Wednesday 22 September 2010

Eileen Nearne


Eileen Nearne, an 89 year old lady from Devon, never discussed what she did in the war, but after her death last week it was discovered that she had been a spy for the Special Operations Executive, assisting the French resistance. Aged 23 she was dropped into occupied France and worked as a courier and wireless operator. She was captured and 3 times by the Nazis but managed to escape every time. She was eventually sent to a concentration camp in Germany. On several occasions she was tortured but never revealed the names of her fellow agents. Asked how she coped in such a distressing situation she said, "You should not let yourself go. It seemed that the end would never come, but I have always believed in destiny and I had a hope. If you are a person who is drowning, you put all your efforts into trying to swim."

You can read more about her fascinating story here.

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