“Chilling” – Hidden Weapons Used by SOE Agents in World War Two go up for Auction

Weapons and tools used by secret agents in World War II are going on auction for the first time.

They include a multi-bladed knife that was made to help prisoners escape, a compass that hides in the button of a tunic, a cyanide pill hidden in a key, a watch with a listening device inside, and knife in a fountain pen.

All of the weapons and tools in the auction were created for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) which was the precursor to the MI6. Their job included jumping from airplanes into enemy territory on top secret missions.

Auctioneer Matthew Tredwin called the items “chilling” and said that they gave a sense of the “live or die” crises these agents found themselves in.

Seeing the items, you can imagine an agent cornered by a German soldier and having only a hidden weapon to protect themselves.

There aren’t many of these weapons around today. Most were used and discarded by the agents during the war. There wasn’t much use for them once the war had ended, but they still carry a “bit of romanticism,” said Tredwin.

The agents who carried these weapons were true heroes of the war, and most of their stories have never been heard. They constantly put themselves into scenarios where they would be killed if they were caught, RT UK reported.

There were around 13,000 SOE agents who were sent into enemy territory during WWII. A large number of them were caught, tortured and killed.

Ian Harvey

Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE