1949-07-16 — Page 9

SPY-SABOTEURS

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, JULY 16, 1049.

the women, too, made their sacrifice

Betrayed, chained, beaten,

she did not Nora, the philosopher's daughter, and Violette, the gay parachutist

E

by JERRARD TICKELL

ARLY in 1942 the posthumously, the George

French section of Crosa. Special Operations Executive took the momen- tous decision to engage women.

7

The question was con- sidered from every angle, and it was agreed that they

. Mrs Violette Szabo, C.C. (nee Bushell), was a young Englishwoman In her early twenties, the widow of n French officer.

She was the mother of a

would have certain prae- three-year old daughter, tical advantages

men agents. All were

automatically

over Tania, when she joined the

men BUR-

pect when travelling where-

Secret Service.

She went to France to

as women could move about the Rouen area as courier

France rather more freely.

with a French officer, whose

es

mission was one of extreme delicacy and danger.

This rendered them pecially suitable for the job of courier or radio operator. The feminine "cover-story" was easier to devise. From women could be expected a great degree of subtlety.

LEADERS had been arrested

For three

The object of this mission As against these advan- was to contact members of tages, there was a natural the circuit who were in hid- and most deep-rooted reluc- ing after the Gestapo had tance deliberately to send a swoopel and arrested their woman into physical peril. It was decided,

leaders. therefore, that her function should be essentially a peaceful one.

Later events proved that feminine fingers

could handle a Sten gun as swiftly and as lethally as any man. When need arose, women did, in fact, take over from men and conduct violent operations.

flinch

Nora Inayat-Khan, G.C.

Ten days later Violette ran into a German ambush on the road which was

being cleared for the troops moving up from the South.

Sho and lier com-

months they worked together with bril panions fought it liance, reconstituting the captured only when

out, and she shattered group under the the last round in her very noses of the Gestapo. Sten gun had been

When they had completed fired. their work, she and her prin- cipal were picked up by nero- plane from a French fleld

and brought home.

After a brief rest, Vio- volunteered for

a

As a valuable pri- soner, yet still gay and defiant, she was taken to Fresnes Pri- son outside a turbu- lent Paris, on the eve of liberation.

Mrs. Violette Szabo. G.C.

sent to Ravensbruck and thence, with her two newly found com- panions, Lillian and Denise, she was sent to a camp at Torgau.

A triple escape was planned and failed:

The decision taken, over three years some 40 wonten agents volunteered, were lette enlisted into the F.A.N.Y. second mission which was to Corps, were secretly trained, take her into central At this moment the Ger- and infiltrated to France. France, into an area through mans

decided to move all They were all bilingual, which the German divisions their most important pri-

Some were parachuted in

stationed in the South of soners out of reach of the France were expected to advancing Allies to the com- by night, some came by pngs as soon as the Allied parative immunity of the aeroplane, some by sailing armies landed

on the Nor- Reich,

Back to Ravensbruck....and mandy beaches,

thenes, in the bitter winter of On the train, she was 1044, to the dreaded camp Under the code name of bundled into a compartment Konigsberg on the Oder In East "Louise" parachutist, she in which she met two other ly cold months they were, put took to the skies on June 6, captured 1944. Her conducting of Lillian Rolfe (W.A.A.F.) an airfield.

bolt.

THIRTEEN

did not return

British

Of the number who left, cer tells of her second de- and Denise ́13 did not return. They met parture:-

their death, far from home, with a serenity and with a

"In &

group of heavily

fortitudo that even abashed armed and equipped men

their executionera.

waiting to take off from the same airfield, Violette was

The names of the 13, slim, debonair, and beauti- liated among those of all fut. F.A.N.Y.s who died during

~(FA:N:Y:) -

:

of

Prussia. During these desperate-

agents, to work on the construction of

Bloch

ORDEAL in a cattle truck

In a cattle truck attached to the same train were a group of British officers on their way to the war, are engraved for "She wore ቤ flowered Buchenwald, overcrowded and frock, white sandals, and gasping in the heat and dust of a tablet out- side St Paul's

earrings bought in Paris the scorching July sun. Church. Wiltonplace, London,

during her first mission. the last church in which many

ever

on

MARCHED

out and shot

daughter of a philosopher from what is now Pakistan.

She was the first woman radio operator ever to be sent to work In France. It was strange work for a contemplative girl.

Hor code name was "Mindo- lelne," and her papers declared that sho Was ព children's governess named Jeanne Marie Regnier,

She joined the danger ous and for-dung Paris circuit, soon to be broken by the ubiquitous Gestapo, Madeleine got away-and continued to tranamit from har hilde-out.

Knowing that she was In mortal danger, London offered to send an aero- plane to bring her home. She refused. She was the last link between London and her hunted comrades, and it was not in her character to desert her Irlends.

CAPTURED

but broke out

The Gestapo, aware that hers Was the only remaining set

By CUMMINGS

Com

And basea, reliadip informed, on sound Chinese multaru precedent"

Most famous namo ́in dogs admits :. I NEVER OWNED

A DOG

transmiting in. the area, putHE woman with the most every available man

on the chase, and the capture of the mysterious "Madeleine" became a matter of the highest priorily

to Berlin.

She was betrayed and caught in October 1843.

Lodged in a room ons the fifth floor of 84,

Avenuo Foch, Parts

famous name in the world of dogs admits in a book just published: "I have never owned a dog."

When Mrs Charles Cruft married her late husband 51

Years ago they decided it (Gestapo headquarters), would be unwise to own

she may have heard the champagne. corks pop R1 her capture was celebrated below.

In one respect they need not have been so lighthearted, for "Madeleima," though a consistently silent pri- soner, was yet to cause them some trouble.

onc.

They were building the name Cruft in the dot show busincas, and Mrs Cruft said: "We did not want breeders to think that wo favoured

particular breed.

"I was constantly having to decline offers from breeders of

~As she was-ixti down- funny" """TUXTiy"""" magnificünt"

stairs for interrogation,

she broko for frosdom and was recaptured in the street.

Within three weeks she tried. i second es- cape by Aling through the bars of her fanlight, and at night she climb- ed through it and on to the roof.

She bad already reached the roof of the second house when a guard, alerted by an nlr-ruld alarm, captured her.

re-

The infuriated Gestapo, de- manded that she should sign an understanding not to escape again.

She refused, and the notorious Colonel Kieffer, hoad of the Paris Gestapo, wired Berlin that he

could no longer accept responsibilty for the custody of

elusive prisoner.

With the honour of a special escort, she left in November 1943 for the Reich-the first British-agent-to-be enplured in France to

frontiers.

cross those black

animals.

"Rather than offend

anyone,

my husband and I both made it

an Iron rule never to accept or even to own a dog."

But they were determined to own a pet. So the Crufts bought a CAT....and a canary.

With memories of shows that have brought togellier moro than 10,000 dogs, Mrs Cruft still thinks fondly of her Own two pets.

Sitting in her North London flat, she said: "The_bird_went Orst. Then last year we had to do away with our old black and white cat, Sol. I have no pet at all now in my home."

• Mr. Charles Cruft'i Dog Book (Browne-Clements), 28.

By orders of the Gestapo she Only the greatest determina- was put into chains and sent to tin to survive kept them going: the prison of Pforzheim, and she Was the cat a pedigree cat? But in January 1945 the three remained in chains and in soli- | “No,” says Mrs Cruft. “Just an invincible women were recalled tary confinement, but horordinary, dear old thing." to Ravensbruck.

spirit was unbroken.

After two days in close con- Madame Yolande La Grave, of to the precincts of the crema- with two other French women in

who shared finement they were marched out Bordenux,

A cell

torium and shot.

the same prison, tells of how they wrote a message on a tin The train was bombed en The captured adjutant at feeding bowl and eventually re- of them knelt before taking suit, adjusted her para ing along the corridor with

"She zipped up her flying violette found means of creep- shooting, described their bearing No. 1."

route and In the confuson, Ravensbruck, who witnessed the ceived the reply. "Friend in Ceil to the skies or the seas. chute, shook her hair loose, bottle of cold water, which she

Co with unfeigned admirailon. and climbed, laughing, into passed into the cattle truck to the aircraft. She was a friends even more parched than - living symbol of gaiety and she. gallantry, and those who watched her go were deeply moved."

If the silent stone could speak, here are the stories it would tell of the two wo who were awarded,

men

The exchange of little mes- sages continued, and "Madeleine"

In the autumn of 1942 a slen- made it known that she was a der, qu'et young W.A.A.F. with member of the W.A.A.F. and a dark eyes came to the Baker radio operator. Street headquarters of. "Special From Saarbrucken, clearing Operations." Her name was Nora house of the damned, she was Inayat-Khan, Sho was the

From ContymanEANCH with dengist sympathy

British recovery

CARGO OF HYPOCRISY

In July she scratched on her feeding bowl. "Vive le 4 Juil let" and "Viva je 14 Juillet," and two little flags, the Union Jack and the Tricolour.

LAST note: 'I am leaving'

Twice she was caught by the guarda trying to look out

Implacable to be sunk

trough the little spyhole in her || THE "wooden wall" Im-

door.. She was beaten up and T placable, which as a French removed to an underground man-o'-wor engaged Nelson's cell

J

Only on one or two occasions was she allowed into the court yard for a breath of air, and each time she looked up fa the cell containing her "pen" friends and smiled.

be

Victory at Trafalgur, is to towed from her present post- tion at Portsmouth and sunk'in deep water..

Ho

This was annolinced, by. Mr John Dugdale, Financial Secto tory to the Admirally. Then came her last scribbled said it had been found impos- message: "I am leaving." Hersible to preserve the ship with friends received It on Septem- out prohibitiva expense, ber 17, 1944. But "Madeleine"

had left on the 12th, to be taken Certain parts will be pre- served if examination shows it

to the notorious men's camp út Dachau, to be shot, kneeling against a mound of earth in the shadow of the camp's crema- torlum,.

[World Copyright)

NEXT WEEK The moving story Odette-only liding wonian who wears the

Geor

to be practicable," he added.

A

A NEW MAID

* NEW - MAID of Orleans

from Folkestone to Boulogne recently-five years after predecessor was sunit by a mino off the Normandy's beaches,

her

The now ship of 8,777 tons,

NEW SHIPMENT

Bohemian Hand Cut

BRYSTAL

from the

STEPHANIE WORKS

in Czechoslovakia

at

INGENOHL'S Crystal Department

Gloucester Arsada

(SOLE DISTRIBUTORS IN HONGKONG)

The Most Beautiful Presents At Reasonable Prices

BLUE BAND MARGARINE

It's delicious!

. It's nourishing! Spread Blue Band on your blacuits and bread. You will taste its delicious Bavour and it is a fine nourishing food, too. It contains the Vuamins thes will help to make you strong and healthy. For flavour and nourishment you cannot beat Blue Band Buy some today!

FRESH PACKET BLUE BAND

MARGARINE

YING TAI CO.

of Shanghai

MANUFACTURERS and EXPORTERS

of Embroidered Goods LINGERIE, PADDED GOWNS, HOUSE-COATS, NIGHT GOWNS, MEN'S ROBES, PYJAMAS, MANDARIN COATS, LOUNGING PYJAMAS, EMBROIDERED BLOUSES, CHINESE ARTS, ETC.

BOLT SILK, SOOCHOW BROCADES, TRIBUTE SILKS and Various kinds of Pure Silks and Crepes. OPEN ON SUNDAYS

Tel. 59640.

27 Chung King Arcade, Nathan Road, Kowloon HONG KONG.

A WORLD-WIDE BLEVICE by the World's first t

Cablo Address: "YINGSILK” ·

New Accysticon Imperial

West Maniactarse al Berkical Sexting kids

Accousticon

BATTERY:1

The Smallest, Light-

est; Most Powerful- All-in-One Hearing Instrument Ever Cre

ated by Acousticon- Maker of the World's.

Firat Electrical Hear Ing Aid

DISTRIBUTION-G SERVICE

has a speed of a knots and can CHINESE AMERICAN TRADING SERVICE

carry 3,400 passengers, 80, motor

care, and it crow of 20.

Jorvpis: St.. Hongkong.

well Ivesse dianderd.

indon Expreń Sprutće)