Yolande Beekman, Madeleine Damerment, Noor Inayat Khan and Eliane Plewman were all multi-lingual officers in the Special Operations Executive of the British Secret Service. They came from a variety of places and backgrounds to volunteer in the British WTS/FANY (Women’s Transport Service/First Aid Nursing Yeomanry). From there, they volunteered for overseas work assisting the French Resistance movement, and in their various ways, made heroic contributions to the fight against Nazi Germany.

Unfortunately, they all were captured by the Gestapo in France and underwent interrogation and torture before being thrown into concentration camps. Yolande, Madeleine, and Eliane were taken to Karlsrühe, and Noor to Pflozheim.

On 11 September 1944, the four women were all taken by car to Dachau, arriving under the cover of darkness. Overnight, they were tortured again. Early on the morning of 13 September, they were marched out to the dog kennels, forced to kneel two by two and each shot in the back of the head. Their bodies were cremated in Dachau’s infamous ovens.

Beekman was only 33; Kahn, 30.
Damerment and Plewman were both 27.

July 02, 2012, 1:18am / 102