A new school hall in Wellington has been named in honour of a hero of the Second World War.
The Odette Hallowes Hall at Court Fields School was officially unveiled during a ceremony attended by students, staff, guests, and members of Hallowes’ family.
Ms Hallowes, a French-born Special Operations Executive agent who settled in Somerset, is remembered for her bravery during the war.
In 1942, she was recruited to work undercover in occupied France.
She was later captured by the Gestapo, who subjected her to interrogation and imprisonment, including time spent in the Ravensbrück concentration camp.
Despite her suffering, she revealed nothing that could endanger others.
She survived the war and was later awarded the George Cross for her courage.
The new hall will be used for assemblies, performances, and community events, and is intended as a long-term investment in the school’s future.
Polly Matthews, headteacher at Court Fields School, said: "I’d like to thank Odette’s family for allowing Court Fields School the privilege of naming our school hall in memory of their remarkable family member.
"It was an enormous privilege to welcome all our guests here today for the formal opening of our school hall and to do so in the presence of someone whose family story reminds us of courage, humanity and those characteristics that we know will be vital for the many children who pass through these doors: resilience, integrity, leadership, duty, empathy and bravery.
"The Odette Hallowes Hall will be a place of voice, belonging and shared humanity.
"A place where differences are respected, ideas are exchanged freely, beliefs are honoured, and history reminds us of the responsibility we carry for the future.
"In naming this hall after Odette Hallowes, we are not only honouring an extraordinary woman — we are setting a standard for the generations who will pass through these doors.
"At a time when generationally the links to the experiences of everyday men and women in World War Two become less tangible, it is vital that we provide opportunities for remembrance, to remember not only those impacted by the horrors of conflict as combatants or civilians, but those, like Odette, who lived extraordinary lives to help others survive."
The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of the hall’s name and an opportunity for guests to view the new space.
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