SPECIAL OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE (SOE)
BRITISH INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2

Special Operations Executive (SOE) was formed in Britain in July 1940 after the Germans invaded France. Its roles was to "foster passive and active resistance to enemy occupation forces by the inhabitants of lands which were overrun."

SOE's main activities included:-

- Non-cooperation
- Industrial Sabotage
- Ambushes
- Guerrilla Warfare
- Training and arming of secret armies

In March 1942, General Douglas MacArthur approved the establishment of an offshoot of SOE in Australia. This idea had been proposed by General Blamey. It was known as Special Operations, Australian Section using the cover name Inter-allied Services Department (ISD). It became Section A of the Allied Intelligence Bureau when it was established on 6 July 1942. ISD was disbanded in February 1943 and was eventually replaced by a new Special Operations unit called Special Operations Australia SOA using the cover name Services Reconnaissance Department SRD.

Richard J. Aldrich in his book titled "Britain's Secret Intelligence Service in Asia during the Second World War" on page 192 states "Similarly SOE went by the local name of 'Force 136' in this part of the world, while the MI9 escape organisation chose the name 'E Group'". A search of the NAA files show a number of digitised files when you search for "Force 136". Presumably they are Special Operation Australia (SOA) files.

REFERENCES

"Britain's Secret Intelligence Service in Asia during the Second World War"
by Richard J. Aldrich

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 25 March 2002

This page last updated 18 September 2026