Summary

• The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a true story inspired action movie with Henry Cavill leading a covert group in WWII missions.
• Guy Ritchie's film highlights the Special Operations Executive's lesser-known events during WWII under Winston Churchill's command.
• Operation Postmaster showcases the success of the Small Scale Raiding Force in stealing Italian and German boats as part of the larger SOE missions.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is inspired by a true story and missions that took place during World War II. The 2024 action war movie comes from director Guy Ritchie and puts Henry Cavill in the leading role. Also starring Alan Ritchson, Eiza Gonzalez, Henry Golding, Alex Pettyfer, and more, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare features major action sequences and Ritchie's typically cheeky humor. That becomes the basis for a story where Cavill's Gus March-Phillipps leads a covert group of soldiers as they fight back against Nazis during World War II.

The tone and story The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare tackles are made to entertain, and some of the elements arguably make the film look and feel like a completely original take on the World War II movie genre. That is why it might be surprising to learn that there is a The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare true story that Guy Ritchie used as inspiration for the 2024 action movie. The overall premise and even specific characters are directly pulled from history. The true story of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare shines a spotlight on lesser-known events and people.

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Is Based On A Real British WWII Team Winston Churchill Created

The British Military Team Was Formed In 1940

The true story of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare goes back to the earlier parts of World War II. The growing threat of led British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to help orchestrate the creation of a new organization known as the Special Operations Executive. It brought together the undercover force of Section D and a research department of MI6. The SOE was officially formed in July 1940 with Hugh Dalton, the Minister of Economic Warfare, put in charge of the new division from a political standpoint, and Sir Frank Nelson becoming the first director.

The Special Operations Executive was founded so that the collective forces of the British intelligence community could use unusual methods to sabotage enemy forces. There were over 13,000 of the organization during its years of operation. The SOE maintained strong from Churchill over the years, with "Churchill's Toyshop" becoming the nickname for the location where weapons development for the SOE took place. This also led to the title of Damien Lewis' book about the SOE, Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII.

The main purpose of the SOE under Churchill was to fight back against the Axis powers during WWII. This included going on many different missions, such as Operation Harling and Operation Anthropoid, the latter of which was an assassination of a high-ranking Nazi. Many of these missions took place without the direct knowledge of British allies, which created some tension between Britain and other countries during World War II. Due to the size of the SOE, there were hundreds of Operations that took place over the course of the war carried out by different factions.

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare's Story Is About Operation Postmaster

The SOE's Small Scale Raiding Force Tackled The Mission

The SOE is the broad inspiration for Guy Ritchie's movie, but The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's true story is more directly about a smaller faction and a singular Operation. The British government learned of a German submarine refueling station near Africa in 1941, and the desire to disrupt this part of the Nazi's plan led to what became known as Operation Postmaster. The SOE selected the faction known as Small Scale Raiding Force, or No. 62 Commandos, to lead the Operation, which was officially given approval from the Foreign Office in London. Operation Postmaster took place on January 14, 1942.

The plan for Operation Postmaster was for the Small Scale Raiding Force to use its sabotage skills to steal Italian and German boats. The crew left for the mission in August 1941 and searched for months to find the desired submarines. The plan to steal them led to the SSRF and SOE arranging a party for the regular officers to attend, allowing the small crew of SSRF to raid the ships and overthrow the crew. The successful nature of Operation Postmaster was seen as a sign of the SOE's ability to do undercover missions.

Every Known Member Of The Small Scale Raiding Force In Postmaster

The Movie Includes Some Real-Life SSRF Soldiers

The Small Scale Raiding Force had over 50 by the time The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's true story takes place. However, only five men were needed for Operation Postmaster. This includes the SSRF's leader, Gus March-Phillipps, played by Henry Cavill. He was the founding member of the SSRF and was in his early 30s when the mission took place in 1942. March-Phillipps received awards in the aftermath of how successful Operation Postmaster was, not only for him individually but also in of keeping the other of his team alive.

The other five of the SSRF in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare are Anders Lassen (Alan Ritchson), Freddy Alvarez (Henry Golding), Geoffrey Appleyard (Alex Pettyfer), Henry Hayes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), and Mr. Heron (Babs Olusanmokun). Lassen was a Danish soldier who became a member of the SSRF during WWII and received a Military Cross for his role in the Operation's success. Appleyard was already a decorated war hero by the time Operation Postmaster took place. Henry Hayes is a replacement for Graham Hayes in real life.

Richard Lippett and Leonard Guise were of the real-life SSRF team for Operation Postmaster, but they are not directly present in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Eiza Gonzalez's role as Marjorie Stewart in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's true story is more complex. Marjorie is the future wife of Gus March-Phillipps, although they were not married at the time of Operation Postmaster. While there is no direct record that she was part of the SSRF team and mission, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is making her a member of Gus' lineup. The SSRF did not have any women back in 1942, but Marjorie may have worked with them through the SOE.

What Happened To The Special Operations Executive After The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare's True Story

Operation Postmaster Was Just Part Of The SOE's History

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare tackles the true story of Operation Postmaster, but the successful mission was not the end of the organization. The SOE continued to remain operational until it was dissolved in 1946. This came after many more Operations that came during World War II and beyond. Gus March-Phillips, Anders Lassen, and Geoffrey Appleyard all participated in additional missions after Operation Postmaster too. Tragically, March-Phillips, Lassen, and Appleyard all died in action in future missions.

The fate of the SOE was put in doubt as World War II neared its conclusion in 1944. Different of Britain's intelligence community and government organizations wanted the SOE to be folded into their power. The disagreements worsened when Winston Churchill lost the general election and was unable to resolve the matter. This resulted in the closing of the Special Operations Executive in early 1946. Some remained in the military, while others retired. Some were briefly part of the MI6's Special Operations Branch before the unit was consolidated after The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's true story.