Special Operations Executive Facts for Kids

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British group during World War II. It was officially started on July 22, 1940. Hugh Dalton, who was in charge of economic warfare, helped create it. The SOE was formed by joining three other secret groups.

Its main job was to do spying, sabotage, and gather information in countries in Europe that the Axis powers had taken over. It also helped local groups that were fighting back, known as resistance movements. Later, the SOE also worked in Southeast Asia.

One of the groups that formed the SOE also helped create the Auxiliary Units. This was a very secret "stay-behind" resistance group. It would have been used if Germany had invaded Britain.

Few people knew the SOE existed. Those who were part of it sometimes called it the "Baker Street Irregulars". This was because its main office was on Baker Street in London. It was also known as "Churchill's Secret Army" or the "Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare". For safety, its different parts, and sometimes the whole group, used fake names. These included the "Joint Technical Board" or the "Inter-Service Research Bureau". They also pretended to be parts of the Air Ministry, Admiralty, or War Office.

The SOE worked in all countries that the Axis forces had taken over or attacked. This was unless Britain had made agreements with its main friends, the Soviet Union and the United States. Sometimes, it even used countries that were not fighting in the war. The SOE had over 13,000 people working for it. About 3,200 of these people were women.

After the war, the SOE was officially closed on January 15, 1946. A special memorial for the SOE's agents was put up in London in October 2009. It is near Lambeth Palace.

What Was the SOE?
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What Was the SOE?

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a top-secret British organization. It was created during World War II to fight against the enemy in hidden ways. Its main goal was to cause trouble for the Axis powers.

Secret Missions During World War II

The SOE carried out many dangerous missions. These missions were often behind enemy lines. They aimed to weaken the enemy's power.

Spying and Sabotage

SOE agents were trained to be spies. They would gather important information about enemy plans and movements. They also performed acts of sabotage. This meant secretly damaging enemy factories, railways, and communication lines. These actions made it harder for the enemy to fight.

Helping Resistance Fighters

A big part of the SOE's job was to help local resistance groups. These were brave people in occupied countries who fought against the invaders. The SOE supplied them with weapons, equipment, and training. They also sent agents to work with these groups.

Hidden Identities and Nicknames

Because the SOE's work was so secret, its existence was hidden from most people. Its members used fake names and cover stories. This was to protect them and their missions.

"Churchill's Secret Army"

The SOE was often called "Churchill's Secret Army." This was because Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, was a big supporter of their work. He believed in fighting the enemy using "ungentlemanly" methods. This meant using secret and surprising tactics.

Where Did the SOE Work?

The SOE operated in many parts of the world. They worked in almost every country that the Axis forces had taken over. This included countries across Europe and even parts of Southeast Asia. They sometimes even made plans for countries that were neutral, just in case they were attacked.

The End of the SOE

After World War II ended, the need for the SOE's secret operations decreased. The organization was officially closed down in early 1946. Its brave agents are remembered for their important contributions to the war effort.

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Major General Colin McVean Gubbins, director of SOE from September 1943
SOE memorial plaque in the cloister of Beaulieu Abbey, Hampshire, unveiled by Major General Gubbins in April 1969.
B MK II receiver and transmitter (also known as the B2 radio set)
Westland Lysander Mk III (SD), the type used for special missions into occupied France during World War II.
Maquisards (Resistance fighters) in the Hautes-Alpes département in August 1944. SOE agents are second from right, possibly Christine Granville, third John Roper, fourth, Robert Purvis.
Memorial to Polish Members of the Special Operations Executive, 1942–1944, at Audley End House
Mauthausen concentration camp, memorial plaques behind the Prison Block marking the spot where the ashes of the executed Englandspiel SOE agents are buried
Englandspiel memorial plaques behind the Prison Block of the Mauthausen concentration camp
War in the Far East exhibit in the Imperial War Museum London. Among the collection are a Japanese Good Luck Flag, operational map (numbered 11), photographs of Force 136 personnel and guerillas in Burma (15), a katana that was surrendered to a SOE officer in Gwangar, Malaya in September 1945 (7), and rubber soles designed by SOE to be worn under agents' boots to disguise footprints when landing on beaches (bottom left).