By September 1940, several countries in mainland Europe had fallen to the Nazis, and Britain held its breath, expecting to be next. Hitler ordered that spies be parachuted into the British Isles to pave the way for an upcoming land invasion, and so Operation Lena – one of the most disastrous Nazi missions of World War Two – was born.
The spies sent to Britain under cover of darkness were so badly prepared that it has since been suggested that someone high up in Hitler’s secret service intended the mission to fail. The spies were not fanatical Nazis, but men and women whose support for Hitler was tenuous at best. Some were political prisoners, offered freedom in exchange for their participation. Many simply walked into British police stations and turned themselves in… which was unfortunate for them, because the new Treachery Act allowed for the execution of all enemy agents.
The behaviour of these German spies was ludicrous in the extreme. Many spoke English with a strong German accent. One was captured when he was caught cycling the wrong way down a road. Another was found to be carrying a German sausage, and a third aroused suspicion when he tried to order a pint in a pub well before the wartime opening hours. One spy – who landed by row boat – stored his pack in a public locker, and his cover was blown when the locker started to leak sea water.
We will never know for sure why this mission was so badly planned, and whether this was an act of sabotage at the highest level of Nazi ranks. However, most historians assert that all these spies either turned themselves in or were captured.
The thing is – how can be certain this is the case?
It was when I considered this question that the idea for Her Secret Soldier was born.
My fictional spy – Walter – is injured as he parachutes into an ancient woodland on the south coast of England. He is NOT captured- thanks to a lonely 18-year-old-girl, Rose, who identifies with his pain and isolation. Like so many of the spies who landed in Britain during Operation Lena, Walter cares little for Nazis objectives. He reassures Rose that he means no harm to her or to Britain, and Rose believes him… until he connects with a second spy – Otto – who is a dangerous man indeed. Otto involves Walter in a heinous mission that could result in hundreds of civilian deaths, turning the tide of the war – and Rose must decide whether Walter is worthy of her trust. She is forced to choose between loyalty to her country, and loyalty to the man she loves – and the consequences of a wrong decision could be catastrophic.
Her Secret Soldier is published by Bookouture UK and available now in paperback, for Kindle and as an audiobook, using this link: https://geni.us/HerSecretSoldier
