When you think of World War II spies, you probably picture suave British agents with slick hair, tiny pistols, and a tendency to be posh, or whatever in the middle of enemy territory. What you probably don’t picture is a woman with a wooden leg named Cuthbert who spent her days outwitting the Gestapo and making Hitler’s goons look like morons. But that’s exactly what Virginia Hall did.
Born to a well-off Baltimore family, Hall wasn’t exactly on track to become one of the most effective Allied spies of World War II, but a hunting accident that took her left leg seemed to kick-start her career in espionage. Most people would see a wooden leg as a bit of a drawback in spy work, but Hall saw it as a challenge. And if there was one thing she loved, it was a challenge.
After being rejected by the U.S. Foreign Service (because a prosthetic leg was apparently where they drew the line), Hall decided to go rogue. She joined the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and ended up in occupied France, organizing resistance networks, gathering intelligence, and coordinating sabotage missions. This was all while the Nazis were plastering Wanted posters with her face on them, calling her “the most dangerous of all Allied spies.”
Her code name was “Artemis,” after the Greek goddess of the hung, and it fit. Hall blew up bridges, trained guerilla fighters, and radioed intelligence back to the Allies, all while somehow managing to evade the Gestapo—even after they got her picture. When things got too hot, she hiked over the Pyrenees into Spain. On one leg. In winter. When Cuthbert (the wooden leg) gave her trouble on the way, she famously radioed her team that she was having issues with him—much to their confusion, since they thought Cuthbert was a fellow agent.
Eventually, the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) recognized her for the absolute badass she was and put her to work again in France. She coordinated parachute drops, blew up supply lines, and basically spent her days making life miserable for the Nazis. When the war ended, Hall became one of the first women hired as a CIA officer. Even then, she stayed in the shadows, refusing interviews and declining most recognition.
Her only comment on all this? “I have nothing to lose but my life—and if I have to lose it, I’ll lose it fighting.” That, right there, is the energy we should all aspire to.
So, while history is full of larger-than-life heroes, maybe it’s time we talk a little more about the one-legged woman who made Hitler’s Gestapo look like amateurs and never bothered to stick around for applause. Virginia Hall may not have wanted the spotlight, but her story is a reminder that real power isn’t about the credit—it’s about what you’re willing to do when no one’s watching.
