Saturday, April 5, 2008

Pearl Cornioley

WW2 heroine, Pearl Cornioley has made news again. Following her death in February 2008, Pearl's wartime records are being released by the British National Archives on Monday 7th April 2008.

According to the article in the Telegraph, Pearl ".....became one of the most illustrious members of the Special Operations Executive - set up to foster resistance to the Germans across Europe during the Second World War - after being parachuted into occupied France. Taking control of 1,500 resistance fighters, she led a number of daring attacks on the Germans and boasted of capturing 18,000 enemy troops."

The International Herald Tribune had this to say:
"She escaped France before the Nazi invasion and returned to Britain via Spain. Upon returning to Britain, she worked briefly at the Air Ministry in London but used her French to gain a slot as a Special Operations Executive agent — one of about 40 women to serve. The Air Ministry became part of the Ministry of Defense in the 1960s while the Special Operations Executive evolved into the Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6. Early in her training with the Special Operations Executive, supervisors noted that she lacked the natural moxie to excel as an agent, but she compensated with her social nature, innate skill with weapons and useful memory."



Read the Women of History post "Pearl Cornioley Honoured" from February 2008.

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