In a 2012 documentary, Dieppe Uncovered, the historian David O'Keefe highlighted a document from March 1942 where the writer Ian Fleming proposed the creation of a commando unit to his then superior, Admiral John Godfrey, the Director of Naval Intelligence.

[5] According to some accounts, the unit was deployed for the first time during the Dieppe Raid in August 1942, in an unsuccessful attempt to capture an Enigma machine and related material.

It was tasked to move ahead of advancing Allied forces, or to undertake covert infiltrations into enemy territory by land, sea or air, to capture much needed intelligence, in the form of codes, documents, equipment or personnel.

By the following day all the battle orders for the German and Italian fleets, current code books and other documents had been sent back to London.

Its major task on D-Day was the capture of a radar station at Douvres-la-Delivrande, north of Caen (although the defending Germans held out until 17 June).

[2] Led by Squadron Leader David Nutting, a detachment code-named Woolforce (commanded by Colonel A. R. Wooley), landed at Utah Beach on D-Day plus 4, tasked with examining suspected German V-1 missile sites.

Avoiding joyous crowds 30AU crossed Pont Mirabeau and quickly cleared intelligence targets and blew open every safe box they could find.

After a brief gunfight, they captured the former headquarters of Admiral Karl Dönitz, the Château de la Muette 'liberating' 30 tonnes of documents.

[10] Meanwhile 30AU (sections A and B) also conducted lesser operations in cooperation with French intelligence officers in the Toulon and Strasbourg area after they had been liberated.

According to some sources, the secrecy surrounding 30AU was such that significant German figures, captured behind the lines by field teams from 30AU, were officially reported to have "surrendered" to Allied infantry.