Next to the war memorial.

The memorial comprises a white Carrara marble column on a black granite plinth. The column and base bear inscriptions, including a list of known women agents from the Special Operations Executive (SOE). The top of one face of the white column bears a mosaic disc, depicting a white dove and the full moon in a blue sky.

The memorial commemorates the women who served as agents in occupied Europe during World War II and the aircrew who transported them, from Royal Air Force (RAF) Special Duties moon squadrons, 138 Squadron and 161 Squadron, based mainly at nearby RAF Tempsford. The memorial bears the names of 75 known women agents from 13 nations, of whom 29 were arrested, 16 were executed, three died of illnesses while imprisoned, and one committed suicide using a cyanide L-pill before being captured.

The listing includes the names of four women with U.S. citizenship or other close U.S. family connections, who served with the SOE during World War II -- two of whom were executed in German concentration camps:

- VIRGINIA HALL: Virginia (Goillot) Hall (1906-1982)

- NOOR INAYAT KHAN: Second Lieutenant Noor Nora Inayat Khan (1914-1944)

- VERA LEIGH: Ensign Vera Eugenie (Glass) Leigh (1917-1944)

- ELIZABETH REYNOLDS: Elizabeth Minnie (Reynolds) Devereux-Rochester (1917-1983)

The memorial was commissioned by the Tempsford Memorial Trust and created by Ivett & Reed, stonemasons based in Cambridge. Many of the 75 women listed on the monument have not previously been honored publicly for their service, and reportedly, the Tempsford Parish Council decided to establish the memorial after one of the British wartime agents, Eileen Nearne, died poor and alone in southwestern England in 2010.

The memorial was unveiled on 3 December 2013 by Charles, then-Prince of Wales, who completed the mosaic by inserting the last mosaic piece at the center of the moon, with a flypast by a Lysander in the colors of 161 Squadron.

Source of information: en.wikipedia.org, claremulley.com

 [mosaic of dove flying under full moon, with dark blue background] 

By the full moon we flew

TO HONOUR AND REMEMBER

THE WOMEN

WHO WENT OUT FROM

RAF TEMPSFORD

AND OTHER AIRFIELDS AND PORTS

TO AID RESISTANCE MOVEMENTS

IN OCCUPIED EUROPE

1941-1945

SOME REMAIN NAMELESS

SOME DID NOT RETURN

On the base text:

UNVEILED BY

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

THE PRINCE OF WALES

WHO PUT IN PLACE THE FINAL PIECE OF THE

MEMORIAL MOSAIC

ON

3rd DECEMBER 2013

Northwest face of monument text:

VIRGINIA HALL

IN HONOUR OF THE MEN AND WOMEN

OF THE SPECIAL DUTIES SQUADRONS

STATIONED AT RAF TEMPSFORD

WHOSE WORK HELPED SUSTAIN

THE RESISTANCE MOVEMENTS

IN OCCUPIED EUROPE

1942-1945

[insignias of No 138 Squadron For Freedom' and No 161 Squadron

Liberator]

gentlemen of the shade

minions of the moon

Southeast face of monument text:

NOOR INAYAT KHAN

VERA LEIGH

ELIZABETH ROCHESTER

TO HONOUR

THE MEN AND WOMEN

OF THE SECRET SERVICES OF

MANY ALLIED NATIONS

WHO GAVE UP THEIR LIVES

IN THE CLANDESTINE

STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY

1939-1945

they gave up their lives

so that we may live

in freedom

Northeast face of the monument:

The life that I have

is all that I have. And

the life that I have. Is

yours. The love that I

have . Of the life that

I have . Is yours and

yours and yours. A

sleep I shall have .

A rest I shall have .

Yet death will be

but a pause. For the

peace of my years .

In the long green

grass . Will be yours

and yours and yours.

LEO MARKS

Code-poem for Violette Szabo

[on base]

ERECTED BY THE VILLAGERS

OF THE PARISH OF TEMPSFORD

AND INSPIRED DONORS

CRAFTED BY IVETT & REED CAMBRIDGE