On 11 November, a fitting date, journalist and author Sonia Purnell enthralled us with the story of Virginia Hall the American agent who risked her life going undercover in France. Sonia's determination to find out as much as possible about a woman who never spoke about her activities resulted in some astounding detective work. Sonia travelled to France and America following in Hall's footsteps and used every method available to try to understand how Hall operated and what drove her. On her first mission for the SOE Hall posed as an American journalist and was able to send code messages in the stories she filed. Later, when her cover was blown, she returned to France for the OSS disguised as a French peasant woman. She organised supplies for the French resistance fighters and helped captured agents escape from jail while always avoiding being compromised by other agents whom she regarded as too careless. Sonia told us just enough about 'the limping lady' to ensure we were intrigued to read her book (published by Virago) and her supply quickly sold out. She has also published a children's version entitled 'Agent most wanted' and is working on the upcoming film adaptation. Thanks go to our Secretary Penny for inviting such a riveting speaker.
|
AuthorPlease submit any What's On notices, topical stories or reviews to the secretary for publication. Archives
November 2023
Categories |