Revealed: the real Miss Moneypenny and those other key female MI6 spies

For decades, their work has been hidden from view, their names missing from the history books.

- Donna Ferguson

Now, a new book is seeking to shine a light on the secret and unacknowledged contributions of female spies who worked for MI6 in the early 20th century, and establish their place in history using previously classified evidence and newly unearthed documents.

One of the women, Kathleen Pettigrew, was the most senior secretary in MI6, serving under five MI6 chiefs. There she met Ian Fleming, who, in his first draft of Casino Royale, named Miss Moneypenny "Miss 'Petty' Pettaval".

Yet little is known about the work she did and the role she played in some of the biggest spy operations in British history.

Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall, author of the forthcoming book, Her Secret Service: The Forgotten Women of British Intelligence, has discovered previously classified evidence that suggests Pettigrew was involved in the transfer of messages to and from Hut 3 at Bletchley Park, including the messages Alan Turing and his team were decoding using the Enigma machine.

She also oversaw radio communications between Bletchley Park and MI6 field agents operating overseas in the second world war, accompanying Stewart Menzies, chief of MI6, to top secret wartime meetings with Winston Churchill.

Pettigrew, who received an MBE in 1946 and an OBE when she retired in 1958, wielded far more power and authority in her role than the fictional Miss Moneypenny, Hubbard-Hall said.

"Being deemed an unassuming woman - a secretary - was the perfect camouflage. She did a lot more," said Hubbard-Hall, who is giving a talk about her discoveries at the Chelsea history festival on Wednesday.