Infamous!
Spies in movies always seem to live glamorous lives. They get to swan around in expensive outfits, drive fast cars and hang out in exotic locations. But is this the case for real spies? We meet some secret agents who led interesting lives – at least for some of the time...
Konon Molody
Konon Molody was a Soviet spy in London during the Cold War. His spy training began when he was just 11 years old. His aunt took him from his home in Moscow, Russia to California, where he learned how to dress, act and speak like an American. After five years he returned to the Soviet Union to continue his training.
In 1954, Konon moved to London where he set up a spy ring in a suburban house. His neighbours had no clue what was going on next door! Although pretending to be a businessman, Konon’s real mission was to find out information about British air bases and nuclear submarines.
Eventually, Konon was caught and sentenced to 25 years in jail. However, a few years later he was traded for an English spy who had been caught in Moscow.
Mata Hari
Mata Hari was a spy in Europe during World War One. She worked as an exotic dancer in Paris, wearing beautiful costumes. She went to lots of parties where she met important military men from different countries. The Germans employed her to collect information about the war from her British and French friends.
Soon Mata Hari was working as a double agent – passing information about her German friends back to the French. She always treated her spy career as a game. However, in 1917 she was arrested by the French government as a German spy and executed by firing squad.
Nancy Wake
Nancy Wake was a spy in France during World War Two. Born in New Zealand in 1912, she grew up in Australia. Nancy always dreamed of having a glamorous life and began working as a journalist in Paris when she was 21.
When World War Two started, Nancy became a courier for a secret network of people known as the French Resistance. She smuggled messages and food into France, even though this put her life in constant danger.
After training as a spy in Scotland, Nancy parachuted back into France to help the Resistance fighters hiding in the forest. She rode a bicycle 480 kilometres almost non-stop for three days to find help after their radio codes were destroyed following a German raid.
Nancy received many medals and awards for her bravery. These days she lives in style in a hotel in London!
Based on the article by Meredith Costain