Also known as the “Baker Street Irregulars” since their headquarters was on that same street  in London, the SOE recruited flamboyant figures from Britain’s scholarly elite and aristocracy, such as Patrick Leigh Fermor, William Stanley Moss, and Sir Noël Coward. Trained in weapons, explosives, and subversive techniques, their penchant for war was preceded only by their courage and exemplary loyalty.

With their flair for bravery, these charismatic figures added color to the bleak canvases of Nazi-occupied Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East landscapes.

Photos courtesy of George Doundoulakis and Lynn Philip Hodgson, Camp x.

SOE Training Manual

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Courtesy of Lynn Philip Hodgson, www.camp-x.com