The French Embassy stages a ceremony every year at 10.30 am at the Free French burial plot in Brookwood Military Cemetery, near Woking in Surrey. Last year, at the invitation of SECRET WW2, Ambassador Hélène Duchêne viewed the French, Anglo-French and other nationalities’ names of F Section SOE agents that are listed on the Memorial to the Missing 1939-45. She pledged to make a formal visit on 11^th November 2024, bearing in mind the 80^th anniversary of D-Day – the invasion for which most of those listed had served. While Ambassador Duchêne unfortunately was called to Paris in respect of the visit of PM Starmer, top-level representation was arranged from the Embassy and officials were able to meet the families of the agents either named on the memorial or those who survived after serving in occupied France. We were also delighted to welcome a strong contingent of FANYs.

    

It proved to be a very special occasion, a good selection of the photographs is therefore shown below, with thanks to our volunteer photographer Mike Hillman, also now a Friend of SECRET WW2. Refreshments were provided at the nearby Trench Experience by our volunteer Eddie Jones.

     

             

   

   

Another excellent film of the occasion, created by Alan Meeks, can be seen here.

The family members attending represented the following agents, grouped and introduced by category:

Names on the Memorial as having no known grave, served in F (French) Section, SOE and were French nationals or were born and raised in France:

Ensign Madeleine Damerment. Panel 26, column 3. Murdered (shot) Dachau concentration camp, September 1944.

Ensign Yvonne Rudellat. Panel 26, column 3. Died of maltreatment and disease, Belsen concentration camp, April 1945.

Ensign Eliane Plewman. Panel 26, column 3. Murdered (shot) at Dachau concentration camp, September 1945.

Also listed on the Memorial and served with F (French) Section, SOE.

Captain Charles “Charlie” Skepper. Panel 21, column 3. Fate unknown, likely to have been tortured to death in Marseille.

Captain Lionel Lee. Panel 1, column 2. Murdered (shot) at Gross-Rosen concentration camp, summer 1944.

F Section agent, born and educated in Paris, no known grave, but listed on the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial as she had been in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF).

Section Officer Yolande Beekman. Murdered (shot) at Dachau concentration camp, September 1944.

F Section agent who survived:

Flight Officer Yvonne Cormeau.

Other SOE personnel who served behind the lines in France:

Sergeant Fred Bailey (Jedburgh).