Virginia Hall, World War II hero of the French resistance
"When Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, Virginia Hall was traveling in Europe. Which was dangerous enough, but as fighting erupted across the continent, instead of returning home, she headed to France. In a country divided between freedom and fascism, Virginia was determined to do her part for the Allies. An ordinary woman from Baltimore, Maryland, she dove into the action, first joining a French ambulance unit and later becoming an undercover agent for both the British Special Operations Executive and the US Office of Strategic Services. Working as a spy in the intelligence network, she made her way to Vichy, coordinating Resistance movements, assisting in the sabotage of Nazis, and rescuing downed Allied soldiers. She passed in plain sight of the enemy, and soon found herself being hunted by the Gestapo. But Virginia cleverly evaded discovery and death, often through bold feats and daring escapes. Her covert operations, efforts with the Resistance, and risky work as a wireless telegraph operator greatly contributed to the Allies' eventual win"--.
