Violette Szabo

Violette Szabo Museum 2013 Newsletter

2013-09-01T02:18:00.000-07:00

To all the many Friends of The Violette Szabo GC Society 2013

This newsletter comes to wish you all a very special and happy time over the Easter period, and to invite you to Violette's Thirteenth Memorial Gathering on Sunday 30th June 2013 at 2.00pm at "Cartref House", Wormelow. I hope we will have a wonderful afternoon in the garden once again! Please would you kindly help by bringing different items to add to the refreshments, also garden chairs and a folding table.

Virginia McKenna OBE is again hoping to be with us which will be super, and I do hope you will all be here too, with luck may it be a very happy and sunny afternoon!

Please note the change of date to Sunday 30th June 2013 at the special request of Virginia, who had found it impossible to be with us the day before. I would like to ask each of the Friends of the Violette Szabo GC Society to arrange an appointment with the Editor of their local newspaper, telling them a little about Violette and her special Museum, where it is, my name and phone number 01981 540477 as the Founder and Owner of the Museum - Rosemary E. Rigby MBE. Please will you ask that in the article they write and put in their newspaper, they specifically mention Violette's great occasion in 2013 is the 30th June. I feel this would be of great value to Violette and spread the word for her. If any Editor would be pleased to send a journalist, it could be truly wonderful and they would learn a lot more!!

Exciting news -- A London gentleman, Mr Frederick Pearson, is planning to bring a Pipe Band to honour Violette on the 30th June. The Band -- the Epping Forest Pipe Band, DV to be in Park Hall, Wormelow, at 1.30pm to head the procession of Standard Bearers, as they march to Violette's Museum. This is very exciting for me, as I have always longed to achieve the presence of a band for Violette on one of her special days, and this year is the year!!

Our wonderful Wormelow postman, Dave Harris, you will remember how he made Cider and Perry for Violette last year, this autumn had another brainwave, and has so very kindly planted a great many daffodils on the Millennium Green for Violette, the two most special designs being a very large V and S. How about that!!

My little Violette cat is still very well and happy and I feel that it is interesting to remember how often the name of Violette is called across my garden and area!

Dave Harris also very generously gave his holiday time and painted the precious seats on the Millennium Green and in the garden in the hope of preserving them for the future. Our most grateful thanks are extended to him, also to his very kind brother who brought his tractor and super machine and mowed the grass on the Millennium Green. It has all made such a great difference!

More news -- the three lovely laminated photos of the three friends -- Violette, Lilian Rolfe and Denise Bloch, courtesy of Mr Doug Cresswell, plus the 1,000 leaflets that you all most willingly helped me to achieve, have been sent and received at Ravensbruck Memorial Site, and will be displayed together when the new area is opened on Sunday 21st April 2013. The Director, Dr Insa Eschebach is delighted with them.

I know you will all be very sad to hear that Mrs Pam Mortimore died on Christmas Eve. She was so devoted to Violette and was always with us on Violette's special days, however difficult it was. I was privileged to spend an hour with her in hospital on the Saturday, taking Violette's love and all your regards. We and the world have all lost a very special person, may God bless her.

On Saturday the 29th September I returned once again to the National Memorial Arboretum, this time with the Soroptimist International Society, to help with planting bulbs in the War Widows area. To my great delight and surprise at 2pm two Spitfires flew over this very special area! It was the most wonderful sight imaginable!! A happy secret just for you to know -- In April I am to have the honour of becoming the President of our Hereford Soroptimist Club. My Charities will be ïViolette's Museum and The Ross Action Committee.

It has been another very busy year at the Museum, with many people visiting from all over the world! I have given lots of talks and so spreading the word for Violette.

I will again be hoping to open the Museum each Wednesday from April to October, 11.30am - 1pm and 2.30pm - 4pm.

May I mention that the Violette Szabo G.C. Society annual subscription of £10 would be most welcome at the time of her birthday, it will all help most greatly to keep the Museum up and running!!

Mark and Jenny Marendaz again came to light the Christmas lights in my garden, so beautiful, and I hope much enjoyed by all in heaven!

I would specially like to thank Roger Tobbell for so kindly replacing the old sign on Violette's door with a lovely new one, with the words 'Violette Szabo - Her Name Carved with Pride'.

May I say how terribly shocked I was to hear from Roger of the passing of his beloved wife Anne on Christmas eve. I can only hope he will find a new peace now he is living in Scotland. I now realise that Anne and Pam joined Violette the same day.

Most special thanks to Derek Smith for so kindly continuing to care for Violette's Roses, they were truly beautiful last year and much enjoyed by everyone!!

Mark Marendaz, a great admirer of Violette, has been so good in coming over when possible and giving a day of his precious time. I would also specially like to thank Jeanette and Michael Wardle of Wormelow, for so very kindly coming to my rescue and planting up all the garden containers, baskets, wheelbarrows etc, which made everything look pretty for your visit last year on the 23rd June. I can only hope they may be good enough to help me again this year, as they are true professionals! Thanks must also go to my own cousins, who came and worked very hard to help to achieve the best we could.

Mr Mel Williams, Master of the South Hereford Hunt, will once again open his super big field for parking.

On behalf of Violette and myself, may I thank everyone for the many Christmas cards, letters, donations, books, phone calls, etc: so much appreciated! Also my special Get Well cards!!

DV, Violette's special day next year should be Saturday 28th June 2014.

Let joy and happiness bring us together!

Yours most sincerely

Rosemary E. Rigby M.B.E.
Founder and Owner of The Violette Szabo GC Museum
01981 540477

P.S. I have just received an invitation from Pam Mortimore's daughter to read Violette's special Poem at her mother's memorial service on Saturday 1st June. I will be delighted to do so!!

I am enclosing one of Violette's leaflets: please would you present it to the Editor of your local paper when visiting!

About Violette Szabo

2013-08-21T02:17:00.000-07:00

Violette Szabo was an agent of SOE (Special Operations Executive) and was sent into occupied France twice. The first time she returned safely but the second time she was captured and ultimately shot. Violette was the first woman to be awarded the George Cross, the highest civilian award for bravery, usually regarded as the equivalent to the Victoria Cross. She was also awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French.

Mrs Szabo was born Violette Bushell to an English father and French mother, and brought up in London. At the outbreak of the war, she joined the Land Army, then met and married an officer of the French Foreign Legion, Etienne Szabo, who was killed in action at El Alamein. He never lived to see the baby daughter, Tania, who was born in his absence.

A few months after her husband died, while her bitterness towards the Germans was still raw, she was approached by the Special Operations Executive, who wanted to recruit bilingual secret agents for deployment in occupied Europe. She volunteered without hesitation.

There followed a series of hair-raising missions to France, liaising with the local Resistance. Her final mission, in June 1944, sealed her fate. While driving one of the leaders of the Maquis to a secret rendezvous, she was stopped by a 400-strong unit of the elite Waffen SS. The pair fled across the fields but, although the Maquis chief escaped thanks to covering fire from his companion, Violette herself was captured, interrogated and tortured. After a spell in a Paris prison, she was deported to Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany and, in February 1945, executed by firing squad. She was just 23.

The Museum at the rear of Casrtref, the small Herefordshire cottage where she stayed on her visits to Herefordshire from her teens onward. During the war, she returned to Cartref nursing bandaged limbs after an accident during parachute training. But nobody knew about her secret missions to France.
The official opening of the Violette Szabo Museum took place on Saturday 24th June 2000, when over 1,000 people attended.

Ravensbruck Drawing

2013-08-19T02:16:00.000-07:00

Violette Lecoq (1912 – 2003) was a French nurse, illustrator, and a resistance member during World War II. She is known for her drawings from the Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, which were also used as evidence at the first Ravensbruck Trials in 1946.

This drawing can be seen at the Violette Szabo Museum.

An interpretation of the original drawing by fotolebrocq

NEXT YEAR'S Annual memorial Gathering 2014

2013-08-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

The annual memorial gathering event will be held at Cartref, Wormelow on Sunday 29th June 2014 at 2pm. All enquiries to Miss Rigby on 01981 540477

Violette Szabo Museum, Wormelow

2013-08-17T10:33:00.001-07:00

This is the entrance to Rosemary Rigby's cottage which is home to the Violette Szabo Museum

Nikon D800E, 24-70G

Violette's Szabo War Poem

2013-08-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

The Life that I have

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

Written by Leo Marks, Codemaster for the Special Operations Executive in World War II for Violette Szabo. Violette was executed at Ravensbrook in 1945.

Leo marks in 2000 at the opening of the Violette Szabo Museum

Virginia Mckenna in Carve Her name with Pride

2013-08-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

This is a great film which is still available from Amazon and well worth watching for any Violette Szabo student.

Violette Szabo's Wedding

2013-08-15T04:25:00.000-07:00

Violette Bushell married Etienne Szabo, an officer in the French Foreign Legion on Wednesday August 21st 1940.

Etienne Szabó, Légion d'Honneur, Médaille Militaire, Croix de Guerre with Star and Palm, Colonial Medal, was a career legionnaire of great leadership qualities, who led his men from the front with formidable courage in Norway, Bir Hakeim and El Alamein - to name just a few battles.

World War 2, The Butterflies of Berlin

2013-08-15T03:38:00.000-07:00

In Memory of Summer 1945. Made from the rubbish of ruins of Berlin

Made by hand and crafted by Curt panzer & Co Berlin - Charlottenburg No9
Taken at the Museum using a Nikon D800E and Nikkor 24-70, mounted on a Gitzo Carbon fibre tripod and Arca Swiss ball head. Courtesy Rosemary Rigby

When the battle of Berlin was over, they met again, just a small group of friends; some painters and designers and a woman well acquainted with all kinds of fancy work.

They looked around and none of them said a word. What should they say? What did they feel – facing the dead under blooming lilacs, and the smouldering ruins of their beloved town? With the churches burnt out and their old windows, beautifully coloured, gone to pieces. The bridges fallen down into the river, the rails bent, and the trees burnt, and with mountains of rubbish barring the streets – once full of life. What should they do, looking at a chaos like this that seemed to have put an end at last to a long but wrong way?

Life must go on. One of them said they ought to make something of the rubbish that was left. But what? This is the story of these butterflies: They were made during the summer of 1945, in Berlin, piece by piece, by the clever and patient hands of men and woman who had no paints and brushes to work with, and no canvas or paper to work on, but were ready to do most everything.

These butterflies are no precious works of art, but those who made them believe that they are right to say :- nothing is so ugly that it would be impossible to make something good out of it, and they sincerely hope that every one of these butterflies coming from the ruins of Berlin into the world will have a friendly reception, wherever it may go to, for it wants to tell that there are many Germans who will do their best to make good for the terrible and shameful events of the past.

Such is the message you will bring home, taking with you this butterfly number L124, a true imitation of ‘Vanessa Jo’, that you may have seen in the gardens and parks of Berlin, in memory of summer 1945.

Made by hand and crafted by

Curt Panzer and Co: Berlin – Charlottenburg no 9

Violette Szabo, Portrait of a Heroine

2013-08-14T11:05:00.001-07:00

Oil painting of Violette by D R Cresswell
Taken at the Museum using a Nikon D800E and Nikkor 24-70, mounted on a Gitzo Carbon fibre tripod and Arca Swiss ball head. Courtesy Rosemary Rigby

Violette Szabo Museum, Daffodil tribute

2013-08-14T05:08:00.000-07:00

The wonderful spring tribute that you unfortunately missed!

The work of our special postman – Dave Harris!!

Daffodil initial V on the Rosemary Rigby Millennium Green 2013

Violette Szabo Museum welcomes Raymond J-M Petit

2013-08-14T01:59:00.000-07:00

We were particularly lucky as the creator of the sculpture commemorating Violette unexpectedly arrived at the museum whilst we were there.. Raymond J-M Petit was over from Luxembourg to 'service' the bronze statue seen standing beside it below. M Petit was a former diplomat and is now a full time artist and sculptor. His own family was involved with the Luxembourg resistance during the war explaining his connection to the museum.