Timeline of SOE French Section
The SOE F Section timeline lists the significant events in the history of Section F of the Special Operations Executive. SOE was a clandestine organization of the United Kingdom during World War II. The purpose of SOE was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in countries occupied by the Axis powers. SOE agents allied themselves with resistance groups and supplied them with weapons and equipment parachuted in from England. Section F was responsible for many of SOE's activities in France which was occupied by Nazi Germany.
SOE F Section sent about 470 agents to France from 1941 to 1944, of whom about 40 were women. The Valençay SOE Memorial lists 91 men and 13 women agents who were killed, executed, or died in concentration camps during the war. SOE agents in France were organized into networks which usually consisted of an organiser, a courier, and a wireless operator. Agents arrived in France by parachute, clandestine air flight, or, in a few cases, by ship or boat. Dates of arrivals and departures below reflect that most operations took place about midnight. Supplies and weapons were air-dropped. A task of agents was identifying suitable landing sites, usually farm fields, for parachuters, supplies, and aircraft
SOE had two sections dealing with France. SOE F Section is the subject of this article. SOE RF Section was controlled by Charles de Gaulle and his supporters. It was similar in size to F Section. The two sections were operationally independent although sharing logistics and transportation.