DOCSLIB.ORG

Bernard O'connor, Agents Françaises. French Women Infiltrated Into France During the Second World

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Bernard O'connor, Agents Françaises. French Women Infiltrated Into France During the Second World Francia-Recensio 2017/1 19.‒‒ 21. Jahrhundert Époque contemporaine Bernard O'Connor, Agents françaises. French women infiltrated into France during the Second World War, Lulu.com (Raleigh, NC) 2016, 613 p., num. b&w ill. ISBN 978-1-326-70328-8, GBP 19,99. rezensiert von/compte rendu rédigé par Corinna von List, Berlin In seinem Buch präsentiert Bernard O'Connor die Werdegänge von 36 Französinnen, die zwischen September 1942 und August 1944 als Agentinnen1 nach Frankreich entsandt wurden. Sie gehörten vorwiegend der Sonderabteilung Special Operations Executive (SOE) des britischen Geheimdienstes an. Nur wenige von ihnen wurden durch den Geheimdienst der France libre in Nordafrika rekrutiert. In der Einleitung stellt der Autor die verzweigte Geschichte dieser beiden Geheimdienste dar, deren verschiedene Abteilungsdirektoren mehr gegen- als miteinander arbeiteten. Auûerdem beschreibt er die einzelnen Trainingsstationen, die alle Agentinnen und Agenten erfolgreich durchlaufen mussten, bevor sie zum Einsatz kommen konnten. Folgt man den Orten der Rekrutierung und Ausbildung ergibt sich eine vom Verfasser bebilderte Rundreise nicht nur durch London, sondern auch zu zahlreichen Schlössern und Herrenhäuser der umliegenden Grafschaften. Bei den einzelnen Biografien stützt sich O'Connor zum einen auf die vom SOE geführten Personalakten und offiziellen Berichte der Agentinnen und Agenten über ihren Einsatz in Frankreich. Zum anderen greift er auf Memoirenliteratur, Zeitzeugeninterviews und ca. 70 Internetquellen zurück, von denen jedoch bereits unmittelbar nach der Drucklegung nicht mehr alle abrufbar sind (http://arch.oucs.ox.ac.uk/detail/95915/index.html). So gut der Leser den Ursprung des verwendeten Materials anhand der Bibliografie nachvollziehen kann, so unklar bleibt ihm, wie es zur Auswahl der 36 vorgestellten Agentinnen kam. War es deren französische Staatsangehörigkeit, die Überlieferungssituation der Quellen oder die Tatsache, dass zahlreiche Missionen ihren Ausgangpunkt beim Militärflughafen Tempsford in Bedfordshire hatten? Wie dem auch sei, ergibt diese Auswahl ein unvollständiges Bild, weil Agentinnen wie etwa Noor Inayat Khan oder Yvonne Cormeau nicht berücksichtigt werden, obwohl sie mit der ebenso ausbildungsintensiven wie gefährlichen Mission einer Funkerin betraut waren. Ein Ungleichgewicht besteht auch beim Umfang der einzelnen Biografien. Bei Odette Sansom, die dank einer Verfilmung ihrer Lebensgeschichte und mehrerer Biographien zu den bekanntesten Agentinnen in Groûbritannien gehören dürfte, umfasst der Eintrag mehr als 50 Seiten und ist damit der umfangreichste des ganzen Buchs. Ihr Einsatz begann im November 1942 in Marseille. Im April 1944 wurde sie in der Nähe von Annecy verhaftet und in das KZ Ravensbrück deportiert. In die Beschreibung ihrer Mission und ihres Privatlebens vor und nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg hat der Autor 1 Im Titel des Buches müsste es richtig »Agentes« heiûen. Lizenzhinweis: Dieser Beitrag unterliegt der Creative-Commons-Lizenz Namensnennung-Keine kommerzielle Nutzung-Keine Bearbeitung (CC-BY-NC-ND), darf also unter diesen Bedingungen elektronisch benutzt, übermittelt, ausgedruckt und zum Download bereitgestellt werden. Den Text der Lizenz erreichen Sie hier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ an verschiedenen Stellen Ausführungen zu anderen Agenten des SOE sowie zur Situation englischer Frauen in Ravensbrück eingewoben. Illustriert durch seitenlange Zitate, ergeben alle diese Informationen ein kaum noch zu durchdringendes Detailgeflecht zum Einsatz von Odette Sansom. Dem gegenüber stehen Beiträge von nur 3 Seiten, die auûer dem Flugzeugtyp, dem Zeitraum der Mission, dem Datum der Verhaftung und den verliehenen Auszeichnungen keine weiteren Angaben enthalten wie im Falle der zur France libre gehörenden Agentinnen Suzanne Mertzisen2 oder Marcelle Somers. Da sich der Autor auf Akten des britischen Geheimdienstes sowie Monografien zu dessen Geschichte konzentriert, fehlt ihm der Blick auf die Situation in Frankreich. Dies zeigt sich am Beispiel von Denise Bloch, die bereits vor ihrem Einsatz als Agentin des britischen Geheimdienstes in der Résistance aktiv war. Sie ging damit ein höheres Risiko als die meisten anderen Agentinnen ein, weil sie den französischen Polizei- und Justizbehörden einschlieûlich ihrer im Untergrund verwendeten Decknamen bekannt war. Die Anordnung der Biografien erfolgt in chronologischer Reihenfolge nach dem Datum des Einsatzes, was bei der Benutzung sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig ist, zumal ein Personenindex fehlt. Ärgerlich sind die zahlreichen aus dem Internet stammenden Fotos, auf denen Frauen mit einem Gewehr in der Hand abgebildet sind und die mit der nichtssagenden Bildunterschrift »Unknown Woman in the French Resistance« versehen sind. Damit verfälscht der Verfasser die Perspektive auf das Engagement von Frauen innerhalb der französischen Widerstandsbewegung, weil deren Leistungen auf dem Gebiet des zivilen Widerstandes (Kurierdienst, Fluchthilfe, Untergrundpresse) lagen, was mittels dieser Fotos völlig an den Rand gedrängt wird. Selbst die vom britischen Geheimdienst nach Frankreich entsandten Agentinnen setzen Waffen allenfalls zum Selbstschutz ein. Bernhard O'Connor hat zweifellos groûe Ausdauer beim Erarbeiten der einzelnen Biografien und dem Zusammentragen englischsprachiger Quellen und Literatur an den Tag gelegt. Jedoch hat er es versäumt, seine Ergebnisse in den historischen Kontext in Frankreich einzubetten, was mit Hilfe einschlägiger Arbeiten von Robert Gildea oder Julien Jackson möglich gewesen wäre3. Deshalb erschlieûen sich den Leserinnen und Lesern weder die einzelnen Erfolge einer Agentenmission noch die Gründe für ein etwaiges Scheitern. Wer sich hingegen vornehmlich für die Ausbildungswege der Agentinnen beim britischen Geheimdienst, die Dauer einer Mission in Frankreich, die zum Absetzen eingesetzten Flugzeugtypen, den Ort und Zeitpunkt einer Verhaftung bzw. Deportation und die verliehenen Auszeichnungen interessiert, wird in diesem Werk fündig. 2 Heute unter dem Namen Mertzisen-Boitte bekannt. 3 Julian Jackson, The Dark Years, 1940±1944, Oxford 2003; Robert Gildea, Marianne in Chains. In the Search of the German Occupation, 1940±1945, London 2002; id., Fighters in the Shadows. A New History of the French Resistance, London 2015. Lizenzhinweis: Dieser Beitrag unterliegt der Creative-Commons-Lizenz Namensnennung-Keine kommerzielle Nutzung-Keine Bearbeitung (CC-BY-NC-ND), darf also unter diesen Bedingungen elektronisch benutzt, übermittelt, ausgedruckt und zum Download bereitgestellt werden. Den Text der Lizenz erreichen Sie hier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Florida State University Libraries
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2018 Doing a Real Job: The Evolution in Women's Roles in British Society through the Lens of Female Spies, 1914-1945 Danielle Wirsansky Follow this and additional works at the DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES “DOING A REAL JOB”: THE EVOLUTION IN WOMEN’S ROLES IN BRITISH SOCIETY THROUGH THE LENS OF FEMALE SPIES, 1914-1945 By DANIELLE WIRSANSKY A Thesis submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2018 Danielle Wirsansky defended this thesis on March 6, 2018. The members of the supervisory committee were: Nathan Stoltzfus Professor Directing Thesis Charles Upchurch Committee Member Diane Roberts Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii After the dazzle of day is gone, Only the dark, dark night shows to my eyes the stars; After the clangor of organ majestic, or chorus, or perfect band, Silent, athwart my soul, moves the symphony true. ~Walt Whitman iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am thankful to my major professor, Dr. Nathan Stoltzfus, for his guidance and mentorship the last five years throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies. Without his encouragement, I may never have discovered my passion for history and found myself on the path I am on today. His support has provided me with so many opportunities and the ability to express myself both artistically and academically.
    [Show full text]
  • Women in a Man's War: the Employment of Female Agents in the Special Operations Executive, 1940-1946
    Chapman University Chapman University Digital Commons War and Society (MA) Theses Dissertations and Theses Spring 5-2019 Women in a Man's War: The Employment of Female Agents in the Special Operations Executive, 1940-1946 Cameron Carlomagno Chapman University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/war_and_society_theses Recommended Citation Carlomagno, Cameron. Women in a Man's War: The Employment of Female Agents in the Special Operations Executive, 1940-1946. 2019. Chapman University, MA Thesis. Chapman University Digital Commons, https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000075 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at Chapman University Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in War and Society (MA) Theses by an authorized administrator of Chapman University Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Women in a Man’s War: The Employment of Female Agents in the Special Operations Executive, 1940-1946 A Thesis by Cameron Davis Carlomagno Chapman University Orange, California Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in War and Society May 2019 Committee in charge: Jennifer Keene, Ph.D., Chair Charissa Threat, Ph.D. Kathryn Statler, Ph.D. This thesis of Cameron Davis Carlomagno is approved. April 2019 Women in a Man’s War: The Employment of Female Agents in the Special Operations Executive, 1940-1946 Copyright © 2019 by Cameron Davis Carlomagno iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis has been the culmination of a few years of thought, research, and discussion, all of which would not have been possible without the support of my dedicated professors and friends.
    [Show full text]
  • Lettre R”Sistance 27
    LA LETTRE de la Fondation de la Résistance Reconnue d’utilité publique par décret du 5 mars 1993. Sous le Haut Patronage du Président de la République N° 27 - décembre 2001 - 4,57€ (30 F) Les femmes dans la Résistance LA FONDATION DE LA RÉSISTANCE (Décret du 5 mars 1993. Reconnue d’utilité publique. Sous le haut patronage du Président de la République) Le 18 juin 1940, le général de Gaulle lançait son appel : « La flamme de la Résistance ne doit pas s’éteindre et ne s’éteindra pas » C’est ce message que la Fondation est chargée de transmettre aux générations futures et qu’elle a traduit dans ses statuts : Les derniers témoins vont disparaître… Les survivants ont, en commun, un triple devoir à assumer pendant qu’ils peuvent encore le faire : - sauvegarder, pour l’Histoire, le témoignage de leurs luttes et de leurs peines, - veiller à la permanence du souvenir de ceux qui ont payé de leur vie la fidélité aux valeurs de l’Homme, - rappeler aux générations futures que les vérités de notre Civilisation ne peuvent dépendre d’un succès ou d’un échec militaire, et leur transmettre cette exigence de Justice et de Liberté, ouvrant la voie à la Communauté des Peuples. Tels ont été les motifs de la création de la Fondation de la Résistance dont la tâche immense et urgente nécessite la mobilisation de tous nos compagnons et de toutes les forces vives de la Nation. Membres fondateurs : Lucie AUBRAC ◆ José ABOULKER ◆ Général ALIBERT* ◆ Jean-Pierre AZÉMA ◆ Jean-Bernard BADAIRE ◆ Gilbert BEAUJOLIN* Général Maurice BELLEUX ◆ Général Pierre de BÉNOUVILLE*
    [Show full text]
  • Autumn 2020 Newsletter
    AUTUMN 2020 1 NOVEMBER 2020 THE WIPERS TIMES Newsletter of The Royal British Legion Brussels Branch Welcome to this Autumn edition of the Royal British Legion Patron: Her Majesty Brussels Branch newsletter. the Queen learly 2020 has been a ‘bit of a year’ in many National President: C respects and our capacity for change has been Lt Gen James tested to its limits with a global pandemic that has Bashall CB, CBE reshaped how we approach our daily lives and interactions with family, friends and colleagues. The Royal British Looking closer to home it has curtailed many of the Legion formed on visible acts of commemoration and remembrance 15 May 1921 for our Branch and others, notably the 75th bringing together commemoration of VE and VJ day. four organisations of the Armed Forces As Remembrance Day approaches, we prepare to that had established honour those who served and serve to defend our nations and remember the themselves after the collaboration of the Commonwealth and Allied nations who stood shoulder to First World War. shoulder to secure our freedom. The Committee has prepared a set of options to guide Remebrancetide – an opportunity for more personal reflection about By 1921, the service and sacrifice. At the same time, we would like to look closer to home to tradition of a Two see if we can help any of our Branch members or veterans in Belgium who may Minute Silence had need any support or friendly contact as we head towards Christmas. If you think been established. we can help anybody, with a call or (COVID19-compliant) visit, please let us know.
    [Show full text]
  • Pattinson-2004-The-Best-Disguise
    136 6 ‘The best disguise’: performing femininities for clandestine purposes during the Second World War Juliette Pattinson All the girls would have found it difficult to carry out their missions unless they had been consummate actresses, studying each new person that they were to become and slipping into it like a character on the stage. Beryl Escott, historian1 Women performed dangerous missions in gender-integrated combat groups, short of combat itself, because it was commonly recognized that of all resisters, they had the best disguise: they were women! Paula Schwartz, historian2 War is a revealing site for a discussion of femininity. Ideologically, the waging of war is premised on the underlying principle of combatant males fighting to protect non- combatant females. Yet the role of women in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a Second World War organisation, undermines this rationale since involvement in paramilitary work provided opportunities to subvert conventional 137 gendered divisions of labour.3 Prevailing understandings of femininity and what constituted feminine behaviour were brought into particularly sharp focus by the demands of combatant work. In order to remain at liberty to undertake their clandestine role, the SOE agents had to pass as civilians. ‘Passing’ is the term used to refer to the process whereby individuals attempt to appropriate the characteristics of the ‘Other’ and desire not to be recognised as different. Passing is essentially about undermining the scopic and the specular, showing the visible to be an unreliable signifier of authenticity. Moreover, so as to pass as civilian women, female agents had consciously to undertake particular types of performances as the first quotation suggests.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Passing Unnoticed in a French Crowd': the Passing Performances
    National Identities ISSN: 1460-8944 (Print) 1469-9907 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cnid20 ‘Passing unnoticed in a French crowd’: The passing performances of British SOE agents in Occupied France Juliette Pattinson To cite this article: Juliette Pattinson (2010) ‘Passing unnoticed in a French crowd’: The passing performances of British SOE agents in Occupied France, National Identities, 12:3, 291-308, DOI: 10.1080/14608944.2010.500469 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2010.500469 Published online: 06 Sep 2010. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 912 View related articles Citing articles: 1 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=cnid20 National Identities Vol. 12, No. 3, September 2010, 291Á308 ‘Passing unnoticed in a French crowd’: The passing performances of British SOE agents in Occupied France Juliette Pattinson* University of Strathclyde, UK This article examines the dissimulation, construction and assumption of national identities using as a case study male and female British agents who were infiltrated into Nazi-Occupied France during the Second World War. The British nationals recruited by the SOE’s F section had, as a result of their upbringing, developed a French ‘habitus’ (linguistic skills, mannerisms and knowledge of customs) that enabled them to conceal their British paramilitary identities and ‘pass’ as French civilians. The article examines the diverse ways in which individuals attempted to construct French identities linguistically (through accent and use of vocabulary, slang and swear words), visually (through their physical appearance and clothing) and performatively (by behaving in particular ways).
    [Show full text]
  • HISTORY of WWII INFILTRATIONS INTO FRANCE-Rev62-06102013
    Tentative of History of In/Exfiltrations into/from France during WWII from 1940 to 1945 (Parachutes, Plane & Sea Landings) Forewords This tentative of history of civilians and military agents (BCRA, Commandos, JEDBURGHS, OSS, SAS, SIS, SOE, SUSSEX/OSSEX, SUSSEX/BRISSEX & PROUST) infiltrated or exfiltrated during the WWII into France, by parachute, by plane landings and/or by sea landings. This document, which needs to be completed and corrected, has been prepared using the information available, not always reliable, on the following internet websites and books available: 1. The Order of the Liberation website : http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/english/contenido1.php The Order of the Liberation is France's second national Order after the Legion of Honor, and was instituted by General De Gaulle, Leader of the "Français Libres" - the Free French movement - with Edict No. 7, signed in Brazzaville on November 16th, 1940. 2. History of Carpetbaggers (USAAF) partly available on Thomas Ensminger’s website addresses: ftp://www.801492.org/ (Need a user logging and password). It is not anymore possible to have access to this site since Thomas’ death on 03/05/2012. http://www.801492.org/MainMenu.htm http://www.801492.org/Air%20Crew/Crewz.htm I was informed that Thomas Ensminger passed away on the 03/05/2012. I like to underline the huge work performed as historian by Thomas to keep alive the memory the Carpetbaggers’ history and their famous B24 painted in black. RIP Thomas. The USAAF Carpetbagger's mission was that of delivering supplies and agents to resistance groups in the enemy occupied Western European nations.
    [Show full text]
  • Pattinson, Juliette (2004) the Best Disguise : Performing Femininities for Clandestine Purposes During the Second World War
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Strathclyde Institutional Repository Pattinson, Juliette (2004) The best disguise : performing femininities for clandestine purposes during the second world war. In: Gender and warfare in the twentieth century. Manchester University Press, Manchester, pp. 132-153. ISBN 0719065747 , This version is available at https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/34271/ Strathprints is designed to allow users to access the research output of the University of Strathclyde. Unless otherwise explicitly stated on the manuscript, Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Please check the manuscript for details of any other licences that may have been applied. You may not engage in further distribution of the material for any profitmaking activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute both the url (https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/) and the content of this paper for research or private study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge. Any correspondence concerning this service should be sent to the Strathprints administrator: [email protected] The Strathprints institutional repository (https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk) is a digital archive of University of Strathclyde research outputs. It has been developed to disseminate open access research outputs, expose data about those outputs, and enable the management and persistent access to Strathclyde's intellectual output. 136 6 ‘The best disguise’: performing femininities for clandestine purposes during the Second World War Juliette Pattinson All the girls would have found it difficult to carry out their missions unless they had been consummate actresses, studying each new person that they were to become and slipping into it like a character on the stage.
    [Show full text]
  • Band of Sisters: Gendered Roles for Women Agents in the Strategic Operations Executive During World War II Megan Schoeman Hist
    Band of Sisters: Gendered Roles for Women Agents in the Strategic Operations Executive During World War II Megan Schoeman History 395: History Seminar November 20, 2017 They were spies and saboteurs trained as cryptographers, cartographers, and analysts. They were masters in communication, leadership, and disguise. They were the women agents of the Strategic Operations Executive with one mission: to ‘set Europe ablaze.’ Women undertook a wide variety of work in attempts to do their bit to help their country during World War II. Their work followed a natural progression from peacetime jobs linked to care or service compatible with the conceptions of femininity and womanhood. British society could not contemplate the idea of putting women in dangerous positions. However, in 1942 the Strategic Operations Executive’s F Section1 recruited its first women secret agents. These agents were trained in guerilla warfare and were the few women among Western Allies to serve in combative roles behind enemy lines to establish a web of resistance groups in every European occupied country. The women agents were told that the only crime that they must never commit was being caught, which was the fate of only fifteen women from the F Section. The agents of the F Section not only contributed to an important role in intelligence during World War II, but they also broke through the gender and cultural barriers that were placed by the British society. Even though gender barriers were broken, there were still gendered differences that are evident. These gendered differences can be seen by examining the recruitment and training processes, 1 The F Section of the SOE was the section that was placed in France to aid the French resistance networks to sabotage the German Nazi forces during the occupation.
    [Show full text]
  • Built to Resist an Assessment of the Special Operations Executive’S Infrastructure in the United Kingdom During the Second World War, 1940-1946
    Built to Resist An Assessment of the Special Operations Executive’s Infrastructure in the United Kingdom during the Second World War, 1940-1946 Derwin Gregory MA (cantab) MA PCIfA VOLUME I A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of History UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA 2015 This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with the author and that use of any information derived there from must be in accordance with current UK Copyright Law. In addition, any quotation or extract must include full attribution. Declaration I hereby declare that this thesis has not been and will not be submitted in whole or in part to any other University for the award of any other degree. Derwin Gregory i Abstract During the Second World War, the British Government established the Special Operations Executive (SOE) for the purpose of coordinating ‘all action, by way of subversion and sabotage, against the enemy overseas’. Although the overseas operations of this branch of the British Secret Services are relatively well known, no previous study has assessed the organisation’s UK based infrastructure. This thesis represents the first time the entire UK property portfolio of a clandestine government agency has been assessed. By addressing this gap in our knowledge, this thesis has increased the number of identified properties operated by SOE by 30%. This was achieved by undertaking a desk based assessment which combined pre-existing historical and archaeological methodologies.
    [Show full text]
  • Autumn 2020 1 November 2020 the Wipers Times
    AUTUMN 2020 1 NOVEMBER 2020 THE WIPERS TIMES Newsletter of The Royal British Legion Brussels Branch Welcome to this Autumn edition of the Royal British Legion Patron: Her Majesty Brussels Branch newsletter. the Queen learly 2020 has been a ‘bit of a year’ in many National President: C respects and our capacity for change has been Lt Gen James tested to its limits with a global pandemic that has Bashall CB, CBE reshaped how we approach our daily lives and interactions with family, friends and colleagues. The Royal British Looking closer to home it has curtailed many of the Legion formed on visible acts of commemoration and remembrance 15 May 1921 for our Branch and others, notably the 75th bringing together commemoration of VE and VJ day. four organisations of the Armed Forces As Remembrance Day approaches, we prepare to that had established honour those who served and serve to defend our nations and remember the themselves after the collaboration of the Commonwealth and Allied nations who stood shoulder to First World War. shoulder to secure our freedom. The Committee has prepared a set of options to guide Remebrancetide – an opportunity for more personal reflection about By 1921, the service and sacrifice. At the same time, we would like to look closer to home to tradition of a Two see if we can help any of our Branch members or veterans in Belgium who may Minute Silence had need any support or friendly contact as we head towards Christmas. If you think been established. we can help anybody, with a call or (COVID19-compliant) visit, please let us know.
    [Show full text]
  • Fine Interiors
    Fine Interiors - Two Day Sale - Live Online (A918) Wed, 9th Dec 2020 Viewing: VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT Due to current social distancing restrictions, we will be offering viewing by appointment only. One hour time slots will be available from: Fri 4 December, 9am - 5pm; Sat 5 December, 10am - 4pm; Sun 6 December, 10am - 4pm; Mon 7 December, 9am - 5pm Book Appointment REMOVAL OF LOTS Please note that all lots should be removed by 5pm on Monday 4 January 2021. Furniture lots remaining after this date will be removed to Perry Removals, Chapel End, Broxted, Essex CM6 2BW. Removal will be at a cost of £20 +VAT per lot and storage will be charged at £2 +VAT per lot, per day. Lot 804 Estimate: £800 - £1200 + Fees An Elizabeth II RAF dress sword, scabbard and ribbon, An Elizabeth II RAF dress sword, scabbard and ribbon, with a gilt brass guard bearing the RAF insignia, 110cm long The property of Wing Commander Leonard Fitch Ratcliff, DSO, DFC and Bar, Croix de Guerre Alec Palme and Lêgion d'honneur. During WWII, Wing Commander Ratcliff flew night- time bombing raids over Germany where Allied casualty rates were astonishingly and tragically high. He then transferred to the 161 Special Duties' Squadron, responsible for dropping secret agents and equipment into Nazi-occupied Europe under cover of darkness, to aid resistance movements across the Continent. The total strength of 161 Squadron was about 200; during its wartime activities casualties amounted to 600. In other words, the whole Squadron was wiped out entirely three times - an extraordinary price to pay.
    [Show full text]