Lise de Baissac
Agent of the SOE / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Lise de Baissac?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Lise Marie Jeanette de Baissac MBE CdeG (11 May 1905 – 29 March 2004),[1] code names Odile and Marguerite, was a Mauritian agent in the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization in France during World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in countries occupied by the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany. SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England.
Lise de Baissac | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Odile, Irène, Marguerite, Adèle (SOE codenames) |
Born | (1905-05-11)11 May 1905 Curepipe, Mauritius |
Died | 29 March 2004(2004-03-29) (aged 98) Marseille, France |
Allegiance | United Kingdom, France |
Service/ | Special Operations Executive, First Aid Nursing Yeomanry |
Years of service | 1942–1944 (SOE/FANY) |
Unit | Scientist (SOE) |
Battles/wars | Second World War |
Relations | Claude de Baissac Mary Katherine Herbert |
De Baissac was one of the first SOE female agents to be parachuted into occupied France in September 1942. During her two missions to France she often worked with her brother Claude who headed the Scientist network of SOE. The couple was most useful shortly before and after the D-Day invasion of France by the allies. The de Baissacs armed and organized French Resistance forces to hinder the German response to the invasion and to assist the allies. Lise de Baissac had frequent encounters with German soldiers in the heavily militarized region in which she worked, but she eluded capture. She was awarded several gallantry awards after the war.[2]