[3] Before the outbreak of World War II in France, Terré had developed a love for literature and fine books.

To ensure her economic independence, Hélène created a publishing company, called "Ariel," where she worked for seven years.

[3][4] Terré joined the Red Cross in France, and in 1941, whilst on a mission to Britain to collect medicines and vitamins for French children, she was arrested and imprisoned for three months on the instructions of Jacques Meffre.

Meffre was head of General de Gaulle's internal security service, responsible for detecting potential infiltrators amongst volunteers to join the Free French Forces.

By doing so, she pledged to follow the armies of Combat France in every respect, on all fronts, and for the duration of the war plus three months.

Some volunteers were selected for special training according to their skills and inclinations, such as office and secretarial workers, nurses, translators, interpreters, telephone operators, cooks, motor drivers, mechanics and more.

"The young French speakers who were fluent in the English language were used as “messengers", others were sent to colleges in the major cities of the country to give lectures on Free France and on the living conditions in occupied territories.

"English friends, we even had them in our unit: young girls who had been brought up in France, daughters of French mothers who received permission from the War Office to join us.