Mission France

Special Operations Executive had the directive to “Set Europe ablaze” and from 1942 began recruiting women as field operatives. 39 were sent into France (of which 26 returned), and Kate Vigurs tells their stories in Mission France. Superbly researched and well written, this book is a really good all-rounder. Broken into 3 sections (Foundations, War, and Death & Deliverance), it tells each woman’s story, from their recruitment to either their death or demob. I loved the fact that she covered the lesser-known agents as well as the big names. Be prepared to be moved – these women’s exploits are… show more.

So much has been written about SOE in World War Two, yet so little is actually known about the 39 female agents who were dropped into occupied France with F Section. Kate’s book is a tour de force in its research and highly readable narrative that is dramatic and, at points, deeply moving. It provides the first comprehensive history of these 39 women, setting the relevance of their stories for their missions in France but also for the wider context of the war. Some of the agents we are familiar with: Odette Samson, Noor Inayat Khan, Violette Szabó – but… show more.