Talk

The Women of SOE

June 15, 2023

Formed in 1940, the Special Operations Executive put Churchill’s instruction to “Set Europe ablaze” into action. The organization's F section sent more than 400 agents into France, 39 of whom were women. They were given months of arduous fitness, gun, explosives, endurance and code training before parachuting into occupied territory. The women were warned of the likelihood of arrest, torture and a brutal death before they volunteered. None demurred. Of the 29, 13 never returned, having been executed in Hitler's concentration camps.

Our speaker is Dr Kate Vigurs, a professional freelance historian and author of “Mission France. The true story of the women of SOE". In her presentation Kate will focus on the missions of the skilled and courageous women of SOE, tracing their journeys from recruitment, to training, to work undertaken in the field, to evasion from, or capture by, the Gestapo.

Kate regularly appears on TV and radio covering topics related to World Wars 1 and 2 such as women in WWI, the land girls, D-Day, the Battle of Britain and many more.

This event will be in person in the Clubhouse and broadcast on BM.tv Livestream

The Members' Bar will be open from 6pm and hot food will be available.

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