Posts Tagged ‘hotel’

Here is a list of the deadly women spies who have made it into the history books.

Mata Hari:

The first name that comes to your mind when you mention women spies. Mata Hari was born as Margaret Gertrude Zelle.

Mata Hari who was born in Holland and later she married a Dutch army officer. She later became a dancer and became immensely popular in Paris. During the First World War she shot to the limelight as a courtesan to many high-ranking officials in the German army..She masqueraded as an Indian princess to gain access to army officials in Paris.

There are conflicting reports about her allegiance during the war with some reports claiming her to be working for the Germans and others saying she was a French agent. She was tried in France in February 1917 and executed on October 15.

Virginia Hall:

Also known as Marie Monin aka the Limping Lady, she started as a consular service clerk at the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, she was considered to be one of the deadliest spies in the Second World War.

Hall later joined the British Special Operations Executive and was posted to France. During this time the Gestapo chief regarded her as the most dangerous person in France.

Hall incidentally had suffered an unfortunate accident where she shot herself in the foot and had to use a prosthetic limb. In spite of her handicap, she proved to be a successful agent and was honoured by the British and the French after the war.

Belle Boyd:

Known as the Cleopatra of the secession, she was a spy during the American Civil War. She worked for the Confederate President, Jefferson Davis and operated out of her father’s hotel in Virginia. She carried letters for Davis to England.

She used her charming ways to become a major attraction in the social circles in Washington which helped her get information. During one of her missions in 1864 she was asked to carry a letter to England but was captured by the Union Navy. However the officer in charge fell in love with her and let her escape.

Boyd was caught at least 30 times by the Union forces during the American Civil war.

» Read more: How female spies changed the course of history