Special Operations Executive (SOE) Memorial

Discussion in 'WW2 Museums. Events, & places to see.' started by Drew5233, Oct 4, 2009.

  1. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    A mate of mine in London has emailed me today with some pictures of the new memorial opened today on the embankment in London.


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    Whilst I applaud this memorial it does make one wonder what people have been thinking for the last 65 odd years when I'm sure so many who served in SOE during WW2 have now passed away and will never get to see the role recognised.
     
  2. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Thanks Andy. A very fitting tribute with the Violette Szabo sculpture, nice to see the women of SOE leading the way.
     
  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  4. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

  5. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    There is an equally impressive memorial to the SOE down in Valencay in the Indre Department.Unveiled in May 1991 by the Queen Mother it records the 13 woman and 104 men who lost their lives in SOE Operations.(Have a photograph of the memorial, pre digital era somewhere.)

    Violett Szabo nee Bushell was a daughter of a Great War British soldier and his wife who was French.

    SOE was wound up quickly after the war but its place in history belongs to the likes of M R D Foot who was commissioned, as regards operations in France, to write its history in the early 1960s as "SOE in France" and E H Cookridge who penned "Inside SOE" (covered France the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark.) Apparently there was some restrictions placed on these two historians.Foot was not allowed to look at the PFs of the SOE agents while Cookridge was given authorty to view them but his UK edition was an abridged version,unlike the version circulating in the US.
     
  6. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

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    This is a great story about Canadians in the SOE. I had just mentioned that this story was published in The Beaver, a Canadian history magazine, as the cover story for this month's issue.

    Picasa Web Albums - Tom - Canadian Spie...#

    These men and women define bravery in a manner unheard of. May each one find a place of honour in the eternal hall of justice.

    cheers,
    phil
     
  7. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Passing through Le Clos in the Limousin last August, I took these photographs where Violett Szabo came down by parachute on her second and what was to be her final operation into occupied France.

    Le Clos,south east of Limoges and about 20 kms east of the A20 is a hamlet comprising of one farm, one house and an abandoned house and I suppose not much has happened to it since the end of the war.This area is worth visiting being an example of the beautiful Limousin countryside.On the west side of the hamlet stands Mt Gargan, a scene of intense resistance activity under Georges Guingouin, a former teacher sacked by Vichy,a communist who did not wait until June 1941 to oppose the German occupation.

    Le Clos.Entering the hamlet from the south.
     

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  8. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Le Clos.Leaving the hamet at the north end where Violett Szabo is remembered by a memorial at the Violett Szabo Carrefour. In the background and at a higher elevation lies Mt Gargan at 731 metres.I think that Violett came to ground in the fields in the background.
     

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  9. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    The Violett Szabo Memorial at the Le Clos carrefour
     

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    Drew5233 likes this.
  10. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

    Nice closing the loop on this, Harry, with pictures. THanks

    cheers,
    phil
     
  11. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Echo that, thanks Harry.
     
  12. Stormbird

    Stormbird Restless

    I'm currently visiting the UK and have London on my list. Could somebody please provide the exact address of the mentioned memorial, which I have a strong urge to pay an inspection.
     
  13. ranville

    ranville Senior Member

    A mate of mine in London has emailed me today with some pictures of the new memorial opened today on the embankment in London.


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    Whilst I applaud this memorial it does make one wonder what people have been thinking for the last 65 odd years when I'm sure so many who served in SOE during WW2 have now passed away and will never get to see the role recognised.





    Thanks for the photo and like you ABOUT TIME TOO!--The SOE agents were extremely brave people[especially the women] knowing their likely fate if captured. I would highly the book by Sarah Helm-'My life in Secrets'-- The story of Vera atkins and search for 'her girls' missing in Europe.
     
  14. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    What a great monument - Pity about the years of delay. The agents who were killed, paid the ultimate price for their bravery. Those who survived must have had one of the hardest "occupations" of the war. They would be dealing with treachery at every turn.

    We should also remember the French citizens who supported them and those of them who supported the agents and also paid the ultimate price.

    Not forgetting also the lads of the RAF involving many nationalities who got these agents to their destinations and subsequently supplied them with their material needs (drops) many of whom did not return.

    I have photos of the graves of one such crew (6 Aussies, an Englishman and a Scot) who crashed doing a drop for the Marquis. at Doubs (Arc-et-Senans)

    The townspeople have not forgotten them as they have had a remembrance at the graves of these lads on the first Sunday in September every year since 1944.

    I have a photo of the aircraft's crash area. The young boy in the crash scene photo was at the 60th anniversary remembrance (2004) when the son of the Scotsman in the crew, (Navigator) Sgt J.C. Alexander of 138sq attended and laid his mothers ashes with his father.

    It is very moving to think that they do not forget.

    Original Crash Photo.jpg

    Doub Arc-et-Senans Group Remembrance.jpg

    Mayors Speech.jpg

    Stirling LJ503 Information

    Type Stirling Serial Number LJ503 Squadron 138 X1D NF-P Operation SOE Date 1 31st August 1944 Date 2 1st September 1944
    Further Information

    "Serial Range LJ501 - LJ544. 44 Stirling Mk.111. Part of a batch of 175 Short S.29 Stirling Mk.111/1V. LJ440-LJ483; LJ501-LJ544; LJ557-LJ596; LJ611-LJ653; LJ667-LJ670 mixed Mk.111/1V. LJ512 was the Mk.1V prototype; LJ530 the Mk.V prototype. Delivered by Short Brothers Ltd between Nov43 and Apr44. Contract No.A/C2008. LJ461/475/502/503/532. Conv.to Mk.1V. Converted to Mk.1V (see above) at 23MU 30Nov43, Controller Research and Developement at Shorts 16Feb44, to Tempsford 2Apr44, back to Shorts 21Apr44, returned to Tempsford 22May44, to No.138 Sqdn 20Jun44, loaned to No 296 Sqdn and battle damaged 10Aug44, returned to No.138 Sqdn (no date) LJ503 was one of two 138 Sqdn Stirlings lost on this night. See: LK131. These were the first Stirling Mk.1Vs reported MIA from 138 Sqdn. Airborne 2200 31Aug44 from Tempsford on Operation Bob 325. encountered a violent storm during which the Stirling clipped the tops of trees and crashed at Lombard (Doubs), a village apx. 8 km NE of Arc-et-Senans where all were taken for burial in the local communal cemetery. Sgt Alexander was flying as second Navigator. F/O R.B.Hardie RAAF KIA Sgt G.McP Jack KIA F/S M.Stanley RAAF KIA Sgt J.C.Alexander KIA F/S G.W.McLeod RAAF KIA F/S N.E.Barnes RAAF KIA F/S S.J.Hayes RAAF KIA F/S R.A.Ashton RAAF KIA Crash site is also reported as Byaans sur Doubs, France. "
     
  15. Stormbird

    Stormbird Restless

    Do I understand correctly that the Embankment is a defined address that I am supposed to find with ease using my London A-Z combined with some navigation skills ?
     
  16. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

  17. Stormbird

    Stormbird Restless

    Thank you very much !
    Seemingly within walking distance of the IWM - could hardly have been more convenient.
    Monument will be duly inspected, admired and honoured.
     
  18. KevinC

    KevinC Slightly wierd

    It's a strange coincidence that I finished reading "The women who lived for danger" by Marcus Binney. It details the exploits of the women agents of SOE.
     
  19. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    It's a strange coincidence that I finished reading "The women who lived for danger" by Marcus Binney. It details the exploits of the women agents of SOE.

    Good book.
     
  20. Pegasus

    Pegasus Member

    It's a strange coincidence that I finished reading "The women who lived for danger" by Marcus Binney. It details the exploits of the women agents of SOE.
    Hi Kevin, I read it a few years ago great book, from memory some of the agents where held at avenue Fosh paris ( but I could be wrong it was a fewe years ago that I read it) i took some pictures

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