History Extra podcast The hidden history of women in intelligence
Jan 15, 2024
Historian Helen Fry discusses the hidden history of women in intelligence during the world wars, including their roles as spies, code breakers, and network runners. Topics include Edith Cavell, knitting coded messages, and female interrogators in air intelligence.
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Women Were Central To Intelligence
- Women ran, founded, and specialised in intelligence roles across the world wars beyond popular stereotypes.
- Their contributions included parachuting behind lines, codebreaking, and running spy networks.
Edith Cavell's Dual Role In Brussels
- Edith Cavell stayed in occupied Brussels, ran an intelligence network, and helped smuggle soldiers out.
- Helen Fry found evidence that Cavell actively recruited agents and founded the network before her execution in 1915.
Knitting Codes Into Scarves
- Belgian women encoded observations of German troop movements into knitted scarves and jumpers.
- They tossed garments over an electrified wire so British intelligence could decode train contents and anticipate offensives.