Pussy Galore, aka Honor Blackman served as a motorcycle dispatch rider in World War II

Actor and motorcyclist Honor Blackman died this week at the age of 94. You may remember her as Pussy Galore, an aviator who led an all-female gang of criminals the 1964 Bond film "Goldfinger".

But more importantly she played the seminal role of Dr. Cathy Gale, the leather-clad, judo-fighting anthropologist agent in The Avengers, the 1960s British TV series. The Avengers was a very influential TV show. It's clever, witty and timeless because it's not set in a recognizable 60s present, but rather an exaggerated one. Honor Blackman's role as Dr. Gale was ahead of it's time on may levels, but it wasn't a result of the writers being ahead of their time. It was a very fortunate accident.

The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel played by Ian Hendry who left after the first series, Steed (Patrick Macnee) then became the main character, partnered with a succession of intelligent, stylish and assertive women.

When Hendry left suddenly, the show producers cast Honor Blackman in the part and didn't change the script because they didn't have time. Dame Diana Riggs, aka Emma Peel, shared the story: "So suddenly, Honor had all these masculine attributes. She was able to look after herself, handle a gun, fight anything and anybody. And the story grew. It wasn't that the show producers and writer were clever. It was a very happy accident for which they were eternally grateful, and never spoke the truth about it."

The entire show was a fashion delight and Dr. Cathy Gale looked her best in leather. Her iconic leather outfits and comfortable pants suits were designed by costume designers John Bates and Allan Huges. The actress, the role, the writing and the fashion made Honor Blackman an avant-guard cultural icon, a heroine who was a very potent influence in woman claiming their place in the world.

Her passion for motorcycles started early and endured for the rest of her life.

During World War II, at the age of 15, Honor became a motorcycle dispatch rider for Britain’s Home Office. She helped play a crucial role in the war effort delivering vital information and messages between headquarters and remote field units.  “I was only just old enough to ride a bike and my mother was terrified, but I thought it was heaven. It was pretty dangerous because we were in the midst of war and had to mask the headlights during the blackout. Bombs were falling, but the roar of the motorbike engine used to drown out the sound of the doodlebugs (the German V1 rocket bombs) so we never heard them coming.  It seemed terribly exciting to me.”

After becoming a star on British television saving the world from increasingly bizarre plots and conspiracies on the Avengers, Honor Blackman became a global sensation when at the age of 39, she played the most popular Bond woman Pussy Galore, a pilot with her own criminal air force with seamless ability to judo-flipp Sean Connery's 007.

Blackman led a fascinating life. Between playing in many films, she advocated for fair trade and the abolishment of the monarchy.

You may enjoy her ultimate film, the deadly funny 2012 horror comedy "Cockneys vs. Zombies" in which bank robbers unwittingly unleash an army of living dead in East London. RIP HB, thank you and well done!