Kensington and Chelsea in Greater London, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
Vera Atkins
nιe Rosenberg
Courtesy of Martin Sugarman, August 4, 2022
1. Vera Atkins Marker
Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Croix de Guerre, Legion of Honour
[Star of David]
A Jewish pre-war British spy, Vera joined Special Operations Executive (SOE), as an Intelligence Squadron Officer, F Section, overseeing the missions of secret agents to France.
She lived at 725 Nell Gwynn House in WW2
הֲלוֹא צִוִּיתִיךָ חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ
Be Strong and of good courage. (Joshua 1:9)
Erected 2022 by the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, U.K. Branch, and AJEX U.K.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, World II • Women. In addition, it is included in the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation. series list.
Location. 51° 29.521′ N, 0° 9.873′ W. Marker is in Kensington and Chelsea, England, in Greater London. It is at the intersection of Whiteheads Grove and Sloane Avenue, on the left when traveling east on Whiteheads Grove. Located on the side of the building adjacent to the
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Greater South East. Globally, it is in the Atlantic Ocean, in the North Atlantic Region, in Europe, in Atlantic Europe, on one of the British Isles, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Chelsea World War I Memorial (approx. half a kilometer away); Sir Henry Cole (approx. 0.6 kilometers away); Twelve Responses to Tragedy (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Victoria and Albert Museum (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Fryderyk Chopin (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Charles McCall (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); The Chelsea Physic Garden (approx. 0.8 kilometers away); Thomas Cubitt (approx. 0.8 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kensington and Chelsea.
More about this marker. The Atkins marker is another in the series of U.K. markers funded by the Jewish America Society for Historic Preservation (JASHP). The series is managed and placed by JASHP's U.K. Branch.
Regarding Vera Atkins. Vera May Atkins, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Croix de Guerre, Legion of Honor, (June 15, 1908 June 24, 2000), was a Romanian-born Jewish British intelligence officer. In Romania, she worked as a British spy getting very close to the Nazi ambassador and extracting vital information about Nazi plans in Europe.
Courtesy of Martin Sugarman, August 4, 2022
2. Vera Atkins Marker
In the U.K., as a refugee, she overcame British discrimination, being both a female and Jew. Her prodigious skills as a linguist, memory, management, hard work, personal courage, and toughness were broadly respected. Quickly, she became a vital link in the British clandestine operations, S.O.E., Special Operations Executive. She eventually ran over 400 spies in Occupied Nazi France between 1941-1945.
She was the first woman, if not one of the very first women, ever to have achieved her level of operational influence and control in the S.O.E.'s history.
Also see . . . The Story Of Vera Atkins, The Fearless British Spymaster Who Inspired James Bonds Moneypenny. Vera Atkins, persona and in real life, remained secretive and discrete. Though subject to the Official Secrets Act, enough could be gleaned to see, opaquely, a master spy to the end.
"She took on many roles as a spy, including recruiting, training, and planning secret operations in France and managed to decipher coded German messages that no one else could. Indeed, her exploits were so impressive that they later inspired writer Ian Fleming, who based the fictional character M on Atkins in his James Bond novels."(Submitted on August 4, 2022, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)
Additional keywords. British spies, clandestine operations
Credits. This page was last revised on August 9, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 4, 2022, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 657 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 4, 2022, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
