In the midst of crushing blows from the German forces during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was beginning to feel uneasy with German war tactics. Even with all the Allied forces combined, the Germans seemed to be an unstoppable force. By 1940, the Germans were a force to be reckoned with. Churchill decided to do something that no English gentleman dare do: he formed a secret organization of spies to stop the Germans—by any means necessary.
Officially called the Special Operations Executive, the SOE gained a reputation and the nickname “the ministry of ungentlemanly warfare.” The group was tasked with using espionage and sabotage to stop the German forces from advancing throughout Europe. With instructions and funding coming from Churchill himself, the organization was free from standard military protocol. They could act as an independent force that reported directly to the Prime Minister. This caused many leaders to disapprove of the organization and their operations, but Churchill was determined to stop the Germans, even if it meant acting ungentlemanly.
The SOE established their headquarters in two apartments on Baker Street in London. They used countryside mansions throughout the United Kingdom to train SOE agents on survival skills, armed and unarmed combat, parachuting, and all things espionage. The trainees were selected based on their skills and knowledge and went through training without having the slightest idea of what they were training for. It wasn’t until after they passed training that their positions as agents of the SOE were revealed.
The training was mentally and physically intense, with instructors pushing the trainees every day to their breaking point to see if they would crack under pressure. To pass training, each trainee was required to complete several parachute jumps at very low altitudes and survive in unknown circumstances behind enemy lines. Trainees were dropped off in areas like the Scottish Highlands and expected to survive in the brutal and rugged terrain. Each trainee accepted in the SOE knew that they were likely to perish in the line of duty, but many were grateful for the opportunity to serve their country and make a difference. Once agents passed training, they awaited their mission.
When the plans for Operation Gunnerside was announced in 1943, nine Norweigan SOE agents were ready for the task. The mission was simple: destroy the main water pipes in a German-occupied hydroelectric power plant in Vemork, Norway. The hydroelectric plant was used in the creation of “heavy water,” a material used to make atomic bombs. By destroying this plant, the SOE would set back the German’s development of the atomic bomb and save thousands of lives.
While the plan seemed simple enough, the details were more complicated than a spy movie. SOE agents had to parachute into Norway in the middle of the night in the dead of winter. Then, they needed to climb down a gorge, cross a freezing river, and climb a 500-foot cliff. If they survived that, they would need to access the plant, set the bombs, and escape unharmed. Simple enough, right?
On the night of the mission, a blizzard set in, forcing the men to jump into Norway blinded by the sheets of snow that blanketed their view. All the men landed safely on the ground and began collecting their gear to wait out the storm in a hunting lodge before pushing forward with their mission.
At last, at 8 p.m. on February 27, 1943, the mission was upon them. First, the men had to climb down the treacherous gorge. It was covered in so much snow that it reached the men’s armpits in some places. Once they made it to the bottom, they were surprised to find a small old bridge that would allow them to cross the frozen river. Next, came the climb. Five hundred feet of icy sheer cliff lay ahead of them, but that didn’t stop them. By 11:30 p.m., the men reached the top of the cliff and rested while they waited for the change of guards.
The time was 12:30 a.m.—it was go time. The men separated into two groups.
One watched the guards and provided cover, while the other group snuck into the factory to lay the charges for the explosion. These men broke into the plant, took the guards on duty by surprise, and laid the charges with no issue. The fuses were set when the men began their escape. The leader of the group decided to cut the fuse time from two minutes to thirty seconds. This would give the men enough time to escape while making certain the explosions went off. They weren’t but twenty yards away when they heard explosions behind them. They climbed down the cliff, crossed the river, and scaled the gorge without being spotted. The plan had worked! All their months of training had paid off.
It was operations like Gunnerside that Churchill had hoped for: causing maximum destruction for the Germans with minimal losses for the English or local population. The long term effects of the SOE go beyond WWII. Many of the missions have inspired spy books and movies and provide exciting stories for us to enjoy to this day.