The true story of the Agent Fifi, whose mere identity was only disclosed in September 2014 as Marie Chilver.

"At least 36 French women were infiltrated into France as secret agents during World War Two. Twelve were arrested and ten executed. Some were landed by gunboat in Normandy or Brittany, some were landed by felucca, a converted fishing boat, from Gibralter and the rest were either landed by Lysander or parachuted from RAF or USAAF planes from Britain or Algeria, Bernard O'Connor's book provides background information on the French, British, American, Russian and German intelligence services involved. Using contemporary documents, history books, biographies, autobiographies, and websites, he provides detailed accounts of the women's background, training and secret missions behind enemy lines. For most of these brave women, their stories are told for the first time, acknowledging the contribution they made to France's liberation. In recognition, they were honored with 49 awards."--Book jacket.

The amazing stories of 38 female spies who operated in occupied France and Vichy France, many told for the very first time.

Dickie Metcalfe was not your typical secret agent, but he was larger than life in more ways than one. Unlike many other agents who were part of the Double Cross System during the Second World War, he did not defect; nor was he blackmailed into becoming a spy. Instead, using his father’s connection with Sir Vernon Kell, the first Director of MI5, Metcalfe volunteered his services. Recently cashiered from his infantry regiment, he had an ulterior motive – by supplying MI5 with tidbits of information about weapons and arms deals in his newfound profession as an arms dealer, he hoped they would be able to help him get his commission reinstated. Metcalfe became BALLOON, a sub-agent of double agent TRICYCLE’s Yugoslav spy ring. Concurrent with his spying activities, he collaborated with the co-inventor of the Bren gun to develop a new submachine gun for British forces. After the war, he was also a celebrated motor racing driver and continued to compete until shortly before his death. His success as a double-cross agent in the eyes of both his masters – British and German – is examined in this book, using official documents as a primary source.

A groundbreaking history of women in British intelligence, revealing their pivotal role across the first half of the twentieth century From the twentieth century onward, women took on an extraordinary range of roles in intelligence, defying the conventions of their time. Across both world wars, far from being a small part of covert operations, women ran spy networks and escape lines, parachuted behind enemy lines, and interrogated prisoners. And, back in Bletchley and Whitehall, women’s vital administrative work in MI offices kept the British war engine running. In this major, panoramic history, Helen Fry looks at the rich and varied work women undertook as civilians and in uniform. From spies in the Belgian network “La Dame Blanche,” knitting coded messages into jumpers, to those who interpreted aerial images and even ran entire sections, Fry shows just how crucial women were in the intelligence mission. Filled with hitherto unknown stories, Women in Intelligence places new research on record for the first time and showcases the inspirational contributions of these remarkable women.

Norwegians trained in industrial sabotage at Brickendonbury Manor, near Hertford, U.K. were infiltrated by the 'Shetland Bus', fishing boats, motorboats, submarines or parachuted in by planes to attack targets across Norway. They included Karl Aarsaether, Jan Allen, Johannes S. Andersen, Gunnar Berg, Torfinn Bjørnås, Svein Blindheim, Peter Deinboll, Andreas Fasting, Kasper Fjell, Gunnar Fougner, Arne Gjestland, Per Getz, Gregers Gram, Sverre Granlund, Torleif Grong, Arne Haegstad, Knut Haukelid, Claus Helberg, Thor Helliessen, Willy Houlder, Kasper Idland, Fredrik Kayser, Arne Kjelstrup, Frithjof Pedersen Kviljo, Ruben Langmo, Alf Lindeberg, Martin Linge, Max Manus, Odd Nilsen, Nils Nordland, Martin Olsen, Erik Gjems-Onstad, Arthur Pevik, Johnny Pevik, Jens Anton Poulsson, Joachim Rønneberg, Einar Skinnarland, Paal Skjærpe, Gunnar Sønsteby Odd Starheim, Hans Storhaug, Birger Strømsheim, Harald Svindseth, Edvard Tallasken, Gunvald Tomstad, Ragnar Ulstein, Karl Vilnes, Leif Well and Aasmund Wisløff. .

Following the Italian invasion of Albania, the British government was worried that Greece would be next. Their Intelligence Service in Athens prepared to sabotage their plans, stored explosives and trained saboteurs. When Germany came to Italy's aid, they took control of Greece, despite attempts to sabotage the road and rail links. This book investigates the success and failures of British, American and Greek sabotage missions, the attacks on the Gorgopotamos and Asopos viaducts, on roads, railways, shipping and mining operations. Using contemporary documents from the CIA and National Archives, biographies and autobiographies, it provides first-hand accounts from those involved, those who masterminded the operations and the reports of the agents infiltrated by boat, submarine or plane. It has also used historians' accounts found on websites to provide a detailed history of sabotage in Greece between 1940 and liberation in 1944.

Over 15,000 pigeons were dropped into occupied Europe during WW2. Some were used by secret agents to send messages back to headquarters. Others were dropped by parachute into France, Belgium, Holland and Denmark in the hope that people would complete the attached questionnaire and provided military, political, economic or other intelligence of value for the Allies. Photographic negatives could be sent. Bletchley Park had its own loft for its pigeon spies. This book investigates the work of MI14, known as the Colomba Service, and for the first time sheds light on conditions in Occupied Europe described by extremely brave men and women who risked execution if found in possession of a pigeon. MI14 staff, decoded or translated messages and forwarded copies to SOE, SIS, MI19, RAF, RN, Ministry of Economic Warfare, BBC, Churchill, de Gaulle and President Benes of Czechoslovakia.

During the Second World War, the German Intelligence Service infiltrated specially-trained agents into Iceland to collect military, naval, aviation and meteorological intelligence to be transmitted back to Hamburg by wireless or secret writing. Some agents managed to evade capture for a few weeks but most handed themselves into the authorities shortly after landing. Sent to London for interrogation by MI5, rather than be executed as enemy spies, they revealed their life stories and provided details of their training, their instructors and how they were infiltrated. They included Olev Saetrang, Ib Riis, Sigurjon Jonsson, Jens Palsson, Peter Thomsen aka Jens Fridriksson, Larus Thorsteinsson, Einar Sigvaldason, Magnus Gudbjornsson, Sverrir Matthiasson, Ernst Fresenius, Sigurdur Juliusson, Hjalti Bjornsson and Gudbrandur Hlidar. Three of these spies were 'turned', used as double agents to transmit British-inspired messages to deceive the Germans about Arctic convoys and a fake Allied invasion of Norway.

Between 1940 and 1944 forty Belgians were trained in industrial sabotage at Brickendonbury Manor, near Hertford, UK. This book tells the stories of their successes and failures when they were dropped into Belgian. They include: Emile Tromme, Robert Jourdain, Armand Campion, Octave Fabri, Jean Scohier, Jean Cassart, Henri Verhaeghen, André Wendelen, Achille Hottia, Oscar Catherine, Valère Passelecq, Willy Bernaert, Jean Deflem, Léon Kaanen, ? Piquart, Felicien Moreau, Victor Lemmens, Pierre Osterrieth, Pierre Vliex, Frederic Veldekens, Henri Frenay, Jean Woluwe and Jean van Gyseghem, Jean Schools, Leon Engelen, Adhemar Delplace, Francois Mathot, André Berten, Alphonse Mabille, Theo Andries, André Bayet, Pierre Davreux, Léon Joye, Georges André, Maurice Bertrand, Robert Duby, Zephir Braibant, Leon Servais, Raymonde Thonon and André Guissart.