SOE Expeditions

04/09/2026

Looking forward to following in the snow trails of legends this March on Operation Gunnerside attack route.

https://soeexpeditions.com/norway-attack-route

🇳🇴 The Heroes of Telemark – The Heavy Water Sabotage

During World War II, Vemork near Rjukan became the scene of one of Norway’s most legendary resistance operations.

In February 1943, a small group of Norwegian commandos crossed the frozen mountains, entered the heavily guarded Vemork plant and destroyed equipment used to produce heavy water – a material important to N**i Germany’s nuclear research.

The operation was carried out without a single shot being fired, and the saboteurs escaped into the mountains.

Today, Vemork stands as a powerful reminder of courage, resistance and one of the most remarkable sabotage missions of World War II. 🇳🇴

03/09/2026

5th Army - OPERATION ENCORE - 5th - 14th JULY 2027

JOIN US FOR AN EPIC 10-DAY ADVENTURE ACROSS THE GOTHIC LINE

Follow in the footsteps of the 10th Mountain Division, the Brazilian "Smoking Snakes", and the legendary 442nd RCT across the Gothic Line in northern Italy.

Visiting WW2 battlefields, rugged mountain ridges, and historic Italian hubs, this 10-day expedition is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Come and learn their story.

The 10th Mountain Division: Elite Alpine Warriors

Activated at Camp Hale, Colorado, the 10th Mountain Division was America’s first and only elite alpine unit. The 10th Mountain Division, consisting of world-class skiers, climbers, and woodsmen, underwent specific training to endure the harsh conditions of high-altitude warfare.

The Smoking Snakes: International Resolve

One of the most unique aspects of the Italian campaign was the inclusion of the 1st Brazilian Expeditionary Division (FEB). Known as the "Smoking Snakes", these soldiers proved their mettle alongside the 10th Mountain during Operation Encore.

Together, they launched daring assaults on key objectives like Monte Castello and the town of Montese.

The Impossible Climb: Riva Ridge

In February 1945, the 10th Mountain achieved what the Germans thought was impossible. Under the cover of total darkness, they executed a silent, 1,500-foot vertical climb of Riva Ridge.

Clearing the way for the main assault on Mount Belvedere, shattering the "German Green Line".

The 442nd RCT: Breaking the Unbreakable

On the western coastal flank, the Nisei soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team—a unit of second-generation Japanese Americans—battled through the rugged marble mountains above Pietrasanta.

Despite facing immense prejudice at home, they became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history.

Join WWII_Daily and SOE Expeditions as we learn their story July 2027.

https://soeexpeditions.com/italy-gothic-line

02/09/2026

PADDY MAYNE, SRS, COMMANDOS, AIRBORNE & RANGERS.

This November, join SOE Expeditions and follow in the footsteps of the men who spearheaded the Allied campaign in Sicily in 1943.

The legendary Paddy Mayne and his SRS raiders brought their unique brand of special operations to the Mediterranean, operating behind enemy lines and striking Axis positions.

BRITISH COMMANDOS, Raiding, reconnaissance and hard fighting as the Allied forces pushed across Sicily.

82ND AIRBORNE, American paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines as Operation Husky began, landing scattered across Sicily and immediately fighting Italian and German forces.

US RANGERS, Darby's Rangers stormed ashore at Gela and Licata, seized key objectives and fought inland against determined Axis resistance, including German and Italian armoured counterattacks.

From the beaches and landing grounds to the mountains and inland battlefields, Sicily became a brutal proving ground for Allied special operations, airborne forces and elite infantry.

This isn't simply a battlefield tour. We'll follow the ground where these men fought, examine the operations that shaped the campaign and bring the battlefield to life.

SICILY 1943, SPECIAL OPERATIONS, AIRBORNE, RANGERS

Join us 16th - 20th Nov. Come and learn their story. Click link for details.

https://soeexpeditions.com/sicily-srs-paddy-mayne

31/08/2026

Operation Anthropoid – 85th Anniversary Expedition

Join us next year in Prague as we commemorate the 85th anniversary of Operation Anthropoid, one of the most daring special operations of the Second World War.

In December 1941, two Czechoslovak soldiers Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš were parachuted into N**i-occupied Czechoslovakia as part of a mission planned by the Czechoslovak government-in-exile with support from the British Special Operations Executive (SOE).

Their objective was to eliminate Reinhard Heydrich, the N**i “Protector” of Bohemia and Moravia and one of the architects of N**i terror.

On 27 May 1942, the attack took place in Prague. Gabčík and Kubiš ambushed Heydrich’s vehicle, seriously wounding him. Heydrich died from his injuries on 4 June 1942.

Following the assassination, the N**i regime launched brutal reprisals, including the destruction of the villages of Lidice and Ležáky, mass arrests, and executions.

The surviving members of the operation and other Czechoslovak parachutists took refuge in the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prague.

On 18 June 1942, they fought a final stand against overwhelming German forces before being killed.

Join us as we follow the route of courage and sacrifice, from the landing sites, the assassination location, the resistance network, and the church where the final battle took place.

Discover the story of the men who dared to strike at the heart of N**i power and the legacy they left behind.

With WW2 weapons range package it's going to be very special.

https://soeexpeditions.com/soe-prague

25/08/2026

Looking forward to working with the team at Virtual War History as we follow in the footsteps of legends. Check out their page here.

25/08/2026

What an incredible journey following in the footsteps of the airborne and special operations legends of D-Day.

Our 7 day experience began in Portsmouth, before visiting Southwick House, where General Dwight D. Eisenhower made the final decision to launch Operation Overlord and where the original D-Day planning maps can still be seen.

From there, we crossed the Channel to Normandy, retracing the actions of the 6th British Airborne Division and the 82nd U.S. Airborne Division.

Learning how these elite troops secured vital bridges, road junctions and key objectives in the opening hours of 6 June 1944.

The adventure then continued into Brittany, where we followed the story of the Jedburgh teams, the courageous French Resistance, and the 4th SAS.

Carrying out sabotage, intelligence gathering and guerrilla warfare tieing down thousands of German troops, preventing them from reinforcing the Normandy front.

To finish an unforgettable experience, we completed a tandem parachute jump onto an authentic 4th SAS D-Day drop zone, honouring the men who descended into occupied France in the early hours of June 1944.

Join us next year as we once again follow in the slipstream of the airborne and special operations legends who helped change the course of history.

Join us next year as we jump into the slipstream of legends. Click linknfor details.

https://soeexpeditions.com/france-jedburgh-legacy

Aero Tandem Celtic

22/08/2026

We Have Ways Fest 2026

The SOE Expeditions team are looking forward to heading to We Have Ways Fest 2026.

Taking place 11–13 September at Blackpit Brewery, Buckinghamshire.

The UK’s No. 1, World War 2 Festival.

Hosted by legends Al Murray and James Holland the festival brings together some of the biggest names in military history, authors, historians, veterans and enthusiasts.

Alongside an impressive collection of WWII vehicles, weapons, living-history displays and reenactors.

And there’s an incredible programme lined up.

Highlights include:

🎙️ Al Murray & James Holland
🔥 Live demonstrations, military vehicles and living history
🎖️ WWII reenactors bringing history to life with guest seakers and much, much more.

For anyone passionate about the Second World War, this is much more than a history festival.

Walk among the vehicles, meet the people who bring the history to life, hear the stories from leading historians and immerse yourself in the world of 1939–45.

Come and try out our WW2 range and help raise funds for Finley’s Touch

We’ll see you there! 🇬🇧

https://wehavewaysfest.co.uk/whwf-programme-2026/

22/08/2026

8th - 18th March 2027

Follow in the ski tracks of the legendary Kompani Linge commandos on the famous Operation Gunnerside route.

One of the most audacious sabotage missions of the Second World War.

On the night of 27–28 February 1943, a small team of Norwegian resistance fighters, trained and supported by Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE), launched an extraordinary mission against the German-controlled Vemork heavy water plant in occupied Norway.

Across the Hardangervidda: The commandos crossed the vast, frozen Hardangervidda plateau on skis, battling extreme winter conditions and some of Norway’s most unforgiving mountain terrain.

Rather than attempting the heavily guarded bridge, the team descended into the deep Måna gorge, crossed the icy river below and climbed the steep cliffs on the opposite side to reach the plant.

They entered the facility undetected and placed explosives on the heavy-water production equipment. The charges destroyed the electrolysis chambers and approximately 900 kg of heavy water.

The sabotage was carried out without a firefight. The Commandos withdrew before the Germans could effectively respond.

The team split up after the operation. Several members made extraordinary journeys across the mountains, with some ultimately skiing hundreds of kilometres to Sweden.

Heavy water was essential to Germany's nuclear research. The destruction at Vemork dealt a major setback to the German effort to produce and stockpile it.

Operation Gunnerside became one of the most famous SOE operations of WWII. Combining special operations, mountaineering, skiing, endurance and resistance warfare in one extraordinary mission.

Today, you can step into their story and ski across the same unforgiving landscape, following the route and experiencing the terrain that tested these men to their limits.

Are you tough enough to follow in the ski tracks of legends?

🇳🇴 Operation Gunnerside — Norway Attack Route.

Next year — limited spaces remaining. Click link for details.

https://soeexpeditions.com/norway-attack-route

21/08/2026

🚨 NEW DATES JUST ADDED 🚨

Due to overwhelming demand, we've released additional dates for two of our most requested expeditions.

SOE OPERATION GUNNERSIDE — THE ATTACK ROUTE, NORWAY 8–18 March

Retrace the same attack route from where Team Grouse and Gunnerside met up at Svensbu hut, before skiing to sabotage the Vemork heavy water plant.

SAS NORTH AFRICA — 85TH ANNIVERSARY 15–25 November.

Marking 85 years since L Detachment's first raid, Operation Squatter, in November 194, follow the story of Stirling, Lewes, Mayne and the birth of the SAS across the North African desert.

Join us as we follow in the footsteps of legends.

Spaces are limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis.

📩 Register your interest today:

[email protected]

WW2 MilitaryHistory

20/08/2026

HOW LEGENDS ARE FORGED — THE BIRTH OF BRITAIN'S SPECIAL FORCES 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

How did men like Jock Lewes, Paddy Mayne and David Stirling come together to create the SAS?

After Dunkirk, Churchill ordered the formation of raiding units that could strike back at N**i-occupied Europe.

From 1940, volunteers were put through brutal selection at Scotland's Special Training Centre, Lochailort, and on the island of Arran, where a young Paddy Mayne was among the early recruits driven through live-fire exercises and forced marches in the Highland rain.

By 1941 those same Commandos, including Stirling and Lewes, were fighting with "Layforce" in the Middle East, and finding large-scale amphibious raids too often cancelled or thrown away.

Out of that frustration, Stirling and Lewes built something smaller and sharper: a parachute raiding force that could hit several targets in a single night.

Stirling recruited Mayne straight out of Layforce, the legend has it, while Mayne was under arrest for striking a superior officer. Together they built L Detachment, Special Air Service, the unit that became the SAS.

Mayne went on to become one of the most decorated soldiers of the war, DSO and three bars, before taking command of 1 SAS after Stirling's capture in Tunisia in 1943.

Follow in the footsteps of the raiders who laid the foundations of today's special forces.

From the Ayrshire coast, where the young Paddy Mayne trained on Arran and the Belgian SAS were based at Loudoun Castle , to the Cairngorms, Glencoe, and the remote wilderness of Knoydart.

This is Britain's special forces story told on the ground where it happened.

You'll learn how the first Commandos were formed in 1940, how their training forged an elite fighting force, and how that force gave rise to the SAS.

And you'll walk the story of Blair "Paddy" Mayne himself, one of the SAS's greatest and most controversial leaders.

This isn't just a history tour. It's an immersive expedition through the birthplace of modern special operations.

Click linknfor details.

https://soeexpeditions.com/scotland-elite-raiders-1


Macdonald Armouries Paul Macdonald Bryan Warnett