Born: 1916 (Paris, France)
Died: 1945 (Ravensbrück concentration camp)
Biography:
Denise Madeleine Bloch was a courageous agent who worked with the clandestine British Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization during the Second World War. Born on January 21, 1916, in Paris, France, Denise came from a Jewish family. Her father, Jacques Henri Bloch, and two of her brothers were French soldiers who were taken prisoner by the German army in 1940. In order to evade persecution as Jews, Denise, her mother Suzanne Levi-Strauss, and her brother Jean-Claude lived a clandestine life, using false papers and assuming false identities.
In July 1942, the Bloch family managed to escape from occupied France to unoccupied Vichy France with the help of smugglers. It was in Lyon that Denise came into contact with Jean Aron, a Jewish engineer working with the French Resistance and the SOE network led by Philippe de Vomécourt.
Denise was soon recruited into the SOE and began working alongside radio operator Brian Stonehouse. However, in October 1942, Stonehouse was arrested, forcing Denise to go into hiding until early 1943. During this time, she was put in touch with SOE agents George Reginald Starr and Philippe de Vomécourt. Together, they operated in the town of Agen in the Lot-et-Garonne department of southern France.
In order to enhance her skills as a wireless operator, Denise was sent to London in preparation for her return to France. Accompanied by another agent, she embarked on a perilous journey, walking across the Pyrenees mountains and making her way to Gibraltar before finally reaching London. There, the SOE provided her with further training and prepared her for her mission.
On March 2, 1944, Denise, along with fellow SOE agent Robert Benoist, was parachuted back into central France. Operating in the Nantes area for the Clergyman circuit, they re-established contact with Jean-Pierre Wimille, a fellow racing car driver and SOE agent. However, their time in France was short-lived.
On June 18, 1944, the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) raided the villa where Denise and Benoist were hiding and arrested them. Denise endured interrogation and torture before being transported to prisons in Torgau, Saxony, and Königsberg, Brandenburg. Her confinement in these prisons subjected her to extreme cold, malnutrition, and harsh conditions.
Denise Bloch was eventually transferred to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Sometime between January 25, 1945, and February 5, 1945, at the age of 29, she was executed by the Germans. Her body was disposed of in the camp’s crematorium. Tragically, Lilian Rolfe and Violette Szabo, two other female members of the SOE held at Ravensbrück, were executed around the same time. In May, just days before the German surrender, SOE agent Cecily Lefort was also executed.
Denise Bloch’s unwavering dedication and bravery in her role as an SOE agent continue to inspire generations. Her sacrifice and contribution to the fight against fascism during World War II exemplify the remarkable courage and resilience of women in history.