1948 Evelyn Hamilton

[dorset boy]

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So much does'nt add up.She is meant to be one of the women in this photo taken in 1945.

 

[VeloFellow54]

They appear to be wearing the uniforms of the Free French Forces. The woman at front left could be EH I suppose but the one on the steps looks nothing like her to my eyes. Given her accounts, I cannot see why she would have been a member of the Free French Forces though - but I am no expert in these matters. There must be records somewhere of all this including her participation (if any)

 

[nearlyworks]

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No it doesn't look like her at all (unless she is pulling a funny face, or perhaps has a whistle in her mouth? hard to tell )
Here's a picture of her in uniform - is that a FFF uniform?

In regards to the earlier question, when I visited her as a child she had a bike in the house and a cabinet full of trophies. I think someone told me the bike went to a museum, not sure if local or not and if the trophies went also. I will ask if anyone knows..

Yes I'm a bit sceptical of the parachuting tale. The rumour that persists in the family is that she was in Paris in the war and had a tandem and used to transport servicemen across Paris on the back of it (they were always wearing the same clothes but it was a different soldier each time). She would wave at German soldiers flirtatiously to distract their attention. Possibly another tall story but perhaps a bit more likely than parachuting?

 

[dorset boy]

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That's a Red Cross uniform,i agree that neither of the women look like her.They are not in F.A.N.Y or ATS uniform and do look very scruffy,the camera must have had a flash on it which seems to have reflected off the brass buttons and cap badges.They are not wearing belts either ?

 

[VeloFellow54]

The men in the earlier photo look like Free French to me. Even the way they wear those berets seems to indicate this. plus the location. I agree that the 2 women in the photo do not look like her. The photo of EH sporting a Red Cross outfit and cap gives credence to her being a nurse. Her claim to have been at Dunkirk during the evacuation though is another matter. I quite like all the contradictions and unsupported storied. It simply adds to the enigma that she was. We really do need to track down her medals etc. I live close to Swaffham....I wonder ? Difficult with COVID but maybe there will be information available there somewhere

 

[VeloFellow54]

This photo appears to indicate that she was in London to have this photo taken in August 1942. The stamp on the back seems to be a studio stamp of a photographer in the Strand

 

[RobLoasby]

The men in the earlier photo look like Free French to me. Even the way they wear those berets seems to indicate this. plus the location. I agree that the 2 women in the photo do not look like her. The photo of EH sporting a Red Cross outfit and cap gives credence to her being a nurse. Her claim to have been at Dunkirk during the evacuation though is another matter. I quite like all the contradictions and unsupported storied. It simply adds to the enigma that she was. We really do need to track down her medals etc. I live close to Swaffham....I wonder ? Difficult with COVID but maybe there will be information available there somewhere

The sign on the wall would support your idea that they were FF.

 

[dorset boy]

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https://youtu.be/FsEKPHFoIp0

 

[Tommy27]

Really enjoying this thread. Lovely bike to start with, followed by quite a bit of history (and maybe some fiction)!

Evelyn sounds like a charecter and the late 40s/ mid 50s is possibly (aesthetically anyways) my favourite period of history.

 

[dorset boy]

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Her tales of SOE are all just tales.Here are "real" SOE women who paid with their lives.