Hollywood has created many iconic spy scenes over the decades, from Hitchcock’s North by Northwest to the James Bond series. Television has also offered clever characters such as MacGyver and Jim Phelps from Mission Impossible. But Mark Twain said it best: “Truth is stranger than fiction.” In real life, children, prostitutes, and even squirrels have all played roles in stealing secrets from the enemy.
10. Roald Dahl: Children’s Book Writer and Spy
Roald Dahl, famous for stories like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, led a life of intrigue before becoming a writer. After crashing as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force, he was sent to America to gain support for the British in World War II. Dahl gathered secret information, sharing gossip and intel gleaned from dinners and cocktail parties with the British Security Coordination. He used his affairs and friendships with figures like Vice President Henry Wallace and Senator Harry Truman to gather information and spent a week with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, subsequently providing intel to the BSC. After the war, he continued writing, leaving readers none the wiser about his secret past. [1]
9. Hannie Schaft and the Oversteegen Sisters: Teenage Resistance Fighters
Hannie Schaft and sisters Truus and Freddie Oversteegen were integral to the Dutch Resistance during World War II. They risked their lives to save Jews from the Nazis, hiding children, forging papers, and bombing railways. They even lured men to their deaths. Countless lives were saved by their heroics. Hannie Schaft was killed just before the war ended. The Oversteegen sisters, who were in their early teens when the war began, received the Dutch Mobilization War Cross in 2014. [2]
8. Animal Spies: From Pigeons to Squirrels
Animals have been used in espionage since ancient Roman times, when pigeons were trained to carry secret messages. More recently, the CIA has employed animals in various operations, including dolphins during the Cold War and bugs for detection. They even trained a cat to differentiate between voices. In 2007, Iranian army caught squirrels outside a nuclear plant, though their mission remained unclear. Next time you see a critter, think twice! [3]
7. The Trojan Tree: Trench Warfare Espionage
The Trojan Horse is a classic tale of infiltration. In World War I, the Germans created a “Trojan tree” to spy on the enemy during trench warfare. An army artist rendered an exact replica of a tree on the battlefield, then created it with a bulletproof steel core. Soldiers replaced the real tree with the replica at night. They would climb a narrow rope ladder and use a periscope to relay information about enemy movements to their troops below, providing a crucial edge in the difficult trench warfare. [4]
6. James Armistead: Slave Turned Double Agent
James Armistead, a slave turned double agent, was instrumental in the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, the decisive battle of the American Revolution. Posing as a dutiful servant to British General Cornwallis, Armistead learned of Cornwallis’s plan to move troops from Portsmouth to Yorktown, allowing the French fleet to cut off the British escape. He fed false information to the British, ensuring the American victory. Freed because of his espionage work, he became a landowner. [5]
5. Mata Hari: Exotic Dancer and Spy
Margaretha Zelle, known as Mata Hari, used her feminine wiles to pass information to the Germans in World War I. After a tumultuous early life, she reinvented herself as an exotic dancer in Paris. Her striptease routine led to affairs, and she used intimate moments with men to gather valuable secret trade information. Traveling through Europe, Zelle was eventually arrested and executed by firing squad in 1917. Before her death, she reportedly blew a kiss to the firing squad. [6]
4. Tattooed Spies: Body Ink and Espionage
Folklore surrounds spies and tattoos, suggesting secret messages are passed through codes in body ink. While the CIA and FBI supposedly avoid hiring employees with tattoos, the CIA claims this is a myth. Sometimes, tattoos come in handy. Jay Dobyns, an undercover agent at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, infiltrated Hell’s Angels because of his tattooed look. [7]
3. Belle Boyd: The Teenage Confederate Spy
Belle Boyd, known as La Belle Rebelle, was a 17-year-old Confederate spy during the Civil War. She shot a Union soldier who insulted her family. She used her youth and beauty to transport information and supplies to Southern troops. Arrested multiple times, she helped Stonewall Jackson recapture Front Royal. Later, she fell in love with a Union soldier, married him, and became an actress after her stint as a spy. She died in poverty during a performance in Wisconsin. [8]
2. Rahab: The Prostitute Who Saved Spies
One of the earliest spy stories comes from the Bible’s Book of Joshua. Before invading Jericho, the Israelites sent scouts who stayed at Rahab’s inn, likely a brothel. Rahab hid the spies from the king’s men. Because of her help, her family was spared when Jericho was attacked. Though she betrayed her homeland, she saved her family. [9]
1. The International Spy Museum: A World of Espionage
The Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., welcomes visitors to explore the history of espionage. Visitors can crack codes and learn about famous spies. The museum features the largest collection of international spy artifacts, including a lipstick pistol, a pigeon camera, and even a scrotum concealment device! [10]
These stories reveal that the world of espionage is far more diverse and surprising than anything Hollywood could invent. From children’s authors to prostitutes, the world of spies is filled with unexpected heroes and villains.
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