Mission France: The True History of the Women of SOE
Kate Vigurs
May 2021 · Yale University Press
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The full story of the thirty-nine female SOE agents who went undercover in France
Formed in 1940, Special Operations Executive was to coordinate Resistance work overseas. The organization’s F section sent more than four hundred agents into France, thirty-nine of whom were women. But while some are widely known—Violette Szabo, Odette Sansom, Noor Inayat Khan—others have had their stories largely overlooked.
Kate Vigurs interweaves for the first time the stories of all thirty-nine female agents. Tracing their journeys from early recruitment to work undertaken in the field, to evasion from, or capture by, the Gestapo, Vigurs shows just how greatly missions varied. Some agents were more adept at parachuting. Some agents’ missions lasted for years, others’ less than a few hours. Some survived, others were murdered. By placing the women in the context of their work with the SOE and the wider war, this history reveals the true extent of the differences in their abilities and attitudes while underlining how they nonetheless shared a common mission and, ultimately, deserve recognition.
Formed in 1940, Special Operations Executive was to coordinate Resistance work overseas. The organization’s F section sent more than four hundred agents into France, thirty-nine of whom were women. But while some are widely known—Violette Szabo, Odette Sansom, Noor Inayat Khan—others have had their stories largely overlooked.
Kate Vigurs interweaves for the first time the stories of all thirty-nine female agents. Tracing their journeys from early recruitment to work undertaken in the field, to evasion from, or capture by, the Gestapo, Vigurs shows just how greatly missions varied. Some agents were more adept at parachuting. Some agents’ missions lasted for years, others’ less than a few hours. Some survived, others were murdered. By placing the women in the context of their work with the SOE and the wider war, this history reveals the true extent of the differences in their abilities and attitudes while underlining how they nonetheless shared a common mission and, ultimately, deserve recognition.
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Janice Tangen
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August 20, 2021
espionage, spies, France, WW2, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, British-intelligence, resistance-efforts***** Every one of these women volunteered to go into France during the German occupation and work for the British government intelligence. They were given the same training as the men in their units and suffered the same privations, including those who were captured. Some were held prisoner for long periods of time, and some were executed. They didn't do it for recognition, but because it was the right thing for each of them to do at that time. Some did come home and tried to pick up the pieces of their lives. Some quietly and some utilized the press and publishing. This work is well researched and documented despite the careless shredding of many records by the very departments they served. A very moving book. Esther Wane gives a very professional narration with clearly correct pronunciations of place names as well as clear interpretive English which saves it from feeling repetitious. I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Tantor Audio via NetGalley. Thank you!
About the author
Kate Vigurs is a freelance historian, academic advisor, and researcher. Her postdoctoral research was used for the BBC World War One at Home series. Kate makes regular appearances on television and radio.
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