Adolphe Rabinovitch (1918 - 1944)

Born 27 May 1918 in Moscow, Russia

Died Mar 1944 at age 25 in Gross-Rosen concentration camp, Poland

Biography

Alec Rabinovitch is Notable.

Adolphe Rabinovitch was born on the 27th of May 1918 at Moscow in Russia ^[1] to parents of Jewish extraction. ^[2]At the time of his birth the country was just a year into revolution and his parents moved to Egypt where he was brought up. Educated in Paris and the United States he, in 1939 with the outbreak of war in Europe, volunteered for the French Foreign Legion and was taken prisoner by the Germans in June 1940. He escaped and made his way via Spain to Britain where he joined the Special Operations Executive, ^[2] an organisation charged by Winston Churchill with setting Europe ablaze.

On the night of 27/28th of August 1942 known as Arnaud he was parachuted into France, dropped in the wrong place, and became a radio operator for the Spindle network with Peter Churchill and Odette Samson. ^[2] In her personal file Odette recorded that Arnaud was an extremely difficult character but a very brave man and the best at his job in France. She always felt perfectly sure of Arnaud and that he would die for her if necessary. ^[3] When the network collapsed with the arrest of Churchill and Odette he escaped and again made his way to England via Spain.^[2]

Croix de guerre

On the night of 2/3rd of March 1944 he was parachuted into France ordered to set up the Bargee network but the drop site was under German control and he was captured and sent to Gross-Rosen concentration camp in Poland. This time there was no escape; he died in a gas chamber.^[2] While offering no evidence Find-a-Grave dates his death to 30 Jul 1944 at Radgoszcz in Poland. ^[4] Adolphe is memorialised at the Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial at the Brookwood Military Cemetery near Landon.^[5] His name is also on the SOE memorial at Valençay.^[2] The French government awarded him the Criox de Guerre. ^[6]

Probate was not granted on his estate of £458 6s 8d until 11 February 1950 when administration of his will was granted to Joanna Lynn Allen, single woman. ^[7]

Adolphe was portrayed by Peter Ustinov in the 1950 film "Odette". ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Unearthing Churchill's Secret Army: The Official List of SOE Casualties and .... By Martin Mace ISBN 9781783376643
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Wikipedia: Adolphe Rabinovitch
3. ↑ Penny Starns "Odette World War Two's Darling Spy" ISBN 978 o 7509 8437 9 The History Press 2018 Page 79.
4. ↑ Global, Find a Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current
5. ↑ Commonwealth War Graves Commission: CAPTAIN ADOLPHE RABINOVITCH
6. ↑ Web: UK, Recommendations for Honours and Awards Index, 1935-1990 (Captaine Adolphe Rabinovitch Service Number 234258 Award A l'Ordre de l'Armee, Croix de Guerre avec Etoile de Vermeil date 1940-1947) Viewed at Ancestry. Text only
7. ↑ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 (11 Feb 1950 Adolphe Rabinovitch of 8 Soleiman Pasha Street Cairo died on or after 9 March 1944 in Western Europe)
8. ↑ IMDb "Odette"