List of SOE agents facts for kids

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a top-secret British organization during World War II. Its job was to carry out spying, sabotage, and help local resistance groups in countries taken over by the enemy. SOE agents were brave men and women who risked their lives working behind enemy lines. They gathered important information, blew up enemy targets, and helped people escape.

This article tells you about some of these amazing agents who served the SOE. They came from many different countries and played a vital role in helping the Allies win the war.

Secret Agents of the SOE

The SOE had many different sections, but one of the most famous was the F Section, which worked in France. Agents had many roles, like wireless operators (who sent secret messages), couriers (who delivered messages and supplies), and organizers (who led resistance groups).

Brave Women of the SOE

Many women joined the SOE and showed incredible courage. They often worked as couriers or wireless operators, which were very dangerous jobs.

• Francine Agazarian (British): She was a courier who landed in France by plane in March 1943. Her husband, Jack Agazarian, was also an SOE agent.
• Lisé de Baissac (Mauritian): She was a very brave agent who worked in France. She was even shown as a character in the movie Female Agents.
• Yvonne Baseden (British): At just 18, she joined the WAAF and became a wireless operator. She parachuted into France in March 1944. She was captured and sent to a concentration camp but survived.
• Yolande Beekman (Swiss): Another wireless operator, she was flown into France in September 1943. Sadly, she was killed at Dachau concentration camp.
• Denise Bloch (British): She was a courier and wireless operator. She was captured and killed at Ravensbrück concentration camp.
• Andrée Borrel (French): A courier with the codenames Monique and Denise Urbain. She was killed at Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp.
• Sonya Butt (British): A courier who later married another SOE agent, Guy D'Artois.
• Yvonne Cormeau (British): She was the second female wireless operator sent to France, parachuting in August 1943. She was so clever that she once convinced the enemy her radio was an X-ray machine to avoid capture!
• Madeleine Damerment (French): She was killed at Dachau concentration camp along with other brave agents.
• Elizabeth Devereux-Rochester (British): A courier who was born to American parents.
• Yvonne Fontaine (French): She was a brave agent who worked in France.
• Christine Granville (Polish): Also known as Krystyna Skarbek, she was one of Britain's longest-serving female agents. She was a courier and was promoted to captain. She was sadly killed in 1952.
• Virginia Hall (American): She worked for the SOE and later for the CIA.
• Odette Hallowes (British): One of the most highly decorated women of World War II. She was captured and tortured but never gave away any secrets. She survived the war and later married fellow agent Peter Churchill.
• Mary Katherine Herbert (Irish): She was the first WAAF officer to join the SOE.
• Noor Inayat Khan (Indian/American): A wireless operator who was killed at Dachau concentration camp. She was awarded the George Cross, a very high award for bravery.
• Marguerite Knight (British): Her codename was 'Nicole'.
• Phyllis Latour (British, born in South Africa): She was a very brave agent who worked in France.
• Cecily Lefort (British): A courier who was killed at Ravensbrück concentration camp.
• Vera Leigh (British): She was killed at Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp.
• Elaine Madden (British): A British agent who served in the T section.
• Eileen Nearne (British): A wireless operator, her codename was Rose. Her sisters, Jacqueline and Francis, were also SOE agents.
• Jacqueline Nearne (British): Eileen's sister, her codename was Josette.
• Sonia Olschanezky (French): She was captured, interrogated by the Gestapo, and executed at Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp.
• Maureen Patricia "Paddy" O'Sullivan (Irish): A wireless operator who parachuted into France in April 1944.
• Eliane Plewman (British): A courier who parachuted into France in August 1943. She was arrested, tortured, and killed at Dachau concentration camp.
• Josette Renee Paule Ronserail (French): A courier and wireless operator. She was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo but revealed nothing. She survived Ravensbrück concentration camp.
• Lilian Rolfe (British): A wireless operator who was killed at Ravensbrück concentration camp.
• Diana Rowden (British): She was killed at Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp.
• Yvonne Rudelatt (French): A courier who died from typhus at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
• Violette Szabo (British): A very famous agent who parachuted into France in April 1944. She was killed at Ravensbrück concentration camp and was awarded the George Cross for her bravery.
• Hannah Szenes (Hungarian): She was executed by a firing squad in Budapest.
• Germaine Tambour (French): She was killed at Ravensbrück concentration camp along with her sister, Madeleine.
• Madeleine Tambour (French): Germaine's sister, also killed at Ravensbrück concentration camp.
• Anne-Marie Walters (British): A WAAF officer and courier who parachuted into France in January 1944.
• Nancy Wake (New Zealand): Nicknamed 'White Mouse' by the Gestapo because she was so good at avoiding capture. She was a very active agent in France.
• Pearl Witherington (British): A brave agent who led a resistance network in France.

Other Notable SOE Agents

Many other agents, both men and women, played crucial roles. Here are some of them:

• Jack Agazarian (British): A wireless operator who was killed in a concentration camp in March 1945.
• France Antelme (Mauritian): He was captured when he landed in France and killed at Gross-Rosen concentration camp.
• Benjamin Aptaker (English): A section captain and wireless operator who parachuted into France in March 1944. He survived the war.
• Claude de Baissac (Mauritian): Lisé de Baissac's brother, he was also an SOE agent in France.
• Alcide Beauregard (Canadian): Captured by Germans and killed in France in August 1944.
• Robert Benoist (French): Arrested and executed at Buchenwald concentration camp.
• Marcus Bloom (British): Killed at Mauthausen concentration camp.
• Maurice Buckmaster (British): He was the chief of the F Section, leading many of the operations in France.
• Francis Cammaerts (British): A highly decorated agent who led resistance networks in France.
• Maddalena Cerasuolo (Italian): Known as Maria Esposito, she carried out sabotage missions and was a strong resistance fighter.
• Peter Churchill (British): A brave agent who worked in France. He later married Odette Hallowes.
• Marcel Clech (French): A wireless operator who was arrested and executed at Mauthausen concentration camp.
• Noël Coward (British): A famous playwright and actor who also served with the SOE.
• Benjamin Cowburn (British): He completed four successful missions into France.
• Andrew Croft (British): An agent who worked in Norway.
• Mike Cumberlege (British): He was captured and tortured by the Germans.
• Guy D'Artois (Canadian): A highly decorated agent who married fellow SOE agent Sonya Butt.
• Henri Dericourt (French): His role was complicated, and he was possibly a double agent.
• Hugh Dormer (British): He left the SOE and was later killed in action serving with the Irish Guards.
• Lucien Dumais (Canadian): He was in charge of the Shelburn Line, which helped Allied airmen escape from France.
• Pieter Dourlein (Dutch): He was captured by the Germans but managed to escape back to England and survived the war.
• Patrick Leigh Fermor (British): A famous writer and agent who worked in Crete.
• Marcel Fox (French): He was deported to and killed in Flossenbürg concentration camp.
• Henri Frager (French): He was killed in action.
• Albrecht Gaiswinkler (Austrian): An agent who worked in France.
• Ole Geisler (Danish): From 1943, he led the SOE's work in Jutland, Denmark.
• Victor Gerson (British): He organized an escape line in France that helped people get to neutral Spain.
• John G. Goldsmith (British): He wrote a memoir called "Accidental Agent" about his experiences.
• André Grandclément (French): He was executed as a double agent.
• William Grover-Williams (British): He was captured and executed at Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
• Jacques Vaillant de Guélis (British): He died from a car accident after the war.
• Richard Henry Heslop (British): He was the leader of the Marksman network.
• Wilhelm Holst (Norwegian): He led the Billet circuit and the Eduard escape line to Spain.
• Bill Hudson (British): Some say he was a model for the famous character James Bond!
• Jerzy Iwanow-Szajnowicz (Polish-Greek): A saboteur who worked with the Greek Resistance.
• Douglas Jung (Canadian): He later became the first Chinese-Canadian Member of Parliament.
• Peter Kemp (British): An agent who worked in the Balkans and wrote several books about his experiences.
• Raymond LaBrosse (Canadian): A radio operator for the Shelburn Line, helping people escape.
• Max Lafaye (French): He was deported to several concentration camps but survived.
• Leif Larsen (Norwegian): Known as the "Shetland Bus" operator, he was the most highly decorated naval officer of World War II.
• Huub Lauwers (Dutch): He was captured by the Germans and held in many concentration camps but survived the war.
• Lionel Lee (British): A British Jewish agent who was betrayed and killed at Gross-Rosen concentration camp.
• Mike Lees (British): He successfully planned and carried out Operation Tombola.
• Philippe Liewer (French): A brave agent who worked in France.
• Ole Lippmann (Danish): He took over as the SOE parachute commander in Denmark.
• Amédée Maingard (Mauritian): A highly decorated agent who worked in France.
• Max Manus (Norwegian): A very famous Norwegian resistance fighter, he was highly decorated for his bravery.
• Claude Raymond Malraux (French): He was killed in action at Gross-Rosen concentration camp.
• George Millar (British): An agent who worked in France and was also a writer.
• W. Stanley Moss (British): A British agent who worked in the Balkans.
• Flemming Muus (Danish): He was the SOE parachute commander in Denmark from 1943 to 1945.
• Isidore Newman (British): He was captured and shot at Mauthausen concentration camp with many other agents.
• Gilbert Norman (British): He was killed in action.
• Paul Pardi (French): His mother was captured and tortured but never revealed what she knew.
• Maurice Pertschuk (French): He was killed at Buchenwald concentration camp.
• Harry Peulevé (British): A highly decorated agent who worked in France.
• Frank Pickersgill (Canadian): He was killed in action.
• Anthony Quayle (British): He was a liaison officer with the partisans in Albania.
• Adolphe Rabinovitch (British): He was captured and executed at Gross-Rosen concentration camp.
• Harry Rée (British): He was the organizer for the Stockbroker circuit in France.
• Haviva Reik (Slovakian): She was killed in action.
• Jasper Rootham (British): An agent who worked in Yugoslavia.
• Roméo Sabourin (Canadian): He was captured and killed in 1944.
• Enzo Sereni (Italian): He was captured and executed in Dachau concentration camp.
• John B. Selby (British): A highly decorated agent who worked in Yugoslavia.
• Einar Skinnarland (Norwegian): A brave agent who worked in Norway.
• Giovanni Slaviero (Italian): A partisan who was recruited into the SOE and was captured and tortured but gave up nothing.
• Gunnar Sønsteby (Norwegian): He was a key member of the Norwegian resistance movement and organized sabotage. He is the most highly decorated Norwegian of World War II.
• Maurice Southgate (British): His codename was 'Hector'.
• George Reginald Starr (British): He was the brother of John Renshaw Starr, also an SOE agent.
• Arthur Steele (British): He was captured and killed in 1944.
• Brian Stonehouse (British): An agent who worked in France.
• Francis Suttill (British): Captured in 1943 and killed in 1945.
• Michael Trotobas (British): He was killed in action in France.
• Jacques Vaillant de Guélis (French): He died from injuries after a road accident.
• Philippe de Vomécourt (French): He was the head of the Ventriloquist Network.
• Pierre de Vomécourt (French): He was the head of the Autogyro Network.
• Arne Værum (Norwegian): He was killed in action in Norway.
• Edward Zeff (British): A radio operator who was captured by the Germans but survived the war.
• Guido Zembsch-Schreve (Dutch): He was captured by the Germans but survived.
• F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas (British): Best known by his codename "White Rabbit," he was a very famous and highly decorated agent.

Key to Awards and Terms

Here are some of the special awards and terms you might see for these brave agents:

• CBE: This stands for Commander of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. It's a high honor given by the British.
• CdeG: This is the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945, a French military medal given to people who fought bravely with the Allies in World War II.
• DM: The Defence Medal was given for military and civilian service during WWII.
• DSC: The Distinguished Service Cross is a British medal for bravery during active operations against the enemy.
• DSO: The Distinguished Service Order is awarded for excellent service in war.
• EM: The Médaille des Évadés is a French medal for prisoners of war who escaped.
• F: This means the agent worked for the SOE's F section, which operated in France.
• FANY: The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry was a British all-female group involved in nursing and intelligence during the wars.
• FGS: The France and Germany Star was awarded to British forces who served in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, or Germany between June 1944 and May 1945.
• GC: The George Cross is the highest award for bravery for civilians in the United Kingdom, and for military personnel in non-combat situations.
• GM: The George Medal is the second highest civilian bravery award in the UK.
• KCBC: The King's Commendation for Brave Conduct is a British award for brave acts by civilians or military members in non-war situations.
• KIA: This means Killed in Action, which describes soldiers who died fighting the enemy.
• LdH: The Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur is the highest award given by France.
• MBE: This stands for Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, another British honor.
• MFG: The Médaille de la Reconnaissance française was given to civilians who showed heroism during WWI, and later WWII.
• MiD: Mentioned in Despatches means a person's brave actions were officially reported by a senior officer.
• MR: The Médaille de la Résistance was given to people who fought against the Axis powers in France.
• MC: The Military Cross is a military award for bravery during land operations against the enemy.
• ST: The 1939-1945 Star was awarded for operational service during WWII.
• T: This means the agent worked for the SOE's operations in Belgium.
• WAAF: The Women's Auxiliary Air Force was a women's branch of the British Royal Air Force.
• WM: The War Medal 1939-1945 was given to British Commonwealth subjects who served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy during WWII.

See also

• List of female SOE agents
• SOE F Section networks