris. 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