She helped develop a shark repellent, so sharks would no longer accidentally trigger bombs. Her superiors praised her drive and cheerfulness, saying she inspired other workers. While she started out as a secretary, soon enough she was given more responsibility within the Agency. However, she was not too tall to join the OSS. Child had wanted to join military services, but was denied because of her height – a statuesque 6'2. Years before she learned to cook, Julia Child worked for the OSS during World War II. Explore her story in Spying in WWII exhibit. In 1949, Noor became the first woman of south Asian descent to be awarded the George Cross for her service in the SOE, the highest civilian decoration in the United Kingdom. She was arrested by the Gestapo and eventually executed. For three months, Khan carried a suitcase radio (over 30 pounds) and single-handedly maintained communications between London and occupied Paris, helping 30 Allied airmen escape while she evaded capture. In 1943, recruited by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), she became the first female wireless operator sent to occupied France. Khan trained as a radio operator with Britain’s Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. See her propaganda album in the Museum's Propaganda exhibit.īorn the royal daughter of an Indian pacifist, Noor Inayat Khan was an improbable candidate to become a wartime operative. After the war, she received the Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor. Her nostalgic reading of German lyrics was intended to lower morale and promote defection. In 1944, the OSS tapped Dietrich to record songs for broadcast to German troops. The sultry performer risked her own safety to entertain American troops at the front lines during World War II.
citizen after defying Hitler’s orders to return to her native Germany. German born Marlene Dietrich became a U.S. View her original sheet music on display in the Museum's Who Would've Guessed exhibit. After the war, Baker was awarded the French Legion of Honor for her service. Iconic singer and dancer Josephine Baker is best-known for her entertainment career that spanned five decades. She was also an agent for French intelligence during WWII.Īs the story goes, Nazi guards were so star-struck by Baker, known in various circles as the "Black Pearl," that they let her slip across the border without trouble - not knowing she carried secret messages written in invisible ink on her sheet music. See her suitcase radio in the Museum's Spying in WWII exhibit. After the war, Hall became one of the CIA’s first female operations officers. Virginia Hall was the only female civilian in WWII to receive the coveted Distinguished Service Cross.
#Ww2 soviet spy network code#
Later, she tapped out Morse code messages over wireless radio to officials in London. She radioed intelligence reports, coordinated parachute drops of supplies, oversaw sabotage missions, and planned ambushes of German soldiers. Posing as a dairy farmer, she scouted potential drop zones while herding cows. Undaunted by her artificial leg, she created a spy network and helped organize and arm French commandos behind enemy lines. Of the many women who served in the OSS, field agent Virginia Hall was one of the most distinguished.
Explore her story in the Museum's Who Would've Guessed exhibit. She also led three US gunboats and 150 African American soldiers on a raid rescuing 750 enslaved people and destroying Confederate estates. Known as Moses, she led more than 300 enslaved people to freedom and “never lost a single passenger.” A Union spy and military commander, Tubman collected intel behind enemy lines. View an ornate bodicethat belonged to Mata Hari now on display!īorn into slavery, Harriet Tubman escaped bondage in 1849 and became a conductor on the Underground Railroad. That is the legend and legacy of Mata Hari. A femme fatale, using sex appeal to entice, manipulate…and extract secrets. She was accused of revealing details of the Allies’ new weapon, found guilty and sentenced to death. In February 1917, French authorities arrested her for espionage after intercepting an enemy telegram implicating her as a German spy. The dancer turned WWI spy is said to have seduced diplomats and military officers into giving up their secrets. Mata Hari embodied all the intrigue of espionage and remains the most famous female spy in history.
This Sisterhood of Spies are remarkable collection of women who have completed some of the most daring missions in history, using everything in their power to gain information, and risking it all for a cause they believed in. Explore the shadowy world of espionage and uncover the secret history of female spies whose heroic achievements, courage and strength outshine James Bond.
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