Description
Object description
Collection of photocopies of documents relating to the work of 64 and 65 Field Security Sections formed in early 1944 to operate under the Special Operations Executive (SOE) (operationally known as No 1 and No 2 Special Force Detachment stationed at HQ 2nd British Army and HQ 1st Canadian Army respectively), June 1944 – June 1945, comprising ts report (11pp, undated) about 65 FSS describing the method of recruiting and training personnel, their installation in France following D-Day (D+9, June 1944) in search of overrun SOE agents and members of the Resistance, an operation to penetrate enemy lines to gain intelligence and including recollections by former member R A D Bell of the capture of German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Hamburg (June 1945), describing how he escorted the prisoner to jail in Luxembourg by RAF Anson and his impressions of Ribbentrop; humorous yet informative ts memoir (36pp, October 1945) of J Clark, former member of 64 FSS, describing the purpose of their role maintaining the security of the Army by ensuring that civilians did not impede their advance, landing in France (D+10, June 1944), duties of the section from their base near Bayeux monitoring the refugees passing through the lines, contact with the Resistance, commenting on the destruction caused by the Germans in Normandy and the attitude of the locals on liberation, his visits to Paris (August 1944), their advance through Belgium to the Netherlands (October 1944) where they were responsible with the Resistance for defending bridges against sabotage, being bombed by the Luftwaffe, the disbanding of 64FSS and his posting to 30FSS (c November 1944) where he carried out security control along the Franco-Belgian border at Ypres (December 1944), their transfer to Maas where they worked with American Counter Intelligence Corps to prevent agents crossing the river (December 1944 – February 1945), their advance into Germany (March 1945) arresting local Nazi party leaders, commenting on his impression of defeated Germany; with further ts account (5pp, November 1945) about his duties in Hamburg as part of a special investigation department arresting and interrogating former members of the German Intelligence Service, illustrated with photographs of some of those arrested, an identity card and arrest report. There is also a sample pass (1p, with an English translation) for a visit to a Wehrmacht brothel.
Content description
Collection of photocopies of documents relating to the work of 64 and 65 Field Security Sections formed in early 1944 to operate under the Special Operations Executive (SOE) (operationally known as No 1 and No 2 Special Force Detachment stationed at HQ 2nd British Army and HQ 1st Canadian Army respectively), June 1944 – June 1945, comprising ts report (11pp, undated) about 65 FSS describing the method of recruiting and training personnel, their installation in France following D-Day (D+9, June 1944) in search of overrun SOE agents and members of the Resistance, an operation to penetrate enemy lines to gain intelligence and including recollections by former member R A D Bell of the capture of German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Hamburg (June 1945), describing how he escorted the prisoner to jail in Luxembourg by RAF Anson and his impressions of Ribbentrop; humorous yet informative ts memoir (36pp, October 1945) of J Clark, former member of 64 FSS, describing the purpose of their role maintaining the security of the Army by ensuring that civilians did not impede their advance, landing in France (D+10, June 1944), duties of the section from their base near Bayeux monitoring the refugees passing through the lines, contact with the Resistance, commenting on the destruction caused by the Germans in Normandy and the attitude of the locals on liberation, his visits to Paris (August 1944), their advance through Belgium to the Netherlands (October 1944) where they were responsible with the Resistance for defending bridges against sabotage, being bombed by the Luftwaffe, the disbanding of 64FSS and his posting to 30FSS (c November 1944) where he carried out security control along the Franco-Belgian border at Ypres (December 1944), their transfer to Maas where they worked with American Counter Intelligence Corps to prevent agents crossing the river (December 1944 – February 1945), their advance into Germany (March 1945) arresting local Nazi party leaders, commenting on his impression of defeated Germany; with further ts account (5pp, November 1945) about his duties in Hamburg as part of a special investigation department arresting and interrogating former members of the German Intelligence Service, illustrated with photographs of some of those arrested, an identity card and arrest report. There is also a sample pass (1p, with an English translation) for a visit to a Wehrmacht brothel.
History note
Cataloguer KM