Virginia Hall’s life reads like a spy novel, with twists and turns of dramatic suspense. The truth is that Virginia Hall is indeed among the most respected allied spies of World War II. Without intentionally pursuing a career in espionage, she found herself working for the British and eventually the Americans after she proved herself as a valuable asset to the allied war effort.
It could be argued that Virginia Hall is one of America’s greatest heroes, yet few have heard of this amazing woman. Born in Baltimore in 1906, Virginia had a dream to become the first woman ambassador for the United States. She was on her way to fulfilling her dream, working as a clerk at the consular office in Smyrna, Turkey, when a hunting accident took her left leg and seemingly her life’s dream, too. Any ordinary person might have given up and gone home. But, Virginia Hall was no ordinary woman!
Virginia Hall refused to give up on her dreams and, despite a number of obstacles, she persevered, eventually putting herself in a place to change history. She wanted more than anything to serve her country by stopping the German war machine as it made its way through Europe. Her applications to be in the Foreign Service were turned down over and over. Consistently rejected because of her disability and her gender, Virginia was not a woman who took no for an answer. A “no” for Virginia really meant “look for another way.”
When she made her way to France, Virginia Hall continued to look for ways to be of service to the United States, however, without a position available, she decided to offer her services to France instead. When the opportunity arose, together with her Jewish friend, Claire de La Tour, Virginia volunteered to drive an ambulance in France. They survived several frontline missions, transporting the wounded to safety, before escaping to southern France during the German occupation. Virginia made her way to London, where she trained to be a spy with the Special Operations Executive (SOE). She went back to France as a master spy, where she rescued downed airmen, radioed vital information to the Allies, and led three battalions of French Resistance forces in guerrilla warfare. Known as la dame qui boite or the Limping Lady, she rose to the top of the Gestapo’s Most Wanted list.
In November 1942, the German Gestapo posted a notice all over France: “The woman who limps is one of the most dangerous Allied agents in France. We must destroy her.” Virginia was forced to escape through the snowy Pyrenees Mountains on foot. She traveled with a guide and three other men who were also escaping. Walking through the mountains was a dangerous and painful experience for Virginia, but she and her companions arrived safely to a train platform in Spain. Only while waiting there, the group ran into trouble. Without proper papers, Virginia found herself in the infamous Figueres prison where she remained for six weeks.
Virginia had so solidified herself as a bonafide spy, when the United States was staging the efforts to end the war, US General Bill Donovan ushered Virginia back to France to gather necessary information for the planned D-Day invasion. When the war ended and people were being recognized for their efforts, General Donovan personally awarded Virginia with the Distinguished Service Cross, the US Army’s highest military decoration after the Medal of Honor. No other civilian received such an honor.
Because Virginia Hall’s story has not been widely popularized, children’s author Nancy Polette decided to research and write a book devoted entirely to Virginia Hall’s story. The book is called, The Spy with the Wooden Leg: The Story of Virginia Hall, and it was written for children 10 and older.
Polette, an 83-year-old woman who shares memories from the World War II era, wrote the book to give access to young readers, and especially young girls. Polette felt compelled to tell the inspiring story of an extraordinary, determined woman who makes a great role model. This unconventional hero embraced her disability and risked her own life to save others as she overcame adversity time and again to achieve her dreams. Virginia Hall changed the course of history as the spy with the wooden leg!
Meagan Frank is a freelance writer and a mother of three. Meagan and her family live in Woodbury, MN. She is currently the Senior Writer for Books Make a Difference magazine, www.booksmakeadifference.com and she is working on her own book about youth sports.
