Buzz
Throughout history, countless women have played pivotal roles in warfare, often operating behind the scenes. These five remarkable spies, leveraging their charm, intellect, and in one case, even a male disguise, achieved feats that would undoubtedly earn James Bond's admiration.
1. Mata Hari
Margaretha Geertruida Zelle MacLeod (1876–1917), better known as Mata Hari, may not have ignited World War I, but her actions undoubtedly prolonged it. After living in Java with her husband, Captain Campbell MacLeod, Margaretha returned to Holland, divorced him, and turned to exotic dancing to support herself. Adopting the stage name Mata Hari, which means 'the light of day' in Malay, she captivated audiences across Europe with her sensual performances. Her allure attracted wealthy admirers, including royalty and high-ranking military officers from both France and Germany. As the war intensified, suspicions grew that Mata Hari was a double agent. Despite a lack of concrete evidence, the French convicted her of espionage, and she was executed by firing squad on October 15, 1917. True to her persona, Mata Hari faced her executioners without a blindfold, offering a final smile and a blown kiss as the shots rang out.
2. Noor Inayat Khan
Born in the Kremlin in 1914, Noor Inayat Khan relocated with her family to England and later to France during her early years. In 1940, as France fell to Germany, Khan fled to England with her mother and sister. There, she enlisted in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), where her fluency in French drew the attention of the Special Operations Executive, leading her to become a spy. Sent to Le Mans, she collaborated with other female agents and joined the French Resistance's Prosper Network in Paris. After the network was compromised, Khan chose to remain in France despite orders to return to England, continuing to relay critical intelligence. Eventually captured by the Gestapo, she endured interrogation and imprisonment in Germany before being transferred to Dachau concentration camp. On September 13, 1944, Khan and three fellow British spies were executed by the Nazi SS. In recognition of her bravery, she was posthumously awarded the George Cross in 1949.
3. Belle Boyd (aka "La Belle Rebelle")
Isabelle Boyd, born in 1844 in Martinsburg, Virginia, gained fame as a captivating figure in Washington, D.C., social circles before the Civil War. When the conflict began, she returned to Martinsburg and mingled with Union officers, gathering intelligence on troop movements for the Confederates. Her most notable achievement was alerting Stonewall Jackson about Union plans to destroy bridges near Martinsburg, enabling him to launch a successful counterattack. In 1864, Confederate President Jefferson Davis tasked her with delivering letters to England. Captured by the Union Navy, Boyd charmed Lieutenant Samuel Harding Jr., who allowed her to escape. After his court-martial and discharge, Harding married Boyd in England. Post-war, she toured the U.S. as an actress under the name La Belle Rebelle.
4. Elizabeth Van Lew
Known as Crazy Bet, Elizabeth Van Lew was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1818 and educated at a Quaker school in Philadelphia. Developing a strong aversion to slavery, she returned to Richmond and freed all her family's slaves, even locating and liberating their relatives. During the Civil War, she visited Union prisoners in Richmond, gathering intelligence to relay to the North. One of her freed slaves, Mary Elizabeth Bowser, was placed as a servant in Jefferson Davis's home, enabling them to collect critical information from the Confederate president's residence. Elizabeth cleverly used her Crazy Bet persona to mask her activities, dressing eccentrically and behaving oddly to convince locals her Northern sympathies were mere eccentricities. After the war, President Grant appointed her Richmond's postmaster, but when her ruse was uncovered, she was ostracized. Despite this, Massachusetts honored her with a memorial marker upon her death.
5. Sarah Emma Edmonds (or Was It Frank Thompson?)
Born in 1841 in New Brunswick, Canada, Sarah fled home in her early teens and adopted the identity of Frank Thompson, a male Bible salesman, to survive. In 1861, she enlisted as Frank in the Second Michigan Infantry, participating in Civil War battles and serving as a Union spy. Her comrades, noting her feminine traits and small boot size, jokingly called her "our woman," never suspecting her true identity. As a spy, she disguised herself as a Confederate camp boy, an Irish peddler, and even a woman. In 1863, fearing her malaria treatment would expose her, she deserted the army. However, in 1884, she successfully petitioned for a veteran's pension, with the secretary of war recognizing her service as a female soldier.
This article was excerpted from our book Forbidden Knowledge: A Wickedly Smart Guide to History's Naughtiest Bits.
