I had been interested in the SOE for a number of years. I was eager to see this series when I stumbled across it as an Amazon suggestion. Amazon got this choice correct. There are a lot of similarities between the characters in this series and their real life counterparts in the SOE. Colonel Cadogan is Colonel Maurice Buckmaster. Faith Ashley can be none other than Vera Atkins. She was Buckmaster's 2IC within SOE. Liz Grainger is a cross between several real life agents. These include, but are not limited to, Nancy Wake, Violette Szabo, Odette Sansom and a bit of Virginia Hall. All of them have had movies created around them and their exploits. Kit Vanston is probably a bit of Peter Churchill, who would marry Odette Sansom after the war, and Francis Cammaerts (Roger). Matty Firman is loosely based on Christine Granville who was also half Jewish and Noor Inayat Khan. Khan was also considered too timid to be an agent. She ended up being a tiger. After watching all three seasons of this series I was left pondering a bit. Some of what happens in the series would seem to be utter nonsense. However, after seeing the series I started reading more and more books on the Special Operations Executive. In particular the women agents of the SOE F (France) Section. My library now has over 20 books on the SOE. I was stunned to learn that many of the escapades that I swore were nonsense were in fact very much true. Yes, they do take some creative license with events, but buy and large they did happen. Odette Sansom would be one of three SOE women to receive the George Cross. She remains the only woman to receive this award non-posthumously. For the record: "The George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been equal in stature to the Victoria Cross, the highest military gallantry award. It is awarded "for acts of the greatest heroism or for most conspicuous courage in circumstance of extreme danger." To say that these women were in "extreme danger" is a gross understatement. I would encourage you to watch the series and then pick up some books on the SOE. They are all over Amazon and elsewhere. In particular I would read whatever you can on Vera Atkins, Virginia Hall, Nancy Wake, Odette Sansom (Churchill, Hallowes), Violette Szabo, Noor Inayat Khan and Christine Granville. I think you'll be impressed. I would also recommend getting the movies "A Call To Spy," "Odette," "Nancy Wake" and "X Company."
