Violette Szabo Secret agent of British intelligence during the Second World War. Date of Birth: 26.06.1921 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Violetta Szabo

Violetta Szabo was a secret agent for the British intelligence during World War II. She was born on June 26, 1921, in Paris, France. Her mother was French, while her father, who worked as a taxi driver, was English. The family later moved to London, where Violetta attended school in Brixton. At the outbreak of war, she worked as a perfume saleswoman in a department store.

In 1940, Violetta met Etienne Szabo, a French officer of the Hungarian Legion, in London. They fell in love and got married. Violetta was 19 years old at the time, while Etienne was 31. They had a daughter named Tania. However, tragedy struck their family in October 1942 when Etienne was fatally wounded in the Battle of El Alamein before he could meet his daughter.

Devastated by her husband's death, Violetta joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) as an agent. She was fluent in French, having been born in Paris and spent her childhood there. After undergoing intensive combat training, Violetta was fully prepared for her secret missions.

On April 5, 1944, Violetta was dropped by parachute near Cherbourg, an occupied town in France. Together with her resistance group, she conducted sabotage operations against the Nazis, disrupting roads and destroying bridges. She also gathered intelligence on enemy defensive factories, leading to successful bombing raids. On April 30, 1944, Violetta returned to England, having accomplished her mission.

Her second mission began on June 7, 1944. One of the objectives was to sabotage the roads and communications connecting Nazi Germany to Normandy. However, during a routine checkpoint inspection, the car Violetta was traveling in was stopped. A shootout ensued, and she ran out of ammunition, leading to her capture. She was subjected to numerous tortures and interrogations before being sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp in August 1944.

Tragically, on February 5, 1945, Violetta Szabo was executed by firing squad. She became the second woman to be posthumously awarded the George Cross on December 17, 1946. She was also bestowed with the Military Cross in 1947 and the Resistance Medal in 1973.