134 Dorset Sq Featherston, Gates to the garden 2018
Reason for the name
Dorset Square is a place of remembrance with gardens and grave sites on the western side of the town.
Dorset Square in London was where a branch of the Special Operations Executive was located, this was a British World War II organisation involved in spying on European countries occupied by Nazi Germany. 1 Dorset Square was the headquarters of the Free French Forces who went on undercover missions to enemy occupied France, several of the agents were from New Zealand. The Featherston Gardens are dedicated in their memory
Authors: Written by Bridgette Fairbrother and Kimberley Hewison. Researched by: Rachel Campbell.
During World War II 1 Dorset Square was where the Free French forces worked for four years against Nazi occupied France. The Free French forces were aided by the Special Operations Executive (SOE). The SOE was an idea of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The SOE was to carry out secret spying missions across Nazi occupied Europe using sabotage and guerrilla warfare. With over 10,000 people working for the SOE there was a need for space to create and carry out their plans. Across central London many mansions were used as secret headquarters for the SOE.
Between 1941 and 1944 1 Dorset Square, London was the hub for the Free French friends and the French resistance. These organisations carried out dangerous undercover missions in France. France had been invaded and taken over by Nazi Germany in May 1940. The men and women who worked at 1 Dorset Square were between the ages of 20 and 50 years old and came from a variety of backgrounds. They were of course French, but other nationalities who worked there included English, Scottish, Canadian and New Zealanders. Some agents had links to South Africa, Jamaica, Turkey, Portugal and Poland. Many had French mothers or had been born in France. In 1943 American agents joined the fight. All could speak French and for the most part only spoke French to each other in order to be ready at any moment to be sent on a secret undercover mission to France.
The name of Alliance House was given to 1 Dorset Square by Alliance Francaise de Londres to commemorate the bravery that was undertaken at Dorset Square by all of the nationalities who worked there.
In 1957 the Queen Mother unveiled a plaque dedicated to the SOE agents.
