Special Operations Executive

The Special Operations Executive (SOE, also S.O.E) was a secret British espionage agency which was active during World War II. It was formed on the orders of Prime Minister Winston Churchill following Cabinet approval, and specialized in aiding anti-Nazi resistance movements across occupied Europe. They engaged in various forms of spycraft, reconnaissance, sabotage against the German war machine, helping bring an end to Nazi tyranny. SOE was famous for its employment of thousands of women as field agents, uncommon for the time.

History
The SOE was formed on July 22, 1940, on the order of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to help covertly sabotage the machinations of the Nazis across Europe. Among its members were thousands of women, which was unusual in other intelligence agencies. SOE realized that women could easily pass unnoticed in the towns and countrysides of occupied Europe, making them invaluable as field agents. One of the women who were noticed by SOE was Peggy Carter, a code-breaker working at Bletchley Park. Unbeknownst to her, her brother, Michael, had recommended her for SOE. He knew his sister's true vocation was field work, not the stereotypical assistant jobs typical of women in the 1940s. Despite Peggy's initial resistance to the idea, as she was getting married, she eventually decided to join up in honor of her brother after he died in combat.