She was French born
But served as an agent for the SOE
In February 1944 “Martine”
Was arrested by the Gestapo
Along with other members of her group
And the SD interrogated them at
84 Avenue Foch, their HQ in Paris
After they had
been tortured
Before being sent to Karlsruhe in Germany,
With several other captured SOE agents
But was ultimately taken to Dachau
Along with three other agents
And in the early morning hours
Of 13th September 1944,
They were shot in the back of the head
Their bodies then immediately
Burned in the crematorium.
As far as the British were concerned
She was only missing
And she was mentioned in despatches
She was posthumously awarded
A Kings Commendation for Brave Conduct
And a French Croix de Guerre
A French Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur
And the Médaille de la Résistance
She is recorded
on the FANY memorial
At St Paul's
Church, Knightsbridge
She is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial
As one of the SOE agents who died for the liberation of France,
Her name is also recorded on the Brookwood Memorial
In Surrey as one of 3,500
“To whom war denied a known and honoured grave”
And on the Valençay SOE Memorial “Roll of Honour”
In the French town of Valençay.
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