Tuesday 21 September 2010

Torquay's very own Hero.

Torquay today honoured a war time hero. Eileen Neame who lived in Torquay died of a heart attack aged 89. She was set to be buried by the council in what used to be known as a paupers grave as she had no known relatives. Then it emerged that during the Second World War she had worked as a Special Operations Executive and had been sent into occupied France where she sent much information back to the UK using the code name 'Rose'. She was captured and tortured but managed to escape only to be captured again. She was again captured but escaped a third time. She spent the last months of the war being sheltered by a priest in Leipzig until the Americans arrived.

She lived in the Lisburne Square area of the town and neighbours said she was a quiet, kindly lady who liked to sit on a bench and would talk about her cat but never about anything she had done in the war.

She was buried today following a Requiem Mass at Our Lady's and St Denis RC Church here in Torquay. The funeral was attended by a representative from the French Embassy and mourners from across the country.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

RIP Eileen Neame - a true heroine!

newbie said...

Yes every Torquian can hold their head high and be proud of their town and the contibution it made during second world war.