List of female SOE agents

The following is an incomplete list of female agents who served in the field for the Special Operations Executive during World War II.

NameSOE SectionNationalityBorn-DiedAwardsNotes
Lorraine AdieFrenchBritish1916-2013Married American OSS agent Miles Copeland, Jr.
Francine AgazarianFrenchBritish1913–1999MiDWife of Jack Agazarian
Juliane AisnerFrenchFrench1899-1947
Vera AtkinsFrenchRomanian/British1908–2000LdH, CdeGF Section Intelligence Officer and Assistant to Maurice Buckmaster
Dorothy Baden-PowellPart NorwegianBritish1920-Dorothy Hilda Clarence Smith, Took surname Baden-Powell in 1956
Lise de BaissacFrenchMauritian1905–2004Sister of SOE Agent Claude de Baissac
Madeleine BarclayFrenchFrench1911–1943KIA aboard HMS Fidelity
Yvonne BasedenFrenchBritish1922-2017MBE, LdH, CdeG
Yolande BeekmanFrenchSwiss1911–1944MiDKIA at Dachau concentration camp
Helen Thormann-BiererFrench1885-?
Denise BlochFrench1916–1945KCBC, LdH, CdeGKIA at Ravensbrück concentration camp
Andrée BorrelFrenchFrench1919–1944CdeGKIA at Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp
Sonya ButtFrenchBritish1924-2014MBE, MiDMarried fellow SOE agent Guy d'Artois
Muriel ByckFrenchBritish1918–1944MiDDied in service of meningitis at Romorantin Hospital
Blanche CharletFrenchBritish1898-1985MBE
Marie Thérèse Le ChêneFrenchFrench
Yvonne CormeauFrenchBritish1909–1997MBE, LdH, CdeG
Madeleine DamermentFrenchFrench1917–1944KIA at Dachau concentration camp
Elizabeth Devereux-RochesterFrenchBritish1917-1983?LdH, CdeG
Alix D'UnienvilleFrenchMauritian1919-2015MBE, LdeH, CdeG
Yvonne FontaineFrenchFrench1913–1996MdlRF
Virginia HallFrenchAmerican1906–1982MBE, DSC (USA)Post war worked for the CIA
Mary Katherine HerbertFrenchBritish/Irish1903–1983First WAAF Officer to join the SOE
Ginette JullianeFrenchFrench
Noor Inyat KhanFrenchRussian/Indian1914–1944GC, MBE, CdeG, MiDKIA at Dachau concentration camp
Marguerite KnightFrenchBritish1920-MBE, CdeGKnown as Peggy
Phyllis LatourFrenchBritish1921-MBE, CdeG
Madeleine LavigneFrenchFrenchunk-1945
Cecily LefortFrenchBritish1900–1945CdeG, MiDKIA at Ravensbrück concentration camp
Vera LeighFrenchBritish1903–1944KCBCKIA at Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp
Eileen NearneFrenchBritish1921–2010CdeG, MBEKnown as "Didi". Sister of SOE agents Jacqueline & Francis Nearne
Jacqueline NearneFrenchBritish1916–1982MBESister of SOE agents Eileen & Francis Nearne
Sonia OlschanezkyFrenchRussian/French1923–1944KIA at Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp
Patricia O'SullivanFrenchBritish/Irish1918–1994CdeG, MBEWAAF
Eliane PlewmanFrenchBritish1917–1944KCBC, CdeGKIA at Dachau concentration camp
Anne Robertson1920-
Lilian RolfeFrenchBritish1914–1945MBE, CdeG, MiDKIA at Ravensbrück concentration camp
Diana RowdenFrenchBritish1915–1944MBE, CdeG, MiDKIA at Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp
Yvonne RudelattFrenchFrench1897–1945Died in service of typhus at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Odette SansomFrenchBritish1912–1995GC, MBE, LdHAlso known by the surnames "Hallowes" and "Churchill"
Sonia OlschanezkyFrenchRussian/French1923–1944KIA at Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp
Krystyna SkarbekFrenchPolish1915–1952GM, OBE, CdeGBetter known by her nom de guerre Christine Granville
Violette SzaboFrenchBritish1921–1945GC, CdeGKIA at Ravensbrück concentration camp
Hannah SzenesYugoslaviaHungarian1921–1944KIA in Budapest
Nancy WakeFrenchNew Zealand1912-2011GM, LdH, CdeGKnown by her code name "White Mouse"; the most decorated servicewoman in World War II.
Anne-Marie WaltersFrenchBritish1923–1998MBE, CdeG
Winifred WatkinsIntelligence 1939-1946British1916-?Known as 'Betty'
Odette WilenFrenchBritish1919-2015Codename "Waitress"; Field name "Sophie"; married Santiago Strugo Garay, head of the Spanish escape network.
Pearl WitheringtonFrenchBritish1914–2008MBE, CBE, CdeG

Key

NoteDescriptionExplanation
CBECommander of The Most Excellent Order of the British EmpireCommander of the British order of chivalry.
CdeGCroix de guerre 1939–1945French military decoration created on September 26, 1939, to honour people who fought with the Allies against the Axis force at any time during World War II
DSCDistinguished Service Cross (USA)US gallantry medal awarded for active operations against the enemy
FANYFirst Aid Nursing YeomanryBritish independent all-female unit active in both nursing and intelligence work during the World Wars. SOE Agents who were FANY officers are highlighted in khaki.
GCGeorge CrossThe highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom. It is highest gallantry award for civilians as well as for military personnel in actions which are not in the face of the enemy or for which purely military honours would not normally be granted.
GMGeorge MedalThe second highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom It awards civilian gallantry in the face of enemy action and brave deeds more generally.
KCBCKing's Commendation for Brave ConductBritish commendation to acknowledged brave acts by civilians and members of the military in non-warlike circumstances during a time of war or in peacetime where the action would not otherwise be recognised by an existing award
KIAKilled in ActionA casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces.
LdHOrdre national de la Légion d'honneurFrench order that is the highest decoration in France.
MBEMember of the Most Excellent Order of the British EmpireMember of the British order of chivalry.
MiDMentioned in DespatchesAn official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the person's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.
WAAFWomen's Auxiliary Air ForceSOE Agents who were WAAF officers are highlighted in light blue.
WRNSWomen's Royal Naval ServiceSOE Agents who were WRNS officers are highlighted in silver.

See also

References

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