CCALS: Young, Brave and Beautiful

On 23 January 2019, we were delighted to welcome Tania Szabo to Churcher’s College to tell us about the incredible life of her mother Violette Szabo SOE.

Over three hundred people came to hear her speak and were moved by this very personal and unique testimony about Violette and all the influences on her life that led her to become one of our leading SOE agents.

We were told about her bravery in occupied France and her death at the hands of the Nazi’s at Ravensbruck. What was particularly poignant was her mother’s willingness to leave her daughter and risk returning to take part in the fight against Hitler, knowing that she might never see her child again. All attending were awestruck as Tania expressed the view that in doing this her mother had made the correct decision.

At the end the audience were able to view all the war medals that both her parents had been given, whist alive and posthumously, as Tania patiently signed a stream of her books: “Young, brave and beautiful: the missions of SOE Violette Szabo.” You can find out more about this book by clicking here.