Born in Paris in 1921, Violette Bushell was the offspring of a French mother and a British soldier who she met during the Greta War. The family of four returned to London where her father drove a taxi and when war broke out in September 1939 Violette was working as a sales assistant in a department store.
War brings changes to an individuals life, and young women are enticed by the opportunities that arise as much as the young men who's lives are about to change for ever. Sexual norms are amended as many develop a 'live now because tomorrow we die,' attitude. Possibly this had an effect on Etienne Szabo,a 31 year old French soldier when he met the 19 year old in 1940. They were married within a month. Szabo left to fight in North Africa and suffered fatal wounds while involved in a diversionary attack during the Battle of El Alamein. He died in 1942 without ever having seen his new born daughter. One of the sad results of war has been the number of children who have never known their fathers. Some were killed in action and many were the result of a moments passion. Many such children have lived with an emptiness inside all their lives.
The Special Operations Executive was an organisation developed by Winston Churchill to work behind enemy lines in France and disrupt their communications, there being little other opportunity to hit at Hitler's rule other than through Bomber Command. "Set Europe Ablaze" was his order. After the death of her husband Violette decided to join this organisation.
She endured a tough training round, unarmed combat, explosives, weapons and the like, all that was required to hurt the heart of the German occupation. It was thought by some that her French was too influenced by English and that she lacked the initiative required for such work. However senior officers overruled these fears and she was declared fit to send into action. Using 'Louise' as a code name she parachuted into France during April 1944. In France she rebuilt a broken resistance organisation and gathered information regarding German munitions. A successful mission for the twenty three year old mother.
Szabo's second mission occurred after D-Day when she met with resistance workers attempting to hinder the German fightback. An unlucky meeting with a German roadblock led to a quick firefight in which she was captured. Possibly her English tainted accent had an effect here? The young girl met little sympathy and was handed over to the SD, the intelligence unit of the SS. Here brutal treatment failed to discover information on her work or her companions and eventually Szabo found herself in Ravensbrook Concentration Camp. Here some 300 women slept three to a bunk in each hut. Malnutrition, harsh treatment and hard labour were common.
Violette Szabo was executed in February 1945. Other SOE women were to suffer similar fates in this camp.
In 1946 a posthumous award of the George Cross was awarded to Violette Szabo. A year later the French awarded her the Croix de Guerre and the Medal de la Resistance was also added in 1973.
Violette Szabo SOE
Violette Szabo
Young Brave and Beautiful
Szabo
Violette Szabo Museum
.
