Code Name Verity

This part is narrated by Maddie, or Margaret Brodatt, whose code name is Kittyhawk. It begins with Maddie safely hidden, for the moment, with the Thibaut family, who are members of the French Resistance. Clearly, Maddie did not die in the plane crash and subsequent fire. There are no chapter numbers or chapter divisions.

Maddie’s narrative begins with her realization that she has Julie’s false identity papers, which name her as Katharina Habicht. Maddie writes her story in her pilot’s notebook, though she realizes that this is not very smart. If she is caught, her whole story will be available to the Nazis. Furthermore, the British would also prosecute her for writing down her story and possibly betraying British secrets to the Nazis. It has been two days since she landed.

Maddie proceeds to write a report of her flight to France. The flight to France was on October 11, 1943. She describes the takeoff and the damage sustained by antiaircraft fire. She writes that the cargo was 500 pounds of explosives and detonating wire.

Upon landing her aircraft without much damage, she finds members of the French resistance waiting for her, among them Paul, who is in charge of a Resistance circuit called Damask, and Mitraillette Thibaut, a farmer’s daughter. They must destroy her plane to make it look like a crash landing. They have shot a German sentry while waiting for her to land, so they put his body, wearing Maddie’s clothes and boots, in the plane. They also put inoperable junk and old wireless sets, which have been previously compromised and are now useless, into the plane after removing the precious explosives and detonating wire. They set the plane on fire to simulate a crash landing.

Maddie is hidden in Mitraillette’s father’s barn; the whole family is part of the Resistance. The Thibaut family consists of two daughters, the father—Papa—and the mother—Maman. She is constantly terrified, because she poses such a huge risk to everyone helping her. If she is found, the whole family will be shot. In addition, Maddie confirms that she is Jewish. She will certainly be killed if she is caught. Everyone is worried, because Verity has not turned up. Maddie sleeps for two days.

On the third day, October 14, they teach her how to shoot a gun and give her one for protection. Maddie turns out to be an excellent shot. Mitraillette’s family is originally from Alsace, so they all speak fluent German. Maddie learns that the son, Etienne, is a Gestapo officer and collaborator stationed at the Ormaie Gestapo headquarters. Everyone hates him for his collaboration, but he provides excellent cover for his family’s Resistance activities.

Through the Resistance network, Maddie discovers that Julie landed safely and has met her contact. The mission—to blow up the Gestapo headquarters in Ormaie—is a go. They are trying to arrange for Julie to pick up her identity papers, when they hear that she has vanished. Ten days have passed, and now it is October 21. Maddie fears that Julie is either dead or a prisoner of the Gestapo.

In addition to all of these fears and the fear of being caught, Maddie also worries because Paul keeps making sexual advances toward her. She does not know what to do to protect herself, and she had to chase him off by threatening to shoot him. After two weeks, they are certain that Julie has been captured, and they begin to plan. Maddie will take on the identity of Katharina Habicht until they can get her out of the country. The weather and nearby fighting has made it impossible to stage a rescue. There are other British pilots and crew members waiting for rescue too. Rumors reach them that an English airman has been captured; they believe it’s Julie.

The French photographer who takes official photos for the Gestapo shows Maddie the photographs from the plane wreckage. They look very real. She asks him to hold back on the photos of the body; she does not want Julie to see them and believe she is dead. However, she knows that the phony wireless sets will help Julie trick the Nazis. She encourages the photographer to give the Nazis those pictures first.

Maddie endures a Sunday visit by Gestapo officers for dinner at the Thibaut farm. Everyone treats the Gestapo Captain, von Linden, like a king. Etienne Thibaut has a huge bruise near his eye. Anna Engel, whom Maddie calls “slave girl,” tells the Thibauts that a woman did it (236). Maddie wants to believe that Julie is the woman who hurt Etienne. More than three weeks have passed, and November has begun.

Next, Maddie reports that she spent the whole day, Sunday, November 7, in an unsuccessful attempt to rendezvous with her rescue team. She writes that she is back in the Thibauts' barn, hiding once again. At the failed rendezvous, she met with the other downed pilot, Jamie Beaufort-Stuart, and another woman, a wireless operator. She and Jamie are so happy to see each other that they kiss. They are able to encourage one another; Jamie tells Maddie to look after Julie. Once she has a mission, Maddie stops crying and worrying about herself so much.

She takes on the Katharina Habicht identity, living openly with the Thibaut family as a visiting relative. She helps the Resistance by looking for good landing fields in the neighborhood and by learning how to make small explosive devices. Paul is trying to find Julie by asking Georgia Penn—a kind of double agent—to visit the Ormaie Gestapo HQ. She learns, through the Thibaut sisters’ conversations with Etienne, what happens during Gestapo interrogations, even to women. She is horrified to think what might be happening to Julie. She knows that Julie is counting on her, but she doesn’t know how to help her.

Another rescue attempt fails on Tuesday, November 16, because Maddie arrives late to the rendezvous. Three days later, on November 19, Georgia Penn reports that she interviewed Julie. Maddie is overjoyed that she is still alive, after nearly six weeks in Gestapo custody. Her joy is tempered by despair when Georgia tells them that Julie has certainly been tortured and that she indicated that she doesn’t expect to be rescued. Julie believes she can complete her mission from inside the prison. Georgia is able to give them details that Julie passed on to her about the HQ that can be used to successfully complete the mission.

Maddie dreams that she is flying Julie home to Scotland in a Puss Moth. The sky is beautiful and filled with golden light. She is struggling to control the plane until Julie offers to help: then they fly the plane together and all is well.