page_title: Madeleine Lavigne
section_title: Early life
hierarchical_section_title: Madeleine Lavigne / Early life
context_page_description: Madeleine Lavigne, code name Isabelle, was a member of the French Resistance and an agent of the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive organization during World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe against the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany. SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England. Lavigne parachuted into the Saône-et-Loire Department of France near Taizé on May 23, 1944 and worked as a wireless operator and a courier for the Silversmith network. She died of an embolism.
context_section_description: Born Madeleine Rejeuny, the daughter of a fabric designer, she married Marcel Lavigne when she was 19 years old and had two children, Guy and Noel.  Her husband became a prisoner of war early in World War II and after he was released by the Germans in 1943 they divorced.  Her appearance was described by her SOE colleague, Robert Boiteux,  as "unexceptional." She had "untapped intelligence" and was noted for "careful following of instructions." She spoke little or no English.
  Lavigne worked in the town hall of Lyon and her first job with the French Resistance was producing false identity cards and other documents needed by SOE agents and allied airmen shot down over France and attempting to escape capture by the Germans. She allowed SOE agent Henri Borosh to keep his wireless set in her house.
caption: Lavigne worked mostly in Marne Department for the Silversmith network.