It was a special celebration at the eleventh annual memorial gathering for Violette Szabo, the Second World War British secret agent.

Had Violette lived, it would have been her 90th birthday, but she was killed by the Germans on her second espionage trip to occupied France, where she helped the resistance sabotage communication lines during German attempts to stem the Normandy landings.

Rosemary Rigby MBE has run The Violette Szabo GC Museum at the Wormelow Tump, in Herefordshire, that Violette's English cousins formerly owned.

It is where Violette stayed while she was recuperating from an ankle injury and between her two missions to France.

Ex-servicemen, civic leaders, including Monmouth's mayor and consort Councillor Gerry Bright and his wife Olive, and members of the public joined in to remember the sacrifice made by Violette and the many others.

For full story see Beacon 29/06/11.