SOE (Special Operations Executive)
Asp9mm
Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,541MI6 Agent
I was going to put this in the Off Topic forum, but in light of recent documents being Unclassified, it's quite clear that SOE was the basis for Ian Flemings Secret Service in which Bond worked. A grey building (almost) overlooking Regents Park, A head referred to as 'M' and even a Q-Branch dedicated to developing assassination and sabotage gadgets concealed as/in everyday items. Its branches in foreign countries were also labelled the same as Fleming's fictional Secret Service branches. Fleming was also a liaison officer between Naval Intelligence and SOE during the war and had top access to a few of their main operations and certainly their techniques and gadgets. He even trained with agents at one point.
It's something of a coincidence that I've been a huge admirer of SOE and its operations and tools used. My grandfather flew agents in and out of occupied countries in a Lysander until he was grounded by a fire in a hangar that damaged his eyesight. He took me to see my first Bond film in 1977, encouraged me to join the armed forces and prompted my collection of original SOE items, paperwork, library and dedication to all those brave men and wormen that served and suffered horrendously in WW2.
The Special Operations Executive was ordered by Winston Churchill to "set Europe ablaze". SOE's main task was to link up with resistance movements - primarily the French Resistance - to undermine the Germans in the countries they had occupied and sabotage everything and anything they could.
These are some of the items created and used by SOE. There's so much that I'll keep adding to it bit by bit.
The FS knife is pretty famous, and Fairbairn and Sykes both taught SOE agents CQB before they were dropped into occupied Europe. This example is a rare SOE 'sterile' example which has no markings whatsoever, so its country of origin couldn't be identified if discovered.
SOE agents had a large array of concealable blades and daggers available to them. This example is a sleeve spike designed to escape detection during a search. A nasty assassination weapon about ten inches long.
On a slightly smaller scale at around six inches long was this miniature version which was designed to be concealed in hems, collars and more commonly in hollowed out pens and pencils.
One of the iconic knives given to SOE agents was the Jack Knife Dagger which had a blade designed for stabbing but that could also pass for a standard pocket knife. This now rare version with a secondary tyre slasher blade was designed to slash tyre walls so repair was impossible. It could also snip off the valve tube quite easliy. Not many of these knives survive now as they were very useful (and quite large at 9 inches opened), most showing regular blade wear and sharpening. My grandad used one for pruning. Unbelievable considering they are worth more than good FS knives now, even in well used/damaged condition. The bottom picture is from a copy of the original SOE catalogue of equipment.
SOE also supplied agents with a smaller concealable tyre slashing blade. Designed to be slipped over a finger, these were also popular E&E (Escape & Evasion) tools smuggled into POW camps.
Also designed for E&E was the button compassed, this example still with its waterproof shroud, so it could be swallowed or secreted in bodily orifices to avoid discovery.
SOE also used and dropped into Europe, the PE #69 grenade designed to explode on impact and the famous Mills grenade.
I'll continue a little later with explosives and sabotage equiment.
It's something of a coincidence that I've been a huge admirer of SOE and its operations and tools used. My grandfather flew agents in and out of occupied countries in a Lysander until he was grounded by a fire in a hangar that damaged his eyesight. He took me to see my first Bond film in 1977, encouraged me to join the armed forces and prompted my collection of original SOE items, paperwork, library and dedication to all those brave men and wormen that served and suffered horrendously in WW2.
The Special Operations Executive was ordered by Winston Churchill to "set Europe ablaze". SOE's main task was to link up with resistance movements - primarily the French Resistance - to undermine the Germans in the countries they had occupied and sabotage everything and anything they could.
These are some of the items created and used by SOE. There's so much that I'll keep adding to it bit by bit.
The FS knife is pretty famous, and Fairbairn and Sykes both taught SOE agents CQB before they were dropped into occupied Europe. This example is a rare SOE 'sterile' example which has no markings whatsoever, so its country of origin couldn't be identified if discovered.
SOE agents had a large array of concealable blades and daggers available to them. This example is a sleeve spike designed to escape detection during a search. A nasty assassination weapon about ten inches long.
On a slightly smaller scale at around six inches long was this miniature version which was designed to be concealed in hems, collars and more commonly in hollowed out pens and pencils.
One of the iconic knives given to SOE agents was the Jack Knife Dagger which had a blade designed for stabbing but that could also pass for a standard pocket knife. This now rare version with a secondary tyre slasher blade was designed to slash tyre walls so repair was impossible. It could also snip off the valve tube quite easliy. Not many of these knives survive now as they were very useful (and quite large at 9 inches opened), most showing regular blade wear and sharpening. My grandad used one for pruning. Unbelievable considering they are worth more than good FS knives now, even in well used/damaged condition. The bottom picture is from a copy of the original SOE catalogue of equipment.
SOE also supplied agents with a smaller concealable tyre slashing blade. Designed to be slipped over a finger, these were also popular E&E (Escape & Evasion) tools smuggled into POW camps.
Also designed for E&E was the button compassed, this example still with its waterproof shroud, so it could be swallowed or secreted in bodily orifices to avoid discovery.
SOE also used and dropped into Europe, the PE #69 grenade designed to explode on impact and the famous Mills grenade.
I'll continue a little later with explosives and sabotage equiment.
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Comments
You can buy the full DVD from the IWM (Imperial War Museum). It's called 'Now It Can Be Told'.
Pull switch designed to go off after a trip wire has been pulled. Used for a variety of targets from vehicles, trains and troops. the classic booby trap device.
Trip wires...
Push switch designed to go off when the pressure pad is activated...
Bakelite junction box used on rail demolitions to set numerous fuse wires...
Copper'match head' type fuses that were crimped on to detonation cord to start it off. Complete with striker which has been well used...
Percussion caps used to set off explosives...
SOE detonator crimping tool, used for crimping a detonator on to the fuse creating a firm and waterproof seal. This one is complete with its original wax paper...
The famous SOE Time Pencil. Designed as a time fuse. The end is placed in the plastic explosive and the copper part is crushed by the finger and thumb which crushes a vial of acid inside. This eats the wire retaining the striker over a set period of time and then... BOOM!!! The coloured safety pin was colour coded for delay times. Anything from two minutes to a day or so. They came in tins of five. Famously used during the Telemark raid amongst others.
He must have done... yes.
Carrier pigeon container. Used by the SOE in Europe when wireless operation was too dangerous. This is a very rare item, and the only other one I know of in the UK is in the IWM.
Wire cutters, used by SOE saboteurs to cut fences when clearing land for Lysander landing strips, telephone line and perimeter fence breaching.
1939 French Michelin maps. These were issued to SOE agents before going in to their designated operational zones.
During WW2 the US supplied us Brits with many weapons on a loan/lease programme in which we traded information and developments of our own. because of this, we had at our disposal many Colt pistols of the hammerless design. SOE most notably used the 1903 version..
They also used the 1908 vest pocket version for added concealability. These were also available suppressed.
They also used many other models of small pocket pistol, such as Star and Bernadelli pistols. Two European pistols of note are of interest to us Bond fans. The first one is the Beretta 418 and its brothers...
The second was the .25 Browning which was used almost as much as the Colts. Ian Fleming himself was issued one of these to protect himself and Admiral Godfrey. He kept it when the war ended and took it to Jamaica for protection.
Possibly the most famous pistol invented and used by the SOE is the Welrod. A very silent pistol with a 7 round magazine and closed bolt so there is no mechanical sound when fired. It was as silent as a finger click and unidentifiable as a gun shot. Testers famously shot pigeons from the rooftops in Regent Street without anyone noticing. Designed specifically for concealment and assassination, it was still in use with the MOD until a few years ago and still classified. The US made its own for the OSS and was used extensively in Vietnam. Chris Ryan famously carried one during his famous escape and evasion from Iraq during the first Gulf War.
The muzzle was designed with a concave dip to aid in sound dampening when pushed into the person being shot. Effectively creating a further and final sound baffle.
A short but informative video on the Welrod can be found here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzOU4vom2fs
For gadgets. They were in fact a stable part of the service . -{
Fleming would have had access to all of these items. The commando unit he set up himself - 30 AU would have had an interest in using many of these items and would have been fully briefed on their development and potential for use in their own intelligence gathering raids. Operation Postmaster a joint SOE and NID operation meant Fleming was a regular visitor to SOE HQ and would certainly have deep inside knowledge of the whole set-up due to his involvement in that alone.
The M1903 Colt was also available in .380, but in addition to the easier availibilty of the .32/7.65mm I've read an article which stated the .32 shot to point of aim better than the .380. Have you got any SOE holsters or lapel daggers,by the way?
I'd really like to know more about those suppressed .25 Colts and Brownings.
Regards,
Tecolote
They also used a 1911 model that was chambered for .38, but for the most part they used the .32 calibre pistols. I have a couple of holsters and loads of SOE blades including the lapel daggers which I'll be posting up in time.
Webley pistols were also used, and some of these were suppressed too. As the small pistols like the Browning, Colt, Stars etc were issued as last minute defence weapons, not many were suppressed. In fact most agents cached their pistols as soon as they arrived in enemy territory as they felt the risk of discovery through searches was too great. Many found their way into the hands of the Marquis or local partisan groups.
I also remember reading that Christopher Lee was in the SOE or the "Ministry of ungentlemanly warfare". I don't know if that is true or not.
But it's interesting as he is a cousin of Fleming and was Scaramanga too
The SOE has facinated me since my early teens. The Norwegian section was informally known as Company Linge after the actor and reserve officer who started up an led the unit until he was killled in the Måløy raid. Some SOE agents are household names in Norway, including Gunnar "Number 24" Sønsteby, and some of the most seen movies and TV series in my country are about them.
I wonder if your grandfather flew missions to Norway?
Did you know there is a Special Forces Club in London? It's a very descrete membership club for people who served in special operations units. I believe it's open to families too, but I'm not sure.
They do have an internet site:
http://sfclub.org/
True. Also members of foreign special forces and inteligence organisations can be members. I understand it's a great place to hear old war stories for young spies and commandoes.
Bond’s Beretta
The Handguns of Ian Fleming's James Bond
http://www.army.cz/images/id_7001_8000/7419/assassination-en.pdf
Regards,
Tecolote
I have no idea. Sadly my Granfathers momento's and even medals were stolen a few years back by a family member X-( He did have an avid interest in the Telemark raid and met a few members from Operation Grouse. He died a year before I met them all myself.
I have a few bits and pieces of SOE specific paperwork and photo's from back then, I'll be posting them later too. I've got so much that it's difficult to choose what's next.