Damerment, Madeleine, 1917-1944

Madeleine Damerment was born in Lille France the daughter of the Headpostmaster of Lille. Following the German Occupation of France Madeleine a cool and pretty 22 year old joined the Resistance she was actively involved in an escape route to send downed R.A.F Air Crews back to England. It is beleived the network was betrayed and the young Madeleine escaped to England to avoid arrest by the Gestapo.
Once in England Madeleine joined the French Section of the Special Operations Executive and was a very enthusiastic officer and trained to be a courier.
On the night of the 28th February 1944 she was parachuted into a field near Chartres in France.
Unfortunately - she had been betrayed and the Gestapo were waiting for her, she was captured and taken to The Gestapo Headquarters at: 84 Avenue Foch, Paris.
Once here - she was brutally interrogated and tortured..then sent to the Karlsruhe Prison in Germany. She was then kept in horrific conditions. From here Madeleine was transferred to Dachau Concentration Camp and executed in a small courtyard next to the crematorium. She was forced to kneel down and shot through the back of the head, and then cremated.
After The War Madeleine Damerment's valiant contribution to the Freedom of France was recognised by her Government. With the posthumous award of: Legion de Honor, Croix de Guerre and the Medaille de la Resistance.
Madeleine is also recorded on The Brookwood Memorial in Surrey England as one of the Special Operations Executive Agents who died for The Liberation of France. She is listed on the Roll of Honor on The Valencay Special Operations Executive Memorial in the Town of Valencay in the Indre Department of France.