ENGLAND: Violette Szabo, A Life of Bravery and Sacrifice

Violette Szabo’s name might not be as universally recognized as some other wartime heroes. However, her story of courage, resilience, and sacrifice during World War II stands as a powerful testament to the human spirit’s capacity for heroism. As a British-French secret agent, Szabo's efforts in the fight against Nazi oppression not only demonstrated exceptional bravery but also left a lasting legacy.

This blog explores the life of Violette Szabo, delving into her early years, her path to espionage, her daring missions, and her enduring legacy.

Violette Szabo

EARLY LIFE

Violette Reine Elizabeth Bushell was born on June 26, 1921, in Paris, France. Her father was English and her mother was French. She was the second child of the family, and the only daughter. Violette had four other brothers who influenced her to be strong, independent and courageous. Her parents met during the First World War, when her father Charles George Bushell, met her mother, Reine Blanche Leroy. She was a dressmaker originally from Pont-Remy, Somme. 

Her parents moved to London after the war. Her father did various odd jobs to make money to take care of his family. His various tasks included taxi driver, shopkeeper and car salesman. During the 1930s, the Great Depression hit England. Unfortunately, the Bushell family was also affected. Charles and Reine had to made the difficult decision to send the children to live with relatives in France until they could get back on their feet. So, Violette and her younger brother Dickie went to live with her mother's sister in Picardy, northern France. 

'They were able to reunite as a family after a few years, when Violette turned eleven-years-old. By this time, she had learned French very well, and it was her preferred means of communication at home. It was so strong that she had to relearn English when she was sent back to school. This didn't take her long after she started classes in a school in Brixton, located in Greater London. 

In Picardy, Violette Bushell was described as a tomboy. She enjoyed playing with her brothers and several other male cousins. She enjoyed cycling, ice skating and gymnastics. At school in England, she also had a lot of success with her peers. Her classmates regarded her as exotic due to her ability to speak French and English. Violette was popular and fun to be around. 

At home, life was also good. Sometimes, Violette would argue with her strict father. One time, she even ran away from home, and went to France. However, this would not last long. Her father did not speak French, so communication was a bit strained sometimes. 

Bushell fell in love with fashion and wanted to work in the industry when she matured. At 14 years of age, she went to work as an apprentice for a French corsetiere in South Kensington. She later moved on to work in retail at Woolworth, in Oxford Street in London. At the start of the Second World War, she worked in Le Bon Marché, a department store in Brixton. 

START OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

The Second World War prompted the Bushell family to step up and support England in her hour of need. Violette joined the Women's Land Army. She was sent to pick strawberries in Farenham, Hampshire. This work was tedious but she took to it in stride. However, after some time, she returned to London and worked in the armaments factory in Acton.  At this time, she also met her future husband, Étienne Szabo. He was a non-commissioned officer in the French Foreign Legion. He was also of Hungarian descent. They met at the Bastille Day parade in London in early 1940s. 

After a whirlwind romance of five weeks, the couple got married at the Aldershot Register Office in Manor Park on a summer's day. The date was 21 August 1940. Violette was 19 years old and Étienne was 31 years old. The newlyweds were fortunate to have one week honeymoon before Étienne was sent to Dakar, Senegal from Liverpool. He would fight in the Free French attack. From Senegal, he was sent to South Africa. There he would fight against the Vichy French, and also participate in the Anglo-Free French campaigns in Syria and Eritrea in 1941. He returned for a short leave later that year. 

During this time, the newly wedded Mrs. Szabo took a job as a switchboard operator in central London. She worked through the London Blitz.  Bored with her work, and lonely from the absence of her husband, Violette Szabo enlisted in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) on 11 September 1941. She was first sent to Leicester for initial training. Then, when she passed that, she was sent to train as part of the 7th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Training Regiment, Royal Artillery in Oswestry, Shropshire. After her training, she was posted to Frodsham in Cheshire from December 1941 to February 1942. Violette found out that she was pregnant with her first baby. She left that post to give birth in London.

Mrs Szabo settled in a flat in Notting Hill, and gave birth to her daughter, Tania Damaris Desiree Szabo. Her birth date was 8 June 1942. At this time, Étienne Szabo was stationed at Bir Hakeim in North Africa. After the birth of her child, Violette sent her baby with childminders and she went to work in the South Morden aircraft factory. This was also where her father was stationed. In this time, the young family got the devastating news that Étienne had died from chest wounds. He led his men in a diversionary attack on Quaret el Himeimat, and received devasting injuries. This news shocked the young window and she wanted to get revenge on the enemy that killed her husband. Violette accepted an offer to train as a field agent in the British Special Operations Executive. 

Étienne Szabo died before meeting his daughter. 

JOINING THE SPECIAL OPERATION EXECUTIVE (SOE)

Szabo's file in the SOE is lacking in information. However, it is speculated that she was sought after by the F-Section of the Special Operation Executive for her fluency in French and her previous service in the ATS. She was first invited for an interview about the work with E. Potter. He was the F-section recruiter, and worked under the alias Selwyn Jepson. Violette passed the interview and received her clearance on 1 July 1943. She was selected for field training on 10 July. And, she was also promoted to a section leader in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry. This was a civilian service often used by SOE as a cover for female agents.

After an assessment of her French skills and another series of interviews, Violette was sent for initial induction at a facility at Winterfold House. The period of her training was for 20 days, from 7 August to 27 August in 1943. She did moderately good there, and was accepted for further training to Special School 24 of Group A. This time, she was sent in Scotland, at Arisaig in the Scottish Highlands, in September and October. Szabo's training was rigorous and comprehensive, encompassing physical fitness, firearms, Morse code, and survival techniques. Despite the challenges, Szabo excelled, driven by her resolve to honor her husband’s memory and to fight for freedom. Her report from this training was mixed, but she passed it and moved to Group B. 

At Beaulieu, in Hampshire, Szabo was accepted at the SOE "finishing school" where she further trained as a field agent. She learned how to escape and evade effectively, how to recognize uniforms, communications and cryptography. She also learned more extensively how to use weapons. The last stage of the training was to learn parachute jumping. This was taught at the Ringway Airport, near Manchester. 

On the first try in parachuting, Szabo landed badly and severely sprained her ankle. She was sent home to recuperate. In February 1944, Violette was able to complete the course again with another class. She passed with flying colors! During this parachuting course, she also drew up her last will and testament in preparation of deployment. Violette named her mother as executrix of her estate and her daughter as beneficiary. 

THE FIRST MISSION

Because of the injury, Violette Szabo's first mission was delayed. During the second parachute course, she met Philippe Liewer. During this time, she also met Bob Maloubier. The SOE planned that she would work as a courier in the Liewer's Salesman circuit. However, this mission was put aside.  There was news from France that some of the other SOE agents were being captured by the enemy. The incarcerated agents were part of the Rouen-Dieppe group. 

Because of the delay, there was extra time for Violette to do a refresher course in wireless operations. At that time, SOE used nursery rhymes as code for sending messages. Szabo really struggled with remembering her original French nursery rhyme, so Leo Marks, the SOE's cryptographer, assigned her his own poem, "The Life that I Have", as her code rhyme. 

In the early hours of 6th April 1944, Szabo and Philippe Liewer were flown from Bedfordshire, at RAF Tempsford, into German-occupied France. The two agents landed near the village of Azay-le-Rideau in the middle of Loire Valley. Violette's cover was as a commercial secretary, working under the alias Corinne Reine Leroy. This was her mother's first and last maiden name, and the alias' birthday was the same as her own. The cover story was that Corinne Leroy lived in Le Havre, but worked in Bailleul. This gave her a reason to travel through the Restricted Zone of German occupation on the coast of France. 

Szabo used the code name "Louise," which was also her own nickname. Her job was to travel the countryside and collect information on German arrests. Violette was to gather as many details as possible and assess the damage done by the arrests. She was also responsible for reconnaissance. It became clear to her quite soon that the circuit, which had up to 120 members spread out in Rouen and along the coast, was damaged beyond repair. This circuit was a valuable part of the SOE's operations.

Violette traveled to Paris to meet with Liewer and brief him. During her visit, she also went dress shopping and bought gifts for her mother and daughter. While completing her mission, Violette gathered crucial information about local factories producing military materiel, providing vital clues for Allied bombing targets.

Violette returned to England on April 30, 1944. During the flight, the plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Chateaudun but managed to stay on course and reach its destination despite being shaken. Following this mission, on May 24, 1944, Violette Szabo was promoted to the rank of Ensign in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY). This was a British independent all-female unit known for its close association with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and its crucial role in intelligence and resistance operations during World War II.

SECOND MISSION

In the early morning of June 8, 1944, Szabo and three other agents were dropped near Sussac, on the outskirts of Limoges. This mission took place just after D-Day began, following two aborted attempts due to stormy weather and German patrols at the landing site.

Violette's mission was to train the local maquis alongside another SOE comrade, a friend of Liewer’s who had been the weapons instructor and explosives officer in the original "Salesman I" circuit. Now, they were forming the "Salesman II" circuit, led by Philippe Liewer. During the landing, Szabo may have twisted her previously injured ankle. For this mission, she was given the alias Madame Villeret, a young widow from Nantes.

After landing, Violette was tasked with negotiating with the local maquis to sabotage German communication lines during the Normandy landings. Upon arrival, Liewer, commander of the SOE's new agent circuit, discovered that the local maquis were poorly organized and led, making them unfit for combat. To improve their effectiveness, he sent Violette as his liaison officer to the Marquis of Correze and the Dordogne group, led by Jacques Poirier of the SOE. Unfortunately, the 2nd SS Panzer Division was patrolling the area on their way to the Normandy battlefields, a fact unknown to Liewer due to inaccurate information from the local Resistance group. 

CAPTURE

On her second mission, Violette made a fatal mistake that led to terrible consequences. On the morning of June 10, 1944, she set out on her assignment. Unfortunately, instead of using a bicycle as instructed, she opted for a Citroen driven by a local maquis member, who insisted on driving her 50 kilometers of the 100-kilometer journey despite the German ban on French cars after D-Day. 

Violette was armed with a Sten gun and eight magazines of ammunition. The Sten gun is a British submachine gun from World War II, known for its simple, inexpensive design, 9mm caliber, and distinctive tubular steel body with a side-mounted magazine. She was wearing a light suit, flat-heeled shoes, and no stockings. During the journey, they picked up another Resistance member, a friend of the driver, Dufour. 

The vehicle raised the suspicions of German troops at a roadblock outside of Salon-la-Tour, set up to search for Sturmbannführer Helmut Kämpfe, the battalion commander of the 2nd SS Panzer Division, who had been captured by the local resistance. As Dufour slowed the car, his friend Bariaud escaped, warning the Salesman II team that Dufour and Szabo had been arrested by the enemy.

When Dufour stopped the car, the two agents leapt out. Szabo took cover under a tree to the right, while Dufour jumped to the left and opened fire. A gun battle ensued, resulting in the death of a young woman hiding in a barn. Armored cars soon arrived at the scene. Violette crossed the road to join Dufour, and they ran across a field towards a small stream and up a hill towards tree cover. Szabo fell and twisted her injured ankle. Although Dufour tried to help her up, she insisted he run for his life. Violette dragged herself to the edge of a cornfield and hid behind an apple tree, providing covering fire to allow Dufour to escape.

Violette bravely fought for 30 minutes until she ran out of ammunition and was captured by two Germans who dragged her away. She was interrogated but refused to answer their questions. Szabo was handed over to the Sicherheitsdienst (SD, the SS Security Service) in Limoges and interrogated for four days by SS-Sturmbannführer Kowatch, during which she maintained her silence, giving her name as "Vicky Taylor," an alias she intended to use if she needed to return to England via Spain. 

After Limoges, she was transferred to Fresnes Prison in Paris and then to Gestapo headquarters at 84 Avenue Foch, where she was further interrogated and tortured by the Sicherheitsdienst, who had by then discovered her true identity and her work with the British SOE.

TRANSFERRED TO GERMANY 

As the Allies were inching towards victory in France, in August 1944, the Nazis decided to transfer the most valuable French prisoners to Germany. This meant that Violette Szabo would be deported to enemy territory, with her was also Denise Bloch, a SOE wireless operator, and other captured SOE agents. During their journey, the train was subject to an Allied air raid. The German guards temporarily abandoned the train in fear. This allowed enough time for Szabo and Bloch to get some water from the lavatories to share with the other caged male prisoners. 

They arrived in Reims, where they had a short stay. After that, the prisoners were taken to a transit camp in Neue Bremm, Saarbrücken, where they endured appalling conditions before Szabo and the other women were sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp. Despite the harsh labor and malnutrition, Szabo uplifted fellow detainees' spirits and planned escapes. She, Bloch, Lilian Rolfe, and Virginia d'Albert-Lake were later sent to a sub-camp in Torgau, where they protested munitions work and were forced into other labor. 

In October 1944, following their protest, the women were returned to Ravensbrück and then transferred to a punishment camp in Königsberg. At this new location, they endured severe winter conditions and brutal labor. Szabo volunteered for tree-felling, which offered slight protection from the cold. The prisoners were forced to wear their summer clothing in extreme freezing temperatures. She tried to maintain her morale, despite the extreme hardships. 

On January 19 or 20, 1945, Szabo and the other British agents were taken back to Ravensbrück, subjected to severe punishment, and placed in solitary confinement. The abuse and relentless harsh conditions finally took a toll on Szabo’s morale as she struggled in the final weeks of her captivity.

THE EXECUTION OF SZABO AND OTHER SOE AGENTS

At the age of 23, Szabo was executed in the Ravensbrück camp's execution alley on or before February 5, 1945. She was shot in the back of the head while kneeling by SS-Rottenführer Schult, witnessed by camp commandant Fritz Suhren, deputy commandant Johann Schwarzhuber, SS-Scharführer Zappe, SS-Rottenführer Walter Schenk, chief camp doctor Dr. Richard Trommer, and dentist Dr. Martin Hellinger. This event was recorded in a deposition by Schwarzhuber on March 13, 1946, as noted by Vera Atkins. Alongside Szabo, Denise Bloch and Lilian Rolfe, who were unable to walk and carried on stretchers, were also executed by orders from top Nazi officials. Their bodies were subsequently cremated, and their clothes were not returned to the camp's property store, deviating from the usual procedure.

Cecily Lefort, another SOE member, was also executed at Ravensbrück. However, she was killed in the gas chamber during February 1945. 

CONCLUSION 

In conclusion, Violette Szabo's story is one of remarkable courage, profound sacrifice, and enduring legacy. From her early life in Paris and London to her daring missions in occupied France, Szabo demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the cause of freedom. Her tragic death at a young age only underscores the depth of her sacrifice.

Of the forty-one female Section F SOE agents who served in France, twenty-six survived World War II. Szabo was among the twelve who did not; some were executed, one perished when her ship was sunk, two died of disease while imprisoned, and one passed away from natural causes. These brave women, ranging in age from 20 to 53 years, exemplify the extraordinary sacrifices made in the fight for freedom.

References: 

• IWM: Who Was Violette Szabo?
• CWGC: ELIZABETH SZABO
• The Gazette: Heroines of WW2: the Special Operations Executive
• Violette Szabo Museum: Violette Szabo