Section D for Destruction: Forerunner of SOE: The Story of Section D of the Secret Intelligence Service

by Malcolm Atkin

Overview

When Neville Chamberlain made his famous Peace in Our Time statement in 1938, after the Munich Agreement with Hitler, he may, or may not, have been aware that the new Section D of the Secret Intelligence Service was already making plans to mount an all-out political and sabotage war against Nazi Germany. This was a new form of warfare, encompassing bribery, black propaganda and sabotage by agents described as having no morals or scruples. To the horror of many, it disregarded the conventions of neutrality and was prepared to hit the Nazi state wherever it could do most damage. Malcolm Atkin reveals how Section D's struggle to build a European wide anti-Nazi resistance movement was met with widespread suspicion from government, to the extent of a systematic destruction of its reputation. It was, however, a key pioneer of irregular warfare that led to the formation of the famous Special Operations Executive (SOE). His study is the first in-depth account of it to be published since the release of previously secret documents to the National Archives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473892620
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	01/31/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	985,984
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Malcolm Atkin is a former head of the Historic Environment and Archaeology Service for Worcestershire. After becoming a leading authority on the English Civil War, he has more recently made a special study of home defense and the development of British intelligence during the Second World War. His many publications include Cromwell's Crowning Mercy: The Battle of Worcester, The Civil War in Evesham: A Storm of Fire and Leaden Hail, Worcestershire Under Arms, Worcester 1651, Fighting Nazi Occupation: British Resistance 1939–1945, Myth and Reality: the Second World War Auxiliary Units and Section D for Destruction: Forerunner of SOE.

Table of Contents

List of Plates vi

List of Figures viii

Acknowledgements ix

Abbreviations and Acronyms x

Preface xii

Introduction 1

1 Creating the 'Fourth Arm' - 1938 5

2 Section D goes to War 21

3 Technical Development and Training 40

4 Western Europe: the Fascist Powers 53

5 Western Europe: Allied and Neutral Countries 69

6 The Balkans 82

7 The Aegean and Middle East 120

8 Central and Eastern Europe 131

9 Scandinavia 147

10 Britain and the USA 179

11 Into SOE 203

Conclusions 214

Online Appendices (https://mdependent.academia.edu/MalcolinAtkin)

Appendix 1 The D Scheme, March p1940

Appendix 2 Officers and Agents of Section D, SIS, 1938-1940

Notes 224

Bibliography 247

Index 251