SPECIAL OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE, 1940-1946

Series 1, Special Operations in Western Europe

Part 1: France: The Jedburgh Teams and Operation Overlord, 1944-1945,

Part 2: France: Political and Planning Files, Circuits and Missions, 1940-1947

Part 3: Germany, 1936-1945

Part 4: Holland, 1940-1949

Part 5: Italy, 1941-1948

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.

A(E)NEAS

Belgium, May-June 1944, field name Nicole, Graumont.

ARBORETUM

Belgium, 1944, agents executed, few details of exact mission.

AEMILIUS

Belgium, 3 August 1944, field name Lucie, Rockfort-Marche region.

AGAMEMNON

Belgium, January/February 1944, field name Suzanne, Tournai, liaison mission with Cufflinks mission, captured.

AGRIPPA

Belgium, 5 March 1944, field name Brooch, W/T mission.

AILERON

Italy, brief report only available in the files of an agent sent to Siena in March 1944, purpose unclear.

ALARBUS

Belgium, 3 June 1944, field name Locket, Ciney/Marche region.

ALCIBIADES

Belgium, 5 August 1944, field name Ida, Hal/Nivelle region, provision of instruction in sabotage.

ALMOUTH

Italy, February 1944, plans for blowing up of railway bridge over the Taro; the relevant file provides few clues to outcome.

ALOES

France, 1944, code name for resistance headquarters, Brittany, W/T communications to five departments of Brittany.

ALSATION

Belgium 21-22 April 1943, Briquet. Mission members killed on impact. Aimed at encouragement of resistance in industry.

AMPTHILL

Italy, March 1944, rail sabotage at Pedaso.

ANDROMACHE

Belgium, 2-3 June 1944, field name Valerie, Graimont, liaison with resistance, reception committees and sabotage; lands in Holland by mistake, with only one survivor.

ANTENOR

Belgium, 1944, field name Tiepin, Gemblaux.

APEMANTUS

Belgium, February/March 1944, field name Monique, Beauriang region, liaison with resistance groups.
ARMADA France, November 1943, sabotage of Le Creusot electricity power, also transformer stations and fuel depots.

ARMADILLO

Belgium, 6 August 1944, field name Gavotte, Ardennes region.

ARTICHOKE

Holland, June 1942, to destroy VLF stations at Kootwyk, the communications centre for U Boats in North Sea. An agent was to be exfiltrated, but the file provides no further details.

ASSOCIATION

Belgium, infiltration of agent to Belgium through Lisbon; paid off after attempt at usage 1941-1942.

ATLOW

Italy, April 1944, sabotage against railways in the Siena area, Asciano.

AUFIDIUS

Belgium, 1 April 1944, filed name Colette, Ciney Marche, liaison mission with chief of zone IV, for organisation of zone, instruction in arms and explosives.

AUTOGYRO

Belgium, 1941, few details in files, mission cancelled after several failures.

BABOON

Belgium, 17 November 1942, PID mission to encourage peasant resistance.

BADGER

Belgium, February 1943, Liege region, reception committees, communication with Secret army; agent deemed ‘irresponsible’.

BALAKLAVA

Belgium, September-October 1941, W/T support to Outcaste at Neufchateau, discovered by Germans.

BALLOONET

Italy 1944-1945, political and military mission to the east Tyrol and VIOLET south-west Carinthia.

BALTHAZER

Belgium, 1942-1944, field name Louse, aimed at paralysis of river traffic in Hainault region, later expanded to cutting of railway routes and destruction of communications in preparation for D-Day, working to Nelly.

BANDON VII

Italy, 1945, continued political and military liaison mission in Turin. Appears to have had the task of facilitating supplies by safeguarding Rivoli airport.

BASSIANUS

Belgium, May 1944, field name Violette, to work to Nelly, sabotage instruction, including derailment of trains.

BERGENFIELD

Italy, 1944-1945, political and military liaison mission to the TABELLA partisans, Udine area.

BERNARDO

Belgium, 4-5 July 1944, Brussels region, messenger to chief of Secret Army, field name Nina.

BIANCA

Belgium, 28-29 June 1944, field name Diane, sabotage instruction.

BLUNDELL

Italy, general name used to denote the various liaison missions to the Italian partisans in the north, 1944-1945.

BLUNDELL

Italy, 1944, political and military liaison mission to VIOLET Piacenza partisans, working in Spezia region. The relevant files contain reports by leaders Captain T D Gregg and Major Lett.

BORZOI

Belgium, 20 December 1942, Brussels and Tournai, to extend Flemish clandestine press, reception committees; agents escapes to Geneva, March 1943.

BOYKIN

Italy, plan for kidnapping of suspected double agents who were thought to be compromising the north Italian resistance. Although successful when carried out in February 1945, interrogation of the agents later suggested that the suspicions were unfounded.

BRABANTIO

Belgium, July or August 1944, filed name Odette, principal delegate to occupied territory for organisation of sabotage.

BRADDOCK I

Germany, 1944, dropping of incendiary devices by air for possible and II use by POWs in an uprising.

BROADBEAN

Holland, February 1943, to collect mail from resistance groups in northern Holland and arrange transportation.

BUCKHOUND

Belgium, 1943, W/T support, military zone IV, Brussels.

BULLFROG

Belgium, May 1943, contacts with secret army and organisation of GOFER reception committees.

CAIUS

Belgium, August 1944, field name Stephanie, sabotage instruction to Huguette, Brussels and Liege region, captured, escaped.

CALF

Belgium, January 1943, aimed at the creation of links to secret army, Hainault, but a possible security breach.

CALPURNIA

Belgium, July-August 1944, field name Courante, W/T support to Huguette group, Hainault region.

CALVADOS

Germany, 1943, attempt to start a sabotage organisation in Hamburg and Bremen, using a German deserter, Kurt Koenig.

CANIDUS

Belgium, June 1944, W/T to Delphine mission.

CANTICLE

Belgium, March 1942, with Duncan, Mastiff, Incomparable; courier, and W/T support arrested; later agents reported to have been beheaded.

CAPHIS

Belgium, January 1944, field name Herminie, probably a stage mission, captured.

CARICAL

Belgium, 1942-44, PID mission, based in Liege, Charleroi, Brussels, to destroy records of the Office National de Travail to undermine the use of skilled labour by the German occupiers.

CASEMENT

A deception plan aimed at creating the belief that Germans were fleeing to Eire or Argentina to form a free German government. Suggested by the Spanish section during 1944, it did not go ahead through the lack of evidence of the Spanish escape connection considered necessary for its success.

CATO

Belgium, July 1944, field name Celeste, to provide a messenger link for communications from the Minister of Finance.

CAWDOR

Belgium, February-March 1944, field name Roland, accompanied by Necklace, to provide a courier service.

CAYOTE

Belgium, (?) May 1942, for organisation of motor sabotage, Brussels, accompanied by W/T mission Duncan.

CELESTE

Belgium, July 1944, carrying messages from the Belgian Minister of Finance.

CHEROKEE

Italy, 1944-45, political and military liaison mission to partisans in ANTI-SCORCH northern Piedmont.
M3

CHICKEN

Belgium, August 1941, field name Tante Caro, creation of organisation based on passive resistance and sabotage in the Antwerp area.

CHIRON

Belgium, April 1944, field name Sash, W/T mission; arrested.

CIMBER

Belgium, August 1944, field name Yvonne, transmission of microfilmed messages.

CISCO

Italy, 1945, political and military liaison mission, Modena-Reggio, aiming to create a secure base on the northern Apennines.

CITRONELLE

France, 1944, to assess Maquis Strength, Ardennes region.

CIVET

Belgium, 1942-44, also known as mission Stanley, report on strength of secret armies at request of Pierlot.

CLARIBEL

Belgium, March 1941, preparations for possible use of Belgium by enemy forces as a springboard for the invasion of Britain.

CLAUDIUS

Belgium, July 1943, to contact resistance groups - FIL, MNB, Group G, and offer financial support.

CLOWDER

Austria, 1943-45, establishment of an advance post to make contacts in central and eastern Europe, exploiting resistance movements, and looking especially to work in Austria and Germany.

COAL/TURTLE

Belgium, January 1943, abortive mission to steal German fighter aircraft, Brussels.

CODFORD

Name for all operations designed to prevent enemy states from seizing assets of neutral foreign countries.

COLAN

Germany, 1945, sabotage of railway between Stuttgart and Heilbronn, reports of success by agents.

COLLIE

Belgium, March 1942, mission for SOE and Belgian Surété, to contact resistance, organise reception committees; exfiltration of leader of Legion Belge, but caused a subsequent quarrel between SOE and the Belgian government in exile over interrogation of leader of Legion Belge.

COLLOSSUS

Italy, February 1941, Landing of sabotage of bridges.

COMINIUS

Belgium, March-April 1944, field name Mitten, Huy, Ardennes region, W/T mission.

CONJUGAL

Belgium, September 1941, to organise sabotage and contacts, but captured.

COOLANT

Italy, 1944-45, political and military liaison mission to the partisans

COOLANT BLUE

north east of Udine.

CORDELET

Belgium, 1943-44, mission to social and democratic trade unionists, to encourage resistance, and organise a go-slow of Belgian workers in Germany.

CORIOLANUS

Belgium, April-May 1944, field name Handbag, W/T mission.

CORONA

Italy, 1944-45, political and military liaison mission, Piedmont.

BANDON

The files include a report on the HQ in Turin and the liberation of the city.

CROWD

Austria, 16 March 1945, investigation of general conditions of the underground socialist movement in the Sudetenland; fate unknown but thought to have been captured.

CURLING

Holland, 1944, W/T mission to chief operator.

DANBURY

Austria, 13 August 1945, sabotage of enemy lines of communication in Drau valley, based at Klagenfurt; eventually returned to Bari.

DARANUS

Belgium, April 1944, field name Agnes, investigation of Tybalt/ Claudius mission, information gathering on the efficiency of various groups, re-evaluation of sabotage missions.

DEFIANCE

Spain, 1942-43, attempt to build up ‘traditionalist’, probably Catalan, support in the Barcelona area.

DENVER

Austria, 8 May 1944, contact with resistance groups in Sudentenland and establishment of communications. All agents lost through betrayal.

DICING

Holland, (?) April 1945, Jedburgh team to represent special forces and act as liaison between resistance and paratroops in the Assen, Meffel and Coevorden area.

DINGO

Belgium, 1943-44, PID mission, to stimulate slow down in production in the industrial areas of Charleroi, possible security breaches by agent.

DOLABELLA

Belgium, July/August 1944, field name Ursule, work in organising reception committees with Simone.

DONALDBAIN

Belgium, August 1944, field name Foxtrot, W/T mission accompanying Odette mission.

DONUM

Italy, 1944-45, political and military liaison mission in east Piedmont.

DOWNEND

Germany, 1944, agent sent to create a sabotage organisation in the Ruhr and Frankfurt area, based on a nucleus of contacts with the ISK.

DRAUGHTS

Holland, January 1945, W/T mission, north Holland.

BACKGAMMON/ DRAUGHTS

Holland organising mission, 1944.

BEZIQUE / DRESSMAKER

France, 1943, sabotage of tanneries at Graulhet (Pau-Toulouse) and Mazamet (Carcassone); unsuccessful.

DRYBROOK

Austria, 13 August 1945, establishment of W/T links in east Tyrol; dropped in error to Germany and returned to UK.

DUNCAN

Belgium, October 1942, attempted infiltration of agent to Belgium via Portugal through a staged desertion; contact eventually lost.

DUNCERY

Austria, 24 April 1945, preservation of Zeltweg Aerodrome for the Allies, in the event unnecessary through work of local anti-Nazi groups.

DUVAL

Austria, 16 February 1945, to contact underground organisation in Salzburg and assist in sabotage; party captured.

EBENSBURG

Austria, 8 February 1945, organisation of local sabotage with Maquis; capture of Bad Aussee four days before US arrival.

ECHALOTTE

France, 1944, wireless bases in Moselle and Vosges area to augment existing radio circuits and to provide information to London from rear of German line.

ELECTRA

Austria, 23 March 1945, to contact the underground socialist movement, Vienna; W/T contact never established.

EMELIA

Belgium, August 1944, Mrs Olga Jackson, field name Babette, independent propaganda mission for undermining of morale in Brussels, Ghent, Liege, Antwerp, Charleroi; organisation of prostitution circuit aimed at German officers.

ENORBARBUS

Belgium, 1944, field name Polka, W/T support to Constantine mission.

ENVELOPE

Italy 1945, Reggio Emilia region, political and military liaison

BLUE (TOFFEE)

mission.

EROS

Belgium, August 1944, field name Reel, W/T support.

EUCALYPTUS

France, 1944, derived from Union, liaison mission, Vercors.

EUPHRONIUS

Belgium, May 1944, field name Arlette, sabotage instruction to Nelly in field, region Bierene.

EVANSVILLE

Austria, 7 February 1945, support to movement in Graz, and arrangement for agents in Italy; believed killed and underground organisation crushed.

EVAPORATE

taly, 1945, political and military liaison mission to Modena and area.

FALAISE

Tangier, 1941-42, destruction of an enemy wireless station used for providing locations of Allied submarines in the Straits.

FERRET

Belgium, 1942, plan to evacuate seven agents from Belgium, including Arboretum, presumed captured by Germans.

FERRET

Italy, June 1944, to land three A force agents north of Bonassola on the Ligurian coast and attempt a meeting with an existing ferret party.

FERRULA

Italy, 1944-45, Val d’Aosta, political and military liaison mission.

FLAMINIUS

Belgium, October 1943, field name Jacqueline, arrested mid-1944

FLAP/FIN

Italy, 1945, political and military liaison mission to southern Piedmont, despatched August 1944. Also appears to be known as Temple mission.

FLAVIUS

Belgium, 1943-44, field name Bib Red, W/T mission.

FLECKNEY

Germany, 1944-45, establishment of an organiser for sabotage in Breslau region.

FLOODLIGHT

Italy, 1944-45, political and military liaison mission consisting of Major W O Churchill, to act as British Liaison Officer to General Cadorna at the request of the CLNAI in northern Italy.

FORDWICK

Germany, 1944, establishment of a line for agents and information between Germany and Denmark.

FORTINBRAS

Belgium, 1943, field name Bracelet, little detail of mission provided in relevant files.

FOXLEY

Germany, 1944-45, plan to assassinate Hitler pressed by SOE and supported by Duff Cooper. A full implementation and intelligence report was drawn up but was not taken forward - Hitler’s military strategy and decisions favoured the Allies and there was no desire to create a martyr cult. However, plans to deal was Hitler’s subordinates, including Goebbels, found favour but were not implemented (Operation Little Foxleys).

FRILFORD

Germany, 1944-45, to sabotage railway track from Hintshingen to Oberlauchringen; reports from agents on success.

GAMBLING

Holland, 1945, Jedburgh team to Veluwe region.

GELA BLUE

Italy, 1944-45, political and military liaison mission to partisans in Vittorio Veneto.

GENESSE

Italy, 1945, military and political liaison mission to Oltre-Po, Pavese and partisans of Ligurian zone.

GIBBON

Belgium, 1942-44, PWE mission, organisation of carrier pigeon communication systems.

GLAMIS

Belgium, April 1944 field name Josephine, Huy, Andenne region, adjunct to Hotton sabotage group.

GRATIANO

Belgium, January, 1944, field name Ping Pong, W/T operator for Samoyede II, based Brussels.

GREENLEAVES

Austria, 2 April 1945, group based at Klagenfurt; dropped successfully but documents and photos captured; evacuated to Bari.

GREYHOUND

Belgium, 1942-45, organisation of escape routes through France to Spain (also known as WOODCHUCK and ANTOINE).

GRIFFON

Belgium, February 1943, field name Genon, sent in with W/T mission Badger to Huy region; 2ième Bureau agent sent to liaise with secret armies, eventually captured and sent to Dachau.

GUINEAPIG

Belgium, October 1943, field name Wig, with Flaminius, arrested.

GYPSY

Belgium, September 1941, to organise reception committees, VERMILLION courier routes, arrested (?) May 1942.

HAIL

Italy, date uncertain. Few papers are provided on this file, but the mission appears to have been led by Petrucci, shot by the SS in March 1944.

HAMSTER

Austria, 21 April 1945, arming of small resistance groups for attacks on road and rail transport; reported working in Klagenfurt.

HANGMAN

France, 1942, sabotage of pylons; training for the operation took place, but no indications are available from the file that the operation took place.

HAPALE

Italy, 1945, political and military liaison mission to the partisans, southern Piedmont; signals investigation mission.

HAPEVILLE

Italy probably 1945, little detail on the file, but likely to have been a liaison mission to the partisans at Bergamasco.

HARAS

Austria, 30 July 1945, to join Communist underground in Innsbruck, establish radio links. Unsuccessful, W/T not dropped and agent attacked.

HARRISBURG

Italy, 1945, political and military liaison mission to partisans

SIAMANG

Val Maria area, helping to coordinate anti-scorch measures to protect hydroelectric plants in the region.

HECATE

Belgium, (?) mid-1944, W/T mission to Huguette group, based in Brussels.

HECTOR

Belgium, Hector 2 captured. Otherwise little detail available in the file.

HELENUS

Belgium, August 1944, field name Jeannine, Brussels, sabotage instructor for Nola.

HERRING

Italy, April 1945, small parties of agents of Italian origin dropped to harass and disorganise enemy transport routes.

HERRINGTON

Italy, 1945, political and military liaison mission, northern Lombardy, to the partisans of Bergamasco.

HILLCAT

Belgium, August 1943, sent with Tybalt, W/T missioni to Hector group.

HIRELING

Belgium, September 1941, arrested shortly after landing, escape, investigation by MI5.

HISTORIAN

Austria, 24 April 1945, attack against communication lines in Klagenfurt.

HOLLOWSHOES

Spain, 1942-45, building up of a network by Emilio Varas Canal. The group took its name from the latter’s girlfriend who proved her ability to create hollow heeled footwear.

HOMESTEAD

Italy, 1945, political and military liaison mission, northern Lombardy.

HORATIO

Belgium, January 1944, field name Glove, Brussels, W/T mission for Hector II and Nelly, arrested May 1944.

HORTENSIUS

Belgium, January 1944, field name Valentine, sabotage of waterways, Wanneberg and Brussels region, arrested in April 1944.

HOUSEKEEPER

France, 1943, sabotage of canal lock at Lesdains.

IACHIMO

Belgium, 1944, field name Noemie, to contact resistance groups of MNB. No clue in files as to success.

IAGO

Belgium, January 1944, field name Scipio, provision of counter scorch organisation in Antwerp; investigation of security of Hector organisation under recent arrests.

IMOGEN

Belgium, July/August 1944, field name Alice, courier for Odette, successful mission.

INCISOR

Italy, 1945, political and military liaison mission to the Val d’Aosta area.

INCOMPARABLE

Belgium, March 1942, PID propaganda mission, to contact and obtain influence in sabotage organisation; no clue in these files as to its fate.

INDELIBLE

Italy, 1945, military and political liaison mission to partisans in the COTULLA Savona province

INDEPENDENCE

Belgium, April 1941, via Gibraltar; to contact any existing organisations and assess progress, advise on needs. No clue as to outcome.

INSULIN

Italy, March 1945, political and military liaison mission, Piacentina area.

INTERSECTION

Belgium, January 1942, captured shortly afterwards, investigation on use by Germans and possible arrest of other agents.

IZARRA

Italy, proposed exfiltation of General Gustvo Pesenti.

JERBOA

Belgium, April 1943, Ghent, Sûreté mission, to limit industrial production, some sabotage of waterways.

JUNIUS

Belgium, May/June 1944, field name Parasol, W/T mission, possibly arrested.

KOALA

Belgium, June 1942, to stimulate a go-slow action to Beeringen coal mines to reduce output, also to prepare sabotage on railways and Albert canal.

KUYPER

Holland, October 1944, Lieutenant Dubois of Dutch army sent to organise reception committee and locate evading service personnel. Captured.

LABRADOR

Belgium, January 1943, 2ieme mission, to organise reception committees; later doubts as to security.

LACQUER

Belgium, September 1941, sent to liaise with Conjugal organisation.

LAMB

Belgium, April/May 1942, W/T mission, to the secret army.

LAVINIA

Belgium, March/April 1944, field name Victorine, organisation mission, sabotage against river traffic and locks.

LEAR

Belgium, August 1943, to assist Stanley mission in cooperation with the secret army.

LEMUR

Belgium, November 1942, British officer sent to try to resolve. current impasse, to organise reception committees, Ghent region.

LEPIDUS

Belgium, May 1944, field name Waltz, W/T mission with Huguette, eventually captured.

LEYTON

Italy, July 1944, to block enemy transport and communications on the coast road, Fano to Pesaro.

LIGARIUS

Belgium, June 1944, field name Margot, liaison with Delphine, sabotage training; arrested July 1944.

LODOVICO

Belgium, May 1944, Namur region, field name Rosalie, sabotage instruction mission.

LUCULLUS

Belgium, January 1944, field name Gauntlet, Nivelles, W/T mission.

LUCULLUSS

Belgium, March 1944, field name Jeanette, shot down.

LYNX

Belgium, June 1942, Neufchatel area, W/T mission.

M 11

Italy, 1945, political and military liaison mission, Asti and Piedmont (existed under different leadership before this date).

M 12/TIBER

Italy, 1945, political and military liaison mission; a sparse file suggests activity in Liguria and Genoa.
M 6 Italy 1944-45, political and military liaison mission in Biella area.

MACDUFF

Belgium, May 1943, with Ibex and Seal, to find reception committees for Civer, to act as an adjunct to mission Stanley.

MAJORDOMO

Belgium, January 1942, with Mandamus, reports on arrests, including Laquer agents.

MALLABY/NECK

Italy, 1943 with a second mission 1945, the first W/T mission dropped by parachute to Lake Como, but was captured on landing. The agent, Richard Mallaby, also known as Olaf and Richard Tucker, provided a W/T link during the final surrender of the Axis forces in Italy after being captured during his second mission.

MAN FRIDAY

Belgium, January 1942, contact existing secret organisations, collect political and propaganda information.

MANDAMUS

Belgium, January 1942, to organise sabotage, passive resistance, arms dumps, possibly crashed after take-off.

MANDRILL

Belgium, 1943, PID mission to contact Cordier mission for the demoralisation of German support, reception of propaganda, Liège, Brussels, Ghent.

MANELAUS

Belgium, October 1943, liaison mission to chief of zone 1, field name Berthe.

MARCIUS

Belgium, February/March 1943, field name Necklace, W/T support to chief Osric; presumed arrested.

MARDIAN

Belgium, July 1944, field name Mathilde, to work with Celeste.

MARKET

Holland, September 1944, liaison missions for Arnhem operations, EDWARD, provision of W/T contacts with England during airborne operation CLAUDE, Market Garden. The four Jedburgh teams were Edward, Claude, CLARENCE and Clarence and Daniel.

DANIEL / MARMOSET

Belgium, January 1942, sabotage organisation for Periwig.

MARMOT

Belgium, September 1942, support to existing sabotage movement in Mons, Scheldt region.

MASTIFF

Belgium, March 1942, W/T mission with Incomparable; no reports received.

MENAS

Belgium, August 1944, field name Eugénie, to contact Samoyède II and Stentor organisation.

MENCRATES

Belgium, April/May 1944, field name Hortense, sabotage mission to Nelly.

MENENIUS

Belgium, August 1944, field name Simone, organisation of reception committees; arrives too late to fulfil mission.

MESSALA

Belgium, June 1944, to regain direction in field of railway dislocation, replace Nelly and organise sabotage structure, field name Huguette.

MINK

Belgium, 1942, chief steward in Belgian merchant navy, escaping to form sabotage organisation in Anvers region and await W/T.

MONGOOSE

Belgium, June 1942, to contact secret armies, arrange reception committees; established but no reports received.

MONTANO

Belgium, March 1944, reports on group G activities, investigation of Yapok, Fabius and Hector II missions, creation of PWE structure and sabotage central Brussels.

MOSELLE

Italy 1943-45, wireless operation, agent captured in Sardinia and AVOCAT possibly played back against SOE.

MOUSE

Belgium, March 1942, drops unoccupied France, arrested shortly after landing.

MULE

Belgium, April/May 1942, Free French recruit, to organise transport and sabotage in Antwerp.

MUSJID

Belgium, September/October 1941, contact organisations in east and west Flanders, creation of reception and sabotage organisations, organiser Aboretum, to be dispatched.

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.

RODERIGO

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

and 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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