That makes us a civilised body.”Įven if you have never come across these particular quotations before, you might be likely to guess correctly at their author. “We in the House of Lords are never in touch with public opinion. “To get into the best society, nowadays, one has either to feed people, amuse people, or shock people - that is all!” “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.” A woman who would tell one that, would tell one anything.” Virginia is now honored by the CIA, but her story remains relatively unknown.“One should never trust a woman who tells one her real age. Virginia spent the remainder of her professional life with the CIA, which gave her relatively menial, repetitive tasks unbefitting her rank and experience. They hid their relationship from Barbara, who disapproved of Philip. When the war ended, Virginia returned to American with Philip Goillot, a spy she fell in love with during her time in Europe. At every new juncture, men were initially unwilling to take orders from Virginia, but most of them eventually admitted that she was a formidable, invaluable asset. Klaus Barbie, a brutal Nazi commander and torturer, became obsessed with finding her. She also found freedom in the solitary lifestyle.Īs the war progressed, Virginia made increasing inroads against the Nazis, leading groups in intelligence gathering, sabotage, prison escapes, and more. Virginia’s courage, commitment to detail, sense of duty, organizational skills, and relentless work ethic made her an ideal spy. The SOE had struggled to infiltrate deeply and had therefore been unable to organize resistance groups. Virginia was one of the first successful secret agents in France. F Section was the French branch of the Special Operation Executive (SOE): the British Secret service responsible for wartime espionage. Originally denied entry to the Foreign Service because of her sex and her disability-her foot was amputated after a hunting accident-Virginia persevered and joined F Section. When the rumblings of World War II began, her love for France, her need for adventure, and her loathing of fascism prompted her to join the espionage effort. Uninterested in both romance and wealth, a young Virginia traveled to Paris instead. Her mother, Barbara, wanted her to climb the social ladder and marry into money as she had. Virginia was born into an affluent family.
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