Valencay SOE Memorial

Valençay SOE Memorial
Year established:	6 May 1991
Designed by	Elizabeth Lucas Harrison
Country:	France
Location:	Valençay, Indre
Coordinates:	47°10′02″N 1°33′25″E
Type:	Public

The Valençay SOE Memorial is located in the Indre region of France and commemorated the members of the Special Operations Executive F Section who lost their lives working to liberate the country during World War II.

Located at the western edge of Valencay, the memorial designed by Elizabeth Lucas Harrison and entitled "Spirit of Partnership" is eight meters tall and symbolizes the cooperation between the British SOE and the French Resistance. Its design is highly symbolic:

- its dark column evokes the clandestine side of night flights in which secret agents were sent to France and back to England;

- its clear column evokes the courage and the final victory of the Resistance;

- between the two columns, a disc evokes the accomplice moon for the favorable full moon periods for clandestine air operations (parachute, landing and pickups);

- three bright blocks evoke the markup L prepared on the ground by those receiving the agents to assist guiding the planes.

The memorial was unveiled in the town of Valençay on 6 May 1991 marking the fiftieth anniversary of the despatch of F Section's first agent to France. The memorial was dedicated by the Minister of Veterans Affairs for France and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The memorial's Roll of Honour lists the names of the 91 men and 13 women members of the SOE who gave their lives for France's freedom.

The following members of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals are commemorated here.

Engraved Name	Service Number	Rank and Name	Inscription Location
		Lt Alcide Beauregard
		Lt Robert Bennet Byerly

See Also

Wikipedia article (French language)

Memorial Genweb article (French language)