Desert Rat Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 (edited) The Image I have added is the Queen Elizabeth II awarding to one of the Bravest of the many S.O.E Women Secret Agents of WW2 a special medal of service to her Country--------Pearl Witherington(Cornioley) who I met three times at her retirement home in Chatauviex, Near Tours, France......She was awarded her parachute wings, after about 60 years later from her three jumps from an aeroplane.... she showed them to me on her wall in her room in a lovely wooden frame...and she was very proud to receive this award from the Queen......but 60 years plus .....Too Late, sadly to say. She was such a lovely Heroine to talk to with a great memory of her fights and battles against the enemy, she faced every battle with tenacity, Valour and Strength, with the Chief's F.F.I Forces, and her memories of her battles with the enemy...The man she finally married was the Chief of the FFI in the Cher- et- Loire Region..... We Remember You Pearl and your FFI members for your Bravery, I remember you very much and I Thank You for your precious time chatting to me.....Thank You Our Heroine of the United Kingdom & France...!!! IMAGE TOTAL COPYRIGHT OF THE DAILY TELEGRAPH......THANK YOU! Edited October 18, 2020 by Desert Rat correction to text Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted October 17, 2020 Author Share Posted October 17, 2020 (edited) On 17/10/2020 at 00:01, Desert Rat said: Pearl Witherington code name "Marie" was another agent of the S.O.E. who would eventually train and become leader to over 2,500 Maquis, from Toulouse to Orleans, covering over 300 square miles. Like Nancy Wake, Pearl was also one of the most sought after agents in France, wanted by the Gestapo, with rewards of 1,000,000 Francs on their heads!!! But their loyalty to their beloved Maquis and the cause of freedom never faded, they constantly fought pitched battles with the most ferocious soldiers of the Waffen S.S. and caused the some of the most devastating acts of destruction to the German forces. At the end of the war these two women alone would receive many decorations, and awards for Valour, for their acts of unbelievable Courage and Bravery. George Medal, Légion d'honneur, Croix de Guerre, French Resistance Medal, US Medal of Freedom, M.B.E Like all the other agents of the S.O.E. they sacrificed in their own special way, to defeat the enemy and their Fight for Freedom!! The image below shows Pearl with her fellow FFI members, in Valencay in 1997 at the new memorial dedicated to the the FFI and to S.O.E Agents as Pearl, the only other one I know is Bob Maloubier-----4th from the left (The tallest with the big moustache) To them and many hundreds of thousands of F.F.I. who not only survived the War but were tortured to extract information of their fellow FFI members....many hundreds were executed, They gave and Sacrificed their lives to halt the enemy from reaching Normandy.....It maybe would not have happened for the Allies to win.....Without Them! obier Pearl above in her SOE uniform http://www.edenbridgetown.com/in_the_past/soe_story/heros_of_france.shtml Edited October 18, 2020 by Desert Rat correction to text Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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