France's One-Legged American World War II Superspy

Virginia Hall grew up in Maryland, learned several languages, and attended college in both America and Europe. She wanted work for the U.S. State Department, and maybe work her way up to diplomat. Instead she got a job in Turkey as a clerk. While there, she has a hunting accident in 1933 that destroyed her left foot. Gangrene forced the amputation of half her leg. That injury precluded her working for the State Department, as they only took able-bodied employees at the time. But Hall still wanted travel and adventure, so she went to France in 1939. She made contact with the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), which considered her potential as a spy.

Hall's work in occupied France became so legendary that the Gestapo looked for la dame qui boite, or "the lady with a limp." She escaped by walking through the Pyrenees Mountains to Spain alone, on a wooden prosthetic leg. But then she returned to France in disguise to continue her work! Read about the exploits of Virginia Hall in World War II at Mental Floss.