Back in Time Today
World War II wasn’t just fought by men in uniform. Behind many crucial victories stood brave women whose stories have been buried by time and gender bias. These remarkable heroines served as spies, pilots, nurses, and resistance fighters, often facing greater danger because of their gender. Their courage changed the course of history, yet their names remain largely unknown to most Americans today.
1. Virginia Hall: The Limping Lady Who Outsmarted the Nazis
With a wooden leg nicknamed ‘Cuthbert,’ Virginia Hall became the Gestapo’s most wanted Allied spy. This Maryland-born operative coordinated French Resistance activities while evading Nazi hunters who specifically targeted her. Hall mapped drop zones for supplies, trained resistance fighters, and helped downed Allied pilots escape—all while disguising herself as an elderly milkmaid. She even fled across the Pyrenees mountains on foot when her cover was blown. Her intelligence work directly supported the D-Day invasion, yet she received little recognition until decades after her death. The woman Hitler called ‘the most dangerous spy’ operated with remarkable independence and ingenuity throughout occupied France.
2. Nancy Wake: The White Mouse Who Roared
Nicknamed ‘The White Mouse’ for her uncanny ability to evade capture, Nancy Wake became the Gestapo’s most-wanted person with a 5-million-franc price on her head. This New Zealand-born beauty transformed from socialite to fierce guerrilla fighter after witnessing Nazi brutality firsthand. Wake once cycled 500 kilometers through German checkpoints to replace lost radio codes. She later parachuted back into France to lead 7,000 resistance fighters in sabotage operations. Her legendary exploits included killing an SS guard with her bare hands during a raid. Despite earning numerous medals including America’s Medal of Freedom, Wake remained largely unknown compared to her male counterparts.
3. Noor Inayat Khan: The Spy Princess Who Never Broke
Born to an Indian father and American mother, Noor Inayat Khan shattered expectations as Britain’s first Muslim female spy. This children’s book author and pacifist volunteered for the most dangerous assignment possible: wireless operator in Nazi-occupied Paris. Khan maintained crucial communications even as her entire network collapsed around her. When finally captured, she endured brutal torture without revealing a single secret, protecting countless Allied lives. Her last word before execution at Dachau concentration camp was reportedly ‘Liberté.’ Khan’s unusual background—descendant of Indian royalty, Sufi mystic, and accomplished musician—made her extraordinary sacrifice even more remarkable in the fight against fascism.
4. Lyudmila Pavlichenko: The Deadliest Sniper in Heels
Soviet sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko didn’t just break gender barriers—she shattered them with 309 confirmed kills against Nazi forces. When questioned about her feminine identity during a U.S. press conference, she famously replied that killing Nazis was her beauty secret. Wounded four times in combat, Pavlichenko refused evacuation until shrapnel injuries forced her withdrawal. Eleanor Roosevelt personally invited her to tour America, where she chided men for allowing women to fight their war. Despite her remarkable combat record, Pavlichenko faced constant scrutiny about her appearance rather than her military achievements. Her deadly accuracy earned her the nickname ‘Lady Death’ among German troops who offered rewards for her elimination.
5. Eileen Nearne: The Radio Operator Who Fooled the Gestapo
Captured by the Gestapo after nine months transmitting critical intelligence from Nazi-occupied France, 23-year-old Eileen Nearne relied on quick thinking and extraordinary composure. She convinced her torturers she was merely an innocent French girl, despite enduring ice baths and having her head repeatedly submerged underwater. Sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp, Nearne escaped during a death march and hid with other prisoners until American troops arrived. Her radio work provided vital intelligence for the Allied invasion of Normandy. After the war, Nearne suffered from psychological trauma and lived in obscurity. Her incredible service only came to light after her death in 2010, when authorities discovered her medals while clearing her apartment.
6. Hannie Schaft: The Girl with the Red Hair Who Fought Back
With her distinctive red hair hidden under dark dye, Dutch resistance fighter Hannie Schaft assassinated Nazi collaborators with unflinching resolve. This law student turned resistance operative specialized in gathering intelligence and eliminating high-ranking Nazi officials. Schaft personally executed SS officers in broad daylight, often while riding her bicycle through town. Her trademark was checking her victims’ pulses to confirm their deaths before calmly leaving the scene. Captured just weeks before liberation, Schaft was executed in the dunes near Bloemendaal. When the first shot only wounded her, she reportedly told her executioners: ‘I shoot better than you.’ Today, her story remains a powerful symbol of Dutch resistance against overwhelming odds.
7. Krystyna Skarbek: The Bond Girl Before Bond
Polish aristocrat Krystyna Skarbek (aka Christine Granville) became Britain’s longest-serving female agent, inspiring Ian Fleming’s Bond girls with her real-life exploits. Her audacious operations included skiing over the Carpathian mountains to smuggle intelligence from Poland to the Allies. When captured by the Gestapo, Skarbek bit her tongue until it bled, faked tuberculosis symptoms, and secured her release. Her most legendary mission involved bluffing her way into a Gestapo prison by claiming to be the niece of General Montgomery, saving three resistance operatives hours before their scheduled execution. Despite receiving the George Medal and OBE for her extraordinary service, Skarbek was unceremoniously discharged with a month’s salary after the war, her contributions quickly forgotten.
8. Pearl Witherington: The Warehouse Clerk Who Led an Army
After escaping occupied France and reaching England, Pearl Witherington refused a desk job and parachuted back behind enemy lines. This former secretary took command of 3,500 resistance fighters when their leader was captured, despite having no military training whatsoever. Witherington’s network destroyed 800 German targets and disabled a key railway line 800 times. With a massive bounty on her head, she once evaded 2,000 German troops searching specifically for her by hiding in a wheat field. When offered civil decoration instead of military honors because of her gender, Witherington famously replied, ‘There was nothing civil about what I did.’ Her remarkable leadership eventually earned her the military CBE, though recognition came decades too late.
9. Susan Travers: The Only Woman in the French Foreign Legion
English-born Susan Travers became the only officially enlisted female member of the French Foreign Legion after driving vehicles through minefields during the legendary breakout at Bir Hakeim. As personal driver to General Koenig, she refused evacuation when offered the chance to leave. During the desperate escape from besieged Bir Hakeim, Travers drove the lead vehicle through German lines at night, sustaining 11 bullet holes in her truck but never stopping. Her vehicle led 2,500 troops to safety when surrender seemed inevitable. Travers fought in France, Italy and Germany, earning the Légion d’honneur and Croix de Guerre. Her remarkable service remained largely unknown until she published her memoirs at age 91.
10. Odette Sansom: The Mother Who Endured Torture
A mother of three young daughters, Odette Sansom left her children in boarding school to become one of Britain’s most effective spies in occupied France. Captured alongside her commanding officer (and future husband), Sansom claimed to be married to him and demanded the Gestapo treat her as a ranking officer. Her calculated deception saved her partner’s life but resulted in extraordinary punishment. Sansom endured having all her toenails pulled out and being burned with a hot iron, yet revealed nothing to her torturers. Sentenced to death twice, she survived 14 months in solitary confinement at Ravensbrück concentration camp before a German commandant personally drove her to American lines. She remains the only woman awarded the George Cross while still alive.