World War II wasn’t just about field and air operations, but also included espionage and other operations behind enemy lines. Espionage and intelligence played a vital role in the outcome of many of the war’s decisive battles.
Why were espionage operations so important for the outcome of World War II? It was because espionage is one of the most effective ways to compile information about an enemy. The great victories of the war could not have been possible without the information gathered by hundreds of spies working for the Allies.
The top five female spies serving in World War II included Nancy Wake, code name “The White Mouse;” Violette Szabo, code name “Louise;” Virginia Hall, code name “Diane;” Odette Hallowes, code name “Lise;” and Lise de Baissac, code name “Odile.”
Watch the video below to see who they were and what they did during World War II.
The job of a spy includes bringing back information about the enemy army and sabotaging the enemy in various ways. A spy has to be prepared to work in the most dangerous circumstances. The life of a spy is not as exciting as it is in the movies. It doesn’t always have a happy ending.
One of the requirements of the job is to be willing to sacrifice your life rather than revealing any information to the enemy that could compromise the mission.
It was usually seen as a job for men; however, some of the greatest spies of the Second World War were women.
While the efforts of men in war have been well highlighted, we forget that women also played just as large a role in the outcome of World War II. Some of them worked in the factories, some piloted planes, and some of them joined the Allied secret service.
Espionage knows no gender and in fact being female could provide less suspicion and better cover. There are many women who risked their own lives trying to provide information for the Allied secret service. There were more than 50 female agents who served in the field for the Special Operation Executive during World War II.