Alix D'Unienville
Encyclopedia
Alix D'Unienville was a member of the Special Operations Executive
(SOE) during World War II and worked as a courier for the French Section.
D'Unienville was born in Mauritius
, but moved to France aged 6. Commissioned (rank of Lieutenant
) in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force
, she commenced SOE training at Beaulieu
in June 1943. On 31 March 1944 she parachuted into Loir-et-Cher from a Halifax aircraft. Her alias was Aline Bowden and cover story was she was born on the island of Réunion
in 1922 and moved to France in 1938 to study and was now the wife of a prisoner of war.
Working in Paris using the codenames Myril and Marie-France, she was successful until her arrest on 6 June 1944 when she was arrested with Tristan outside Bon Marché in Paris. She was taken to Avenue Foch for interrogation and was searched. She was held in Fresnes prison in solitary confinement. She pretended to be "mentally derranged" to escape from Fresnes and to be transferred to Saint-Anne hospital. This plan was foiled by the Gestapo, who transferred her to La Pitié, a place associated with brutal atrocities of the Gestapo.
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
(SOE) during World War II and worked as a courier for the French Section.
D'Unienville was born in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, but moved to France aged 6. Commissioned (rank of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
) in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force
Women's Auxiliary Air Force
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force , whose members were invariably referred to as Waafs , was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II, established in 1939. At its peak strength, in 1943, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.A Women's Royal Air...
, she commenced SOE training at Beaulieu
Beaulieu
-England:* Beaulieu, Hampshire, a village in the New Forest* Beaulieu Abbey, located in Beaulieu, Hampshire* Beaulieu Palace House, located in Beaulieu, Hampshire* Beaulieu River, running through Beaulieu, Hampshire...
in June 1943. On 31 March 1944 she parachuted into Loir-et-Cher from a Halifax aircraft. Her alias was Aline Bowden and cover story was she was born on the island of Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
in 1922 and moved to France in 1938 to study and was now the wife of a prisoner of war.
Working in Paris using the codenames Myril and Marie-France, she was successful until her arrest on 6 June 1944 when she was arrested with Tristan outside Bon Marché in Paris. She was taken to Avenue Foch for interrogation and was searched. She was held in Fresnes prison in solitary confinement. She pretended to be "mentally derranged" to escape from Fresnes and to be transferred to Saint-Anne hospital. This plan was foiled by the Gestapo, who transferred her to La Pitié, a place associated with brutal atrocities of the Gestapo.