The stories of James Bond, the British super-spy is so full of action and cinematic and literary grandeur that sometimes it’s easy to forget that secret agent work really exists. And, although it’s not as glamorous or action-packed as Daniel Craig or Sean Connery’s films, this is a very dangerous profession in real life. It’s no surprise, then, that 007 itself is based on a real character. But did you know that M and Moneypenny are also inspired by a real secret agent? Her name is Vera Atkins, a British intelligence officer who was a key player during World War II.
Who was Vera Atkins?
Vera Atkins was a British officer, despite being born in Romania, in charge of recruiting and training spies for the Ally cause against the Nazis, as well as helping in the planning of operations in France.
It was thanks to her study of modern languages, while living in Bucharest, that she managed to practice as a spy efficiently, as this allowed her to have contact with multiple diplomats, including the German ambassador in Romania, who was the first to bring Atkins to the office of espionage.
However, her great opportunity came when she fled Romania because of the latter’s fascist and anti-Semitic politics. After obtaining her British citizenship, she joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in response to the German invasion of France.
Churchill’s Secret Army
Back in England, Atkins joined the SOE, also known as Churchill’s Secret Army, where she initially served as secretary, before being promoted to intelligence chief for the French division.
The SOE specialized in espionage and training of secret agents, and Atkins, as intelligence chief, was in charge of contacting and training more than 400 agents.
Before recruiting a new spy, Atkins made sure they knew all the dangers that came with the job, then taught them how to dress, get them papers to pass as regular citizens, and even showed them how to use explosives.
A genuine interest in people
It’s necessary to point out that all the agents Vera Atkins recruited were citizens, without any prior training, but with a passion to help the cause against the Nazis.
It was probably this bravery, mixed with Atkins’ honorary character, that made her “grew fond” of them, as after the war ended, Vera arranged for every agent who died during her active time to receive recognition from the British government.
Even if the SOE had been dismantled after the war, that didn’t stop her, for she even went further than anyone would have demanded by investigating dozens of concentration camps and conducting multiple interviews to locate 118 agents lost in action during the conflict.
A spy so committed to her work and recruits, that she deserved her own tribute. Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond books, made sure the characters inspired by her were up to the task. Vera Atkins passed away in 2000, but her legacy will remain forever in the 007 universes.
Translated by Gaby Flores
Photos from Digital Spy, Mujeres Bacanas, Canal Historia
