WORK is underway to extend the museum dedicated to the life of Second World War heroine Violette Szabo at Wormelow.

Stonemason Joe Price of Woolhope is building the new room at the museum which will become a study area for visitors.

Founder of the museum Rosemay Rigby is planning an official opening of the £36,000 project on Sunday, July 11 next year, the 100th anniversary of Violette’s birth.

Next year is also the 21st anniversary of the museum in the cottage which was a favourite holiday home for Violette when she was a child.

Violette was a member of the Special Operations Executive working behind enemy lines in occupied France.

She was captured by the Nazis and murdered in the Ravensbruck concentration camp at the age of 23.

Her bravery was officially recognised with the award of the George Cross, Britain’s highest civilian honour and with the French Croix de Guerre.

Her life story was later told in the film Carve Her Name with Pride which starred Virginia McKenna who was guest of honour among the 2,000 people from around the world who attended the opening of the museum

Miss Rigby explained: “Violette has outgrown her museum – people visit from all over the world and she needs desperately some more room.

“It is to carry the name of Violette’s Reading Room and I’ve got all sorts of lovely things waiting to go into it.

“We’ve got a lovely oak dining table and the thought is that lots of people like to study things but space has got so limited that there isn’t the space to do this.

“That is why she desperately needs the extra space.”

The work is going ahead despite the Covid-19 pandemic hitting fund-raising for the project.

Miss Rigby said: “Lots of wonderful people were going to do things this year such as haveinggolf tournaments, but of course everything was cancelled.”

She said the money for the extension is available but more will be needed to carry out electrical works.

“I’ve got all these things which have been donated and I’m doing my level best but I need any help I can get.”

On her second mission, the day after D-Day in June 1944, she was to help the resistence groups in the Limoges intercept a Panzer division heading to meet the Allies in Normandy.

She was captured and sent to Ravensbruck, north of the German capital Berline where she was murdered.

To learn more about the museum and ways to assist, call Miss Rigby on 01981 540477.