1. The Greatest Spy of WWII (Season 2)

the train station with three strange men. When the Spanish officer demanded to see their passports, none of them could produce one. The woman was separated from the group and thrown into a cold, isolated cell. The notes in her arrest file only deep in the mystery of her identity. Her Spanish was formal, her accent sounded French to their ears, and her request singular, I want to speak to the

American consul in Barcelona. The response was also singular. Among other notes in the woman's arrest report were her dirty clothes and a general appearance that made it seem like she hadn't slept or eaten well in days, and notably, she couldn't move without displaying a bad limp. Whoever this woman was, she certainly didn't belong in San Juan de las Abadsas, a small mountain town in the far northeast

of Spain just over the border with France. With her formal Spanish and slight French accent, the woman was obviously not a Spanish citizen, so she was transferred to Miranda del Abro prison, some forty miles away outside the town of Pagaris, where her only comfort was a blanket as

dingy and tattered as her dress. Though they didn't know it at the time, the Spanish Guard had managed to achieve with the Nazis head not despite years of intensive searching, they had captured Virginia Hall, a woman who would go down in the annals of history as the greatest spy of World War two. Virginia is unlike just about anybody you've ever heard of good greed. She was really unstoppable. Every step of the way she was blocked, but every

step of the way she persevered. She had a dry of inside of her that took her places that you and I would not choose to go. I think she understood that as a woman she could do things that her male colleagues could not do. Yeah, she could fly under the radar, and she knew that the Germans wanted to hunt down the Limping Lady. Each time she went back she was facing certain deaths. Being killed would be the easy part, being tortured would be the hard part.

But for Virginia it was just such important work that there was no way she was not going to do it. As Virginia Hall sat in the corner of the small Spanish prison cell, a thousand questions raced through her mind. One question fought its way to the top. Would these men turn her over to the Gestapo, the secret police of Nazi Germany that had invaded and massacred so many thousands.

The Nazis were paying obscene prices for escaped French citizens they considered the enemy, and they paid even more for spies. There was one face she couldn't dispel from her thoughts, that of Robert Alesh, the priest, with his leering glare and cold smile, as he informed his superiors he had done the impossible. He had finally apprehended the Limping Lady. Although her desire to fight back at Robert Alesh burned Virginia's thoughts soon bled into the horror stories she encountered

in Nazi occupied France in the weeks prior. She didn't know if she'd be whisked away to one of the concentration camps where she would suffer miserably alongside thousands of other prisoners, or what a firing squad just execute her at the prison wall and throw her body into the river, as they done to so many of her compatriots. She'd never been one to coward, but she had also never

been arrested. It was actually a great irony. Usually when British or French spies found themselves in the custody of the Gestapo, it had been Virginia who was tasked with breaking them free. But now she realized, being the best by the service had to offer had his drawbacks, there was no one else to break you out. Don't get comfortable, Signora,

I doubt you will be here alone. And as Virginia Hall considered what she believed to be the end of her journey as a spy, she thought back to the beginning. I'm Stephen Talty, an author and a journalist. I've written a number of books about history, including Agent Garbo about an eccentric World War Two double agent and the Good Assassin, about the undercovers by mission to hunt down the Nazi war criminal Herbert Zukers, the Butcher of Latvia. That was

the basis for season one of this podcast. You don't need to have listened to season one to understand and enjoy season two, but I would recommend listening. It's good so, as you might guess, I'm a lover of all things espionage. When I graduated from college, I even considered applying to the CIA, but I became a newspaper journalist and then an author, and instead I ended up writing about spies.

The world of spies intrigues me, the secret lives, the dangerous missions, the thrilling exploits the idea of one man or woman playing this invisible role in history. And that's why I'm excited to bring you this season of Good Assassins. This season, I want to tell you a story worry about one of the most consequential spies in American history. Her name was Virginia Hall, and for reasons we'll soon get to, she was known to the Nazis as the

Limping Lady. Now it's difficult to express just how influential Virginia was, the Nazis called her the most dangerous of all Allied spies, from international spy to guerilla warfare leader. Her story is a thrilling tale of a woman whose efforts in the face of fascism, racism, sexism, and able is um save thousands of lives. There's maybe no figure

of espionage in all of history like Virginia Hall. She embodies a lot of what's amazing about fictional spies like James Bond, or Ethan Hunt or Sydney Bristow if you remember the TV show Alias. But unlike all those spies, Virginia Hall is very real and she changed the course of history. From diversion this is Good Assassin's Season two, episode one, the greatest spy of World War Two. You know, if you're lucky, you might catch a tortoise at that pace.

I think you could be a little less enthusiastic about shooting harmless animals, Virginia. You could be less enthusiastic about starving to death. Not long after she was born to a well to do family in Baltimore, Maryland, in nineteen o six, Virginia Hall fell in love with the idea of travel. Her high school yearbook from her all girls prep school, Roland Park Country School calls Virginia quote cantankerous and capricious and the most original of her class. Do

you see it? Let's see it. I see that. It's about five miles away. You really think you can hit that? Not if I had your attitude. Virginia's favorite studies consisted mostly of learning other languages, and in her early twenties, she flew to Europe, where she began working with the

American Embassy in Poland as a consular service clerk. Now you have to remember this is the nineteen twenties and an extpatriot woman traveling alone would have raised some eyebrows, but Virginia never gave much thought as to how she would be perceived by others. By three, at age seven, Virginia still had a reputation for being a tomboy and for her wit when she transferred to the consular office in Smyrna, Turkey, where a December hunting trip with friends

would change her life forever. Well done, But you chased it behind the fence, not to someone's promity. Well where are you going? Maybe I got a wing Virginia. At this point in her life, Virginia had more confidence with a gun than skill, and she was more interested in impressing her friends than the actual sport of hunting. But as she climbed a wire fence in search of snipe the small birds they were hunting, she tucked her shotgun under her arm, slinging her right leg over the top.

Her left leg slipped, knee jutting upwards, burying it into the Virginia fell back to the ground, now with what her friends referred to as a quote mangled mess where her leg once was together. They quickly picked up Virginia and brought her to the nearest hospital as she blacked out from the pain. We didn't think. After hearing about Virginia's injury, Dr Lauren Shepherd rushed to Smyrna from the Istanbul American Hospital to help a fellow Yankee. Once there,

he inspected the infected and mangled limb. Well. Of course, the nineties was before most antibiotics, and so if the wound got infected to begin with, it was it was really hard to fight off that infection, and so wound infections were a huge problem. That's Dr Justin Barr, chief Resident in General Surgery at Duke University and the historian

of Medical military history. In the nineteen thirties, doctors could try to stave off an infection with surgical debreedments or antiseptics, but if those failed, there was only one course of action, amputation, and as Dr Barr pointed out, depending on a close range, high velocity hunting rifle, well, it's possible that it's issue damage was just so severe that it was not salvageable, regardless of whether got infected or not. And so when Virginia awoke in her hospital bed, she was greeted by

the somber expression of Dr. Shepherd. Before Virginia could speak, the doctor notified her of a grim reality. An amputation had been performed while she'd been unconscious, and they'd removed

everything below her left knee. Virginia learns to live with a new leg after the break m It's not a particularly comftical procedure, as you might imagine patients around something that's Dr Justin Barrow again, presumably there in the hospital for weeks, but it takes a while that stump to heal, and then there's a lot of phantom limb pain, and so it will be challenging the next few days. So Virginia floating in and out of a nauseated and highly

medicated fog. Eventually, the doctors released her and she returned to her family in Maryland to recuperate. There, she was outfitted with a prosthetic leg. Now the entire thing is made of wood, miss Hall, so keep it sanded, keep it away from extreme heat, because well I can imagine. Now this model doesn't have a joint, so you won't have the flexibility you're used to. And you'll wear this. Here you over your stump before sliding the prosthetic on, and then you'll hook the bottom of the leg to

this block here. Say, meet your new foot. See there's a rubber soul, so won't wear out your shoes. You twist like this, wa. It'll take you some getting used to. I'd practice taking the entire thing on and off a few times before you try walking. But you'll get the hang of it. Don't look so glum, miss Hall. Everyone gets used to it. Eventually. It took months before Virginia's

confidence returned. Slowly, she found her way back into public circles, making friendly conversation with old friends, but they only wanted to talk about her now missing limb and it's fascinating a mechanical replacement, leaving Virginia hungry for more adventure. Virginia trained on her new leg daily, doing her best to hide the limp that came with her injury. After she felt like she could move almost as well as her past self, she wrote to the State Department, requesting posts

in either Spain, Estonia, or Peru. Instead, Virginia was offered a position at the U. S Consulate in Venice, Italy, and by December of n she was back at work. Stationed in Venice, she was twenty nine and quickly became consumed with the clerical tasks that filled her days. She was at the start considered a glorified secretary, or what many would refer to now as an intern, but her pension for detail eventually caught the eye of Consul General

Martin Stewart. Steward began to assign Virginia jobs that were usually given to foreign service officers, and Virginia's knowledge of the European geopolitical lands cape grew along with her duties. The year's nineteen thirty three and nineteen thirty four, when Virginia was first working in Turkey and then Italy were pivotal in the rise of Adolph Hitler and his Nazi Party. Hitler had risen through the German government's ranks over the

previous decade. He leveraged a bunch of cultural and economic factors affecting nineteen twenties and thirties Germany. As his appetite for power steadily grew, he emboldened his followers with cenophobic hate speech and violent nationalism, targeting a number of races and religions, but most specifically Jews. In nineteen thirty three, Hitler was appointed Chancellor, and when the following year the German president died, Hitler abolished the presidency altogether and became

the absolute dictator of Germany, declaring himself purer definitely. In these years, France, Great Britain, and the United States claimed that Hitler was nothing more than a nuisance, turning a blind eye to his vicious treatment of Jewish people as

long as their nations were unaffected. Virginia Hall didn't see the severity in Hitler's hate speech and new laws and how they could slowly poison the continent at first, she did her best to ignore the uprising, the shifts in culture and politics, and the business of Panic statesman making hurried compromises, but eventually even her own mother beget to write Virginia from America with concerns, Dear Virginia, there has been much talk on the radio here that bounds of

immigrants are vacating Europe for the States. Some are socialists and others simply feel they've offended the Nazis and might simply be prosecuted for it in the not too distant future. They don't feel safe remaining on the continent. What a grave injustice it is to force someone from their homes merely because of their beliefs. And despite news items like this, many Americans still view Hitler as a man with a comical mustache who really doesn't hold a position of political power.

Now stationed in Venice, Virginia had become suspicious of Italy's stake in the war. Prime Minister of Italy Benito Mussolini, had set his sites and invading and occupying the East African nation of Ethiopia, with hopes that conquering it would bring a boon to Italy's failing economy. And to national pride. By six Mussolini had accomplished these goals, and Virginia began to speak out against fascism at the consulate in Venice.

As you might expect, this attracted attention. Hoping to stop Virginia from making waves in a politically tumultuous country, one of her superiors wrote up a report on her progress. Virginia Hall is a clerk of unbounded ambition, lack of appreciation of her own limitations, and the most praiseworthy determination. She also lacks common sense and good judgment. She overcomes her physical disability and keeps up her spirits admirably. However, she is not good material for a career service because

she lacks judgment, background, good sense, and discriminatory powers. She also talks too much and frankly out of turn. Her clerking is satisfactory at best. You have to wonder whether this guy would have had the same criticism for a male subordinate with the same quote ambition. When the time came from Virginia to test for the Foreign Service, she worried the negative report would be used against her. The

examinations were twofold, one written in one oral. If she passed, Virginia would be granted more influence and latitude to operate internationally. She would be a part of major decisions regarding expats and government officials, and she would finally have more influence

than her previous position as a glorified lackey. Virginia had taken the exams twice before in her early twenties, and twice before she failed, but now she was a woman with more experience, more knowledge, more savvaty, which made the letter that appeared on her desk in all the more heartbreaking.

Regulation governing physical examinations to the Foreign Services prescribed that amputation of any portion of a limb, except fingers and toes, is a cause for rejection, and it would not be possible for Miss Hall to qualify for entry into the service under these regulations. Virginia suspected that her disability was not the major factor in her rejection, noting that of the nearly fift career Foreign Service officers, they claimed only

six female operatives. She stayed in Venice for another year, making several appeals, all rejected. Finally, in nine she resigned from consul work and moved to Paris, France, which she planned to mend her wounded pride. But the Paris that Virginia now called home wasn't the romantic city of legend. It had become a powder keg of anti Semitism, spurred on by the sudden appearance of Jewish refugees from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia who escaped their home countries after the

horrific Crystal Knocked in November. Crystal Knocked or the Night of Broken Glass, was a radical turning point for Europe. Two days after seventeen year old Herschel grin Spawn, a German born Jew, assassinated German diplomat Ernst bron Rod in Paris. The Nazis used this as an excuse to launch a full fledged assault on Jewish citizens across Germany. They left

the sea of blood and bodies in their wake. Here's Herman's Erring and Lora Oppenheimer, former co presidents of the Society of the Survivors of the Riga Ghetto, reflecting on their experiences of that horrific night. At the time there we were in our house. We had a curfew. We were not allowed to go out after certain times, after nine o'clock, I believe and then the s a storm toopers that they booke all the Jewish stores, lovely glass. They took everything out they could. They start making fires

in the synagogues. Not only were the stores all destroyed, in the apartments of paintings and pictures, they just demolished everything, everything, everything, the pictures were cut, I mean everything. They just whatever Jew owned was just. Business was closed. After that, nobody was allowed to do any more business. More on Crystal Knocks and how it led to the Holocaust. When we

come back from the break, the doctor unt again. Over the next two horrible days in late Jews were the targets of an unprecedented attack throughout Germany, the program known as Crystal Knock or the Night of Broken Glass. So nearly a hundred Jewish bodies mutilate in the streets, and thousands of Jewish homes and approximately businesses, hospitals, and places of worship vandalized and destroyed. More than thirty thousand men, women and children were rounded up and shipped off to

concentration camps. Nas Team Approud brought to Britain two hundred Jewish children refugees from Germany. Many of these children all others have parisfit and concentration camps in Germany. The parts of the German cities that once housed vibrant and healthy Jewish communities were rendered ghost towns. As any survivors quickly made their way into France. So at last the one rust find rest in Lens, which cherished freedom. But after arriving,

the immigrating Jews weren't met with a welcoming party. The French, who were Germany's enemies in World War One two decades earlier, refused to see a distinction between the German Jews and Nazis. To them, they were all Germans, and Germans were enemies. Several months after Crystal Knock, Virginia sent a postcard home, and so the catastrophe has come. I can't begin to express the horror I feel at this useless slaughter being embarked upon, caused by the usual enemies of the civilized world.

Everything here is quiet. I am staying love to all Virginia. That's Brad Katling, Virginia's great nephew. Brad is currently working on a photo book about his great aunt's life and work, and in the course of his research, he came across

the postcard to Brad this note stands out. I think that it was really Virginia's first commitment to obviously staying in your during the course for the war, and by recognizing how violent the usual enemies of the civilized world were, She's really committing herself, you know, her life, to participating somehow. She doesn't know how yet. These are today's main events. Germany has invaded Poland and has bummed many times general mobilization.

The following year, on September one, Hitler would launch World War two with an attack on Poland. France and Great Britain, which had mostly ignored Hitler's conquests up to that point of Austria and Czecho Slovakia had effectively entered the war with a promised to defend Poland from invasion. With that, Virginia Hall found herself without Steady employed him in a hostile country, an American woman with European sentiments who pitied the Jews and was forced to navigate French hostility. But

Virginia wasn't alone. She met other like minded progressives, including her best friend and neighbor Claire de Latour, who spurned the war due to letters from her brother Jean Paul, a soldier fighting on the imagine No line. The Imagineo was a line of defense against the advancing German forces created by the French and the Belgian and Swiss borders,

and it was considered France's impenetrable defense system. Virginia spoke fluent French, but we've asked our actor to speak English with a French accent to imply the language they conversed in says a German's fights backwards, and we have nothing to be afraid of, Claire. They have been winning, or they have not been winning, Virginia. They been attacking countries with no defenses, no armies. That is not winning, That

is bullying. They are gaining territory. I'm not general, but I'm smart enough to know that's how you win was That's how you killed the morale of your enemy. So these victories are something we should think seriously. Don't you think? I do think it seriously. You don't need to preach to me. Of you Americans will be the last foot in the water. What do you plan to do, Virginia with all your concern are you going to just talk in circles and worry or are you going to step up.

She didn't know it at the time, but her friend Claire had successfully lit a fire in Virginia's belly. Virginia had every intention of stepping up and getting her hands dirty. Coming up on this season of good Assassins, a devious and double crossing Nazi priest, elaborate dental work and disguises, and a dangerous trek across a mountain range to escape

the most terrifying villains in world history. We'll bring you daring sabotage plots that change the entire course of World War Two, all led by a woman the Nazis were determined to track down and exterminate. It's a season a thrilling espionage and brutal war stories as we follow Virginia Hall's ascent from clerk to international spy to guerrilla war leader. One thing is for sure, you've never heard a story

like this. Listen to episode two right now. Sometimes they're actively getting shot at by the Germans, and so you're dodging artilleries shelves yourself. And within just a few days, the Germans have actually pierced through a natural barrier the forests of the Auden region, which no one was defending you're going to London. Yes, I could use a breather in a place where the airs and stiff. I have encountered a most interesting prospect, a woman whom I believe

could make a valuable asset. If you have any questions for us about Good Assassins, if you're curious about some aspect of Virginia Hall story, or have any comments on the podcast, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us at Good Assassins at diversion audio dot com. Make sure you spell assassins correctly. Again, that's Good Assassins at Diversion Audio dot com. We'll try to answer your questions on a future episode. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and

Instagram at Diversion Pods. Good Assassins is a production of Diversion Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts. This season is hosted by Steven Talti and written by C. D. Carpenter, Produced and directed by Kevin Thompson for Real Jet Packs Productions. Story editing by Jacob Bronstein with editorial direction from Scott Waxman,

additional research and reporting by Sophie McNulty. Theme music by Tyler Cash featuring the voices of michaela Is Caerdo, Raphael cork Kill, Lenna Klingeman, John pier Case, Andrew polk or Lock, Cassidy Manoel Falciano, Sean Gormley, Matthew Amant and Steve Raupman. Sound design, mixing and mastering by Paul Goodrich. Sound editing by Justin Kilpatrick. Executive producers Jacob Bronstein, Mark Francis and Scott Waxman for Diversion Audio SI Diversion Audio