French wartime resistance heroine Solange Alexandre dies aged 104

bbc news Nov 10, 2026 14:00 1 min read 1 reads

With 30 men under her orders, she organised sabotage operations, sheltered Allied airmen and joined the fight against the occupying German forces.

A sepia image of a woman called Solange Alexandre — Image caption,
Solange Alexandre twice turned down the Légion d'Honneur before relenting in 2024

ByHugh Schofieldin Paris

Published34 minutes ago

One of France's last Resistance heroes from World War Two has died at the age of 104. Solange Alexandre was also a rare woman who, with her future husband, created and commanded her own unit of anti-German fighters.

After serving as a Resistance courier from 1941, three years later she founded the Pas-de-Boeuf network near the town of Ruillé-sur-Loir.

French wartime resistance heroine Solange Alexandre dies aged 104

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