Yvonne Claire Rudellat, MBE, known by her code name Jacqueline, was a courageous agent of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II.

Tasked with espionage and sabotage in occupied France, Rudellat allied herself with the French Resistance, working as a courier and to organise resistance supply drops, becoming adept at sabotage operations before her imprisonment.

Born in Maisons-Lafitte, France, Rudellat's life took several turns, including marriage, separation, and financial difficulties, before finding purpose in joining SOE.

Her determination to contribute to the war effort led her to undergo rigorous training and eventually be deployed to France in July 1942.

In France, Rudellat, using the cover name Jacqueline Gautier, played a crucial role in organizing resistance activities, managing drop zones for agents and supplies, and participating in sabotage.

However, tragedy struck in June 1943 when she and her colleague Pierre Culioli were captured by the Germans during a mission. Despite severe injuries sustained during their capture, Rudellat was resilient, but her health deteriorated during her imprisonment.

After being transferred through several prisons, Rudellat ended up in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where she succumbed to typhus and dysentery on April 23 or 24, 1945, just after the camp's liberation by the Allies.

Her fate remained unknown until July 1946 when her identity was confirmed by fellow prisoners.

Rudellat's bravery and sacrifice were recognized with a posthumous MBE, and she is commemorated on the Brookwood Memorial to the Missing, among the 3,500 individuals "to whom war denied a known and honoured grave."