Dorothy O'Grady facts for kids

Dorothy Pamela O'Grady (born October 25, 1897 – died October 11, 1985) was a British woman who became known during World War II. She was the first British woman found guilty of a serious crime called treachery during the war. This meant she was accused of helping the enemy. She was first sentenced to death, but this was later changed to 14 years in prison.

Early Life and Moving to the Isle of Wight

Pamela O'Grady was adopted shortly after she was born. Her adoptive father worked at the British Museum. When she was 11, her mother passed away. Her father then married his housekeeper, who was not kind to Pamela. By age 13, she lived in a home where young girls learned skills for working in homes.

Later, Pamela married Vincent O'Grady in 1926. He was a police officer. When he retired, they moved to Sandown on the Isle of Wight. There, Pamela ran a guest house called Osborne Villa. When World War II began in 1939, her husband was called back to work for the London Fire Brigade. This meant Pamela was left alone on the Isle of Wight.

Secret Activities During Wartime

The Isle of Wight is a very important place. It is right across the English Channel from France. It also controls the Solent, which is the sea path to big ports like Southampton and Portsmouth. Portsmouth was Britain's largest naval base. Because of its importance, there were strict rules about moving around the coast during World War II.

With her husband away, people noticed Pamela O'Grady often went to restricted coastal areas. She would walk her dog, sometimes even at night. Authorities started watching her and checking her mail. They found that she was drawing detailed maps of the coast. She was later caught cutting some telegraph wires and was arrested.

Her Trials and Sentence

In August 1940, Pamela O'Grady was accused of being in a forbidden area. She was allowed to go free for a short time before her court date. However, she did not show up for her hearing. When her home was searched, she was found living under a different name, Pamela Arland, in another guest house on the island.

In December 1940, her case was heard in a private trial in Winchester. Because there was no clear evidence of how she planned to send information to the Germans, she was not tried as a spy. Instead, she was tried as a saboteur. A saboteur is someone who tries to damage or disrupt things to help the enemy.

On December 17, 1940, Pamela O'Grady was found guilty of two serious crimes under the Treachery Act. This meant she made a plan that could help the enemy and cut a military telephone wire to help them. She was also found guilty of two crimes under the Official Secrets Act. This act protects government secrets. She was found to have gone near a forbidden place and made a plan that could be useful to the enemy.

By law, the judge had to give her the death sentence. However, she appealed this decision. In February 1941, her appeal was heard in London. On February 10, 1941, her death sentence was changed to fourteen years in prison.

Time in Prison and Release

After her conviction, Pamela O'Grady was moved from Holloway Prison to Aylesbury Prison to serve her sentence. She spent nine years in prison.

She was released in early 1950. After her release, she spoke to a reporter. She said that the whole situation "was a huge joke." She even claimed that "being sentenced to death gave her the biggest thrill in her life."

Life After Prison

After being released from prison, Pamela O'Grady went back to her home in Sandown. She continued to run her guest house. Her husband passed away in 1953. In 1969, she moved into a special home for older people in Lake, also on the Isle of Wight. She lived there until she died in 1985.

Secret Files Revealed

In 1995, some secret government papers about Pamela O'Grady's case were made public by The National Archives. These papers showed that the maps she drew of the Isle of Wight's coastal defenses were very accurate. They would have been very helpful to any German attack on the island.

At the time of her trial, no one knew that the Germans had a plan called Operation Sea Lion. This plan included invading the Isle of Wight with their army.

In 2010, it was found that the main file on her case was missing. It was "misplaced when on loan to government department." However, two other files about her case can still be seen at the National Archives if you make an appointment. There are also old newspaper articles about her case that you can read.

See also

• Leonard Banning
• Norah Briscoe
• Gertrude Hiscox
• Tyler Kent
• John Lingshaw
• Pearl Vardon
• Anna Wolkoff