Mystery 'Female' Agent? Whocould this be?

13th July 1944: 0015 - 160 Brigade - female agent moves through lines (going through 1/5th Welch) through Tourmaville-Esquay from 15th Scottish Division, to gain information on Germans and return within 36 hours - nothing more was heard of her.

I've compiled that from the 160 Brigade HQ War Diary and 1/5th Welch War Diary. Does anyone have any clue who this agent was?

Indeed surely a woman wandering around Esquay would be a clear sign to the enemy (I believe 277 Division?)

This has intrigued me for a while whether she was a real agent (if so what happened to her), whether she was a member of the resistance, a collaborator or something? Its an area I have no knowledge on and I would love an answer or good educated guess!

 

I like threads like this, assuming it will have some legs.

If she was SOE etc she should be on CWGC assuming she was killed. Its a shame there isn't a SOE option on Geoff's search engine. I'm not sure though if CWGC list SOE etc though on the casualties certificate.

 

One for you to investigate

CWGC :: Certificate

 

Hmm... think this could be her? Dates off by 15 days?

 

Thats where the research comes in

Too many possibilities at the moment. Might not have been SOE, she could have been just a local offering to help. If an agent is captured are they always killed straight away or are they interrogated and executed weeks or months later?

You'll need to do some digging if you want to find out.

List of SOE Agents

 

Hmm... think this could be her? Dates off by 15 days?

The name on the Cerificate is quoted as the Husband of Michele, 'Anne', in his name is almost certainly from his mother

Tony

 

Thats where the research comes in

Too many possibilities at the moment. Might not have been SOE, she could have been just a local offering to help. If an agent is captured are they always killed straight away or are they interrogated and executed weeks or months later?

You'll need to do some digging if you want to find out.

Andy,

Take a look at my last thread on Buchenwald, where all the SOE Officers were transferred before execution.

Regards
Tom

 

I would not think that the lady quoted by Swiper was an SOE agent or even attached to the organisation.SOE activities were clandestine and any interface with the enemy was on those lines.SOE personel did not get involved in regular warfare although in many cases, they were overrun by the Allies.

The lady may have been some irregular who offered to assist the British troop formation.Having said that,Allied intelligence officers were very aware of people whose credentials could not be established.They were not likely to risk the security of their unit with intelligence of their unit.(In the Maquis,outsiders who could not be vouched for,usually met a quick end.However in some cases where this practice was not followed,breakdown of security and fatal consequences to the group, followed in many cases.)

Tom.Good article on Buchenwald.The site of execution of SOE personnel tended to be ad hoc in the drawing stages of the war with the SS maintaining their loyalty to the cause and showing the utmost brutality towards foreign agents and high ranking German national prisoners alike.Gross Rosen,Flossenburg,Mauthausen concentration camps and others spring to mind.

 

Ok, a BIT more information regarding this mysterious woman from the 1/5th Welch history by Sgt Manchin.
"...it was at Tourmaville that the woman espionage agent was passed through our forward Companies towards the enemy. Our consciencous Intelligence Officer, Captain William Owens, felt pretty badly over that; he had the distasteful task of escorting this feminine agent into No-Man's land..."

Thats the last mention, so I guess that means she may well have been SOE?

 

Captured SOE/OSS/BCRA personnel were held at a variety of locations including Colditz and Torgau, Sachsenhausen, Dachau, Ravensbruck, Gross Rosen, natzweiler, as well as many staellite camps, others were held in the German and French prisons or POW camps.

 

Ok, a BIT more information regarding this mysterious woman from the 1/5th Welch history by Sgt Manchin.
"...it was at Tourmaville that the woman espionage agent was passed through our forward Companies towards the enemy. Our consciencous Intelligence Officer, Captain William Owens, felt pretty badly over that; he had the distasteful task of escorting this feminine agent into No-Man's land..."

Thats the last mention, so I guess that means she may well have been SOE?

Hi mate,

I would have a butchers in the Div Int and Div GS file mate.

 

Thats my gut feeling now, gotta dig out 15 Scots and 53 Welsh stuff - lovely fun times ahead Glad to see this is progressing a bit.