First Female SOE Agents Parachute into Nazi-Occupied France
On September 24, 1942, Lise de Baissac and Andrée Borrel made history as the first female agents parachuted into France. Codenamed “Marguerite,” they landed near the village of Boisrenard, close to Mer, ready to join the fight against Nazi occupation.
Lise de Baissac: The Secret Link in French Resistance
After a brief stay with the French Resistance, Lise moved to Poitiers. Without a wireless, she had to travel long distances to send and receive messages, collect funds, and coordinate sabotage missions. She worked tirelessly as a liaison for three crucial SOE networks: Prosper, Scientist, and Bricklayer.
Her brother, Claude de Baissac, was building up a large resistance circuit in Bordeaux, focusing on sabotage and gathering critical intel on German submarines and shipping routes.
Danger and Betrayal: The Fall of the Prosper Network
June 1943 brought disaster. German forces arrested key members of the Prosper network, including Andrée Borrel, Francis Suttill, and Gilbert Norman. But Lise managed to evade capture and slipped back to England just in time.
Undeterred, she returned to France in April 1944, joining the Pimento Circuit under SOE agent Anthony Brooks. Her bravery and smarts were vital to the Resistance’s success.
Heroine of the Maquis and Beyond
“The part she played in aiding the Maquis and the British underground movement in France cannot be too highly stressed and did much to facilitate the Maquis preparations and resistance prior to the American breakthrough in Mayenne,”
a British army officer later said.
For her daring work, Lise was awarded the MBE in September 1945. After the war, she married Henri Villameur, an artist and decorator from Marseille. She passed away in 2004 at the age of 98, leaving behind a legacy of courage and resilience.
