A group of FANYs – both active members and Associates – recently travelled to Germany to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Ravensbrück Concentration Camp.
RAVENSBRÜCK
On Sunday 4 May, a group of 17 FANYs attended the commemoration marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Ravensbrück Concentration Camp in Germany.
They heard a number of survivors’ stories, which were extremely moving and thought-provoking. There were many wreaths laid at the statue of “The Burdened Woman” by the lakeside, including one from the Corps.
They then moved over to the memorial wall where they laid wreaths from the FANY, the Special Forces Club, Julie Clamp (granddaughter of Yvonne Rudellat) and Sophie Parker (granddaughter of Odette Sansom).
Lynette Beardwood gave a short speech about the FANYs who were imprisoned in the camp, four of whom were executed there and are listed on the plaque. Sue Field read the code poem “The life that I have”, Sophie related some memories from Odette, and Claire Cutts led us in the FANY Collect.
BERGEN-BELSEN
On Monday 5 May, five FANYs drove to Bergen-Belsen camp. Yvonne Rudellat, who had been in Ravensbrück, was sent on a ‘death march’ with 300 other women prisoners to Belsen in early 1945. She made it to the camp but once there she became ill with Typhus which was rife at the camp. She survived until the camp was liberated on 15th April but died shortly afterwards. There is no marked grave as the disease meant the British troops had to bury the over 10,000 bodies in mass graves to prevent further spread.
They laid a wreath at the memorial wall and also Julie’s wreath at the mass gravesite number 5, which is where we believe Yvonne is buried.
The camp is a truly beautiful place now and extremely moving. It is definitely worth a visit.
