Elizabeth Devereux-Rochester facts for kids

Elizabeth "Minnie" Devereux-Rochester was a brave woman who helped the French Resistance during World War II. She was also known as Elizabeth Reynolds. Born in New York City in 1917, she worked with a secret British organization called the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Her job was to be a courier, carrying important messages for a resistance group called the Marksman network. Her codename was "Typist."

The SOE's main goal was to gather secret information, disrupt enemy plans, and explore areas in countries that Nazi Germany and its allies (the Axis powers) had taken over. SOE agents worked closely with local resistance groups. They also supplied these groups with weapons and equipment, often dropped by parachutes from planes.

Early Life and Helping Others

Elizabeth Devereux-Rochester was born to American parents. She had one sister. She was taught by an English governess and went to a school in England called Roedean School. Her parents later divorced, and her mother remarried. Elizabeth sometimes used her mother's new last name, Reynolds.

In the 1930s, Elizabeth lived in Paris, France, with her mother. When Germany invaded France in 1941, she started working as a driver for the French Red Cross. She helped many people escape from France. She even led a group of Jewish people into Switzerland to safety.

Because she was so good at helping people escape, she was asked to return to France. There, she joined the French Resistance. She helped several downed pilots cross the border into Switzerland. When that route became too dangerous, she found a new secret path across the Pyrénées mountains.

Joining the Secret Operations Executive

Elizabeth joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in early 1943. After her training, she flew into France on October 18, 1943. She arrived with Richard Harry Heslop, who was the leader of the Marksman network. Also with them were a radio operator and another agent.

Richard Heslop described Elizabeth as looking very English. He said she "stuck out like a sore thumb" because she didn't look like a typical French person. However, he also said she "did a fine job" and had a lot of courage and new ideas.

In the spring of 1944, Heslop worried that Elizabeth's English appearance made her too noticeable. He was afraid she might be caught by the Germans. If one agent was captured, they might reveal details about the whole network under questioning. So, Heslop reluctantly asked the SOE to call her back to England.

Elizabeth left the Marksman network but did not return to England. Instead, she went to Paris to see her mother. Sadly, she was arrested in Paris on March 20, 1944. She was held in Fresnes Prison and then moved to the Vittel Internment Camp. She stayed there until the camp was freed.

Awards for Her Bravery

France honored Elizabeth for her courage and service. She received two important awards:

• The Legion of Honour (Chevalier rank)
• The Croix de Guerre

Later Life

After the war, Elizabeth lived in Paris and worked in advertising. She later inherited money from Jane Stanford, who was the wife of a former California Governor. Elizabeth had been adopted by Mrs. Amy Hansen, Jane Stanford's niece.

Elizabeth Devereux-Rochester was never married. She spent her later years in Dinard, a town in Brittany, France, until her death.