In 1942 Section F was introduced to the SOE. Britain’s first ever female agents; Churchill’s brainchild to aid resistance in occupied France. No one suspected a woman and they could move around without detection behind enemy lines.
15 of the women were recruited from the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary). The ATA flew every aircraft during WW2 from Spitfires to Lancasters on as little as 10 hours flight experience. The women ATA pilots are a little known story of WW2 and the F Section present even more untold history. These women were trained in country houses in Scotland – by hired ex felons in the ways of detonating explosives, hand to hand combat – and on the last night of training were pulled from their beds at 3 in the morning to have a simulated Gestapo torture session. They were then flown behind enemy lines by their female comrades to parachute into France where they caused utter devastation to German forces facing extraordinary odds and demonstrating incredible courage and bravery.
