The History of Orchard Court - Portman Square

Orchard Court was designed by the architectural firm of Messrs Joseph and was completed in 1930. Orchard Court also played a vital role in one of the silent organisations of World War II. It was in this luxurious apartment building that flats were used as a base for the French section of the Special Operations Executive (SOE). “The time the agents spent at Orchard Court was a brief period of luxury before their gruelling, dangerous stints in the field.”

The Special Operations Executive at Orchard Court

The SOE was a secret service created to assist resistance organisations in occupied Europe in “launching sabotage, subterfuge and guerrilla warfare operations”. The SOE head office was at 64 Baker Street and a number of nearby buildings, including Orchard Court were used in organising their secret operations. The SOE was also notable for their acceptance of employing women, as it was “argued that women were less conspicuous than men” and in some cases more adept in fulfilling some of the tasks of their “secret employment”. However sending women behind enemy lines and training them in espionage, including silent killing was still highly irregular.

The French Section (or ‘F’ Section) was commanded by Maurice Buckmaster, who was assisted by Vera Atkins. Vera Atkins was the subject of a book A Life in Secrets by Sarah Helm (2006) detailing her experiences in the SOE. Atkins was responsible for meeting new recruits at Orchard Court before they set off for training. Agents would again stay at Orchard Court after completing their training and before they were sent into occupied France. Vera Atkins sent 470 agents into France including 39 women, 118 of whom were never to return.

Orchard Court

The name Orchard originates from Orchard Portman, a former country estate belonging to the Portman family, near Taunton in Somerset. The apartments first appear advertised in The Times in 1930 and the first residents appear in the London Directory and Electoral Register in 1930-1.

First Residents

The first resident of No.41 Orchard Court in 1931 was Mr Follet Watson Bell and his wife Isabella. By 1938 flat No.41 had become the home of Sir Francis Minchin Voules and Lady Renee Voules. Francis M. Voules was a solicitor and businessman and during World War I was Commissioner of the British Red Cross in Holland. Voules was created C.B.E. in 1920 and received a knighthood in 1921 for his work during the war, in particular, for his efforts is searching for prisoners of war missing in Germany and Russia.

Late 20th century

After World War II flat No.41 briefly became the home of Montague Jacobs and his family. Shortly afterwards, it became the home of Hyman Stone and his wife Dorothy. Hyman Stone was a senior partner in the legal firm of Jacobson Ridley & Co. The Stone family continued to live at No.41 Orchard Court into the early years of the 21st century.

Today, Orchard Court is located within the Portman Conservation area and is registered as an “unlisted building of merit”.

© Melanie Backe-Hansen – Chesterton Historian

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