UKTV - Secret War (2011) Part 5 The Banker, the Norwegians and the Bomb

“The secret agents who set Europe ablaze”

Just when you thought you knew everything about WWII, Secret War uncovers more incredible stories that exist under the radar. As bombs were dropped from planes, missiles were launched and tanks were deployed all over the world, another kind of war was being waged by the Allies a secret war – a war of espionage. This secret war involved countless acts of espionage, courage, ruthlessness, double dealing and betrayal. It featured secret agents risking everything, working undercover on the continent to turn the tide against the Nazis, never knowing who, at any time, they could trust. Some became double agents playing both sides for the thrill of the danger, others did it just to stay alive. Always these extraordinary characters lived their lives on the edge. Secret War tells their amazing stories. Less than a year after World War II began, Hitler’s armies occupied much of mainland Europe—and the island nation of Great Britain stood alone. Rather than wait for the expected German invasion, Prime Minister Winston Churchill decided to hit back at the Nazis any way he could. In the summer of 1940, he set up a secret new organization called the Special Operations Executive, or SOE, and gave it a simple mission “set Europe ablaze.” SECRET WAR goes inside Churchill's secret army, to a dangerous world of agents, double agents, and even triple agents. In 13 episodes, it tells the story of SOE agents and other clandestine warriors who went behind enemy lines to conduct intelligence-gathering, sabotage, and assassination. Sometimes the operations were spectacularly successful, at other times inexplicably inept. But together, the efforts of these intrepid men and women helped save thousands of lives, liberate Europe, and turn the tide of World War II.

Part 5 The Banker, the Norwegians and the Bomb

Sir Charles Hambro oversaw two operations that helped stop the Nazis from developing nuclear capability. Despite reverses on the battlefield, Hitler knew that if he could win the race to develop a nuclear bomb, he could still win the war. Churchill's SOE turned to a small group of highly trained Norwegian agents and a successful London financier to make sure that he didn't. In the chaos of 1940, Churchill created the 'Special Operations Executive'. Its task – to “set Europe ablaze”. Charles Hambro, a powerful City financier was one of the founding fathers of S.O.E., heading up the unit's Scandinavian Section. One day, a dossier arrived on his desk emblazoned with two simple words – “Heavy Water”. It was a key component in a weapon with unheard of power – the Atom Bomb – and it was being made in a top secret plant in Norway. The dossier caused panic throughout Whitehall. It was time for Hambro to send in his agents…

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