What did the English Spies do in World War 2?

Answer 1

The role of "spies" in W.W.2 was a major component. They were controlled by the dept. in Britain called S.O.E. (Special Operations Executive,) whose H.Q. was in Baker st. London. their job was recruiting agents in the country that they were serving in,France,Belgium,Norway, Denmark,etc.each country had its own controlling desk.they also gathered inteligence info.of troop movements,defence constuction which the invasion forces would have to overcome,whenever that would be,Anything that might prove valuable,and also carried out sabotage. They were trained at Camp "X" at Oshawa in Ontario,Canada and at secret country houses in U.K. The British Secret Inteligence Service had been formed about 1906,but S.O.E. was a different unit,just as O,S.S. was different from Hoover's F.B.I. U.S. agents fom the O.S.S. (Office of Strategic Service,)Formed by Col. (Wild Bill) Donovan a W.W.1 hero and millionaire Layer in 1942 also trained at Camp "X". they outgrew any foreign help and its teams swarmed all over Europe and North Africa. By the end of the war Allen Dulles its chief in Switzerland was running a powerful network. O.S.S. was closed after the war, but resurrected during the "cold war" as the C.I.A. (Central Inteligence Agency). Other Governments-in-exile were also running their own security services, including the Russian N.K.V.D.and G.R.U.

Answer 2

For the most part German Spies were very ineffectual. Most German Spies, who tried to infiltrate Britain, were caught immediately and turned(They stood out because all the communities were close knit and any stranger was immediately reported). German Spies did operate brazenly in Mexico, as in ww1, but little has been published on this matter. The Germans were trying to pump money into Mexico, because they hoped the Mexican Govt. would invade the U.S. On the Russian Front, Terrible without a doubt. The Russians always seemed to be a step ahead of the Axis before they could mount any major offensive.

Answer 3

Violette Bushell Szabo Virginia Hall Princess Noor-un-nisa Inayat Khan Major Cyrus E. Manierre

AnswerRichard Zorge was a famous Soviet resident, who operated in Japan before and during first years of WWII (until 1941); was a leader of Ramzai agent group, consisting of 17 spies. Had a German father (oil engineer), and a Russian mother. Took part in WWI as a German soldier, after the war became a German Communist. Also, a professional journalist. Informed the Soviet Intelligence Service about many important events of WWII, including the exact day when Germans attacked the USSR -- the 22nd of June, 1941. The group was betrayed, apparently, by a high member of the Japanese Communist Party; Zorge and other agents were arrested, and sued. Ungrateful Stalin refused to exchange Zorge with a Japanese agent captured in the USSR, or redeem him otherwise, and, in fact, condemned him to death. Zorge was executed in 1944 (noosed).

Walter S. Farrell

Answer

Julia Child and Josephine Baker and Hitler's Master Spy are just three of the hundreds of spies out there. During World War 2 and espciecally afterwards during the red scare, no body trusted ANYONE. Brothers and sister would become suspicious of each other being spies for their enemy. Neighbors, friends, and yes even that cute old grandma could have been a spy. A lot of women were spies because they weren't suspected as much as a man would have been. There were two sides of the World War 2: the Allied Power - USA, UK, Canada, .... so to most the "good" guys and then there was the Axis Power - Hitler/Germany, Japan, and Italy .... so basically the dictators' side. If you want more people, than ask around and do a lot of research.

Answer 4

First, I think we need to make a distinction between "spy" and "agent".

Strictly speaking a spy is someone who obtains information on a rival by various means including observation, Photography, bribery, blackmail or simple theft. On the other hand, an agent is an operative who can perform one or several functions such as a radio operator, bomb maker, forger, assassin, planning attacks on the enemy, co-ordinating spies, etc.

During world war two, most actual spying in the occupied countries was carried out by members of the local population. Doctors, civil servants, engineers assigned to special projects, railway workers, even secretaries were ideally placed to gather information on German activities which was then passed on to London via contacts in the resistance.

In London, co-ordinating the activities of the various resistance groups fell to the Special Operations Executive(SOE). Established by Churchill to "set Europe ablaze," SOE trained operatives who were frequently of dual nationality to the country in which they would operate. Agents needed to be completely fluent in both languages, comfortable with local customs and be able to blend in with the local populace.

Usually agents were parachuted in but sometimes using a small Lysander aircraft they could be flown into or even collected from occupied Europe. SOE also supplied training, weapons and explosives which were parachuted into the resistance. SOE displayed a marked tendency towards the eccentric when it came to bomb making - exploding rats, hollowed out coal packed with explosives, plaster of Paris tree trunks with moss growing on the outside and explosive on the inside and even fake wine bottles containing both wine and bombs were used - it's easy to see where the idea for "Q" in James Bond originated.

But, to get back to the question, did any of this have any impact on the war? Well, yes it did. The constant flow of information to London from occupied Europe proved vital in the fight against the V1 and V2, the nazi research into nuclear weapons, provided targets for bombers,

gave the allies an idea of troop dispositions in the run up to D Day, interrupted Nazi supplies, transport and communications but above all kept the spirit of resistance alive in occupied Europe.

All this came at a terribly high price though. Life expectancy among agents and the resistance was short and reprisals against civilians were common such as at ORADOUR-SUR-GLANE in France and LIDICE in Czechoslovakia. The bravery of the resistance and SOE agents and the resilience of ordinary citizens at that time can not be overstated. - I Warner

Answer 5

Not all of the spies who reported to England in World War 2 were of English descent, but they operated in neutral or Axis-occupied countries, and they supplied information to England, the same as the spies of any country in any time do.

Answer 6

For a full description try the search for "Special Operations Executive" or "Baker street irregulers".

Answer 7

Yes there were many on all sides.