Few aspects of the history of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) have attracted so much attention, or spawned as many myths, as the arms and equipment used by that organization. In particular, the interest of publishers, programme makers and public alike has been seized by the plethora of specialized devices invented by SOE for use in clandestine warfare. I refer here to such exotica as silenced or concealed firearms and knives, concealed compasses, and elaborately camouflaged explosive devices. While these fascinating items were novel and unique, they were by no means the only equipment employed by SOE, nor indeed are they representative of the great bulk of it, which was of a more prosaic and practical nature. Due to the secret nature of SOE and the loss of many of its papers, sources of information on this subject are somewhat limited and fragmentary. Nevertheless, enough is available to provide an accurate picture of what was issued, how it was procured and how it was used to further SOE’s mission of subversion and sabotage.1