After all that rain, the sun shone for our walkers this month as we ambled along an old favourite in Amport finishing with lunch at The Hawk.  Earlier in the week we had enjoyed our coffee morning, there was a good turn-out for this event, this is obviously a much-valued opportunity to catch up with each other.  As we say each month, it is also a chance for non-members to come along and meet us informally. Our reading group discussed Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull and are currently reading The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley.

Our guest speaker for this month was Lt. Col. Jeremy Prescott who had embarked on a project in 2014 to assist communities who wished to hold events to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. This was particularly relevant as this marked 100 years since the start of World War I.  Jeremy feels all those who serve should be remembered and supported; however, he does not comment on the rights or wrongs of armed conflict.  Since he embarked on this project, he has given 650 presentations to 26,000 people and raised more than £53,000 for the Charity Combat Stress.  A remarkable effort.

He has researched many different people, but on this occasion, we were to hear about the life of Violette Szabo (nee Bushell).  Violette was born on 26 June 1921 in Paris, France, to Charles Bushell and Reine Leroy, as the second child of five and the only daughter.  The family lived in France for several years before returning to the UK.  Violette showed early signs of courage and ingenuity as, following a family disagreement, at the age of 13 she managed to run away from home and travel alone across the Channel to Paris to find her Aunt.   Following the outbreak of War she joined the ATS and the Women’s Land Army, but in July 1940 she met and fell in love with Etienne Szabo, a decorated non-commissioned officer in the French Foreign Legion who was participating in a Bastille Day Parade in London.  Her mother had suggested she bring home a home-sick soldier for dinner. They were married just a few weeks later on 21 August.  Whilst they did manage to enjoy a short honeymoon before he was sent back to war and a short leave in later in Liverpool, sadly Etienne was mortally wounded during the battle of El Alamein on 24 October 1942, just a few months after the birth of their daughter Tania on 08 June.  Violette was devasted.

Probably as she was fluent in French, she was approached by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) which was involved in subversive action in France supporting the resistance movement.  Of the approximately 470 Agents involved only 39 were women, 117 of these were killed or executed including 12 women.  A series of very rigorous training exercises followed and despite mixed reports of her abilities and suitability Violette was sent on two missions in France.  The first was successful, but sadly on the second, along with two other agents, she was captured by a German roadblock, but not without first putting up a fight.  Despite undergoing extremely painful interrogations she did not reveal any secrets and was sent to various Concentration Camps where eventually she was executed, with two other female agents, aged just 23. 

She was posthumously awarded the George Cross for her bravery in 1946.  Of the 416 recipients only four of them have been women. 

Her daughter was eventually brought up by her Grandparents and has been to visit the many memorials that have since been created to remember not only her mother, but all those others who have made the ultimate sacrifice.  The book and film Carve her Name with Pride starring Virginia McKenna is based on Violette’s true story.

As you can imagine this talk greatly affected our members and there is so much more to Violette’s story than can be written here, but at the end of his presentation Jeremy summed her up as beautiful, confident, with a sense of humour, and courageous.  As WI members we get to meet and hear about the most extraordinary women.

Our next meeting is all about the Power of Colour – with Jo Joynes.   As always, we welcome non-members, we just ask for a £5 entry fee which includes refreshments, so please come along to the Village Hall on April 30 for a 7.30 p.m. start.

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