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posthumous recipient of the George Cross and Croix de Guerre (with Gold Star). The George Cross was instituted in September of 1940 by his majesty, George VI, King-Emperor. A total of 4 women have been directly awarded the George Cross, as distinct from exchanging a discontinued Albert, Edward or Empire Gallantry Medal. The award of all but one of these George Crosses was made posthumously. No women have been awarded the Victoria Cross, although the Warrant does allow an award. Three of the four George Cross awards to women were for service in the resistance in enemy occupied territory during World War Two. |
from the notice placed outside St. James Palace on April 5th, 1949. Following her (Princess Noor's) arrival the Gestapo made mass arrests in the Paris Resistance groups to which she had been detailed. She refused to abandon what had become the principal and most dangerous post in France, although given the opportunity to return to England. She did not wish to leave her French comrades without communications and she hoped also to rebuild her group. The Gestapo had a full description of her but knew only her code name: "Madeleine". They deployed considerable forces in their effort to catch her and so break the last remaining link with London. After three and half months she was betrayed to the Gestapo and taken to their HQ in the avenue Foch. The Gestapo had found her codes and were in a postion to work back to London. They asked her to co-operate, but she refused and gave them no information of any kind. At least 24,000 members of the French secret army were executed. Of 115,000 deported to death camps, some 40,000 returned in various stages of emaciation. Of those who fought pitched battles with the enemy, another 30,000 were killed. These appalling losses were suffered in darkness, to become known only after the war. The Diaries of Frank Pickersgill, the gallant Canadian agent who perished after much suffering at the hands of the Gestapo, helped his brother Jack, a Canadian cabinet minister, reconstruct the whole tragedy.  The girls who became agents were many, ranging from Hannah [Hannah Szenes 1921-1944], who parachuted into Tito's zone to bring out fellow Jewish survivors, to [Odette Hallowes, G.C., M.B.E.], the young mother who left her children in Kensington to wind up in a Gestapo torture chamber. Note from webimnder: The author neglected to mention another outstanding heroine, [Violette Szabo, GC, MBE, CdG] The dimensions of the coming ordeal for such girls were dimly perceived in early 1941. President Roosevelt's "Arsenal of Democracy" did more than give heart to those like Inayat Khan who defied the torturers until death brought welcome oblivion. 
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_____God Save the Queen - La Marseillaise
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_____ "O Canada" -
"The Maple Leaf Forever"_____
