Eliane Plewman: SOE Agent in France

Overview

Éliane Sophie Plewman (née Browne-Bartroli) was a British agent serving with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War [1][2]. Operating in occupied France, she served as a courier for the “Monk” circuit, a resistance network tasked with espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance against Nazi Germany and the Axis powers [1]. Her service ended in capture by the Gestapo and subsequent execution at the Dachau concentration camp [1][2].

Early Life and Background

Plewman was born Éliane Sophie Browne-Bartroli on 6 December 1917 in Marseille, France [1]. Her background and heritage provided her with the linguistic and cultural fluency necessary for clandestine operations within France [4].

SOE Service and Deployment

Role and Network

Plewman was recruited into the Special Operations Executive, the British organization created by Winston Churchill in 1940 to “set Europe ablaze” through unconventional warfare [1][4]. She held the rank of Ensign and was assigned the service number F/23 [1]. Records from the Imperial War Museums also associate her with the Women’s Territorial Service (WTS) and the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) [3].

She was deployed to France as part of the Monk circuit, where she operated as a courier [1]. The courier role was one of the most dangerous positions in an SOE network, as it involved the physical transport of intelligence, messages, and funds between different cells and leadership, making the courier a primary target for enemy counter-intelligence [1].

Codenames and Identities

To maintain security and protect her true identity, Plewman utilized several aliases and codenames during her operations:

• Codenames: Gaby, Dean, and Madame Dupont [1].
• Cover Identity: Eliane Jacqueline Prunier [1][2].

Capture and Execution

While operating in France, Plewman was captured by the Gestapo [1]. Following her arrest, she was imprisoned and eventually transferred to the Dachau concentration camp in Bavaria, Nazi Germany [1]. She was executed by the SS on 13 September 1944, at the age of 26 [1][2].

Honours and Commemoration

In recognition of her bravery and service to the Allied cause, Eliane Plewman was posthumously awarded the following honors:

• King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct [1].
• Croix de Guerre 1939-1945 (France) [1].

She is commemorated at the Brookwood Memorial [1].

Archival Records

Documentation regarding Plewman’s service is maintained in several institutions. The National Archives (UK) holds records under reference HS 9/1195/1 (4) within the Records of the Special Operations Executive [2]. Additionally, the Imperial War Museums hold photographic records of Ensign Plewman as part of the Special Forces Club Collection [3].