Table Of Contentv
BRITISH INTELLIGENCE
IN THE SECOND
WORLD WAR
VOLUME FOUR
SECURITY AND
COTJNTER-INTELLIGENCE
BRITISH
INTELLIGE.NCE
IN THE
The authors of this, as of other official histories
of the Second World War, have been given free access
to official documents. They alone are responsible SECOND WORLD
for the statements made and the views expressed.
WAR
VOLUME FOUR
SECURITY AND
COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE
by
F. H. HINSLEY
F'elkrw of'St John's College and Emeritus Professor of the History
ol' lnternational Relations in the Universily of Cambridge
and
C. A. G. SIMKINS
Sometime Scholar of New College,
Oxford and of Lincoln's Inn, Barrister-at-Law
Q (lrrrwrr rrrpyr.iglrt rr11r (]ON'I'ENTS
l,'irst prrblislrcrl r r;r;rr
lSllNorr(ito<;rr:ro
Pt'elh<:e IX
l.ist of' Abbreviations xl
HMSO publications are available from:
.'lri* ff.liir#::f:tff PART I:
,,,
PO Box 276, London, SWg 5DT
Telephone orders or_g73 gogo
General enquiries or-873 oor r Chapter r: Before the War 3
(queuing system in operation for both numbers) Ohapter z: The Twilight War 29
Ohapter 3: The Fifth Column Panic 47
Chapter 4: The Re-Organisation of Security in the
4e High Holborn, London, ytY$:ril"tTfi oor r (counrer service only) United Kingdom,June rg4o toJune rg4r 65
258 Broad Street, Birmingham, Br zHE ozt,_643 374o
Sougth-ezyr HPoriuncsees, s3 3S tWreiente, MSatrnecehi,e sBtreisr,t oMl,6 BoS gr AzSB eo 6lrigiT3i4ii O7zaogio"O PART II:
8o Chichester Street, Belfast, BTr dy (oz3r) zgga5r
7r Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9AZ ogr_zza 4i"e,
HMSO's Accredited Agents (lhapter 5: The Decline of the Threat from Subversion
(see Yellow Pages) to the End of rg4z 79
and, through good boohsellers (lhallter 6: Trgh4e oD etofe atth oef tAheu tAubmwne hor'sf Orqffe4nl,s ivaen, dJ utnhee
Consolidation of the Double-Cross System 87
BritisAhis LCaivIbParia lcarabytl aeCl oafgrtuoaemlo g rteuhcieno grB dir nifto isprhu tbhLliiiscb arbatoirooynk Data {r OhaJrter 7: Cvoefo luorgnpt4merre -tEnots tpohiofe n DEaegncede poOtfip orengr af4trioozmn s tahned A tuhetu Dmen- Lo7
:*s- Chapter 8: Disputes about Responsibility for Counter-
it[r Espionage from June rg4r to the End of
,& 1942 r3r
k
#-
ii
{1... PART III:
ss.
:,1
.rt,{i (lhapter g: 'Ihe Development of Security Organisation
ir
Overseas to the End of lg4z r4r
i!!t.
,*
Oltalltcr ro: Counter-Espionage and Deception Opera-
4|*i
:l:,: ti<rns Overseas to the End of ry42 r57
I'AR'f IV:
Pr.irrtcrl irr rlre llrritcrl Kirrgrkrlrr lor,
Ilcr Mljenty,r Stirtiorrer.y { )llirr. (llrlptt.r' r r: Sccrrt'ity ()t'girrrisirtiorr irr tlrt' Urrittrl Kirrg-
l)rl 111r44ti ( i7n r r/tt1; rlotrr irrrrl ()vt'r'st.ls irlicr r1y4l rZ:t
ru
vl
vll
Ohaptcr I r: (kx.urtcr-lisltiorralgc ()1rcr:rtions irr thc A1ryt:rrrlix r r I Six Spics Oarrglrt in r94g and r944
Unitcrl King<loni an<l ()verseas lrorn t.he (i) l)scaJrcrs 343
Beginning ol' rg43 to nri<l-rg44 r93 (ii) A Parachutist
345
Chapter r3: Double-Cross and Deception in the United Appenclix List of Important Items'which it is Undesir-
Kingdom and Overseas from the Beginning able for Visitors to see' 347
of rg43 to mid-rg44 2t7 Appendix l3: The SHAEF Directive on Counter-
Intelligence
349
PART V: Appendix r4i The Case of King Kong 373
Appendix r5: Double-Cross Agents Run in the Field rg44
to rg45
379
Chapter r4: Security Precautions for Operation Oaerlord 247
Chapter r5: Counter-Espionage Operations in the Field z6t
lndex 385
Chapter r6: Security against Germany in the United
Kingdom to rhe End of th'e War 273
Chapter r7: Security against the Communist threat in the Numhered notes to the text are to be found at the end of each chapter.
United Kingdom ro rhe End of the War 283
APPENDICES
Appendix r: ilhe German Intelligence Services
.(l) f|r. Organisation of the Abwehr 2gb
(ii) The Sicherheitsdienst
(iiii ii;; F;u;T'il Abwehr zee
301
Appendix z: The CPGB's Volte Face in October rg3g
3o5
Appendix 3: Technical Problems affecting Radio Com-
munications by the Double-Cioss Agents
3og
Appendix 4: List of.Subjects Considered by the Security
Executive
Zrb
Appendix 5: Prosecutions under the Defence Regulations
(i) The B-"ri*ti-s"h. rUinriio nr".ty
liiy rne il3
Appendix 6: Abwehr Agents; Aurumn rg4o
Z2r
Appendix 7: Two Seamen Agents Zzg
Appendix 8: Tole's Report jrn Bomb Damage at Coventry
as submitted for Approval and as Approved gg,
Appendix g: Some rg4z Spies
.(i) P.".-y Double Agents
(ii) 335
Simoes
(iii) 336
Executed
337
Appendix ro: Interrogatiolr Mctlrrxls
(i)'l'lrt.
l.olrrknr Rt,r.r.lltiorr Ct.trlr.t.
(ii) Olrrrgr olo 33{)
ll4 I
IX
I'RE,ITACE
rf I I IS ll(x)K forms part of rhe series entitled British Intelti-
I g,'ru', in the Second World War, of which the first three
r- v'lumes, dealing with the influence of intelligence on
strategy and operarions, have already been publisheJ. In the
(:ourse. of producing- it we have enjoyed the piivileges rhar were
extended to the authors of the earlier volumes, arid have been
governed by the same conditions. These privileges and conditions
were set out in the prefaces to Volumes I, tt a.rd ItI and are here
recapitulated.
we.have been granted unrestricted access to the intelligence
recrlrds for the inter-war years and the second world war, as well
as to other relevant archives, as a special measure. If any archives
have.escaped our attention we are satisfied that ouersig'ht on our
part is the sole explanation. No constraints have been piiced on us
while carrying out our research. on the contrary, in obtaining
Access to the archives and consulting membe.r o? the war-timE
intelligence community we have recEived full cooperation from
the Hist'rical Section of the cabinet office urri upp.opriate
Sovernment departments.
I' preparing the results of our research for publication, how-
ever, we have observed the ruling that was liid down by the
liecrctary .f state for Foreign Affiirs on 12 January .g7ti in a
written re.ply__t. a parliamenrary quesrion. ih. reply"aduised
war'-tirne..intellige.nce staff on the extent to which th.y ,r"..
absolve<l f rom their undertakings of reticence in the light of recent
clranges .f' p.licy with regard to the release of war-time records.
He rlrew a distinction between the records of the service intelli-
gence directorates, w-hich will be placed with other departmental
nr<:hives in the Public Record office, and 'other i#ormation,
int:lu<ling details of the methods by which this material was
olltaine<l'. Ile explained that this other information ,remains
rubjcct to the undertakings and to the official Secrets Acts and
r]]ay rrot lrc disclosed'. And he concluded with a reference to this
llistory/,: 'rilr' irtr. irsD plJulrbulrirsshrreqd(I,, ltrhrec pprritnnccilpplleess governlinngs tthhee eexxtteenntt ooff
perrnitte<l <list:l,sure embodiedin thi-guidince aboie will apply in
relatiorr t, the ofhcial History'. Thi 'other informatiori, h.r"
ntetrtiolrt:<l is infirrmation in some of the records of the
itrtelligt'rrct.-gat hcring lxxlies.
, As.:rllcirrly st:rtc<|, tlris rrrlirrg h:rs rror prevented us from consult-
ilrl{ llr('nc lccorrls, Nor Jr:rs il llrt'vt:nlt:rl rrs lirrm incorporating in
lltt'lext llr. r't'srrlrs.l'rrr. w,r'k,,rr rlrt.rrr; wt. lrrv<. 1u.",, i..*;,rir.il t,,
t'rslt'ir'l oul us('ol'llrcrrr orrly lo llrr.r.xlt'rrl tlurl sr.r.l.t,tiy rrlxrrrl
xt
itrtt:lligc.trt'c lu:ltttitlttt's :rrrrl witlr rc$t)e('t to irrrlivirlrrirls r.crlirirrs ABBREVIATIONS
e*hssgeln tgiaivl.in Igt rheai'se,r ellnr)cwets:v tto:r ',o rrrlri rs:roaulrc(r:cl sr.l r'cli rs yrshret: rlrilrc sw c,t 'rh.hirev t:a :suskcr1slsr.'ers<,l
recipients, and users of intellige.ce - g()ver'ment (lepartnlents,
inter-departmental bodies, opJrational "commandr oit ., .*- Ao Ar.rslarrds Organisation
ecutive authorities - we hav-e supplied precise refe"rrerin ces. This AR(;OS All Russian Co-operative Society
|pRlies nor only ro documents iready opened in the pubric
Record office, and those to be opened'after a stated period of llso British Security Co-ordination
extended closure, but also to individual files and papeis which, BU,I}I.JF' British Union (of Fascists)
though they may nor be available for public ,;r;;;;h for
considerable time to come, nevertheless fall into categories oaf ('(:;A'S oCrh CieSf So:f Htheea dA iorf Sthtae ffSecret Service
war-time records whose eventual opening in the Recor"J office ccs Combined Chiefs of Staff (Anglo-American)
may be expected. But it would have servet no useful p,r.por. ,o CI(]I Combined Intelligence Centre Iraq
give precise references to the domesric files of tt. Irit.ttig..r..- ctD Committee of Imperial Defence
gathering bodies, which are unlikely to be opened in the public clcs Chief of the Imperial General Staff
Record Office. cos Chiefs of Staff (British)
_ In--1he present volume, dealing with Security and Counrer_ COSSAC Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander
Intelligence, the evidence derived from these litter, restricted, (Designate)
files constitutes a much higher proportion of the iotal ,,rurce cP(;B Communist Party of Great Britain
minfaluteerniacle t hoafn i nwtaesll irgheen ccaes eo nw istttrr atttieeg uy baln.rd- .o, pwehraictiho rdrre.a ilto w i;t h; ;t;h_e ccssDorc CCoonmsbuilnaer dS Seceurvriictye sO Dffeictaeirled Interrogation Cenrre
slderaDle extent the account we give is ac'cordingly one for which Dt' Direction Finding
Public Record office referenceJ for the sources cannot be pro- DMI Director of Military Intelligence
vided. But we have attempted to give such references whenever, DNI Director of Naval Intelligence
the. security and counrer-intelligeice authorities having broughi DPP Director of Public Prosecutions
their concerns and the results 6f thei. work to the atiention of DR Defence Regulation
government departments and other users of intelligence, the DSO Defence Security Officer
papers rema-i n in the archives of the recipients.
The extent to which this has been possible is not sufficient to F'AK Frontau fklirungs Kommandos
justify. the provision of a bibriography or guide ro sources. It t'A't' Frontaufkliirungs Truppen
should be noted, however, that" the recipiEnts *.r" ,i,h f", l.'Bl Federal Bureau of Investigation
exceptions identical with the recipients of the product of other FI.JSA(; Notional lst US Army Group
ilnItIe,l liPgeanrtc ez-,c oo_f lltehcistin sge rbieosd iceos,n taaninds t haa tc othme pbribelhio.gti'rraiup!h gy uiind ev otlou mthee ((l;OP oand CS GGeonveerranlm Peonstt OCoffdicee and Cypher School
location of such of their archives as have been or will bE released to
the public records. Hl)t: Home Defence Executive (not to be confused with the
we wish to acknowledge the help given by Miss patricia Mccallum HD(s)E)
in he.r capacity as research assiitint. we should add that the Hr)(s)[: Home Defence (Security) Executive (first name of the
contribution made by Miss Eve Streatfeild in respect of research Security Executive)
and administrative management to this volume, as to the earlier HP(; Home Policy Committee
volumes in the series, haJbeen invaluable.
tRA lrish Republican Army
ls() I n<lustrial Security Officer
lsos lrrlelligcn<:t: Servic:e, Oliver Strachey (the general term
uscrl tlrrrrrrglrorrt lhis volurne lo refer to decrypts
lrr<l l llrrrsllrl iorrs ol' ( k.t'rrritrr irrlt:lligt:rrr:e rnessages)
lssn I rrlr.r'-Servicr-s St.r'rr r'it y lI r;r rrl
.f l( r .f oint lrrtclligerrce ( irrrurriltee PART I
.lill .f apancsc I rrsllirtrl l,'i li h ( l rl rr lrrrr ist
KO Kriegsorganisatiorr (ol' t.he Allwchr')
LCS London Controlling Section
LOC Liaison Officers Conference
LRC London Reception Centre
MEDC Middle East Defence Committee
MEIC Middle East Intelligence Centre
MI Military Intelligence
NID Naval Intelligence Division
NSDAP National Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter partei
OB Ossewa Brandwag
OKH Oberkommando des Heeres (High Command of the
German Army)
oKw
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (High Command of
the German Armed Forces)
OSS Office of Strategic Services (US)
PPU Peace Pledge Union
PWE Political Warfare Executive
RCMP Royal Canadian Mounted Police
RSHA Reichssicherheitshauptamt
RSHA (Mil Amt) Reic_hssicherheitshauptamt Militirisches Amt
RSLO Regional Security Liaison Officer
RSS Radio Security Service
SCIU Special Counter-Intelligence Unit
SCO Security Control Officer
SD Sicherheitsdienst
SE Security Executive
SHAEF Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
SIC Security Intelligence Centre
SIGINT Signals Intelligence - the general term for the
processes of interception, analysis and decryption
and the intelligence they produced
SIME Security Intelligence Middle East
SIS Special or Secret Intelligence Service
SOE Special Operations Executive
SSM Service de Securiti Militaire
TIS Theatre Intelligence Secti<ln
wr
Wit'clt:ss' l'elegralllr y
CIIAP'l'ER
I
Before the War
ECURII'Y as it was defined by the British war-time Security
Executive in rg4z -'the defence of national interests against
hostile elements other than the armed forces of the enemy:
in practice against espionage, sabotage and attempts to procure
defeat by subversive political activity'r - has been almosi every-
where a major and a'continuing preoccupation of governments
and their citizens since the Second World War. It was otherwise
bef ore r g r 4. The need to protect the state against these threats has
a long history - a history as long as that of government itself. But
bef<rre the twentieth century it was generally the case that it was
met inf<rrmally, not to say casually, at the margin of the main
machinery of state, by authorities whose activities were shielded
from popular curiosity.
In the United Kingdom, as elsewhere, the transition from the
inf<rrmal to the -orJ organised pursuit of security began in the
period of mounting international tension that culminaied in the
outbreak of the First World War. To be precise, it began in April
t-9o7, when a conference of officials set up by the Admiralty and
the War Office in 19o6 to consider'the Powers Possessed by the
Executive in Time of Emergency' recommended an immediate
strengthening of the laws against espionage and a War Office
investigation into 'police surveillance and control of aliens'.2 After
the cnmpletion of the conference's report, which coincided with
the publication in the Press of rumours associating the existence of
tpies with German plans for an invasion, the European section of
the War Office's Directorate of Operations (MO z) embarked on
the.systematic investigation of reports on German espionage. Its
findings convinced it of the need for a specially organiJed cou.rter-
espionage bureau and in January rgog, in a paper enrirled
'Iime
'H,spirlnage in of Peace', the General Staff drew the attention
of' Lor<l Haldane, the Secretary of State for War, to the problem.
ln March tg()q, to the accompaniment of mountirrg public co.t-
r:ern alxrut alarrnist spy stories and lurid invasion nbvels, and at
the rcquest of' the ()eneral Staff, the Prime Minister set up a
tul>r:onurrittcc of'tlre Oommittee of'Imperial Defence (CID), ;ith
llalrlarrc irs t:hirirrruur. lrs ternrs ol'ref'erence were to consider the
nllrrr(' irrr<l cxtcrrr ol' lilrr:ign trslliorrage; whether the Admiralty
ittul lltc W:rr'()l'licc slrorrl<l lx'lrrrrrrghr irrlo ol'lit:i:rl rel:rtions witir
