discussion Violette Szabo

[Guest]

Associated with "Carve her name with Pride" the film which was broadcast today.

A little remote from the actual Violette coming from I think it was the East End of London & not the Vaginia McKenna part of the country.

According to Leo Marks the man at SOE in charge of coding for her describes her well in his book "Between Silks & Cyanide". Fantastic read & very funny & written in a very light manner but with exceptional dignity at the right moment.

In the film Violette meets "Michael Caine" who although it is not clear is Yeo Thomas, "The White Rabbit" or "La Lapin Blanc". A great read "The White Rabbit" by Bruce Marshall. A story of one man's loyalty & courage to his country at the highest traditional levels.

Lastly Leo Marks in setting up the agents produced codes & all that went with it. He furnished each agent with their own poem which gave them their way of communicating in code. This is the one he gave to Violette although he wrote it when his, Marks that is, partner died.

To me this is a piece of absolute beauty.

The life that I have

Is all that I have

And the life that I have

Is yours.

The love that I have

Of the life that I have

Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have

A rest I shall have

Yet death will be but a pause.

For the peace of my years

In the long green grass

Will be yours and yours and yours.

Laurie

 

[stona]

I believe she lived in Brixton Laurie.

A remarkable woman,I always think she looked a bit like a young version of the current Queen rather than Ms. McMcKenna!

Steve

 

[Guest]

Yes a very remarkable women Steve. From memory Leo Marks paints her as a reluctant & nervous person.

That I can believe as her daughter Tania lives in Jersey. She teaches French & I became a pupil ( and failure), so to speak, at her academy. She soon passed me on to her fellow teacher.

Pity as she was, is, a very attractive women but has a very highly strung character & wore what I thought & calculated to be provocative clothing. Her fellow teacher was male & very ordinaire. Tut.

Laurie