UKTV - Secret War (2011) Part 9 The Spymistress and the French Fiasco

“The secret agents who set Europe ablaze”

Just when you thought you knew everything about WWII, Secret War uncovers more incredible stories that exist under the radar. As bombs were dropped from planes, missiles were launched and tanks were deployed all over the world, another kind of war was being waged by the Allies a secret war – a war of espionage. This secret war involved countless acts of espionage, courage, ruthlessness, double dealing and betrayal. It featured secret agents risking everything, working undercover on the continent to turn the tide against the Nazis, never knowing who, at any time, they could trust. Some became double agents playing both sides for the thrill of the danger, others did it just to stay alive. Always these extraordinary characters lived their lives on the edge. Secret War tells their amazing stories. Less than a year after World War II began, Hitler’s armies occupied much of mainland Europe—and the island nation of Great Britain stood alone. Rather than wait for the expected German invasion, Prime Minister Winston Churchill decided to hit back at the Nazis any way he could. In the summer of 1940, he set up a secret new organization called the Special Operations Executive, or SOE, and gave it a simple mission “set Europe ablaze.” SECRET WAR goes inside Churchill's secret army, to a dangerous world of agents, double agents, and even triple agents. In 13 episodes, it tells the story of SOE agents and other clandestine warriors who went behind enemy lines to conduct intelligence-gathering, sabotage, and assassination. Sometimes the operations were spectacularly successful, at other times inexplicably inept. But together, the efforts of these intrepid men and women helped save thousands of lives, liberate Europe, and turn the tide of World War II.

Part 9 The Spymistress and the French Fiasco

Intelligence officer Vera Atkins, said to be the influence for Miss Moneypenny, traced the fate of 118 missing SOE agents after the end of WWII. For much of WWII, the SOE waged a successful secret war in occupied France. But the woman at the heart of it all also presided over a series of bungled operations that delivered agents straight into the hands of the Gestapo. Was it simple (if uncharacteristic) incompetence on her part? Or did Britain's otherwise meticulous spymistress knowingly send agents to their deaths in order to hide a dark personal secret? This sensational instalment of the history series throws new light on British bungling during the Second World War. Vera Atkins had helped to run Britain's spy network in France and, afterwards, became a national heroine for relentlessly tracking down the Nazis who'd tortured and killed 118 British agents. But could that have been a search for personal atonement rather than a quest for justice? This fascinating programme contrasts the meticulous Atkins with her cavalier boss, whose actions helped compromise security. So why didn't Atkins blow the whistle? Perhaps because she was born Maria Rosenberg, in Romania, and may have had secret dealings with the Nazis. It's an extraordinary story, told in essence by Atkins biographer Sarah Helm, with first-class archive and film clips.

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