With the onset of war and the fall of France, the necessity to set up a clandestine organization for covert operations in the War's theatre became apparent. Its formation and operation was due to the mind of one man, Hugh DALTON, who was at the time Minister of Economic Warfare.

He realized that to organize it required the brains of a subversive, a rebel, one who understood what was required to degrade and bring ones enemy to its knees. In other words a socialist, not a military mind but that of a civilian.

His vision "We have got to organize movements in enemy-occupied territory comparable to the Sinn Fein movement in Ireland, to the Chinese Guerrillas now operating against Japan, to the Spanish Irregulars who played such a notable part in Wellington's campaign . Or one might as well admit it, to the organization that the Nazis themselves have developed so remarkably well, in almost every country in that they are involved with. This 'democratic international' must use many different methods, including industrial and military sabotage, labour agitation and strikes, continuous propaganda, terrorist acts against traitors and German leaders, boycotts and riots".

Huge Dalton

"It is quite clear that an organization on this scale and of this character, is not something that can be handled by the ordinary departmental machinery of either the British Civil service or the British Military Machine. What is needed is a new organization to co-ordinate, inspire, control and assist nationals of the oppressed countries who must themselves be the direct participants. We need absolute secrecy, a certain fanatical enthusiasm, willingness to work with people of different nationality's, complete political reliability. Some of these qualities are certainly to be found in some military officers and if such men are available, they should undoubtedly be used. But the organization should in my view, be 'entirely independent of the War Office machine"