June 12, 1940. Baltimore Sun
Mouzon, France, c. 1940. Imperial War Museums
Virginia enlisted as an ambulance driver for France, her “second home” in February, 1940. She relocated to London after Nazi occupation and was recruited to the SOE in January, 1941.
“It strikes me that this lady, a native of Baltimore, might well be used for a mission and that we might facilitate her voyage there and back, and stand her expenses on her trip in exchange for what service she could render us.”
-Nicolas Bodington, January 15, 1941 (Purnell 73)
Hall’s neutral American passport and her knowledge of France were advantages that allowed her to travel more freely. Virginia was to cultivate relationships with local resistance fighters (Maquis) and communicate intelligence.
"a Class A liaison officer in France - Unoccupied territory - with journalistic cover"
-SOE report, February 14, 1941 (Mitchell 83)
Virginia hiking, c. 1922. Lorna Catling Collection
Hall became the first female SOE officer in France on August 23, 1941. Her journalistic cover allowed her to build connections within the Vichy government and understand their relationship with the Nazis. Hall’s articles for the New York Post communicated details of everyday French life that helped the SOE brief officers and comprehend Nazi atrocities.
Virginia Hall's Driver Liscense. c. 1931. Time Magazine
"The Jews in Paris, meantime, are wearing a badge of their race - a five pointed yellow star"
-Virginia Hall in the New York Post, June, 1942 (Mitchell 101)
"You almost imagine that neon lights are blinking from your forehead and proclaiming, on and off, Made in England."
-Peter Churchill, SOE officer, c. 1952 (Purnell 141)
"I haven't yet seen any butter and there is little milk . . . [and] women are no longer entitled to buy cigarettes."
-Virginia Hall in the New York Post, September 4, 1941 (Purnell 87)
New York Post, September 4, 1941. SPYSCAPE