Andrée's War (33 page)

Andrée and Frank, Promenade des Anglais, Nice, 1947.

The author with her aunt and godmother Yvette Griotteray Leclair.

Andrée after she had been given the Ordre national du Mérite, Le ruban bleue, 1972.

The Croix de guerre 1939–45 citation Andrée received in 1945, describing the details of her arrest.

Two of the medals that Andrée was awarded for her actions, the Croix de guerre (left) and the Légion d'honneur (right).

Translation of the citation: ‘While undertaking an important assignment as an agent in occupied France, Andrée Griotteray was arrested in Bordeaux on 17 July 1944 by police officers of the occupying forces and questioned for several hours. Displaying an enormous degree of sangfroid and exceptional skill, she managed to talk her way out of the charges being levelled against her and to extract from her accusers information which allowed her to work out the exact reasons behind her arrest and why her Resistance group had been targeted. Her mission accomplished, she immediately alerted the head of her group who put the appropriate security measures in place. Andrée Griotteray continued to carry out her underground activities uninterrupted until the liberation. This citation confirms the granting of a Croix de guerre with a Silver Star.'

The unveiling of a statue of General de Gaulle at Carlton House Terrace, London, by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, 23 June 1993. Left to right: former French Prime Minister Pierre Messmer, Alain Griotteray, Andrée Griotteray White and Jacques Chirac.

The memorial to the Orion resistance group, which lies at the entrance to the village of Orion.

Alain and Andrée in front of the memorial to the casualties of both World Wars, in Charenton-le-Pont, Paris, after Andrée had been given the Légion d'honneur, 8 May 1995.