1940 was a grim year for Britain. The war looked hopeless; France had fallen to the Nazis. and there were widespread fears of a German invasion of Britain. The French needed help. It was decided to develop a new volunteer fighting force to wage a secret war. This was called the special Operations Executive and its mission in the words of Prime Minister Winston Churchill was to "set Europe ablaze" through sabotage and subversion. SOE grew and eventually operated all over Europe and Asia, though its main point of focus was France.
