Female spies from World War II still hold a mystique

Milt Collins, Las Vegas

Thursday, March 31, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

I read with interest the New York Times article in Monday’s Las Vegas Sun about the new series of novels about female spies to be written by Valerie Plame Wilson. I’m sure they will make for interesting reading and I will be on the lookout for them.

Anyone interested in learning more about female spies would like the book “Sisterhood of Spies” by Elizabeth “Betty” McIntosh, the real-life saga of the women of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) during World War II.

A spy herself who served in Kunming, China — alongside her friend Julia Child (then Julia McWilliams) — McIntosh’s book reveals some of the daring exploits of many of the brave women who helped the Allies win the war.

McIntosh, now 96 and living in Virginia, tells of seduction, deceit and heroism of the women of the OSS. Betty has been a personal friend for many years and has provided my wife and me with a wealth of lore about her experiences and those of many of her other co-spies. (Her late husband Fred was a World War II P-47 fighter pilot who flew 106 missions over Germany and also had interesting and sometimes hair-raising stories.)

Another new book in publication is “A Covert Affair” by Jennet Conant, the story of Julia and Paul Child in the OSS, much of which is based on Betty’s memories. (The book is dedicated to her.) Female spies conjure up fascinating images, and these two books can only serve to reinforce them.