A Heroine
At the outbreak of WWII Alice Joyce was working as a nanny the for the family of Baron Phillipe de Günzburg on the outskirts of Paris. Rather than flee the country she stayed and with the help of the baron daily risked her life by helping Allied airmen and agents to escape from the Germans. So dangerous was this task that they could not even risk telling the other servants for fear of being betrayed.
As the war raged on Alice had to escort the Barons wife, Antoinette, and his two young sons to Geneva, mainly walking by night carrying the children. At one point they risked travelling by train – only to be bombed by the RAF! On reaching Switzerland they were put into an internment camp before the British Consul managed to secure their release.
After the war Alice returned to France to work for the Baron for another 15 years before returning to live in Steventon with her brother Alf.
For more information about Baron Phillipe de Günzburg click here
