The 'Tiny' British Lapel Knife That Let SOE Agents Kill Their Own Interrogators

To the Gestapo, interrogation was supposed to be final. Once an SOE agent was captured, the outcome seemed inevitable. But hidden in plain sight, sewn into clothing or disguised as an everyday object, was a weapon so small it was often overlooked — and so lethal it turned captivity into a moment of sudden reversal.

This video tells the story of the tiny British lapel knife issued to Special Operations Executive agents operating behind enemy lines. Designed to evade searches and defeat complacency, the weapon was not meant for combat, but for escape. In interrogation rooms, transport cells, and holding areas, it gave captured agents one last chance when resistance seemed impossible.

Drawing on declassified SOE files, training manuals, and post-war testimonies, this episode explains why British planners prioritized concealment over size, and speed over strength. Agents were trained to act without hesitation, exploiting the brief moment when guards believed themselves safe. The knife’s effectiveness lay not in brute force, but in surprise.

This is a story of intelligence warfare at its most brutal and personal. A reminder that the Cold War and Second World War were not only fought with armies and machines, but with hidden tools, nerve, and split-second decisions — where a weapon small enough to be ignored could decide who walked out alive, and who never did.