OSS’ Women Agents

Writing and presenting about women who perform in unexpected societal roles is always interesting for the writer and the audience. Linda Matchett will be discussing her book, Women in Espionage, at the Wright Museum of WW II in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, this month. She will be talking about the pop culture stereotype of the woman agent and the reality.

Also, she will be reviewing some of the women “Wild Bill” Donovan, director of the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS), hired to spy in Europe. For instance, Jennis, Invisible Women Episode 8, worked for the OSS in India, Burma and Ceylon. The OSS was in its infancy during WW 2 having recently modelled itself after British intelligence agencies and the Special Operations Executive (SOE) who already had women agents behind enemy lines in Europe. Although the U.S. came to the war late, once involved, the OSS recruited many women. Recently the CIA stated that women make the best spies.