1940 was a grim year for Britain. The war looked unwinnable; France had fallen to the Nazis; the Americans had not joined the war effort and there were widespread fears of an invasion of Britain by the Germans. The French needed help. A new volunteer fighting force to wage a secret war was therefore decided upon. Called the Special Operations Executive,its mission, in the words of Churchill, was 'to set Europe ablaze'. The SOE hoped to do this by two means - sabotage and subversion. Sir Hugh Dalton was appointed CEO and the first HQ were situated in two family flats in Baker Street (also appropriately the home of that masterly fictional detective Sherlock Holmes).
"Sabotage meant blowing up trains, bridges and factories whilst subversion meant fostering revolt or guerilla warfare in all enemy and enemy-occupied countries".1
Although SOE began with limited money and resources its staff eventually grew to over 10,000 operating all over Europe and Asia. Its main focus of attention, however, was France because that was where the Allied invasion would take place. The SOE (together with its American counterpart, the OSS) provided clothing, forged identity cards, wireless traffic and cover stories for its agents. It 'provided the infrastructure for all successful clandestine operations abroad'.2
SOE agents were mostly recruited by word of mouth, although many came from the armed forces. Although they came from many different countries and all walks of life - from French and Belgian nobility to mechanics and workmen - staff were mainly Oxbridge. Agents included women, including Australia's own Nancy Wake. 50 women operated in France. Many of these agents, such as Violette Szabo, were executed by the Nazis. The life expectancy of the agents was just six weeks.
In Britain the agents were trained at Special Training Schools. Many were country mansions, so grand that they were nicknamed the 'Stately 'omes of England'. A rigorous fitness programme was first undertaken, together with courses in how to read maps and operate weapons. Later the agents learned such skills as silent killing, living off the land, armed combat, camouflage, compiling reports and how to operate a wireless.
1.Morris, Nigel. Mission Impossible: The Special Operations Executive 1940 -45 www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/spying/soe_01.shtml
2.Casey, William The Secret War against Hitler. Simon & Schuster, London, 1989.
(I originally published this at Suite 101 under the pen-name Viola Ashford).
