MI8
Encyclopedia
MI8, or Military Intelligence, Section 8, was the cover designation for the Radio Security Service (RSS), a department of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence
, part of the War Office
. It was a British signals intelligence group in World War II
.
, Vernon Kell, the head of MI5
, introduced a contingency plan to deal with the problem of illicit radio transmissions. A new body was created, the Radio Security Service (RSS), headed by Major J.P.G. Worlledge, who until 1927 had commanded a Wireless Company in Palestine
. Worlledge's brief was to "intercept, locate and close down illicit wireless stations operated either by enemy agents in Great Britain or by other persons not being licensed to do so under Defence Regulations, 1939". As a security precaution, the RSS was given the cover designation of MI8(c).
Working from cells at Wormwood Scrubs, Worlledge selected Majors Sclater and Cole-Adams as his assistants and Walter Gill as his chief traffic analyst. Gill had been engaged in wireless interception in WW1 and decided that the best course of action would be to find the transmissions of the agent control stations in Germany. He recruited a research fellow from Oxford, Hugh Trevor Roper who was fluent in German. Working alongside them at Wormwood scrubs was MI5 and John Masterman who ran the double agent XX program. Masterman alread had agent SNOW and Gill used his codes as the basis for decrypting incomming agent traffic.
Following a proposal devoped by Lt Col Adrian Simpson that a small number of stations located around Britain would not work, the task of developing a comprehensive listening organization was given to Ralph Mansfield, 4th Baron Sandhurst
, an enthusiastic amateur radio operator who had served with the Royal Engineers
Signal Service during World War I
, and had been commissioned as a Major in the Royal Corps of Signals
in 1939.
Sandhurst was given an office in the Security Service's temporary accommodation in Wormwood Scrubs
prison and as a first step approached the President of the Radio Society of Great Britain
(RSGB), Arthur Watts, who had served as an analyst in Room 40
during World War I
following the loss of a leg at Gallipoli
. Watts recommended that Sandhurst recruit the entire RSGB Council, who in turn began to recruit their members as Voluntary Interceptors (VIs). Radio amateurs were considered ideal for such work because they were widely distributed across the United Kingdom
.
The VIs were mostly working men of non-military age, working in their own time and using their own equipment (their transmitters had been impounded on the outbreak of war, but their receivers had not). They were ordered to ignore commercial and military traffic and to concentrate on more elusive transmissions. Each VI was given a minimum number of intercepts to make each month, which if reached gave them exemption from other duties, such as fire watching. Many VIs were issued with a special DR12 identity card, which allowed them to enter premises from which they suspected unauthorized signals were being transmitted.
RSS also established a series of Radio Direction Finding
stations in the far corners of the British Isles in order to identify the locations of the transmissions they were intercepting.
The recruitment of Voluntary Interceptors (VIs) was slow since they had to be skilled, discreet, and dedicated, but within three months 50 VIs were at work and identified over 600 transmitters - all firmly on the other side of the English Channel. It became apparent that there were no enemy agents transmitting from the UK - in fact, all German agents entering the UK were promptly captured and either interned or "turned" to operate as double agents under the supervision of the "XX Committee
". In some cases, a British operator took over their transmissions and was accepted by the Germans as one of their agents.
, in the London Borough of Barnet
, had already been requisitioned as an intercept station, and it was decided to move to this locale, which was given the cryptic postal address of Box 25, Barnet.
There a staff of analysts and cryptographers began their duties and by May 1940 it was clear that RSS's initial mission - to locate enemy agents in the UK - was complete.
. The success of the RSS, and the fact that some of its personnel had managed to decode some Abwehr
cyphers ahead of Bletchley, meant that control of the organization was transferred to MI6
in May 1941 after some conflict over exactly which department should control it.
The new controller of RSS was Lieutenant-Colonel E.F. Maltby, and from 1942 Lt. Col. Kenneth Morton Evans was appointed Deputy Controller and Roland Keen, author of "Wireless Direction Finding", was the officer in charge of the engineering. Well-financed, and equipped with a new central radio station at Hanslope
Park in Buckinghamshire (designated Special Communications Unit No.3 or SCU3), it became the communication and interception service of MI6 which previously had possessed no such capability. The Abwehr was now monitored round the clock and the volume and regularity of the material obtained enabled Bletchley to achieve one of its great triumphs in December 1941, when it decoded the Abwehr's Enigma
cypher, giving enormous insight into German intelligence operations.
At its peak in 1943-1944 RSS employed - apart from VIs - more than 1,500 personnel, most of whom had been amateur radio operators. Over half of these worked as interceptors while a further number investigated the numerous enemy radio networks. This revealed important information, even when it was not possible to decode messages. Few transmissions by secret agents of German Intelligence evaded RSS' notice and changes in procedure, which the Germans used for security, were in many cases identified before the enemy had become familiar with them.
Following the end of the war RSS HQ moved to Eastcote and was absorbed by the Government Communications Headquarters
(GCHQ).
Directorate of Military Intelligence
The Directorate of Military Intelligence was a department of the British War Office.Over its lifetime the Directorate underwent a number of organisational changes, absorbing and shedding sections over time.- History :...
, part of the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
. It was a British signals intelligence group in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
At the start of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Vernon Kell, the head of MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
, introduced a contingency plan to deal with the problem of illicit radio transmissions. A new body was created, the Radio Security Service (RSS), headed by Major J.P.G. Worlledge, who until 1927 had commanded a Wireless Company in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. Worlledge's brief was to "intercept, locate and close down illicit wireless stations operated either by enemy agents in Great Britain or by other persons not being licensed to do so under Defence Regulations, 1939". As a security precaution, the RSS was given the cover designation of MI8(c).
Working from cells at Wormwood Scrubs, Worlledge selected Majors Sclater and Cole-Adams as his assistants and Walter Gill as his chief traffic analyst. Gill had been engaged in wireless interception in WW1 and decided that the best course of action would be to find the transmissions of the agent control stations in Germany. He recruited a research fellow from Oxford, Hugh Trevor Roper who was fluent in German. Working alongside them at Wormwood scrubs was MI5 and John Masterman who ran the double agent XX program. Masterman alread had agent SNOW and Gill used his codes as the basis for decrypting incomming agent traffic.
Following a proposal devoped by Lt Col Adrian Simpson that a small number of stations located around Britain would not work, the task of developing a comprehensive listening organization was given to Ralph Mansfield, 4th Baron Sandhurst
Ralph Mansfield, 4th Baron Sandhurst
Ralph Sheldon Mansfield, 4th Baron Sandhurst, OBE was the son of John William Mansfield, 3rd Baron Sandhurst. Mansfield became 4th Baron Sandhurst upon the death of his father, John William Mansfield, the 3rd Baron Sandhurst, in 1933....
, an enthusiastic amateur radio operator who had served with the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
Signal Service during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and had been commissioned as a Major in the Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
in 1939.
Sandhurst was given an office in the Security Service's temporary accommodation in Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs is a Category B men's prison, located in the Wormwood Scrubs area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, in inner west London, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service....
prison and as a first step approached the President of the Radio Society of Great Britain
Radio Society of Great Britain
First founded in 1913 as the London Wireless Club, the Radio Society of Great Britain is the United Kingdom's recognised national society for amateur radio operators. The society's patron is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and it represents the interests of the UK’s 60,000 licensed radio amateurs...
(RSGB), Arthur Watts, who had served as an analyst in Room 40
Room 40
In the history of Cryptanalysis, Room 40 was the section in the Admiralty most identified with the British cryptoanalysis effort during the First World War.Room 40 was formed in October 1914, shortly after the start of the war...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
following the loss of a leg at Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
. Watts recommended that Sandhurst recruit the entire RSGB Council, who in turn began to recruit their members as Voluntary Interceptors (VIs). Radio amateurs were considered ideal for such work because they were widely distributed across the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The VIs were mostly working men of non-military age, working in their own time and using their own equipment (their transmitters had been impounded on the outbreak of war, but their receivers had not). They were ordered to ignore commercial and military traffic and to concentrate on more elusive transmissions. Each VI was given a minimum number of intercepts to make each month, which if reached gave them exemption from other duties, such as fire watching. Many VIs were issued with a special DR12 identity card, which allowed them to enter premises from which they suspected unauthorized signals were being transmitted.
RSS also established a series of Radio Direction Finding
Direction finding
Direction finding refers to the establishment of the direction from which a received signal was transmitted. This can refer to radio or other forms of wireless communication...
stations in the far corners of the British Isles in order to identify the locations of the transmissions they were intercepting.
The recruitment of Voluntary Interceptors (VIs) was slow since they had to be skilled, discreet, and dedicated, but within three months 50 VIs were at work and identified over 600 transmitters - all firmly on the other side of the English Channel. It became apparent that there were no enemy agents transmitting from the UK - in fact, all German agents entering the UK were promptly captured and either interned or "turned" to operate as double agents under the supervision of the "XX Committee
Double Cross System
The Double Cross System, or XX System, was a World War II anti-espionage and deception operation of the British military intelligence arm, MI5. Nazi agents in Britain - real and false - were captured, turned themselves in or simply announced themselves and were then used by the British to broadcast...
". In some cases, a British operator took over their transmissions and was accepted by the Germans as one of their agents.
Move to Arkley
Initially the messages logged by the VIs were sent to Wormwood Scrubs, but as the volume became so great, and Wormwood began to suffer German air attacks, the decision was made to seek larger premises. Arkley View, a large country house near the village of ArkleyArkley
Arkley is a village in the London Borough of Barnet. It is located north north-west of Charing Cross, and at above sea level is one of the highest points in London....
, in the London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
, had already been requisitioned as an intercept station, and it was decided to move to this locale, which was given the cryptic postal address of Box 25, Barnet.
There a staff of analysts and cryptographers began their duties and by May 1940 it was clear that RSS's initial mission - to locate enemy agents in the UK - was complete.
MI6 takeover
RSS had in effect become the civilian counterpart of the military's "Y Service" intercept network. By mid-1941 up to 10,000 logs (message sheets) a day were sent to Arkley before being forwarded to the code-breaking centre at Bletchley ParkBletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
. The success of the RSS, and the fact that some of its personnel had managed to decode some Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
cyphers ahead of Bletchley, meant that control of the organization was transferred to MI6
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
in May 1941 after some conflict over exactly which department should control it.
The new controller of RSS was Lieutenant-Colonel E.F. Maltby, and from 1942 Lt. Col. Kenneth Morton Evans was appointed Deputy Controller and Roland Keen, author of "Wireless Direction Finding", was the officer in charge of the engineering. Well-financed, and equipped with a new central radio station at Hanslope
Hanslope
Hanslope is a village in the Borough of Milton Keynes and is the centre of a Civil Parish of the same name. It is about 4 miles WNW of Newport Pagnell, about 4 miles north of Stony Stratford, about 8 miles north of Central Milton Keynes and just south of Northamptonshire. For ceremonial...
Park in Buckinghamshire (designated Special Communications Unit No.3 or SCU3), it became the communication and interception service of MI6 which previously had possessed no such capability. The Abwehr was now monitored round the clock and the volume and regularity of the material obtained enabled Bletchley to achieve one of its great triumphs in December 1941, when it decoded the Abwehr's Enigma
Enigma machine
An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...
cypher, giving enormous insight into German intelligence operations.
At its peak in 1943-1944 RSS employed - apart from VIs - more than 1,500 personnel, most of whom had been amateur radio operators. Over half of these worked as interceptors while a further number investigated the numerous enemy radio networks. This revealed important information, even when it was not possible to decode messages. Few transmissions by secret agents of German Intelligence evaded RSS' notice and changes in procedure, which the Germans used for security, were in many cases identified before the enemy had become familiar with them.
Following the end of the war RSS HQ moved to Eastcote and was absorbed by the Government Communications Headquarters
Government Communications Headquarters
The Government Communications Headquarters is a British intelligence agency responsible for providing signals intelligence and information assurance to the UK government and armed forces...
(GCHQ).