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Her Finest Hour: The Heroic Life of Diana Rowden, Wartime Secret Agent
Diana Rowden was a woman of the finest character. As an agent with the Special Operations Executive (SOE), she was dropped into France alongside Noor Inayat Khan and worked in the Resistance stronghold of the Franche-Comté department. Hunted at every turn by the Gestapo, Diana worked tirelessly for the Allied war effort, sabotaging the Nazi-requisitioned Peugeot factory and providing the British military with frequent radio messages. In the ultimate tale of intrigue, Gabrielle McDonald-Rothwell relates how Diana's escapades ended up in betrayal by one of her own colleagues, and the final desperation of the concentration camps—murdered by her captors with the end of the war in sight. This full biography, untold until now, attempts for the first time to honor Diana's service to her country. At a time when the use of female spies was controversial and marred by establishment prejudices, Diana's tragic life is here given its full recognition. Although she was later mentioned in Dispatches and awarded an MBE and the Croix de Guerre, she has all but vanished from the annals of WWII history.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published July 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 22, 2019
Loved this book but I love anything about SOE and World War Two. These women were so incredibly brave but it’s heArtbreaking when they are betrayed or when agents were sent to their deaths through London’s stupidity- not listening when others who knew their signals thought it wasn’t them. The Germans were laughing at us. Great read and highly recommended
December 6, 2023
McDonald-Rothwell is to be commended for her biography of Diana Rowden. Maybe a tad too long and occasionally repetitious but not insignificantly to dent the impact this book had on me. I am still feeling the affects of it despite being half way through a very different book.
Diana Rowden was an SOE agent, (Special Operations Executive) charged by Churchill with "setting Europe ablaze." It was an exclusive unit fostered by Churchill himself, despite opposition from SIS, The Secret Intelligence Service and other bodies, and set up to assist Resistance units in occupied countries. SOE agents were trained in sabotage, radio transmissions and codes, spycraft and the use of weaponry. Diana was a courier who was dropped behind enemy lines in France in 1943. Her life expectancy, as she knew, was around six weeks. She lasted more than six months before being captured.
I am left with admiration for Rowden and her colleagues but also anger at the lack of appreciation of her sacrifice and the officiousness of those in charge of military awards who returned the Croix de Guerre awarded to her by France because they deemed international awards were too freely offered and the British had higher standards. Gender prejudice was blatantly obvious.
The SOE harboured double agents among its ranks, and given the dangers of German penetration of Resistance units many of its mistakes were costly, giving rise to accusations of amateurism and incompetence. Many of those in positions of authority in the SOE reflected the prejudices of the British Class System. They did not want to hear when told by those of lesser rank that the Resistance had been infiltrated in the Netherlands and that the Gestapo was arresting their agents as soon as they landed.
On July 6, 1944 Diana along with seven other women were sentenced to be executed. Four of them, including Diana were sent to Natzweiler Concentration Camp where they were executed by lethal injection. The process was bungled and they were shoved, some still conscious and breathing into the ovens at the crematorium.
Sometimes it's not enough to pause for a moment on the 11th of the 11th, not that many do these days, sometimes we need to pause and remember the many whose sacrifices are not recalled or whose memory are honoured only by a few.
Diana Rowden was an SOE agent, (Special Operations Executive) charged by Churchill with "setting Europe ablaze." It was an exclusive unit fostered by Churchill himself, despite opposition from SIS, The Secret Intelligence Service and other bodies, and set up to assist Resistance units in occupied countries. SOE agents were trained in sabotage, radio transmissions and codes, spycraft and the use of weaponry. Diana was a courier who was dropped behind enemy lines in France in 1943. Her life expectancy, as she knew, was around six weeks. She lasted more than six months before being captured.
I am left with admiration for Rowden and her colleagues but also anger at the lack of appreciation of her sacrifice and the officiousness of those in charge of military awards who returned the Croix de Guerre awarded to her by France because they deemed international awards were too freely offered and the British had higher standards. Gender prejudice was blatantly obvious.
The SOE harboured double agents among its ranks, and given the dangers of German penetration of Resistance units many of its mistakes were costly, giving rise to accusations of amateurism and incompetence. Many of those in positions of authority in the SOE reflected the prejudices of the British Class System. They did not want to hear when told by those of lesser rank that the Resistance had been infiltrated in the Netherlands and that the Gestapo was arresting their agents as soon as they landed.
On July 6, 1944 Diana along with seven other women were sentenced to be executed. Four of them, including Diana were sent to Natzweiler Concentration Camp where they were executed by lethal injection. The process was bungled and they were shoved, some still conscious and breathing into the ovens at the crematorium.
Sometimes it's not enough to pause for a moment on the 11th of the 11th, not that many do these days, sometimes we need to pause and remember the many whose sacrifices are not recalled or whose memory are honoured only by a few.
February 5, 2022
Immensely powerful biography of just one of the many English Resistance members in World War Two.
Diana Rowden was a lady of the finest character. An agent of the SOE (Special Operations Executive), she was dropped into France alongside another member of the Resistance, Noor Inayat Khan, and worked in the Franche-Comte department. Whilst being hunted by the Gestapo, Diana helped in the sabotage of the Peugeot factory at Sochaux and delivered frequent radio messages. In an intriguing tale, Gabrielle McDonald-Rothwell relates how Diana was eventually betrayed by one of her own Resistance colleagues, and vividly describes her final desperation at the concentration camp at Natzweiler, where she met her end.
Her story, untold until now, attempts to honour for the first time, her service to her country. At a time when the use of female agents was controversial and marred by establishment prejudices, her tragic life is given its full recognition. However, she was mentioned in despatches and was awarded an MBE and the Croix de Guerre, this little known individual has all but vanished from the history of the Second World War.
Diana Rowden was a lady of the finest character. An agent of the SOE (Special Operations Executive), she was dropped into France alongside another member of the Resistance, Noor Inayat Khan, and worked in the Franche-Comte department. Whilst being hunted by the Gestapo, Diana helped in the sabotage of the Peugeot factory at Sochaux and delivered frequent radio messages. In an intriguing tale, Gabrielle McDonald-Rothwell relates how Diana was eventually betrayed by one of her own Resistance colleagues, and vividly describes her final desperation at the concentration camp at Natzweiler, where she met her end.
Her story, untold until now, attempts to honour for the first time, her service to her country. At a time when the use of female agents was controversial and marred by establishment prejudices, her tragic life is given its full recognition. However, she was mentioned in despatches and was awarded an MBE and the Croix de Guerre, this little known individual has all but vanished from the history of the Second World War.
October 29, 2024
This book was not exactly what I expected. It was about an English woman who joins the SOE and the French resistance. I wish it had been more about her. There were small sections about her life why she joined and what happened to her. But much more about other people and the starting of the SOE in general. I already knew most of the rest, I was looking for a more personal aspect. The parts not written about Diana had a more textbook feel and read like one too.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews