Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. 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. 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. Other The marriage ." 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. https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/sansom-odette-1912-1995, "Sansom, Odette (19121995) This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. She had a convent education and was considered difficult, perhaps because of her illnesses. The fact she survived undetected for over a year is a testimony to her care and professionalism. Odette Hallowes, from Red Ball in Somerset, was awarded the George Cross, an MBE and the . [21], After the Allied landings in the south of France in August 1944, on orders from Berlin, all food was withdrawn for a week, all light was removed from Sansom's cell, and the heat was turned up. In 1946, Odette Sansom was awarded theGeorge Cross(GC) for refusing to betray her fellow secret agents under torture. A week later, they landed on the Riviera in an unoccupied region of France. 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. These three men were amazing spies who helped to . 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. She endured months of solitary confinement and death threats, but revealed nothing. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1980. Men and women from the SOE would work within occupied nations, disabling factories, wrecking power houses, and severing lines of communication. 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. Soldiers as POWs desc, Albert Speer Wehrmacht soldiers, Vichy police, Abwehr (German military intelligence) and Gestapo were everywhere: control checkpoints, hotels, cafes, trains even brothels. 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. However, the date of retrieval is often important. This was hard enough for most prisoners and even worse for those suffering from diarrhea which was epidemic in the camps. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). 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. The company . In January 1943, to evade arrest, Churchill and Sansom moved their operations to near Annecy in the French Alps. They then moved to England where a second daughter Lily was born in 1934. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images). 3707 N. Division St.- Morris, IL -Lease Listing In October, 1941, she was sent by boat to France with orders to A French agent working for the British during World War II, Odette Sansom left three small daughters to join the Resistance in 1942. 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." Szabo, George Cross. Military figures Famous military leaders and soldiers, including Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Ataturk, Erwin Rommel, Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower. Each country, including France, had its own section in London. "Train me," she said. tortured by the Gestapo she had all her toenails pulled out. But, eventually, the camp was overrun, and she won her freedom as the Camp commandant tried to use her as a hostage. She didnt think twice about confronting German generals or commandants, and often placed principle before prudence. "I have nothing to say," Sansom replied. to London where she gave birth to three children. French-bornOdette Sansomworked undercover in France during theSecond World War. She was subsisting on just one slice of bread and a bowl of. I thank you for having faith in me. In July 1940, she had met Etienne Szabo, an officer in the French Foreign Legion. [6][5], As cover for her secret work, Sansom was enrolled in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, which supplied SOE with support personnel. At first, Odette's instructors . However, the evaluation noted "her patriotism and keenness to do something for France." Sansom's initial objective was to contact the French Resistance on the French Riviera, and then move to Auxerre in Burgundy to establish a safe house for other agents. Born 16 Aug 1886 in Abbeville, France, moved to England with her daughter and died in 1960. 4659. Letting Odette Sansom face the window as they tortured her . Odette Sansom Hallowes was born on April 28, 1912. 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. Messages were printed on ties, scarves, handkerchiefs, and underwear. Odette Churchill had opposed making the film in Hollywood, for fear that the film would be fictionalised. Although they had all parachuted into France and been on similar missions, none of the agents had met. 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. People would cross paths, sometimes in crucial ways, then slip away and never see one another again. You are welcome to search for what you are looking for with the form below. Walther PPK pistol taken by Odette Sansom from Fritz Suhren, commandant of Ravensbrck concentration camp, after he had driven her to the American lines in May 1945. Her back was scorched with a red-hot poker and all of her toenails were pulled out. Women also died from malnourishment, overwork, exposure, lethal injections or obscene experimental surgery. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The hope was that in this way their treatment would be mitigated. She was 82. (4) Odette Hallowes, The Times (17th March, 1975). It seems like you have tried to open a page that doesn't exist. As she fell forward, the interrogator asked, "Where is Arnaud?" //]]>. Educated at the Convent of Therese in Amiens They learned how to pick locks and pockets, forge signatures, and derail trains. Despite her appalling treatment, she was not over consumed with bitterness. For her service, she was awarded the George Cross. Sansom rejected the overtures. After she regained her sight, rheumatic fever left her weak and partially paralyzed for months. They claimed they were husband and wife and [3][7] A bad fall during training ruled out parachute entry into France. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Peter Morland Churchill, DSO (14 January 1909 - 1 May 1972) was a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) officer in France during the Second World War.His wartime operations, which resulted in his capture and imprisonment in German concentration camps, and his subsequent marriage to fellow SOE officer, Odette Sansom, received considerable attention during the war and after, including a . Odette Sansom was born in France but later moved to England. Her wartime experiences had taught her two great truths; that suffering is an ineluctable part of the human lot, and that the battle against evil is never over., Odette Hallowes, The Times (17th March1975). Suhren was later hanged for war crimes. With several other agents, two of them women, Odette sailed from Gibraltar at the end of October aboard a small Polish trading boat. All Rights Reserved. https://youtu.be/P60YDAkrbuw. She became a national heroine and in 1950,a filmwas made about her. 3 Commercial Lots- Minooka, IL -For Sale Joined the Resistance (1942); captured and brought to Fresne Prison in Paris (1943); tortured by the Gestapo (May 26, 1943); transferred to Karlsruhe prison (May 12, 1944); brought to Ravensbrck concentration camp for women in Germany under sentence of death (July 18, 1944); released from Ravensbrck (April 28, 1945); received George Cross from King George VI (November 19, 1946); testified for the prosecution at the War Crimes Court in Hamburg, Germany (December 16, 1946). [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. In 1914, her father joined an infantry regiment. God bless you and your children. The couple moved They would later have Lily in 1934 and Marianne in 1936. People Who Made a Difference in Health Care, Facts about the extraordinary life of Joan of Arc. What happened to Odette's daughters? 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. It does not store any personal data. Two years later, Marianne was born. A year later, they were married, and their first daughter Franoise was born in 1932. "[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). 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. IWM collections. Later, she married Geoffrey Hallowes. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Occasionally, during their imprisonment, Sansom and Churchill managed to meet and talk secretly before he was moved to Germany in February 1944. Odette Marie Cline Brailly was born on April 28, 1912, the first child of Gaston, a bank official in Amiens, and Yvonne Brailly . Features female Prime Ministers, scientists, cultural figures, authors and royalty. Check here if you would like to receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies. She died in 1995, aged 82. London: Chapman & Hall, 1949. She left her children in a convent and began training with the SOE. Perles, Alfred, ed. Distressed by the occupation of France by the German Army in Sansom wassent to Ravensbrck concentration camp, Germany, in July 1944. Women were employed by SOE for field work, generally as couriers, and frequently as wireless operators. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. The medal was awarded after medical records and eyewitness testimony supported her case. Odette Hallowes/Spouse. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. She is excitable and temperamental, although she has a certain determination." London: Arco, 1957. While on a secret trip to England, he left her in charge. Roy and Odette's marriage was dissolved in 1946 and she married Peter Churchill in 1947.[25]. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Returning to Fresne, Sansom expected to be shot. Magazines, Digital 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. January 16, 1995, pp. [34] The fame that the movie brought to Odette Sansom and Peter Churchill also brought criticism from their former associates in SOE and the French Resistance. The couple moved They would later have Lily in 1934 and Marianne in 1936. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. When Louis returned to school, she continued her walks alone and, though she missed him, found an unexpected joy in solitude. She was a Frenchwoman, married to an Englishman, and was living in Somerset with their three young daughters. When he assures her that he means no harm, Odette reveals to him that she and her companions have been placed under a spell by the wicked Von Rothbart. 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. Selectors, relying on instinct, looked for spirit rather than muscle. Starved and tortured, Odette never broke. Nancy Wake They were sent to Fresnes Prison in Paris, and soon were interrogated at 84 Avenue Foch, the notorious Gestapo headquarters. Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. This essay consists of three articles that examine different aspects of the history of prisoners of war. By accepting death, she felt that "they would not win anything. [3][4], In the spring of 1942, the Admiralty appealed for postcards or family photographs taken on the French coastline for possible war use. Odette Hallowes has a story unlike anyone else. Tickell, Jerrard. Her first mission was to set up a wireless operation at Auxerre. 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