The annual ceremony, organised by the Defence Office of the French Embassy in London, marks the BBC appeal of General de Gaulle to France on 18th June 1940, a day that came to mark the beginning of French resistance to occupation. The ceremony took place in Carlton Gardens, London SW1Y 5AA, in front of a statue of the General. This is outside 4 Carlton Gardens, the wartime HQ of the Free French Forces and the offices of the government-in-exile being created by de Gaulle. SECRET WW2, in person of Chair, Louisa Russell, were one of the wreath layers, commemorating the agents and teams of the BCRA; SIS; the SOE’s F, RF, DF, EU/P and AMF sections and Jedburgh teams who served in occupied France.

Thanks go to volunteer Meryl Jones for organising lunch afterwards.

Louisa Russell, Chair of Secret WW2, placing the charity’s wreath and chatting with the French Ambassador, Hélène Duchêne.