A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of Virginia Hall, WWII’s Most Dangerous Spy

Hitler increased his brutality in France after the agents’ escape from Ville des Bois. Vichy gave the Gestapo 500 French identity cards so they could infiltrate Allied networks. The Gestapo focused on Lyon and watched the American consulate closely. The Abwehr leaders believed that a woman was responsible for the prison escape and many of the broader Resistance efforts. The Nazi leader Klaus Barbie—known for his cruelties as the Butcher of Lyon—focused on Virginia: “The Limping Lady of Lyon was becoming the Nazis’ most wanted allied agent in the whole of France” (128).

Meanwhile, Virginia’s spirits improved. After visiting her in August 1942, Bodington recommended that Baker Street cancel her recall, which it did. However, it also promoted Alain to the chief of the regional F Section unit. The leaders in London were particularly worried about Virginia’s possible capture because the Nazis were more depraved when torturing women. The Nazis were not their only problem, however; some French authorities with Nazi sympathies could be just as brutal. Nevertheless, inspired by Virginia, more women became agents.

Around this time, Ben Cowburn returned to Lyon to plan more acts of sabotage. While assessing Virginia’s progress, he found himself terrified by the risks that she was taking, particularly as she continued to build her network in Paris (a Gestapo stronghold). He worried that Virginia’s connections—and her increasing visibility—would cost them all.

In mid-August Denis Rake and two other SOE agents—Ernest Wilkinson and Richard Heslop—vanished. They were imprisoned at Limoges. Rake was ill with dysentery and could barely move. Virginia felt that she had too much to do and too little time, but she felt a particular responsibility for Olive’s captivity. In Marseille, Olive had saved her from the police and had then created numerous successful cells of saboteurs. She and Churchill therefore planned to help him escape during his planned transfer to Lyon. When they saw him on the train, he was with a woman—his mistress, Mademoiselle Menier. He indicated that he didn’t want to be rescued while she was with him. Knowing that Menier had threatened to sell SOE information to the Gestapo, Virginia made plans to kill Menier before she could inform on them.

Brian Stonehouse—code named Celestin—had arrived in June to help Virginia as a wireless operator. He was a 24-year-old fashion illustrator for Vogue. Baker Street ordered Virginia to distance herself from anyone the Gestapo was watching.

In early August a priest visited Dr. Rousset, claiming to be a new courier. He gave Rousset several rolls of microfilm addressed to Marie Monin, one of Virginia’s code names. Rousset did not find the man suspicious since his behavior resembled that of the previous courier. The priest returned in three weeks, hoping to see Virginia. He gave his name as Robert Alesch, and during their visit, she noticed his German accent. Alesch claimed to work for the WOL circuit. He asked her for a radio set. He had a note from Jacques Legrand, an agent with WOL whom Virginia knew. He kept asking to be put in contact with others in her group in case she disappeared, and though he continued bringing her valuable intelligence, she was always uneasy with him.

Alesch was actually Agent Axel of the Abwehr. As part of his cover, he frequently preached anti-Nazi sermons in churches. His sermons attracted Resistance fighters, giving him a chance to identify them. He showed the Abwehr every piece of Allied intelligence he received from his meetings with Virginia. Unbeknownst to her, the Gestapo had tortured and imprisoned Jacques Legrand and 60 WOL members earlier in August. The Abwehr were certain that Virginia was their target. They planned to capture her when the time was right, hoping that Alesch could gather more information in the meantime.

Virginia decided to leave before Germany gained control of the Free Zone. For the sake of legitimacy and to preserve her future cover, she wanted to leave overtly, under her Post title of correspondent. She couldn’t help but try to release Olive from prison one more time, but the Abwehr heard about every plan she makes.

In October 1942 Celestin was arrested. The Abwehr found a message in his pocket referring to Marie as the leader of a Heckler circuit. It had the address of Aron, one of his assistants. Aron broke under torture and gave up an agent code named Gauthier.

100,000 Allied troops landed in North Africa at Algiers, Oran, and Casablanca on November 8, 1942. When Virginia heard, she accelerated her departure. She left Lyon for Perpignan and told no one. There she met a contact named Gilbert. Her only escape was through a rough pass of the Pyrenees. Gilbert said he would find her a mountain guide—known as a passeur—but she would have to take two others with her.

The next morning, German tanks crossed into the Free Zone. Barbie was furious that they couldn’t find Virginia. He posted thousands of flyers with her likeness and the words, “THE ENEMY’S MOST DANGEROUS SPY: WE MUST FIND AND DESTROY HER!” (162).

A passeur came to Virginia that night. The two men to accompany her were Leon Guttman and Jean Albert. Virginia’s party left at dawn. The climb was grueling—a 5000-foot climb through three feet of snow on her prosthetic. She remembered the vision of her father and used it to help her during the journey. They made it to the San Juan train station, where Civil Guards arrested them on the platform as undocumented refugees and sent them to the Figueres prison, later transferring the two men to a concentration camp.

On November 19 Gestapo agents arrested Dr. Rousett and tortured him for days, but he didn’t give them Virginia’s location. They transferred him to the prison at Fresnes and continued to torture him. He was there for 12 months.

Meanwhile, Alesch worked harder to find Virginia. He bonded with Germaine, who introduced him to many of Virginia’s contacts. They caught Zeff and tortured him for three months before sending him to a death camp, although he would survive. Germaine was soon arrested as well, along with other associates of Virginia.

In early 1943 an agent named Alfred Newton killed the wrong man, thinking it was Alesch. He rejoined his brother, Henry, before Barbie caught and tortured them. The Newtons—known as the Twins—did not reveal Virginia’s location.

After her arrest at the train station, Virginia had been placed in a Figueres cell with several women. After smuggling a coded letter to Bodington, she was released and taken to the Barcelona consulate. She wrote to Baker Street, saying she wanted to return to the field if they would help her alter her appearance. She received a warm reception in London in January of 1943 but remained disturbed by the arrest of her friends and vowed to go back to help.

On May 17, 1943, Virginia arrived in Spain with a new job as a correspondent for the Chicago Times. She was to establish herself and set up Spanish safe houses. She wanted to be closer to the action in France, but it was too dangerous; Buckmaster resisted her constant requests to return to action. She instead went to SOE’s wireless school and learned to transmit messages.

In January of 1944, a representative from OSS—the Office of Strategic Services—inquired about Virginia at MI5 (the United Kingdom’s security intelligence agency). President Roosevelt had created OSS as the American version of SOE, and OSS leaders were anxious to embed agents in the field. One of their primary tasks was to prepare for the invasion that would take place on D-Day. MI5 responded that Virginia was highly capable, but it did not reveal that she worked for SOE. However, the OSS already knew.