Phyllis Latour

Phyllis "Pippa" Latour (born 8 April 1921) MBE, was a heroine of the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War.

Latour's father, Philippe, was French and married to Louise, a British citizen living in South Africa, where Phyllis was born in 1921.

She moved from South Africa to England and joined the WAAF in November 1941 (Service Number 718483) as a flight mechanic for airframes—But she was immediately asked to become a spy, and went through vigorous mental and physical training. She joined the SOE in revenge for her godmother's father having been shot by the Nazis, officially joining on 1 November 1943 and was commissioned as an Honorary Section Officer.

She parachuted into Orne, Normandy on 1 May 1944 to operate as part of the Scientist circuit, using the codename Genevieve to work as a wireless operator with the organiser Claude de Baissac and his sister Lisé de Baissac (the courier). She worked successfully and largely avoiding detection of the Germans, she sent over 135 messages to London, remaining in France until the liberation in August 1944.

After World War II, Latour married an engineer with the surname Doyle, and went to live in Kenya (East Africa), Fiji, and Australia. She now lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

Latour was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (Knight of the Legion of Honour), by the French government on 29 November 2014, as part of the 70th anniversary of the battle of Normandy.

	Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
	1939–45 Star
	France and Germany Star
	Defence Medal (United Kingdom)
	War Medal 1939–1945
	Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (France)
	Legion of Honour (France)