Marguerite Diana Frances Knight (later Smith) MBE (born Paris, 19 April 1920 – died, 2004[1]) was a member of the Women's Transport Service and in 1944 served with the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II. With the code name Nicole, she worked as a courier with the Donkeyman network (or circuit) in France. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe and Asia against the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany. SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England.
Marguerite Knight, best known by her nickname "Peggy," was born 19 April 1920 in Paris, France, the daughter of Capt. Alfred Rex Knight and his wife, the former Charlotte Beatrice Mary Ditkowski.[citation needed] She worked as a shorthand typist for the Asea Electric Company of Walthamstow, a district northeast of London, England.[citation needed]
Special Operations Executiveedit
Owing to her mixed British-French parentage and upbringing in France, Knight was a nearly perfect speaker of the French language – so much so that one day early in the spring of 1944 leaders of the British intelligence organisation Special Operations Executive (SOE) overheard her speaking French in a café and immediately moved to recruit her into the organisation.[2]
On 11 April 1944, Knight began attendance at the Students' Assessment Board of the SOE at Wanborough. She was rushed through a cursory two-week training course at Thame Park, Saltmarsh, during which she did only one practice parachute jump from a static balloon, rather than the customary three, before being sent behind enemy lines in Vichy France to establish herself as a secret British courier.[2]
Under the code name "Nicole," Knight worked as a courier for the SOE's Donkeyman network.[citation needed] Following the Allied invasion of France at Normandy of June and July 1944, Knight crossed back and forth between battle lines several times, carrying intelligence messages and information.[2] Knight also participated directly in an attack by the French resistance upon a German military convoy, firing her Stensubmachine gun during the course of the operation.[2]
Knight narrowly escaped capture and execution later in 1944 when she and a group of resistance fighters were betrayed by one of their number to the Nazis.[2] Knight was one of about 30 fighters who managed to fight through a German encirclement.[2] The man responsible for the betrayal, Roger Bardet, was later arrested, tried, and sentenced to death as a collaborator after the war.[3] This sentence was commuted, however, and Bardet was ultimately released from prison in 1955.[4]
Knight left the employment of the SOE in November 1944.[citation needed]
^Cameron Ramos, "From the Typewriter to Blazing Sten Gun," Harrow Times, 20 March 2005.
Further readingedit
Marcus Binney, The Women Who Lived for Danger: The Agents of the Special Operations Executive. New York: William Morrow, 2002.
External linksedit
Cameron Ramos, "From the Typewriter to Blazing Sten Gun," Harrow Times, 20 March 2005.
May 11, 2024
peggy, knight, marguerite, diana, frances, knight, later, smith, born, paris, april, 1920, died, 2004, member, women, transport, service, 1944, served, with, united, kingdom, clandestine, special, operations, executive, during, world, with, code, name, nicole,. Marguerite Diana Frances Knight later Smith MBE born Paris 19 April 1920 died 2004 1 was a member of the Women s Transport Service and in 1944 served with the United Kingdom s clandestine Special Operations Executive SOE during World War II With the code name Nicole she worked as a courier with the Donkeyman network or circuit in France The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe and Asia against the Axis powers especially Nazi Germany SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England Marguerite Peggy KnightNickname s NicoleBorn 1920 04 19 19 April 1920Paris FranceDied2004 aged 83 84 AllegianceUnited Kingdom FranceService wbr branchSpecial Operations Executive French ResistanceYears of service1944RankField agentUnitSOE F Section Donkeyman networkAwardsMBE Croix de Guerre Presidential Medal of Freedom Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early years 2 Special Operations Executive 2 1 Awards 3 See also 4 Footnotes 5 Further reading 6 External linksBiography editEarly years edit Marguerite Knight best known by her nickname Peggy was born 19 April 1920 in Paris France the daughter of Capt Alfred Rex Knight and his wife the former Charlotte Beatrice Mary Ditkowski citation needed She worked as a shorthand typist for the Asea Electric Company of Walthamstow a district northeast of London England citation needed Special Operations Executive editOwing to her mixed British French parentage and upbringing in France Knight was a nearly perfect speaker of the French language so much so that one day early in the spring of 1944 leaders of the British intelligence organisation Special Operations Executive SOE overheard her speaking French in a cafe and immediately moved to recruit her into the organisation 2 On 11 April 1944 Knight began attendance at the Students Assessment Board of the SOE at Wanborough She was rushed through a cursory two week training course at Thame Park Saltmarsh during which she did only one practice parachute jump from a static balloon rather than the customary three before being sent behind enemy lines in Vichy France to establish herself as a secret British courier 2 Under the code name Nicole Knight worked as a courier for the SOE s Donkeyman network citation needed Following the Allied invasion of France at Normandy of June and July 1944 Knight crossed back and forth between battle lines several times carrying intelligence messages and information 2 Knight also participated directly in an attack by the French resistance upon a German military convoy firing her Sten submachine gun during the course of the operation 2 Knight narrowly escaped capture and execution later in 1944 when she and a group of resistance fighters were betrayed by one of their number to the Nazis 2 Knight was one of about 30 fighters who managed to fight through a German encirclement 2 The man responsible for the betrayal Roger Bardet was later arrested tried and sentenced to death as a collaborator after the war 3 This sentence was commuted however and Bardet was ultimately released from prison in 1955 4 Knight left the employment of the SOE in November 1944 citation needed Awards edit For her wartime activity Peggy Knight was later awarded high British French and American honours including appointment as a member of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire 5 the Croix de Guerre 6 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Member of the Order of the British Empire 1939 1945 Star France and Germany Star War Medal Croix de Guerre France Presidential Medal of FreedomSee also editSOE F Section networksFootnotes edit England amp Wales Death Index 1916 2006 a b c d e f John Prados Lost Crusader The Secret Wars of CIA Director William Colby New York Oxford University Press 2003 pg 15 Prados Lost Crusader pp 15 16 Prados Lost Crusader pg 16 No 37149 The London Gazette Supplement 22 June 1945 p 3333 Cameron Ramos From the Typewriter to Blazing Sten Gun Harrow Times 20 March 2005 Further reading editMarcus Binney The Women Who Lived for Danger The Agents of the Special Operations Executive New York William Morrow 2002 External links editCameron Ramos From the Typewriter to Blazing Sten Gun Harrow Times 20 March 2005 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Peggy Knight amp oldid 1150846666, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
