Discover the Courage of Female Spies Who Fought the Nazis

A new film titled The Partisan, featuring Morgane Polanski, brings to light the extraordinary life of Krystyna Skarbek, Britain’s first female spy during World War Two. The film premieres in London on September 30 and chronicles Skarbek’s daring exploits in the fight against Nazi Germany, emphasizing her bravery and the critical roles played by female spies during the war.

Born into a wealthy Polish family in 1908, Skarbek always sought adventure. She enjoyed outdoor activities like skiing and horseback riding in the Tatra mountains. When World War Two erupted in 1939, she fled to London with her second husband, Jerzy Giżycki, and joined the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). Her first assignment took her to Hungary, where she spent months smuggling money, arms, and intelligence into occupied Poland.

During her time in Hungary, she reunited with childhood friend Andrzej Kowerski, a Polish army officer, and they became romantically involved. The couple was captured by the Gestapo in 1941, but Skarbek managed to escape by faking tuberculosis, a feat she accomplished by biting her tongue until it bled.

One of her most notable missions occurred in 1944, when she orchestrated the daring rescue of British agents Francis Cammaerts and Xan Fielding from a German prison, just hours before their scheduled execution. For her service, she was awarded a George Medal and later an OBE in 1947. Tragically, her life was cut short in 1952 when she was murdered by a stalker at a hotel in London. The perpetrator was hanged for the crime three months later.

Another remarkable figure from this era, Virginia Hall, known to the Gestapo as “The Limping Lady,” was one of the most feared Allied spies. Hall, who was born in Baltimore, Maryland, became an operative for the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Despite having a wooden leg, which she named Cuthbert, Hall ran extensive agent networks in occupied France, aided escaped prisoners of war, and recruited defectors. Her extraordinary bravery earned her the distinction of being the only female civilian to receive a Distinguished Service Cross for her heroism during the war. After the conflict, she returned to the United States and served with the CIA for 15 years before retiring.

Violette Bushell, another courageous woman, began her journey as a perfume saleswoman in Brixton, London. At just 19, she fell in love with Étienne Szabo, an officer in the French Foreign Legion, marrying him after only 42 days of romance. Following his death in battle in 1942, she joined the SOE to avenge him.

Bushell’s first mission in April 1944 was successful, but her fate turned tragic after the D-Day landings. She was captured by Nazis while attempting to disrupt German reinforcements. Despite being brutally tortured, she refused to divulge information about her comrades. Bushell was ultimately executed in February 1945, at the young age of 23, and received a posthumous George Cross for her bravery.

Noor Inayat Khan, born into Indian royalty in Moscow, also defied odds during the war. Her family relocated to Paris, and later to London, where she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. In 1943, she was recruited by the SOE and trained in various combat techniques. As the first female wireless operator in France, Khan transmitted vital information back to the UK for four months until she was captured by the Nazis.

Despite enduring solitary confinement and torture for nearly a year, Khan remained steadfast and refused to betray her mission. She was executed in September 1944, and her last word is said to have been “Liberté.” A statue commemorating her bravery now stands in Gordon Square Gardens, London.

These remarkable women, from Skarbek to Khan, exemplify the extraordinary courage and resilience of female spies during World War Two. Their stories, now being retold through films and memorials, serve as a powerful reminder of their contributions to the Allied war effort.