Squadron Leader Vera Atkins Memorial Dedication

[Mike Colton]

A memorial seat to Vera Atkins W.A.A.F will be dedicated on Saturday 24th September 2011 in the Allied Special Forces Grove situated within the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire DE 13 7AR.

Invitations are available now from Mike Colton, Secretary, Allied Special Forces Association, P.O. Box 32, Hereford HR1 9DF ~ mikecolton@hotmail.com or via our sponsor line on 07929-118598. More information is available on our website http://www.memorialgrove.org.uk where an information leaflet can be downloaded from our NEWS section or we can send these by post.

The seat will also commemorate 15 women who lost theirs lives behind enemy lines whilst working for "F" Section the Special Operations Executive in WW2.

Thank you for your time.

Regards,

Mike Colton

[K4KittyCrew]

Many thanks Mike, for making us aware of this special person and event.
Regards,
John

[halifax1]

Quite an extra ordinary lady - although she never went "in" - all her work was done in the UK - at the end of the war she then ventured to all kinds of places to find out what happened to some of the agents who simply disappeared! One was Noor Inayat Khan - a tiny little person who like a number of the other SOE ladies was very much an unknown quantity. Both biographies are worth a read (A Life in Secrets - Sarah Helm for Atkins and Spy Princess -Shabani Basu for Khan)

Vera Atkins saw the agents off, from the airfield concerned. Knowing what awaited them it must have been quite hard when it was someone you had "looked after" for a while.

Vera Atkins drew my interest as she lived in Winchelsea - which I knew well and may even have bumped into her before her death, and also had connections with Felbrigg Hall which I also know.

Richly deserve a memorial - all of them! So pleased.

[Bob Wilton]

Hi Mike,

Please let me welcome you to the forum.

As a matter of interest,was Vera Atkins a native of Herefordshire? Its so nice that she is going to be remembered at the Allied Special Forces Grove at the Arboretum.
I would very much like to attend the ceremony,so I will be emailing you shortly.

Regards

Bob

[halifax1]

Vera Atkins was born in Romania and as far as I can recall never had any connection with Herefordshire (Hereford may be a false trail in this respect!!) as she came to live in England in the '30's - joining SOE in 1941. As I said she lived in Winchelsea in hr later years and died in in hospital in Hastings. She was a bit secretive apparently about her earlier life but did travel in her later years - but seemingly never completely gave up on SOE.

I think I might try and get to the ceremony.

[Bob Wilton]

Vera Atkins was born in Romania and as far as I can recall never had any connection with Herefordshire (Hereford may be a false trail in this respect!!) as she came to live in England in the '30's - joining SOE in 1941. As I said she lived in Winchelsea in hr later years and died in in hospital in Hastings. She was a bit secretive apparently about her earlier life but did travel in her later years - but seemingly never completely gave up on SOE.

I think I might try and get to the ceremony.

Hi Halifax,

Thanks for the information on Vera as I had never heard her name before.So she came
from Rumania,and must have been a very useful woman to have in SOE.Some of those
women did some very brave things during the war,and many met a terrible end.If you go to the ceremony,perhaps we can meet up for a chat?

Regards

Bob