Forest Yeo- Thomas

Forest Yeo- Thomas the survivor of the German during the second world war has inspired many by his story. Not only caring for others but risking his life for them and for that reason he was awarded the George Cross.



Forest Yeo thomas was born on the 17 June 1901 , but he grew up in France. He joined the American army at the age of 16 by lying about his age.

In 1920 he fought in Poland against. The soviet Union . Captured and sentenced to death he strangled his guard and escaped.

Odette Sansom the heroine!!!

Odette was born on February, 28 1912 in France.
She has 3 children, all girls.
She was the first women to receive
the George cross medal.

Names of medals she was given:
Star defence medal
War medal
Queen Elizabeth ||| Coronation medal
Queen Elizabeth || silver jubilee medal
And many more


Name:Odette Sansom
She was a wife,mother and secret agent.
She quoted :"I Used to say, I've got children
She got a George Cross medal for not betraying her fellow agents when being in captivity.
During her times there were no women to go to war!
We chose to write about her because she is very inspiring and she is a mother, a wife and a secret agent!!!

Odette marie sansom

We chose her because she showed bravery and she was the first woman to receive the George Cross. She is a good role model.

Information:

Mrs Odette Marie Celine Sansom was born in France on 28 April 1912. In 1931, she married an Englishman and came to live in Britain. She was recruited by SOE in the spring of 1942 and, after training, was sent to Vichy France in October. In April 1943 she and her colleague Peter Churchill were arrested. Even though there was prolonged interrogation and torture, she refused to reveal any information. After a year in French prisons, including Fresnes Prison, Paris, Mrs Sansom was taken to Germany in July 1944 and interned in Ravensbruck concentration camp. There she was held in solitary confinement in a cell without light or heat but still refused to co-operate with her captors. Although she was sentenced to death, the Germans' belief that she was married to Peter Churchill and thereby related to Winston Churchill (Peter Churchill was not related to the Prime Minister), prevented them from carrying out the execution. On 3 May 1945, shortly before the German surrender, she was escorted across the Allied lines to safety. Odette Sansom, who later married Peter Churchill, was awarded the George Cross on 20 August 1946, the first woman so honoured. Later, as Mrs Geoffrey Hallowes, she became prominent in her old service, the WTS (FANY), and was on the Committee of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association. Mrs Hallowes, a national figure in Britain and a living symbol of the French Resistance, died in Surrey on 13 March 1995.

Photos:
While she was spending her time at a prison in France, she passed time by making these two dolls - she gave them to the German priest who gave them back to her after the war.

She chose to have a jacket in a dark colour in case she was captured because it would not show the dirt.

We drew a picture of her!

Doreen Ashburnham and Anthony Farrer

11 year old Doreen ashburnham was attacked near her home on Vancouver island by a vicous cougar.She and her 18year old cousin-Anthony farrer fought off the big cat with her riding whips and bare fists,as it mauled them repeatedly leaving them badly injured .The cougar was found and shot and measured to be 8feet long.(ooooooh Doreen got scratched by a cat ooooooooooooh)!Doreen lived at Cowichan until her return to England as a debutante in 1925. She then moved to California, joining the first US women's polo team. She also raised show horses in Italy for international competition, In the 1930s, Miss Ashburnham moved back to the USA where she learnt to fly. During World War Two she served as a ferry pilot.She married Sydney Jackson Ruffner in February 1945. We chose doreen because it's interesting how an 11 year old girl can fight an 8 feet cougar with a whip and bare hands and survive with minor injuries.!

Investigation

This blog is for students at ND who are visting the extraordinary heroes exhibition at the imperial war museum. They will choose the story they find most significant and create blogs and presentations about that person.