Life Story

Lilian and her twin sister Helen Fedora Rolfe were born in Paris in 1914

to parents George Rolfe, (a British accountant working in Paris), and a

Russian mother. Lilian grew up in Paris, and spent a summer in Britain

to learn English, where she became ill with rheumatic fever. In 1933,

when she was nineteen, the family moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,

and Lilian was working in the press section of the British Embassy at

the outbreak of the Second World War.This prompted Lilian to leave

Brasil for England and be more useful, and she left Rio de Janero

aboad HMT Highland Brigade in February 1943. Aftert a scare when

her ship was badly damaged by a German mine, Lilian arrived safely

in the UK.

Above: Ship manifesto

Lilian didn’t waste any time and joining the WAAF on 16th May, 1943.

Here, her language skills brought her to the attention of the SOE who

recruited Lilian on 24th November 1943, training her as a wireless

operator.