The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Amy Elizabeth Thorpe: WWII's Mata Hari -Dec. 26th, 2004

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

Cool. Spider boy looks ready to rumble.

[snippy_about_it]

Sniff any cedar lately?

Been sniffing it all day. LOL. It does smell good.

[snippy_about_it]

...or recovering from trying to figure out how to put all that cedar together.

[Iris7]

Ran across this story at http://womenshistory.about.com/library/prm/blwomenoss.htm

A darker story than Thorpe's, but to my mind more military.

The OSS was running intelligence operations into the German resistance areas in France. This story comes from service with the US Army 36th Division in the Vosges Mountains, 1944.

Agents working for the OSS had to be French, else the Germans would tumble in an instant. Women agents came under less suspicion and proved very useful.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Another woman I worked with was Jeannette, who I called "the spy who used her head." She, too, was courageous. But when she was captured and faced almost certain torture and death, she found that more than courage was necessary.

Jeannette came to our unit as a volunteer for the infiltration of the dangerous Gerardmer region. Gerardmer, a prime intelligence objective, was located at the western end of the Col de la Schlucht, one of the most important passes in the Vosges Mountains and a key supply line for the Germans. It was also a beehive of Gestapo activity. We had already lost two agents there.

Jeannette was a plain-looking woman of 38 who had been in the Resistance for two years, since her husband had been sent to a forced-labor camp in Germany. She looked like a typical French housewife of the region, which she was. She was a spy only by an accident of war. Her mission for the OSS was twofold. First, she was to secure intelligence about enemy activities in Gerardmer and the 40-mile area ahead of our lines, which she would traverse. Second, she was to make contact with the Gerardmer Resistance.

On October 2, her briefing completed, she was escorted to a platoon outpost. From there she managed to slip through the enemy lines. Making her way from safe house to safe house by forest path and mountain road, she reached Gerardmer safely in three days.

Spies must constantly gamble with fate, and fate caught up with Jeannette shortly thereafter. The Gestapo had planted an agent in the local Resistance group some time earlier. Jeannette unfortunately attempted to contact the Resistance just as the Gestapo was poised to strike. She was picked up and taken to the Gestapo headquarters at the Hotel de l'Esperance for questioning.

Her identity papers stated that Moyenmotier (a town occupied by the Germans some distance away) was her residence and birthplace. The Gestapo could not detect that her papers were false, but the fact that she had tried to get in touch with known Resistance members aroused suspicion in spite of her innocent appearance. She was cajoled, threatened, slapped, kicked and beaten, but she only repeated with stubborn simplicity: "I am from Moyenmotier. I came here innocently to seek my brother who I understood was in Gerardmer."

For three days the Germans held her in a room on the third floor of the hotel headquarters. Each morning the guard forcefully kicked open the door and deposited a bowl of watery soup and a piece of leathery bread on a small table. Each day was a nightmare of brutal interrogation, but she courageously stuck to her story. Finally, a Gestapo major exclaimed in exasperation: "Very, well, madame. Tomorrow we take you to Moyenmotier and see if your story is true!"

That night, locked securely in the third floor room, Jeannette lay on her bed, sleeplessly gazing at the stars through the concussion-shattered panes of the one window. If they took her to Moyenmotier, her identity was certain to be proved false. The brutal questioning of the past few days had been the result of mere suspicion. She knew that once that suspicion was confirmed, the Gestapo would torture her and force her to talk--to reveal names of Resistance members, owners of safe houses, American positions and units. Her tortured mind sought some means of escape. There was none.

The night wore on toward morning, and the desperate woman thought of suicide. She rose and went slowly to the window. With a calmness born of desperation, she began to work loose a piece of shattered pane. "Bon Dieu," she prayed, "How can I face You if I have been forced to betray my comrades, if I have aided the Germans by speaking? Is this not better?"

It was the hour of supreme darkness. The stars flickered out, one by one, like the last embers of hope. Then in her mind, drained of all emotion, an idea began to form. It was a slim chance, but it just might work.

She raised the piece of glass, but instead of slashing her wrists, she began to cut her forehead, well up into the dark mass of her hair. Blood began to ooze down in a thin stream. Resolutely, she raised the glass again, painfully, patiently deepening the cut. The blood flowed more freely, matting her hair, trickling slowly down her cheek, into her eye. She carefully hid the glass under the mattress and lay down on the floor directly behind the door. Her hands worked the cut constantly to draw more blood. A small puddle began to form about her head. It seemed like ages before she at last heard the guard's heavy footsteps approaching. A few moments later the door was kicked open and struck her head. Jeannette mercifully lost consciousness.

She came to in a hospital some time later. Her captors had seen no alternative but to send her there. She had no recollection of what had happened, or so she said. "I must have fainted," she explained weakly. When the Gestapo major questioned her again, her replies were anything but coherent. The doctor told him that head injuries were very tricky.

The Gestapo major cursed the guard for being a stupid pig and finally gave up. He had more important things to do than waste his time on this "stupid French peasant," and she was probably too dull to know much anyway. If he had taken better care of the rooms where his prisoners were kept, he might have found the bloodstained piece of glass and made some very interesting deductions.

After a week in the hospital, Jeannette was released. Instead of taking refuge in Gerardmer and awaiting its liberation, she courageously chose to make the perilous journey back to the American lines. We were elated at her return, since we had given her up for lost. Her report on enemy dispositions and movements, based on personal observation, was timely and useful.

The official report of the mission rather laconically termed her ruse "worthy of note." It certainly was. In the tightest of spots, Jeannette had, figuratively and literally, used her head."

[Iris7]

Lieutenant Colonel William F. Buckley was born in Medford, Massachusetts on May 30, 1928. Colonel Buckley graduated from high school in 1947 and joined the United States Army.

Following two years of service as an enlisted MP he attended Officers Candidate School and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in Armor. He later attended the Engineer Officer's Course at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the Advanced Armor Officer's Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and the Intelligence School at Oberammergau, Germany.

Colonel Buckley served with the 1st Cavalry Division as a company commander during the Korean War. After the war he completed his studies and graduated from Boston University with a degree in Political Science. He was employed as a librarian in the Concord, Winchester and Lexington public libraries. In 1960, Bill joined the 320th Special Forces Detachment which became the 11th Special Forces Group and attended both Basic Airborne and the Special Forces Officers Course. He was assigned as an A- Detachment Commander and later as a B-Detachment Commander.

Colonel Buckley served in Vietnam with MACV as a Senior Advisor to the ARVN. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in May 1969.

Buckley was employed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1955 to 1957 and again from 1965 until his untimely death. He served in many varied assignments all over the world. He was taken hostage from his last assignment in Beirut; Lebanon where he was the Political Officer/ Station Chief at the U.S. Embassy. Colonel Buckley died after 15 months in captivity of illness and torture. His body was returned to the United States on December 28, 1991 and he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.

Among Colonel Buckley's Army awards are the Silver Star, Soldier's Medal, Bronze Star with "V", two Purple Hearts, Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, and the Parachutist Badge. He also received the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/ Bronze Star from ARVN. Among his CIA awards are the Intelligence Star, Exceptional Service Medallion and Distinguished Intelligence Cross.

Would have liked to meet that man. Some say Buckley spilled his guts. I am willing to bet this is not true.

[Samwise]

[stand watie]

understood.

busy here too.

free dixie,sw

[Professional Engineer]

Flamethrower good. Much uses. ;-)


Spiderboy is studying Taekwondo. Since the photo, he has received his yellow belt.

[Professional Engineer]

Unconfirmed reports suggest a granddaughter of Amy Elizabeth Thorpe-Pack-Brousse, MI6/CIA Saucerspankentruppen.

She has my vote! I'll even vote twice, if need be.

[Professional Engineer]

Being an evil Capitalist pig is sure taking a lot of time. ;-)

You get to wake up every morning and say: Today we celebrate our Independence!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!!

[SAMWolf]

Today we celebrate our Independence!

:-) It's also time spent for us, not some other Evil Capitalist Pig. :-)

[w_over_w]

Amazing story . . . thanks. In moments of desparation, courage and insight can be found.

[colorado tanker]

Thanks for a very interesting story.

I hope you got some time off during the holiday!

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. No time off. I'll just have to catch up later.

[ConservativeMan55]

Toby Keith Puts On Live Concert for the troops on CMT!

[snippy_about_it]

Cool. Thanks.

[ConservativeMan55]

No Problem!

I love it!