Editing Special Operations Executive (section)

===Origins===
The organisation was formed from the merger of three existing secret departments, which had been formed shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. Immediately after Germany annexed Austria (the ''[[Anschluss]]'') in March 1938, the [[Foreign Office]] created a propaganda organisation known as [[Department EH]] (after [[Electra House]], its headquarters), run by Canadian newspaper [[magnate]] Sir [[Campbell Stuart]]. Later that month, the [[Secret Intelligence Service]] (SIS, also known as MI6) formed a section known as Section D (the "D" apparently standing for "Destruction"){{sfn|Smith|2019|p=25}} under Major Lawrence Grand, to investigate the use of sabotage, propaganda, and other irregular means to weaken an enemy. In the autumn of the same year, the [[War Office]] expanded an existing research department known as GS (R) and appointed Major J.&nbsp;C. Holland as its head to conduct research into [[guerrilla warfare]].{{Sfn|Wilkinson|Astley|2010|pp=33–34}} GS (R) was renamed Military Intelligence (Research) (MI(R)) in early 1939.

These three departments worked with few resources until the outbreak of war. There was much overlap between their activities. Section D and EH duplicated much of each other's work. On the other hand, the heads of Section D and MI(R) knew each other and shared information.{{Sfn|Foot|2004|p=12}} They agreed to a rough division of their activities; MI(R) researched irregular operations that could be undertaken by regular uniformed troops, while Section D dealt with truly undercover work.{{Sfn|Foot|2004|p=293}}{{Sfn|Atkin|2015|pp=Chapters 2–4}}

During the early months of the war, Section D was based first at [[St Ermin's Hotel]] in Westminster and then the [[Metropole Hotel, London|Metropole Hotel]] near [[Trafalgar Square]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.christopherlong.co.uk/pri/secpap.html |title='Pat Line' – An Escape & Evasion Line in France in World War II |last=Long |first=Christopher |publisher=Christopher Long |access-date=2017-08-23 |archive-date=29 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629064708/http://christopherlong.co.uk/pri/secpap.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Section attempted unsuccessfully to sabotage deliveries of vital [[strategic material]]s to Germany from neutral countries by mining the [[Iron Gate (Danube)|Iron Gate]] on the [[River Danube]].{{Sfn|Foot|2004|pp=15–16}} MI(R) meanwhile produced pamphlets and technical handbooks for guerrilla leaders. MI(R) was also involved in the formation of the [[Independent Company|Independent Companies]], autonomous units intended to carry out sabotage and guerrilla operations behind enemy lines in the [[Norwegian Campaign]], and the [[Auxiliary Units]], stay-behind commando units based on the [[Home Guard (United Kingdom)|Home Guard]] which would act in the event of an [[Axis Powers|Axis]] invasion of Britain, as seemed possible in the early years of the war.{{Sfn|Foot|1999|p=17}}