They Fought Alone, first published in 1958, is the story of the British SOE (Special Operations Executive) in France, written by Colonel Maurice James Buckmaster (1902-1992), the head of the SOE French Section. The SOE was formed in 1940 to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance missions in occupied Europe during World War II. Included are accounts of the heroic men and women who worked quietly and often alone behind enemy lines to carry out resistance operations against the Nazis, serving to speed the Allied advance following D-Day.