Sonya Esmee Florence Butt was born on 14 May 1924 in Kent, England. When the war broke out in 1939, she was 15 years one and living in Woking, England.
She left the service without signing off to marry Guy d'Artois, who had parachuted into a district of France about the same time as Sonya. After the war, they went to live in Canada. They had six children: Robert, Michel, Guy, Nadya, Christina and Lorraine.
After Guy died in 1999, Sonya went by the name of Toni D'Artois.
CODE NAME:
Blanche
Sonya was only a schoolgirl at the start of the War, and would not be due to join up for at least a couple of years. Her preference was for the WAAF, as her father had served in the RAF himself, but in order to join the WAAF, a girl had to be a minimum of 17½ years old. She joined up the moment she became eligible, on 14 Nov 1941, becoming Aircraftwoman (ACW) Butt. She served in the Administrative Branch.
The girl whose quest for adventure made her join up at the age of 17 was probably not going to be stimulated by filing paperwork, but in 1941 women were banned from front-line service. In April 1942, this provision was changed and one of the first organisations to take advantage of this was the Special Operations Executive (SOE). SOE trained teams to operate behind the lines in countries under Nazi occupation. The role of courier was particularly important, as movements around a district were likely to encounter German check-points and a male of military or working age attracted adverse attention; a woman on a bicycle, however, was not suspect and if she attracted attention at all, it was usually the sort that makes a besotted sentry forget to check papers & luggage properly.
SOE began to look for potential female couriers, but the work was highly dangerous and only the toughest in mind and body could perform successfully under such pressure, so they had to be very demanding, very selective and very secretive. It did not advertise its vacancies and recruited by 'the usual methods': word of mouth, and other quiet and roundabout means; a skill in the appropriate language was a good starting-point. While working at RAF Gosforth (alongside another future SOE Agent Patricia O'Sullivan) Sonya had been advertising her fluency in French in an attempt to get attached to the free French squadrons and escape her dreary routine. She failed in this bid but her attempts did bring her to the attention of SOE and she was soon accepted for training. She was given an honorary commission as an Assistant Section Officer.
Sonya joined SOE on 11 Dec 1943 and in less than six months she was in France. Her training followed the usual program of tough outdoor training, to develop stamina and basic soldiering skills, followed by specialist training according to the role on operations, plus familiarization with the routine of life in occupied Europe. Recruits could not discuss their training with outsiders, and in any case, this sort of training was unheard of for women. So, at the time, few would understand or even believe the full details of the armed and unarmed combat training the girls received. Only fellow students could give meaningful support and Sonya's colleagues included Nancy Wake and Violette Szabo and also a certain French Canadian Officer Captain Guy D'Artois, whom she would later marry.
On 28 May 1944, Sonya was parachuted into the department of the Sarthe in the area of Le Mans to work as a Courier, under the code name "Blanche". She was courier to Christopher Hudson, organizer of the Reseau circuit Headmaster. She was one of the last WAAFs landed in France before the Allied invasion, only nine days before D-Day.
Sonya joined SOE on 11 Dec 1943 and in less than six months she was in France. Her training followed the usual program of tough outdoor training, to develop stamina and basic soldiering skills, followed by specialist training according to the role on operations, plus familiarization with the routine of life in occupied Europe. Recruits could not discuss their training with outsiders, and in any case, this sort of training was unheard of for women. So, at the time, few would understand or even believe the full details of the armed and unarmed combat training the girls received. Only fellow students could give meaningful support and Sonya's colleagues included Nancy Wake and Violette Szabo and also a certain French Canadian Officer Captain Guy D'Artois, whom she would later marry.
On 28 May 1944, Sonya was parachuted into the department of the Sarthe in the area of Le Mans to work as a Courier, under the code name "Blanche". She was courier to Christopher Hudson, organizer of the Reseau circuit Headmaster. She was one of the last WAAFs landed in France before the Allied invasion, only nine days before D-Day.
After one of the other agents dropped with her was shot during a battle between the maquis and the Germans, Sonya took on the additional role of Weapons Instructor. She later said modestly: "I filled in wherever the need arose." As a courier, her primary roles were to carry money, pass messages and maintain liaison with all of the SOE Agents, maquis and local operatives working with the circuit.
In June 1944, whilst communicating messages around the countryside, she was stopped by two Germans and detained for questioning. This was a very dangerous moment but her cover story and false papers withstood the examination and she was eventually released. In due course the Allied ground forces broke out from Normandy and Sonya's district was liberated. In October 1944, she returned to England on the successful completion of her mission.
Obituary Links:
The Globe & Mail
The Guardian
Montreal Gazette
The Telegraph
In June 1944, whilst communicating messages around the countryside, she was stopped by two Germans and detained for questioning. This was a very dangerous moment but her cover story and false papers withstood the examination and she was eventually released. In due course the Allied ground forces broke out from Normandy and Sonya's district was liberated. In October 1944, she returned to England on the successful completion of her mission.
Obituary Links:
The Globe & Mail
The Guardian
Montreal Gazette
The Telegraph
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