The SOE thread, special operations executive.

[Otmills]

Visor cap as worn by Belgian SOE-agents

Hello,

=> I'd like to show a visor cap as worn by the Belgian SOE-agents. In fact it's the visor cap as foreseen for the services of the State Security.

=> Second photograph is Lieutenant Jozef van Hooff, parachuted in occupied France on March 27th 1942. Captured by the 'Geheime Feldpolizei' on May 6th 1942 and sent to Dachau till the end of the war.
He's wearing the Belgian Army in United Kingdom pocket badge, the parachute wing, ribbon of the evaders' cross and probably the ribbon of the Belgian war cross.

=> Third photograph: insignia and ribbons as worn by Lt Van Hooff.

Hope you'll enjoy,
Kind regards,

Nick

[Rogerd]

Very nice additions Nick!
It is kind of strange, the way he is wearing insignia on a shirt. But it is a nice picture!

[Otmills]

Belgian visor caps

Very nice additions Nick!
It is kind of strange, the way he is wearing insignia on a shirt. But it is a nice picture!

=> Thanks for the nice comment.

=> Two more visor caps: lower ranks and upper ranks.

Kind regards,

Nick

[SiPo]

V. Nice.

[Rogerd]

Didn't see this one here yet:

Clandestine Sweetheart miniature wireless receiver Type 31/1.

It was designed in 1942 by Willy Simionson, an exiled Norwegian who was employed in the Inter Services Research Bureau.

These receivers were used by SOE and Resistance groups throughout Occupied Europe to receive messages from the BBC. The receiver was small enough to fit into a coat pocket and was designed for low-powered domestic batteries. 50 000 were made, some with English and others with Norwegian instructions for use.

The name 'Sweetheart' came from Simionson's affection for an attractive woman who worked on the Type 31/1 project.

This set is complete with the earphones and antenna. It was found in France.

[seebee1]

A fine example Brecht, mine came out of Norway.

[seebee1]

An example of the SOE Shoulder Holster.

[Rogerd]

Very nice and super rare holster!!!

[Rogerd]

And another receiver, the MCR1 or type 36/1 produced for SOE. This one was parachuted in Belgium.

The sets were distributed in water-tight sealed tinned-steel biscuit tins, which is why they got nicknamed Biscuit Tin Receiver.

With these they listened to the BBC broadcasts with coded messages for the resistance, these messages confirmed the arrival of VIP's in the UK or confirmed a dropping of agents, weapons and sabotage equipment the same night.

[seebee1]

Another fine example Brecht. This one is unusual in that it has WW2 history and provenance. Used by a Jedburgh W/T Operator in France, given by him to another Jedburgh who later gave it to me and I put it into our Museum at RAF Harrington.

[Rogerd]

Indeed, these were also used by jedburg and SAS teams. A wonderfull piece of history!!!!

[tropisk]

Sweetheart

Thanks for shoving the nice receivers Rogerd and seebee1. And allso Nice Shoulder Holster. Thanks for sharing.
Here is my Sweetheart.

Tropisk

[SiPo]

Wonderful additions to the thread. Tropisk, I don't think I've seen such a complete set before, fantastic

P.S. If anyone knows of a set of crystal headphones as found with the sweetheart, please let me know as I've been hunting for a set for a while now.

[SiPo]

A few months ago I decided to research one of my pieces that was associated with a "small" SOE mission, as opposed to a "circuit," in occupied France. The only other bit of information was that the piece was given by a British officer to a member of the FFI who had kept it (and used it) after the war.

The only reference I could find to an SOE mission around the area where the piece came from was to a mission named "Cut-Throat." After conducting some research I have found out what the "Cut-Throat" mission was about, and the possible name of the original owner of my piece.

Firstly, the piece in question is this MI9 - Escape knife.

[SiPo]

In May 1944, pending the invasion of occupied France, SOE/SO changed its name to Special Force Headquarters (SFHQ), and was responsible for dropping teams such as the "Cut-Throat" mission, into France to support the invasion.

Here is a document that outlines their mission. The report was written by the team leader, Lt. Wendell M Hastings, OSS., aka Humbert. The two other members were Lt. Benstead, Royal Navy, aka Barbarousse and FO Choremi, RAF, aka Cresus. Andrė Choremi was a Frenchman so the only British member of the team was Walter Benstead and who was possible owner of the piece above.