Special Operations Executive Summary of Operations in Western Europe
This summary refers only to those operations with the fullest material in the files. For reasons of space it does not refer to every operation mentioned in the records. Similarly, the newly released records do not contain evidence on every operation which was mounted by the sections.
Source : Adam Matthew Publications
NEWSAGENT
Belgium, May 1943, with W/T operator Vampire, to organise reception committees and sabotage groups in Antwerp and Limburg
NICANOR
Belgium, January /February 1943, field name Therese, support to chief Belgian organisers
OPINION
Belgium (?) 1941, mission to cultivate contacts in ecclesiastical circles, including the king’s entourage
OTHELLO
Belgium, June 1943, mission to organise agricultural resistance, develop clandestine press and the encouragement of the sale of produce direct to the population, thus undermining occupation controls
OUTCAST
Belgium, September/October 1941, to work also into Luxembourg to contact existing groups or set up new ones, plan sabotage of power stations, industrial targets
OUTHAUL
Belgium, set for June 1941, did not take place, little information as to purpose in available file
PANDARUS
Belgium, March 1944, field name Cufflinks; to supply 90.000 dollars to secret army and aid building up to wireless network
PANICLE
Portugal, 1941, planning for delay of any enemy advance into Portugal
PATROCLUS
Belgium, April/May 1944, with Velutus and Publius, field name Bracelet, works to Osric, Brussels, but arrested June 1944
PATRON
Belgium, 1944, proposed exfiltration of Prince Charles of Belgium, brother of the King; no progress by August 1944
PERIWIG
Belgium, (?) 1941, sabotage mission, captured by Gestapo (few details in the file)
PERIWIG
Spain, 1944-45, a plan for the planting of evidence on captured Germans (who would presumably be allowed to escape) which would lead to the belief that the real German underground resistance movement was being organised from Britain. There is no evidence in the file to suggest that it went ahead
PHILOTUS
Belgium, August 1943, establishment of organisation for reception and distribution of propoganda, attacks against pro-Fascists, and obstruction of work of collaborators
PHRYNIA
Belgium, August 1944, field name Liliane, to Osric, communications, information and reconnaissance for the chief of the area
PILCHARD
France, sabotage of Matisse works, Versailles, and BREWER Radio Paris at Allouis
PLATYPUS
Belgium, August 1942, with Man Friday, mission with Belgian Surété and PWE to influence Belgian industry towards go-slow tactics, collection of economic data; status of mission questioned by ‘C’.
POINTER
Belgium, July 1943, with Claudius, later W/T to Claudius, contact with escape organisations; but questions over contact with German agents
POLONIUS
Belgium, January 1944, field name Belt, to Tybalt, north of Nivelles
POMPEY
Spanish section plan for deception to suggest that the Allies intended to attack southern France or Greek islands
POOL I and II
Italy, May 1944. Pool I was a landing on Elba near Capo San Andrea, with Pool II being the exfiltration of agents from the same place
POTATO
Italy, sabotage of the railway line from Siena to Empoli and subsidiary roads, June to July 1944
PRIAM
Belgium, May/June 1944, field name Hubertine, sabotage instruction mission
PUBLIUS
Belgium, April/May 1944, field name Muff, W/T mission to Colette
PYX
Austria, 13 June 1945, Klagenfurt to Vienna; for creation of safe houses, contact with the resistance locally, sabotage organisation; delay imposed by partisans and capture of information; eventually return of the party to Bari
RANKIN
Codeword for planning of operation in the event of German withdrawal from occupied countries
RAT/GOAT
Belgium, April 1943, organisation of courier line for escapees and mail
REGAN
Belgium, February 1944, field name Lining, W/T mission to Scipio
RELATOR
Spain, 1941-43, name given to the training of a party of area commanders to be used in Spain; also appear to be known as Ali Baba and the 20 thieves. Their purpose was to delay the enemy in any advance into Spain
REPROACH
Spain, 1941-43, general name for attempts to build up support among Spanish ‘traditionalists’ in the event of an invasion of Spain, in the Navarre area
REYNALDO
Belgium, August 1944, field name Gabrielle, to contact chief of the secret army
RHOMBOLD
Belgium, October 1941, Chevron area, W/T and sabotage
RICCO
Italy, 1944-45, political and military mission to partisans; road party in the La Spezia area
ODERIGO
Belgium, May 1944, field name Paulette, sabotage instruction to Nelly organisation, Lessines region
ROSENCRANTZ
Belgium, September 1944, W/T mission, overtaken by Allied advance
RUDDER
Italy, codename for telegrams received from Rome through a code specially infiltrated immediately after the armistice
RUINA
Italy, 1944-45, political and military liaison mission to partisans, west Veneto. The file contains a detailed sabotage diary
RUMMY
Holland mid-1944, to contact underground movements and report on security aspects after recent German successes against the circuits
SABLE
Belgium, April/May 1942, east of Blois, to establish sabotage group near Antwerp, part of mission known as ‘the Toughs’, to disorganise transport, railways, communications
SAINFOIN
France, September 1944, Pantarlier region, working behind enemy lines in advance of Allies
SAKI
Italy, 1944-45, political and military liaison mission Liguria region
SAMOYEDE
Belgium, May 1943, PID mission, for pre- and post- liberation work, jamming of German wireless installations, aim of helping Allies from D-Day in use of press, cinema and radio
SAVANNA
France, 1941, sabotage of Vannes aerodrome, and transformer JOSEPHINE B substation at Pessac
SCULLION
France, 18 April 1943, independent French mission to sabotage Les Telots shale oil refinery
SEAFRONT
Austria, 12 October 1945, establishment of safe route to Salzburg and encouragement of resistance in Salzburg; dropped to Germany by mistake
SEMPRONIUS
Belgium, February/March 1944, field name Ernestine, assistance to chief of sabotage, organisation of reception of material, using business cover; no reports received from mission in surviving file
SILKMERCHANT
Belgium, May 1941, organisation of passive resistance through liberal and social parties, eventually leading to sabotage
SLING
France, 1944, attack on Paris electricity supplies by systematic destruction of pylons on three main lines; successful
SOCRATES
Belgium, 1943-44, to organise financial aid to resistance organisations
SOPHIE
France, June 1943, dispatch of assistant to de Gaulle’s commissaire for France
TEMPLE
Austria, 13 August 1945, establishment of contacts in frontier area; fate unknown
TERRIER
Belgium, March 1942, Rochefort area, W/T mission suspicions of possible use of W/T sets by the enemy
TIDDLEYWINKS
Holland, August 1944, to re-establish propaganda links, send messages to the underground press on behalf of the Queen; agent injured on landing
TURDUS
Italy, 1944, Lunese area, political and military liaison mission to partisans
TYBALT
Belgium, 1942-44, organisational mission to contact resistance CLAUDIUS groups, secret armies and FIL, the largest sub group in Belgium, and bring these within SOE coordination
UNION
France, January 1944, to investigate Maquis strength, Savone region
VARRO
Belgium, 1944, field name Delphine, mission to investigate arrests in Tybalt organisation
VERGILLIA
Belgium, February 1944, field name Nelly, chief sabotage organisation working to chief of staff, SOE and Belgian Sûreté, with the aim of dislocating rail and road transportation on D-Day
VIVACIOUS
Germany, 1944-45, agent (2nd Lieutenant Baker Byrne) sent to sabotage the Bruno Hintze precision engineering works in Berlin, active in the production of V2 rocket components. Not successful, but agent managed to return to Britain
WARDEN
Spain, 1941, plan for the sabotage of eight enemy ships in Las Palmas harbour; no evidence that this was carried out
YAPOK
Belgium, February 1944, with Montano and Volumnia missions, field name Shoelace; arrested and escaped
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