10. She Was Smuggled Into France by Boat
Odette was supposed to get airdropped into occupied France, so she was sent for parachute training. There, however, she made a bad landing during one of her jumps, and ended up smashing face first into some matting. She hurt her knee and ankle, which was badly sprained, and got a concussion, as well as a cracked metatarsal. She spent time in a hospital for those injuries, and required specialist opthalmic care for an eye that was closed shut amidst a badly swollen face.
After recovering from her injuries, she expressed willingness – if lukewarm – to resume parachute training, but made it clear that she would prefer an alternative means for getting to France. Insertion via submarine was discussed as an option, before it was finally decided to smuggle her in by boat. On September 14th, 1942, she was given false identity papers for an “Odette Metayer” – a widow from Boulogne, who had been born and raised in Dunkirk. She was then dispatched to Gibraltar, from whence a small boat would smuggle her into southern France.