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| Sonia d’Artois obituary | Sonia d’Artois obituary |
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| Sonia d’Artois, who has died aged 90, was a member of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and parachuted into France before D-day to support the resistance by working as a courier and explosives expert. She had been brought up in France, and was 20 years old at the time. Codenamed Blanche, she was to pose as Suzanne Bonvie, a representative of a Paris fashion house who had been sent to the country to recuperate from a serious illness. | Sonia d’Artois, who has died aged 90, was a member of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and parachuted into France before D-day to support the resistance by working as a courier and explosives expert. She had been brought up in France, and was 20 years old at the time. Codenamed Blanche, she was to pose as Suzanne Bonvie, a representative of a Paris fashion house who had been sent to the country to recuperate from a serious illness. |
| She was originally due to be dropped into the Saône-et-Loire district of eastern France to be the explosives expert for the SOE’s Ditcher circuit, which had a French-Canadian organiser, Guy d’Artois. The two had trained together and he had fallen in love with her after she winked at him before their second training jump. They persuaded their officers to pair them together, but when they got married during a weekend in London before their departure, Maurice Buckmaster, the head of SOE’s F Section, changed the plans, fearing that their relationship might leave them both more vulnerable under torture. | She was originally due to be dropped into the Saône-et-Loire district of eastern France to be the explosives expert for the SOE’s Ditcher circuit, which had a French-Canadian organiser, Guy d’Artois. The two had trained together and he had fallen in love with her after she winked at him before their second training jump. They persuaded their officers to pair them together, but when they got married during a weekend in London before their departure, Maurice Buckmaster, the head of SOE’s F Section, changed the plans, fearing that their relationship might leave them both more vulnerable under torture. |
| Guy d’Artois was sent into Saône-et-Loire with a different explosives expert, and Sonia was allocated to the Headmaster circuit around the cathedral city of Le Mans, under Major Sydney “Soapy” Hudson. On the night of 28 May 1944, nine days before D-day, she landed at La Cropte, west of Le Mans, and less than 100 miles due south of the Normandy beaches, perfectly placed to sabotage the German troops behind their lines and disrupt reinforcements moving up from the south. | Guy d’Artois was sent into Saône-et-Loire with a different explosives expert, and Sonia was allocated to the Headmaster circuit around the cathedral city of Le Mans, under Major Sydney “Soapy” Hudson. On the night of 28 May 1944, nine days before D-day, she landed at La Cropte, west of Le Mans, and less than 100 miles due south of the Normandy beaches, perfectly placed to sabotage the German troops behind their lines and disrupt reinforcements moving up from the south. |
| She lost the container containing the designer clothes that were part of her cover during the landing and it was found by a German patrol, alerting the Gestapo to the arrival of a female agent. But assuming the Germans would expect her to lie low, in the days after her arrival she did the exact opposite, frequenting the restaurants used by German officers and flirting with them to gain their confidence, establish her false credentials as genuine and gather intelligence. | She lost the container containing the designer clothes that were part of her cover during the landing and it was found by a German patrol, alerting the Gestapo to the arrival of a female agent. But assuming the Germans would expect her to lie low, in the days after her arrival she did the exact opposite, frequenting the restaurants used by German officers and flirting with them to gain their confidence, establish her false credentials as genuine and gather intelligence. |
| The Maquis resistance groups of rural guerrilla fighters had expanded in the months before D-day, and one of the SOE officers sent in with d’Artois was to train the new recruits in the use of weapons and explosives. When he was killed in an ambush, she took over his role as well. By day, she travelled around the countryside passing on cash, instructions and supplies to the various Maquis groups. By night, she coordinated sabotage operations. | The Maquis resistance groups of rural guerrilla fighters had expanded in the months before D-day, and one of the SOE officers sent in with d’Artois was to train the new recruits in the use of weapons and explosives. When he was killed in an ambush, she took over his role as well. By day, she travelled around the countryside passing on cash, instructions and supplies to the various Maquis groups. By night, she coordinated sabotage operations. |
| After D-day, she and Hudson were constantly on the move, sleeping in barns or haystacks and even under hedgerows as the Maquis harried the German forces. At one point she was stopped at a roadblock and arrested because the German soldiers were suspicious of her papers. She knew they were forgeries and expected to be uncovered, but her confidence and fluency in colloquial French eventually persuaded them she was genuine and they released her. | After D-day, she and Hudson were constantly on the move, sleeping in barns or haystacks and even under hedgerows as the Maquis harried the German forces. At one point she was stopped at a roadblock and arrested because the German soldiers were suspicious of her papers. She knew they were forgeries and expected to be uncovered, but her confidence and fluency in colloquial French eventually persuaded them she was genuine and they released her. |
| She and Hudson operated out of a base in the forest of Charnie, but its location was given away by a Maquis fighter under torture from the Gestapo and they lost a number of men and supplies. Nevertheless, their units managed to blow up railway lines, supply dumps and, crucially, the key telephone exchange at Le Mans. This forced German commanders across a large area south of Normandy to use radio rather than telephone communications, allowing the allies to intercept and read their communications. | She and Hudson operated out of a base in the forest of Charnie, but its location was given away by a Maquis fighter under torture from the Gestapo and they lost a number of men and supplies. Nevertheless, their units managed to blow up railway lines, supply dumps and, crucially, the key telephone exchange at Le Mans. This forced German commanders across a large area south of Normandy to use radio rather than telephone communications, allowing the allies to intercept and read their communications. |
| After the Le Mans area was liberated by the Americans in early August 1944, d’Artois was “arrested” and beaten up by local men who, as a result of the meals she had shared with German officers, believed her to be a collaborator. They were preparing to shave her head and tie her to a lamp-post when she was rescued by a group of Maquis. | After the Le Mans area was liberated by the Americans in early August 1944, d’Artois was “arrested” and beaten up by local men who, as a result of the meals she had shared with German officers, believed her to be a collaborator. They were preparing to shave her head and tie her to a lamp-post when she was rescued by a group of Maquis. |
| She and Hudson remained in France for some weeks, travelling through areas still occupied by the Germans to gather intelligence for the advancing Americans. D’Artois was then briefly reunited with her husband in Paris before returning in October 1944 to the UK, where she was mentioned in dispatches and appointed MBE. | She and Hudson remained in France for some weeks, travelling through areas still occupied by the Germans to gather intelligence for the advancing Americans. D’Artois was then briefly reunited with her husband in Paris before returning in October 1944 to the UK, where she was mentioned in dispatches and appointed MBE. |
| Born in Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, Sonya (who changed the spelling of her name later in life) was the daughter of Charles Butt, an RAF officer, and his French wife, Ada (nee Cordon), who split up shortly after their daughter’s birth. Her mother returned to her home in the south of France, taking Sonya. On the outbreak of war, they returned to England and as soon as she was old enough she followed her father into the RAF, becoming a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force before transferring into the SOE as a WAAF officer. | |
| After the war, d’Artois and her husband lived in Montreal in Canada, where she was known as Toni. Guy died in 1999; she is survived by their three sons and three daughters, and by her companion of seven years, John Tozer. | After the war, d’Artois and her husband lived in Montreal in Canada, where she was known as Toni. Guy died in 1999; she is survived by their three sons and three daughters, and by her companion of seven years, John Tozer. |
| • Sonia Esmée Florence d’Artois, resistance agent, born 14 May 1924; died 21 December 2014 | • Sonia Esmée Florence d’Artois, resistance agent, born 14 May 1924; died 21 December 2014 |