Why Belgian agents risked their lives spying for Britain

HistoryExtra podcast

HistoryExtra

History

4.3 • 4.7K Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2026

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the chaotic opening months of the First World War, Britain's intelligence services were desperate to learn where the Germans would attack next. Enter the White Lady. As historian Helen Fry lays out in her new book, this courageous network of Belgian civilians began spying on German troops from behind enemy lines – and, in the process, changed the course of the war. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Helen tells an extraordinary story of massacres, drug dealing, double-crossing and secret messages encased in potatoes. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST For more on spycraft in the Second World War, don't miss our interview with Helen Fry on the ingenious British intelligence operation to bug German prisoners during the conflict: https://bit.ly/459WzOG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Sanjeeves just received a decent bonus.
0:22.6	Nice work, Sanjeeve. He knows he could invest all of the money, but he's seen a new watch he likes. He's not worried. With his HSBC Premier bank account and access to their financial advice service, he can get a personalised plan for the future and know how much you can spend a day. Everything's Premier when your bank account is. Search HSBC Premier. HSBC UK, opening up a world of opportunity.
0:25.1	For financial advice, you need minimum £100,000.
0:26.8	Other criteria and fees apply.
0:29.9	Financial and other eligibility criteria apply for HSBC Premier.
0:31.3	Ready to launch your business?
0:34.3	Get started with the commerce platform made for entrepreneurs.
0:38.6	Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run and grow your business with easy customizable themes that let you build your brand, marketing tools that get your
0:43.2	products out there. Integrated shipping solutions that actually save you time, from startups to scale
0:48.0	up, online, in person and on the go. Shopify is made for entrepreneurs like you.
0:53.5	Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup.
0:58.8	Sophie Tom and the kids are standing by the luggage carousel waiting for Sophie's bag.
1:02.8	Looks like she's going to be wearing Tom's clothes for a week, but she's not worried. Their HSBC
1:07.2	Premier bank account has comprehensive worldwide travel insurance that covers them,
1:11.1	the kids and grandkids, if they had them.
1:13.6	Everything's Premier when your bank account is.
1:15.8	Search HSBC Premier.
1:17.5	HSBC UK, opening up a world of opportunity.
1:20.9	Apply with £100,000 annual income or £100,000 savings or investments with HSBC UK or Premier status abroad,
1:25.9	covered by Aviva Insurance Limited. Hage restrictions and limitations apply. Abby's just woken up. It's 731 and she's forgotten to ring the doctor. There's no point ringing now. She needs to get to work. But she's not worried. She's got an HSBC Premier bank account with access to digital GP appointments plus two second opinions a year should she need them. Everything's Premier when your bank account is.
1:46.2	Search HSBC Premier.
1:47.9	HSBC UK, opening up a world of opportunity.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from HistoryExtra, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of HistoryExtra and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.