Andrée Borrel

'''Andrée Raymonde Borrel''' (18 November 1919 – 6 July 1944), code named '''Denise,''' was a French woman who served in the [[French Resistance]] and as an agent for Britain's clandestine [[Special Operations Executive]] in [[World War II]].{{Sfn|Helm| 2005|p=12}}{{Sfn|Kramer|1995|pp=85–104}}{{Sfn|O'Conner|2016|pp=162–195}} The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe 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]].

'''Andrée Raymonde Borrel''' (18 November 1919 – 6 July 1944), code named '''Denise,''' was a French woman who served in the [[French Resistance]] and as an agent for Britain's clandestine [[Special Operations Executive]] in [[World War II]].{{Sfn|Helm| 2005|p=12}}{{Sfn|Kramer|1995|pp=85–104}}{{Sfn|O'Conner|2016|pp=162–195}} The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe 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]].

Described by author Elizabeth Nicholas as a "towering figure"{{sfn|Nicholas|1958|page=40}} in the French Resistance, in September 1942, Borrel was the first female agent of SOE to arrive in France by parachute, which also made her the first female secret agent known to have parachuted into enemy territory. Based in Paris, she became a member of the SOE's [[SOE F Section networks#Prosper|Prosper]] network (also called "circuit" and "''reseau'') in [[occupied France]]. She worked as a courier. Prosper was SOE's largest and most important network in France and Borrel was an important figure in its leadership. She was arrested by the [[Gestapo]] in June 1943.{{Sfn|Kramer|1995|pp=181–206}} She was subsequently executed in July 1944 at the [[Natzweiler-Struthof]] concentration camp.{{Sfn|Kramer|1995|pp=181–206}}

Described by author Elizabeth Nicholas as a "towering figure"{{sfn|Nicholas|1958|page=40}} in the French Resistance, in September 1942, Borrel, joined by Lise de Baissac were the first female agents of SOE to arrive in France by parachute, which also made her the first female secret agent known to have parachuted into enemy territory. Based in Paris, she became a member of the SOE's [[SOE F Section networks#Prosper|Prosper]] network (also called "circuit" and "''reseau'') in [[occupied France]]. She worked as a courier. Prosper was SOE's largest and most important network in France and Borrel was an important figure in its leadership. She was arrested by the [[Gestapo]] in June 1943.{{Sfn|Kramer|1995|pp=181–206}} She was subsequently executed in July 1944 at the [[Natzweiler-Struthof]] concentration camp.{{Sfn|Kramer|1995|pp=181–206}}

==Early life==

==Early life==