Violette Szabó GC Museum

About the museum

The museum commemorates Violette Szabó (1921–1944), who was born in Paris to an English father and a French mother and spent many holidays in Herefordshire. She joined the Special Operations Executive in 1943 and was sent to occupied France in 1944. She did not survive the war and was awarded the George Cross after her death. Her story was told in the 1958 film Carve Her Name With Pride.

The museum was founded by Rosemary Rigby MBE, who had lived at Cartref in Wormelow for 36 years and had collected items connected with Violette over that time, including a collection from a local woman, Margot Dennis. A fundraising appeal was launched in October 1998 with the support of the actress Virginia McKenna, and the museum opened on 24 June 2000. Funding came from National Lottery grants, regional small-project funds and public donations.

The exhibition is housed at Cartref and consists of memorabilia and four information panels. Each panel begins with lines from the poem that Violette used as a coding verse, written by the SOE codemaster Leo Marks. A booklet reproducing the panel texts is sold in the museum shop. The museum is run as a small memorial and is supported by a society of friends, which also holds an annual anniversary gathering in the village.

Highlights

• Memorabilia connected with Violette Szabó
• Four information panels built around her coding poem
• Memorial set up by a local resident in the village where Violette spent holidays
• Booklet of the panel texts sold in the museum shop

Founded

2000

Operated by

The Violette Szabó GC Society

Admission & discounts

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Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

The museum is at Cartref on Tump Lane in the village of Wormelow, south of Hereford.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

A small museum shop sells a booklet of the panel texts.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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