The Ventures of the Special Operations Executive

Although it was technically formed in July 1940, the SOE (Special Operations Executive) had come together in 1938 with the merging of 3 active, key departments soon after Germany annexed Austria. Churchill’s Secret Army was instructed to “Set Europe Ablaze”.

SOE agents were sent to several Nazi occupied territories to cause mayhem behind German lines and furthermore endeavor to locate local resistance groups they may well work with the instant the point for invasion was here. Theatres of Operation involved France, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Yugoslavia, Greece, Hungary, Albania, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Denmark, Romania, Abyssinia and the Far East.

As operatives operated deep in occupied nations and they were recruited from a variety of social class and background. The crucial qualification was that the potential agent had in depth knowledge of the nation they would work in and ın a position to pass as a native of that country. Consequently, agents in possession of dual nationality were highly desirable.

The famous aircraft used by the Special Operations Executives in France was the Westland Lysander. It was a small airplane which meant it was substantially more tough to view and was robust enough to land on makeshift landing strips. It was used to transport agents to and from the Britain not to mention lifting individuals who had to be debriefed in London. Airmen who had been shot down were also often returned to the United Kingdom by Lysander.

Amid the Special Operations Executive group were a number of female agents and roughly around a third of the female operatives sent into France from Section F, did not come back. The sort of operations in each country were wide ranging. For example, in Poland, there was very little need to stir up the local population as there was already common hate of the Nazis. This was in contrast to places such as Vichy France which collaborated with the occupying forces and the danger of SOE operatives being doubled crossed was dramatically increased.

For the duration of World War II, the SOE had utilised around 13,000 people who directly supported or supplied somewhere in the region of 1 million agents.