This is a great opportunity for me to write on what I know about Henrietta Chevalier. I feel it is a duty. Her nephew very kindly gave me some information and thus filled certain lacunae in her biography.
Their contribution towards the Allies’ victory over Nazi-Fascism can never be appreciated...- Maria Rossella Dalmas, Msida
She was born in Malta on April 2, 1901. Her parents were Emmanuel Scerri and Maria nee’ Mamo. She was known to everyone as Chetta. She married Thomas Chevalier on May 15, 1920 at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Sliema. They settled in Rome where her husband was the representative of Thomas Cook. Mr Chevalier died slightly before the outbreak of war in 1939 and the family found themselves unable to leave Italy.
My father Joseph (Giuseppe) and his brother Dr Carmelo Cassar (k/a Bru) were imprisoned in Rome when Italy joined the Axis Powers following the outbreak of World War II. Basically they refused to give up their British passport and change sides. My father was first to be imprisoned in Regina Coeli, Bru felt it was unsafe to go back to his University lodgings. He found refuge for four months in the attic of Mrs Chevalier’s flat. She had contacts with the American Embassy and Bru finally managed twice to visit his brother incognito making use of a diplomatic pass. Bru was eventually likewise made prisoner. Joe Chevalier, Henrietta’s eldest son, was also interned.
She is prominently mentioned in the book The Rome Escape Line by Sam Berry (1960). In this same book, apart from Mgr Hugh O’Flaherty (the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican) there is mention of Brother Robert Pace, “a cheerful little Maltese” whose code name was “Whitebows”. Other Maltese priests collaborated and were indispensable in the escape line. They were Fr Borg (Grobb) and Fr Galea (Sailor). Mrs Chevalier was Mrs M.
We find out, surprisingly enough, that another brave Maltese lady played a major role. This was Mary di Rienzo, a cousin of Mabel Strickland. They are all unsung heroes. Their contribution towards the Allies’ victory over Nazi-Fascism can never be appreciated fully.
This book is easily downloaded from the internet and makes very interesting reading. Events are revealed of which I am sure few Maltese are aware.
In the film The Scarlet And The Black featuring Gregory Peck as Mgr O’Flarherty, Henrietta appears under an assumed name.
The Hugh O’Flaherty Memorial Society holds a yearly service to commemorate these brave people. In November 2010, during the Memorial Weekend, the Chevalier family, the Derry family and relatives of Mgr O’Flaherty all met up for the very first time. It was very moving.
She died in Malta on September 7, 1973 and is buried at the Addolorata Cemetery. Her experiences, unfortunately, had taken their toll. All the stress and strain proved too much and she got sick. Her direct descendants settled in the UK, Canada and Italy.
It is time to put things in writing here in her native land because the Latin dictum, Quod non est in actis, non est in mundo, is all too true.
Fortunately Nicholas de Piro has included her and Mary di Rienzo in his forthcoming publication The National Portrait Gallery Of Malta. A fitting tribute.
Lest we forget.