Louise de Bettignies facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louise de Bettignies
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Louise de Bettignies before the war
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| Born | 15 July 1880 Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, France
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| Died | 27 September 1918 (aged 38) Cologne, Germany
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| Nationality | French |
| Known for | Espionage |
Louise Marie Jeanne Henriette de Bettignies (born July 15, 1880 – died September 27, 1918) was a brave French secret agent. During World War I, she spied on the Germans for the British, using the code name Alice Dubois.
She was arrested in October 1915 and held captive. Sadly, she died shortly before the war ended. After her death, she received many honors, including the Cross of the Legion of Honour, the Croix de guerre, and the British Military Medal. She was also made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Louise de Bettignies was born in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, France. Her family had a long history, with roots dating back to the 1200s. Her great-grandfather founded a porcelain factory, showing her family's connection to business and art.
Despite some financial challenges for her father, Louise received a good education. She attended school in Valenciennes with the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Her cousin described her as a "lively child" who was very intelligent.
In 1898, Louise moved to England to continue her studies. She attended schools in Upton, Essex, and then in Wimbledon and Oxford. This time in England helped her become fluent in English.
After her father passed away in 1903, she returned to Lille. In 1906, she graduated from the University of Lille. By then, she was excellent in English and also knew German and Italian well. These language skills would later become very important for her secret work.
Working Before the War
After finishing her studies, Louise worked as a tutor for wealthy families across Europe. She traveled a lot, working in places like Milan, Italy, and near Lemberg (now Lviv) in Galicia. She also worked for Prince Carl Schwarzenberg in the Orlík Castle and Princess Elvira of Bavaria.
During her travels, she met many important people. She was even offered a job tutoring the children of Ferdinand Joseph, who was next in line to the Austro-Hungarian throne. However, she turned down the offer and returned to France in early 1914.
Just before World War I began, Louise was living in a villa in Wissant.
World War I and the Alice Network
When World War I started in August 1914, Louise was in Saint-Omer. She soon went to Lille to join her sister. Lille was a city facing many challenges. It was declared an "open city" meaning it was not supposed to be defended, but fighting still broke out.
Lille Under Attack
From October 4 to 13, 1914, Lille was under heavy attack. The city's defenders, with only one cannon, managed to hold off the German army for several days. This intense battle destroyed over 2,200 buildings, especially near the train station.
During this time, Louise showed incredible bravery. She moved through the ruined city, making sure soldiers had enough ammunition and food. She also helped in makeshift hospitals, writing letters in German for dying soldiers to send to their families.
Becoming a Spy: The Alice Network
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After the German army took over Lille in October 1914, Louise de Bettignies started helping people. She carried messages for those trapped in the city to their relatives in parts of France not occupied by Germans. She did this in a very clever way: she wrote messages in lemon juice on a petticoat. Once she reached her destination, she would iron the petticoat to make the messages appear, then cut them up for delivery.
French and British intelligence officers were very impressed by her cleverness and language skills. They asked her to join their spy efforts. Louise decided to work for the British. They gave her the code name Alice Dubois and helped her create a spy network of about 100 people.
This network, known as the Alice Network, gathered important information for the British. It operated through occupied Belgium and the Netherlands. It's believed that the Alice Network saved the lives of over a thousand British soldiers during its nine months of full operation, from January to September 1915.
The network was so successful that her British superiors called her "the queen of spies." Starting in spring 1915, Louise worked closely with Marie Léonie Vanhoutte, who used the code name Charlotte Lameron.
Louise de Bettignies helped smuggle people to England and provided valuable information to the British Intelligence Service. She even created a detailed map of the Lille region for her superiors in London. When the German army set up a new hidden artillery battery, the information she provided allowed the Royal Flying Corps to bomb it within eight days.
She also reported the exact date and time when the Kaiser's secret train would pass through Lille. Two British planes tried to bomb the train but missed. The Germans were confused about how the British knew so much about their movements in that area.
One of her last messages warned about a huge German attack on Verdun planned for early 1916. This information was sent to the French commander, but sadly, he did not believe it.
Arrest and Death
Louise de Bettignies was arrested by the Germans on October 20, 1915, near Tournai. On March 16, 1916, she was sentenced to death in Brussels. However, her sentence was changed to forced labor for life.
After being held captive for three years, she died on September 27, 1918. She passed away at St. Mary's Hospital in Cologne due to complications from a poorly performed operation for pleural abscesses.
Her body was brought back to France on February 21, 1920. A large funeral was held in Lille on March 16, 1920. During this ceremony, she was honored with the Cross of the Legion of Honor, the Croix de guerre, and the British Military Medal. She was also made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Louise de Bettignies is buried in the cemetery of Saint-Amand-les-Eaux.
Tributes
- In Lille, there is a monument dedicated to Louise de Bettignies. It features a statue of her with a soldier kneeling and kissing her hand.
- In 2008, a small museum was opened in her birthplace in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux. This building is now becoming a resource center focused on the emancipation of women.
- Many French towns have named streets, schools, and other buildings after her to honor her memory.
- Louise de Bettignies is also a character in Kate Quinn's popular book The Alice Network, published in 2017.
Images for kids
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Louise de Bettignies before the war
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Cover of the book "The queen of spies" by Major Thomas Coulson
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Monument to Louise de Bettignies in Lille
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In memory of Louise de Bettignies; in front of the prison of St. Gilles, Brussels, Belgium
