Tempsford SOE memorial to the female agents and RAF Special Squadrons (geograph 3769098)

The Tempsford Memorial is a

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

in the village of

Tempsford Tempsford is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England, about east north-east of the county town of Bedford. The village is split by the A1 Great North Road and is located just befo ...

in Bedfordshire. The village was the home of RAF Tempsford. The memorial commemorates the women who served as secret agents in occupied Europe during the Second World War, the RAF aircrew who transported them, and the personnel from allied secret services who were killed in the war. The memorial bears the names of 75 known women agents, of whom 29 were arrested, 16 were executed, three died of illnesses while imprisoned, and one committed suicide using a cyanide

L-pill A suicide pill (also known as the cyanide pill, kill-pill, lethal pill, death-pill, or L-pill) is a pill, capsule, ampoule, or tablet containing a fatally poisonous substance that a person ingests deliberately in order to achieve death quickly t ...

before being captured.

Background

Missions by British secret agents to Nazi-occupied Europe during the Second World War were coordinated by the

Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...

, with participation from the UK

Secret Intelligence Service The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intellige ...

(MI6), the Free French Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action, the US

Office of Strategic Services The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all bran ...

, and the Soviet

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union. ...

. Most were flown out by the RAF's Special Duties "moon" squadrons, 138 Squadron and 161 Squadron, from RAF Tempsford, with some operations starting from

RAF Tangmere RAF Tangmere was a Royal Air Force station located in Tangmere, England, famous for its role in the Battle of Britain, and one of several stations near Chichester, West Sussex. The famous Second World War aces Wing Commander Douglas Bader, a ...

or RAF Harrington. A book of remembrance at St Peter’s Church in Tempsford lists 623 airmen from the two squadrons killed during the war. It is believed that 995 agents were dropped into occupied Europe by parachute, 485 were landed by aircraft, and around 575 agents and others were brought back to the UK.

Memorial

The memorial comprises a white

Carrara Carrara ( , ; , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence. Its mott ...

marble column on black granite plinth. The column and the base bear inscriptions, including a list of the 75 known women agents. The top of one face of the white column bears a mosaic disc, depicting a white dove and the full moon in a blue sky, made by many local villagers. The sides of the granite plinth also commemorate the men and women of the two special duties squadrons, No. 138 and No. 161, and the personnel of the secret services from allied nations killed during the war "in the clandestine struggle for freedom and liberty". The memorial was commissioned by the Tempsford Memorial Trust and created by Ivett & Reed, stonemasons based in Cambridge. It is erected at the Millennium Sanctuary in Tempsford, near the cemetery of St Peter's church. The memorial was unveiled by the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

on 3 December 2013, who completed the mosaic by inserting the last piece at the centre of the moon, with a flypast by a

Lysander Lysander (; grc-gre, Λύσανδρος ; died 395 BC) was a Spartan military and political leader. He destroyed the Athenian Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital city, capital a ...

in the colours of 161 Squadron. In attendance was the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, with Baroness Crawley, Sir John Sawers, delegates from the 12 countries listed, and veterans and relatives of the SOE agents and RAF personnel.

Women commemorated

UK * "Angela" (full name not known) *

Yvonne Baseden Yvonne Jeanne de Vibraye Baseden MBE (20 January 1922 – 28 October 2017), later known as Yvonne Burney, was one of approximately forty female Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents who served in France. The objective of SOE was to conduc ...

* Sonya Butt * Muriel Byck (died of illness) *

Blanche Charlet Valentine Blanche Charlet MBE (May 23, 1898–October 11, 1985), code named Christiane, served in France as an agent for the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct ...

* Yvonne Cormeau * Lise de Baissac * Yvonne Fontaine *

Olga Jackson Olga may refer to: People and fictional characters * Olga (name), a given name, including a list of people and fictional characters named Olga or Olha * Michael Algar (born 1962), English singer also known as "Olga" Places Russia * Olga, Russi ...

* Marguerite Knight *

Phyllis Latour Phyllis "Pippa" Latour MBE (born 8 April 1921) is a South African-born former agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organisation during World War II in France. Early life Latour's father, Philippe, was a ...

* Cécile Lefort (killed in captivity) *

Vera Leigh Vera Leigh (17 March 1903 – 6 July 1944) was an agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive during World War II. Leigh was a member of the SOE's Donkeyman circuit and Inventor sub-circuit in occupied France unti ...

(executed) *

Mary Lindell Gertrude Mary Lindell (11 September 1895 – 8 January 1987), Comtesse de Milleville, code named Marie-Claire and Comtesse de Moncy, was an English woman, a front-line nurse in World War I and a member of the French Resistance in World War II. S ...

* Eileen Nearne *

Jacqueline Nearne Jacqueline Nearne MBE (born 27 May 1916, Brighton, England, died 15 August 1982 in London, England), code named Jacqueline and Josette, was an agent for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) in Nazi-occupied France during World Wa ...

Lilian Rolfe Lilian Vera Rolfe, (26 April 1914 – 5 February 1945) was an Allied secret agent in the Second World War. Early life Rolfe and her twin sister Helen Fedora Rolfe were the daughters of George Rolfe, a British chartered accountant working in Pa ...

(executed) * Diana Rowden *

Yvonne Rudelatt Yvonne Claire Rudellat, MBE, (née Cerneau, born, France, 11 January 1897 – died, 23 or 24 April 1945), code name Jacqueline, was an agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization in World War II. The p ...

(died in captivity) *

Sybil Anne Sturrock Sibyls were oracular women believed to possess prophetic powers in ancient Greece. Sybil or Sibyl may also refer to: Films * Sybil (1921 film), ''Sybil'' (1921 film) * Sybil (1976 film), ''Sybil'' (1976 film), a film starring Sally Field * Sybil ...

Violette Szabó Violette Reine Elizabeth Szabo, George Cross, GC (née Bushell; 26 June 1921 – February 1945) was a British-French Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent during the Second World War and a posthumous recipient of the George Cross. On her sec ...

(executed) *

Anne-Marie Walters Anne-Marie Walters (born, Switzerland, 16 March 1923 – died, France, 3 October 1998), code name ''Colette,'' was a WAAF officer recruited into the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization during World War II ...

Odette Wilen Odette Victoria Wilen (née Sar, latterly Strugo, 25 April 1919 – 22 September 2015) was a member of the UK's Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II. She served in German military administration in occupied France during World Wa ...

Pearl Witherington Cecile Pearl Witherington Cornioley, (24 June 1914 – 24 February 2008), code names Marie and Pauline, was an agent in France for the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War. The purpose ...

France * Françine Agazarian *

Julienne Aisner Julienne Marie Louise Aisner (née Simart; 30 December 1899 – 15 February 1947), code named Clair, was an agent in France of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization during World War II. The purpose of ...

* Marie-Lou Blanc * Denise Bloch (executed) * *

Andrée Borrel Andrée Raymonde Borrel (18 November 1919 – 6 July 1944), code named Denise, was a French woman who served in the French Resistance and as an agent for Britain's clandestine Special Operations Executive in World War II. The purpose of SOE was ...

(executed) * Marie-Louise Cloarec (executed) * Evelyne Clopet (executed) * Aimée Corge *

Madeleine Damerment Madeleine Zoe Damerment (11 November 1917 – 13 September 1944) was a French spy in World War II who served in the French Resistance and Britain's Special Operations Executive. Damerment was to be a courier for SOE's Bricklayer circuit in Fran ...

(executed) * Cécile De Marcilly * Eugénie Djendi (executed) *

Alix d'Unienville Alix Marrier d'Unienville, MBE (8 May 1918 – 10 November 2015) was a French-British agent in the Free French (RF) Section of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), during World War II . Biography D'Unienville was born in Mauritius to a weal ...

* Marie-Madeleine Fourcade *

Marguerite Gianello Marguerite may refer to: People * Marguerite (given name), including a list of people with the name Places * Marguerite, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * Marguerite Bay, Antarctic Peninsula *Marguerite Island, Adélie Land, Antarctic ...

* Eugénie Gruner * *

Germaine Heim Germaine may refer to: Given name *Germaine Arnaktauyok (born 1946), Inuk printmaker, painter, and drawer *Germaine Cousin (1579-1601), French saint * Germaine Greer (born 1939), feminist writer and academic *Germaine Koh (born 1967), Malaysian-bor ...

Ginette Jullian Ginette Marie Hélène Jullian (born, 8 December 1917, Montpellier, France - died, 4 August 1962, Tahiti), code named Adele, was an agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization during World War II. The ...

Madeleine Lavigne Madeleine Lavigne (born, Lyon, February 6, 1912 - died, Paris, February 24, 1945), code name ''Isabelle'', was a member of the French Resistance and an agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization duri ...

Marie Thérèse Le Chêne Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in T ...

* Pierrette Louin (executed) *

Suzanne Mertzizen Suzanne Camille Mertzizen or Mertzisen (15 May 1919 – 18 January 1945) was a French heroine of World War II who served in the Special Operations Executive and was executed by the Nazi government. She was born Suzanne Boitte in Colombes, a subu ...

(executed) * Marguerite Petitjean * Eliane Plewman (executed) * Danielle Reddé * Odette Sansom * Josianne Somers *

Marcelle Somers Marcelle may refer to: *Marcelle, a French feminine version of Marcel * 1300 Marcelle (1934 CL), a main-belt asteroid *Groupe Marcelle, a Canadian cosmetics company See also * Marcel (disambiguation) * Marcell (disambiguation) Marcell may refer ...

* Marie-Christine Studler Belgium *

Frédérique Dupuich Frederique is a French female given name, which is equivalent to the male name Frederick, meaning "peaceful ruler". Alternative spellings include Frédérique and Frederieke. The name Frederique may refer to: People *Frédérique Apffel-Marglin (b ...

Elaine Madden Elaine Marie Madden aka Meeus, aka Iomgen (7 May 1923 – 2012) was a Belgian-born British agent of the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War. She was born in Poperinghe, Belgium and attended the British Memorial School in ...

Beatrix Terwindt Beatrix is a Latin feminine given name, most likely derived from ''Viatrix'', a feminine form of the Late Latin name ''Viator'' which meant "voyager, traveller" and later influenced in spelling by association with the Latin word ''beatus'' or "bles ...

Chile * Giliana Gerson Germany *

Hilde Meisel Hilde Meisel (31 July 1914 – 17 April 1945) was a Jewish German socialist and journalist who published articles against the Nazi regime in Germany. While in exile in England, she wrote under the pseudonym Hilda Monte, calling for German resi ...

(cyanide pill) *

Anne Beyer Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the N ...

Ireland * Mary Herbert *

Patricia O'Sullivan Maureen Patricia O'Sullivan (3 January 1918 – 5 March 1994) was a member of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II and worked as a wireless operator for the French Section. Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1918, the daught ...

India *

Noor Inayat Khan Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan, GC (1 January 1914 – 13 September 1944), also known as Nora Inayat-Khan and Nora Baker, was a British resistance agent in France in World War II who served in the Special Operations Executive (SOE). The purpose of S ...

(executed) Netherlands * *

Josephine Hamilton Josephine may refer to: People * Josephine (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Josephine (singer), a Greek pop singer Places * Josephine, Texas, United States * Mount Josephine (disambiguation) * Josephine Cou ...

New Zealand *

Nancy Wake Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, (30 August 1912 – 7 August 2011), also known as Madame Fiocca and Nancy Fiocca, was a nurse and journalist who joined the French Resistance and later the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II, and ...

Poland * Krystyna Skarbek-Granville * Elżbieta Zawacka Switzerland * Yolande Beekman (executed) US * Elizabeth Devereux-Rochester *

Virginia Hall Virginia Hall Goillot DSC, Croix de Guerre, (April 6, 1906 – July 8, 1982), code named Marie and Diane, was an American who worked with the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the American Office of Str ...

USSR * Anna Frolova (executed) * Szyfra Lypszyc (executed) * Yelena Nikitina * Emilya Novikova

References

Tempsford Memorial Trust

Prince Charles unveils memorial to wartime women agents
BBC News, 3 December 2013
RAF Tempsford Memorial
Ivett & Reed

Daily Telegraph, 3 December 2013
Report: Prince Charles unveils memorial to those who flew secret war missions from RAF Tempsford
Bedford Today, 4 December 2013 {{coord, 52.1640, -0.3020, region:GB-CBF_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures completed in 2013 World War II memorials in England Monuments and memorials in Bedfordshire Monuments and memorials to women