Events

Battlefields Trust online lecture: 'Special Agent' Fifi and the Special Operations Executive of WWII

Monday 28th February 2022

Special Operations Executive agent Fifi has come to be seen as a symbol of seduction, the ultimate honey trap, but Marie Christine Chilver was certainly not employed with a licence to thrill. Her contribution to the war effort took place not behind enemy lines but on the home front, testing trainee agents as to whether they could be trusted to keep their mouths shut and maintain all-important cover – a skill necessary for agent survival. SOE could not risk the disastrous possibility of unsuitable agents disclosing secrets to the enemy. In this talk, Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall sheds important light on Christine’s vital wartime contribution and legacy.   

Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall specialises in the forgotten voices of women in secret intelligence. Her interest in the secret world began with her doctoral research on secret agents employed by the Nazis’ infamous state secret police, the Gestapo. 

Claire’s research interests also include dress and disguise, and secret gadgetry. Her fascination with intricate espionage operations, ingenious but deadly traitors and the complex system of coded wartime communication can be found within her teaching at Bishop Grosseteste University where she leads on the military history programme.  

Claire regularly tweets about her research @spyhistory  

This presentation is exclusive to Battlefields Trust members. It starts at 8pm and booking will be on-line in response to a Mailchimp invitation sent to all Trust members.

This event was originally planned for 21st February 2022 but had to be rescheduled to 28th February due to power outages resulting from storm damage suffered by the speaker. 

For further information.

• Contact email : info@battlefieldstrust.com