Post-war British intelligence

Cryptologia, Apr 2000 by Kruh, Louis

Aldrich, Richard J., ed. Espionage, security and intelligence in Britain 1915-1970. Manchester University Press, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9NR UK; St. Martin's Press, Inc., 175 Fifth Ave., New York NY 10010 USA. 1998. 262 pp., $29.95.

Using "secret service" in its broadest sense, Aldrich presents a solid review of postwar developments, activities and the significance of the British secret service from the end of World War II through 1970. Given their long-standing relationship, it is not surprising to find close participation by the United States in the planning and execution of various strategies against the Soviet Government and the world-wide Communist movement.

Aldrich takes a functional approach which emphasizes the roles and responsibilities of different services and departments. These are provided in seven sections. Part I, The Secret Intelligence Service(MI6) and Signals Intelligence. Part II, Scientific and Technical Intelligence, Defectors from the East, and Atomic Intelligence. Part III, Service Intelligence, plus Spy-Flights and Aerial Reconnaissance. Part IV, Management: A World of Committees. Part V, MI5(The Security Service), Moles and Defectors from the West, Positive Vetting and Official Secrecy, plus Intelligence and the "End of Empire." Part VI, Clandestine or "Black" Propaganda, Special Operations Against Russia in Peace, Special Operations Against Russia in a Future War, and Special Operations in the Third World. Part VII, Cooperation with Foreign Services and Deception.

Aldrich's sources include declassified documents including a fair amount of U. S. origin (citations provided). Some examples:

A report on SIS and UK-US cooperation after 1945 is excerpted from Director of Intelligence USAF HQ files;

The JIC(US-UK Joint Intelligence Committee) and Signal Intelligence Requirements, 1948, is taken from a previously Limited Circulation-Top Secret draft report of the JIC;

UK-US Communications Security, 1952, reported that the CCM(Combined Cipher Machine), including those held by NATO, should be replaced and the new equipment will be "of a crypto-principle used in Joint and inter-Service U. S. Communications. This principle will be either the POLLUX principle or the BRUTUS principle" and until replacements can be made, the CCM will be "modified by a change in rotor-stepping action to a principle known as HERMES." This is from a report of the US Armed Forces Security Agency Council which also mentions the AFSAM 7 and AFSAM 47 cipher machines and other crypto equipment and that the CSP 2900 cipher machine should continue to be used exclusively by the U. S.

Aldrich provides a fascinating insight to intelligence developments during the early Cold War. He offers details from a variety of remarkable sources and the above items are only a small selection from the section on Signals Intelligence.