Harry Rée

Who was Harry Rée?

Harry Alfred Rée, DSO, OBE was a British educationist and wartime member of the Special Operations Executive.

Harry Rée was born in England, the son of Dr. Alfred Rée, a chemist who was from an illustrious Danish Jewish family, and Lavinia Elisabeth Dimmick, the American-born great granddaughter of chemist and industrialist Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. He was educated at Shrewsbury School, Cambridge University, and the Institute of Education, University of London. In 1937 he became a language master at Bradford Grammar School, and later at Beckenham and Penge County School for Boys. In 1940 he married Hetty, daughter of Eardley Vine, of Beaconsfield. They had three children, Janet, Brian and the philosopher Jonathan.