General Chat

A wartime heroine who was captured three times by the Germans and endured spells in concentration and labour camps is to be buried by a council because no friends or family can be traced.

Eileen Nearne, 89, who died in her Devon home on 2 September, was one of 39 female agents sent to occupied France in her capacity as a member of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II.

Miss Nearne, who was fluent in French, was captured by the Germans just four months after arriving in France, but managed to persuade them she was an innocent French woman.

Her bravery and resilience continued throughout the war - she was caught again and sent to a concentration camp before being transferred to a forced labour camp in Silesia where she managed to escape.

She was later recaptured in Germany by the SS, but was again able to persuade her captors of her innocence and was released.

What an amazing and brave young woman,who kept her secrets right to the end.
Anyone read the story today?

Torbay Council has arranged her funeral for 21 September. It was due to take place at Drakes Chapel in Torquay, but because of global interest in her story a church service is now being arranged and will involve members of the military.

Drakes of Torbay Funeral Service said they had received e-mails and phone calls from people around the world who had been so moved by her plight that they were offering to pay for her funeral or wanting to send flowers.


Miss Nearne was found dead at her Torquay home on 2 September The church venue for the funeral service has yet to be announced, but a Union Jack flag is to be placed on her coffin and the Royal British Legion has said its organisation will be at the funeral.

May She Rest in Peace

This ladys name is familiar to me and I dont know why, unless we were told about her at school. What a sad end for someone who did so much for her country.

It certainly is a sad end for her Jean.

When she was captured by the Germans she was tortured and beaten but never revealed her sources.
Her story reminded me so much of the film about Violette Szabo,'Carve her name with pride'.

Thank goodness she is being honoured as she should be.

I think I've located a family member, and I have sent contact info to the funeral director.

I'll let you know how it pans out!

I heard on the news last evening that a niece, I think it was, who lives abroad knew that her aunt wanted to be cremated and her ashes cast out to sea.

I am sure she will have a good send off now that people know about her. What a shock to learn that you lived near a wonderfully heroic lady who hid her light under a bushel.

May you rest in peace, Eileen Nearne, MBE

Lizx

It was her niece I had found, living abroad, and sent contact details for.

So they do have contacts for family!

Oh well, I was feeling rather pleased to maybe be able to contribute in a little way, but I'm glad they have been in touch.

It's very nice to know that she has family who knows her wishes, at least.

Hi Maggie,Janey and Liz

Yes I'm so pleased there's some contact from her family,who can carry out her last wishes.
Bet you were excited finding some info. Janey?

Hello Mau, I have been following this story in the papers, for the last couple of days. So glad she is to have a proper funeral.
Just shows that you never know who is living down your street, leading ordinary lives.
Julia in Derbyshire

Nice thought of yours Janey :)

Just googled her name and it was that Fraser and Fraser (the heir hunters) found her next of kin and the programme will be screened 2011.

Yes Julia I guess Eileen's neighbours' wished they had known such an interesting lady.She must have been a very private person.

Thanks Chris looking forward to seeing that programme

Mau, yes, it was neat. We get requests like this in TTF from time to time, usually about civilians or members of the military killed in WWII and commemorations being planned, and set to work to find living family members to be invited to participate in the ceremonies. It's satisfying to be able to help with that kind of thing.

I'm going to have to hunt up some of the articles about Eileen, who seems a woman well worth knowing about. I wonder whether any of her colleagues, the other women doing that unusual and courageous work, are still living and are any more public about their war efforts, and might be speaking about it and Eileen. Probably the people involved didn't know one another well at the time, I guess.

I'd read something yesterday (can't remember where) that they's found family in Italy? They were a little annoyed that people had claimed she had been forgotten, apparently they last visited six months ago.

Well done Janey, for trying to help. It seems strange that the council were there clearing the flat of personal stuff if there were family members who visited her, even if only occasionally. Surely they should have been contacted and allowed time to visit and take her personal things? Why had they or the old lady not left their contact details with whoever owned the flat, possibly council owned? or with the old lady's doctor or someone.

Sad really that her privacy is now somewhat breached by the speculation and talk, it would have been better to have come out that she had died and the public been told of her background and bravery, rather than have it dug out and inspected in the way it has.

I just hope her funeral is more dignified as befits someone of her calibre.

Lizx

oh! found this in the Telegraph...not very nicely worded but??

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/guywalters/100053786/look-most-ww2-u

There is also information on Wiki

That's who it is that I "found", the niece living in Italy.

I used the GRO index to find Eileen's brother's birth and marriage, and his daughter. There was no further trace of her in English records, so I googled! (very unusual names) and pipl came up with an address and telephone number for her straight off.

It was pretty straightforward, but a lot of times the people searching for someone's family, for one reason or another, aren't aware of the resources available in the UK (not that I think they should be) that can be used to identify and then trace family, so it is neat to use one's acquired knowledge and skills that way. Almost as much fun as finding PollyPoppet's dad's sister. ;)

With Eileen herself apparently being such a private person, there may have been no one handy who knew her well enough to know about her family abroad. That's why my mum has a list stuck to her fridge with the names and phone numbers of anybody, family or friend, whom one might call if anything happened to her.

I read this and thought it very meaningful......

"Please if a lesson has to be learned from this – next time you see that old person walking down the street just remember they have a history, a story to tell and sometimes it is brilliant like this."

RIP Eileen

Mau, that's an interesting blog in itself, thanks.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/guywalters/100052489/the-government-was-right-to-lock-up-diana-mosley/

A bit of a study in contrasts of British women in WWII: the courageous anti-fascist Eileen Nearne and the vile fascist Diana Mosley (with the Mitford sisters being a study in contrasts themselves, of course).