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The Coolheaded, One-Legged Spy Who Changed the Course of World War II The Coolheaded, One-Legged Spy Who Changed the Course of World War II
(1 day later)
A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II By Sonia PurnellA WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II By Sonia Purnell
“A Homeric tale” is how Sonia Purnell describes the life of Virginia Hall, and that sounds about right. Certainly, hers was a story that must have been muttered about on hillsides, in the dark, by warriors, for Hall emerged from a middle-class American background to become one of the greatest figures of World War II: “the Madonna of the Mountains,” a hero who helped liberate France.“A Homeric tale” is how Sonia Purnell describes the life of Virginia Hall, and that sounds about right. Certainly, hers was a story that must have been muttered about on hillsides, in the dark, by warriors, for Hall emerged from a middle-class American background to become one of the greatest figures of World War II: “the Madonna of the Mountains,” a hero who helped liberate France.
There were early signs of independent-mindedness — the young Virginia “once wore a bracelet of live snakes” to school, Purnell writes in her captivating new biography of Hall, “A Woman of No Importance” — but in early adulthood she submitted to her mother’s ambitions to mold her into a society girl. Brief experiences at Radcliffe and Barnard proved enough, however, and soon Hall was in Europe, enduring a succession of disappointing jobs at embassies and losing her left leg in a hunting accident.There were early signs of independent-mindedness — the young Virginia “once wore a bracelet of live snakes” to school, Purnell writes in her captivating new biography of Hall, “A Woman of No Importance” — but in early adulthood she submitted to her mother’s ambitions to mold her into a society girl. Brief experiences at Radcliffe and Barnard proved enough, however, and soon Hall was in Europe, enduring a succession of disappointing jobs at embassies and losing her left leg in a hunting accident.
And yet the prosthetic replacement she dubbed “Cuthbert” didn’t prevent her from becoming an ambulance driver in France when the war broke out; nor slow her down when a chance encounter put her in touch with the man setting up a new British secret service. The Special Operations Executive, or S.O.E., had a remit to “set Europe ablaze,” and while Hall seemed an ideal candidate — as a neutral American, she could travel around France quite openly — many barriers remained, not least her sex. But outdated sensitivities came to her aid. “Traditionally,” Purnell notes, “British secret services had drawn from a shallow gene of posh boys raised on imperial adventure stories” (much like the British acting profession today), and many new recruits backed away in horror on learning that they were essentially expected to become assassins. Having witnessed early gatherings of National Socialists in Vienna, Hall had fewer qualms, and found herself in Vichy-controlled Lyon shortly before careless tradecraft led to local S.O.E. agents being rounded up by the Vichy police.And yet the prosthetic replacement she dubbed “Cuthbert” didn’t prevent her from becoming an ambulance driver in France when the war broke out; nor slow her down when a chance encounter put her in touch with the man setting up a new British secret service. The Special Operations Executive, or S.O.E., had a remit to “set Europe ablaze,” and while Hall seemed an ideal candidate — as a neutral American, she could travel around France quite openly — many barriers remained, not least her sex. But outdated sensitivities came to her aid. “Traditionally,” Purnell notes, “British secret services had drawn from a shallow gene of posh boys raised on imperial adventure stories” (much like the British acting profession today), and many new recruits backed away in horror on learning that they were essentially expected to become assassins. Having witnessed early gatherings of National Socialists in Vienna, Hall had fewer qualms, and found herself in Vichy-controlled Lyon shortly before careless tradecraft led to local S.O.E. agents being rounded up by the Vichy police.
Rebooting the entire network, Hall found that not all of her problems originated with the enemy. Other resistance leaders proved intransigent or reckless, fellow operatives were too insecure to take orders from a woman and Benzedrine-enhanced libido resulted in male agents cutting a swath through the female population. It’s a surprise, too, to learn quite how much money was involved in persuading people to fight for their freedom. But Hall persevered, helped by her ability to dish out “Homeric bollockings” when required, and plotted prison breakouts, organized resistance activities and re-established a chain of radio operatives throughout the region. By the time Vichy France fell under occupation, “the limping lady of Lyon” had become the Nazis’ most wanted Allied agent in France. Her only available escape route, in mid-November, was across “one of the cruelest mountain passes in the Pyrenees,” frequently impassable even in summer. With typical sang-froid, her midescape transmission to London read, “Cuthbert is being tiresome, but I can cope.” The duty officer who received it, not understanding the reference, suggested that she “have him eliminated.”Rebooting the entire network, Hall found that not all of her problems originated with the enemy. Other resistance leaders proved intransigent or reckless, fellow operatives were too insecure to take orders from a woman and Benzedrine-enhanced libido resulted in male agents cutting a swath through the female population. It’s a surprise, too, to learn quite how much money was involved in persuading people to fight for their freedom. But Hall persevered, helped by her ability to dish out “Homeric bollockings” when required, and plotted prison breakouts, organized resistance activities and re-established a chain of radio operatives throughout the region. By the time Vichy France fell under occupation, “the limping lady of Lyon” had become the Nazis’ most wanted Allied agent in France. Her only available escape route, in mid-November, was across “one of the cruelest mountain passes in the Pyrenees,” frequently impassable even in summer. With typical sang-froid, her midescape transmission to London read, “Cuthbert is being tiresome, but I can cope.” The duty officer who received it, not understanding the reference, suggested that she “have him eliminated.”
[ Read: OSS veterans recall cloak-and-dagger days.[ Read: OSS veterans recall cloak-and-dagger days.
She returned to France a few months later, having signed up with the newly formed O.S.S., and directed resistance operations at the time of the Normandy landings: Under her command, saboteurs put up misleading road signs to direct troops the wrong way (and “preferably over a precipice”), and laid explosive horse dung on roads. What sounds almost like high jinks took extraordinary courage and resourcefulness, and its contribution to the invasion can’t be underestimated. It’s sadly unsurprising that her postwar life, working for the C.I.A., was largely one of frustration: Her male colleagues felt threatened by her achievements, and she was frequently sidelined. That whispered-about legend she became during the war years in occupied France deserves to be loudly celebrated now. She returned to France a few months later, having signed up with the newly formed O.S.S., and directed resistance operations at the time of the Normandy landings: Under her command, saboteurs put up misleading road signs to direct troops the wrong way (and “preferably over a precipice”), and laid explosive horse dung on roads. What sounds almost like high jinks took extraordinary courage and resourcefulness, and its contribution to the invasion can’t be overestimated. It’s sadly unsurprising that her postwar life, working for the C.I.A., was largely one of frustration: Her male colleagues felt threatened by her achievements, and she was frequently sidelined. That whispered-about legend she became during the war years in occupied France deserves to be loudly celebrated now.
[ Virginia Hall is featured at New York’s espionage museum, Spyscape. ][ Virginia Hall is featured at New York’s espionage museum, Spyscape. ]
Sonia Purnell’s excellent biography should help make that happen. If Virginia Hall herself remains something of an enigma — a testament, perhaps, to the skills that allowed her to live in the shadows for so long — the extraordinary facts of her life are brought onto the page here with a well-judged balance of empathy and fine detail. This book is as riveting as any thriller, and as hard to put down.Sonia Purnell’s excellent biography should help make that happen. If Virginia Hall herself remains something of an enigma — a testament, perhaps, to the skills that allowed her to live in the shadows for so long — the extraordinary facts of her life are brought onto the page here with a well-judged balance of empathy and fine detail. This book is as riveting as any thriller, and as hard to put down.