War spies in Marylebone

In a recent interview on the Rat and Mouse blog [link] I referred to one of my favourite house histories - Orchard Court in Portman Square, London. Orchard Court is not a particularly old building, a mansion block completed in 1930, but it is has the most amazing history attached to the Secret Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II.

Orchard Court - London

It was in Orchard Court that the French Section of the SOE used a number of flats to recruit new personnel, as well as a location for briefings before the spies were sent over into occupied France. Many of the stories of the Secret Operations Executive (initiated by Winston Churchill) still remain secret and we may never learn all of what these men and women went through, but it is certainly fascinating to picture these heroes walking nonchalantly into Orchard Court.

The French Section was also noteworthy for its inclusion of women. One of the leading characters, Vera Atkins, was of such notoriety that she has been the subject of two books and was said to be the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s Miss Moneypenny! The head of the French Section, Colonel Maurice Buckmaster was also said to have been the inspiration for Fleming’s ‘M’ from the James Bond stories.

Check out more on Orchard Court – The History of Orchard Court

Chesterton Humberts are also selling a couple of flats in Orchard Court - option one and option two