Hannah and her brother, the day before she left to train with the British in Cairo.
On the night of May 13, 1944, a plane took off carrying the first members of the Hungarian team, including Hannah and Reuven Dafne, a young Palmach man who had fought with the British Army and was the team's leader.
Reuven had his doubts about the ultimate success of the mission, but Hannah's intense optimism affected him. As they flew to Yugoslavia, Reuven saw that her face "exuded happiness and excitement."
The roar of the plane's motor made conversation impossible, but just before Reuven jumped, Hannah, her face "wreathed in a smile," gave him a thumbs-up. She jumped right after him but was blown far from Reuven's landing spot because she was lighter than he was.
After the the partisans found them, the team walked four days to headquarters, where they learned the German invasion of Hungary had just occurred. Their rescue mission now seemed impossible.
"We are late, we are late," Hannah cried. What will happen to all of them...to the million Jews in Hungary? They're in German hands now--and we're sitting here...just sitting."
Excerpt from "Hannah Senesh: British Paratrooper" from Women Heroes of World War II: 32 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue.
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