The Intelligence Corps (Int Corps) is a
corps of the
British Army. It is responsible for gathering, analysing and disseminating
military intelligence and also for
counter-intelligence and security. The Director of the Intelligence Corps is a
brigadier.
History
1814–1914
In the 19th century, British intelligence work was undertaken by the Intelligence Department of the
War Office. An important figure was
Sir Charles Wilson, a
Royal Engineer
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
who successfully pushed for reform of the War Office's treatment of topographical work.
In the early 1900s intelligence gathering was becoming better understood, to the point where a
counter-intelligence organisation (
MI5) was formed by the
Directorate of Military Intelligence (DoMI) under Captain (later Major-General)
Vernon Kell; overseas intelligence gathering began in 1912 by
MI6 under Commander (later Captain)
Mansfield Smith-Cumming.
1914–1929
Although the first proposals to create an intelligence corps came in 1905, the first Intelligence Corps was formed in August 1914 and originally included only officers and their servants. It left for France on 12 August 1914. The
Royal Flying Corps
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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, decorations ...
was formed to monitor the ground, and provided aerial photographs for the Corps to analyse.
During the
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...
, Intelligence Corps operatives were used to monitor the
Irish Republican Army. Following the war the Intelligence Corps was gradually scaled down and disbanded entirely in 1929; intelligence matters were left to individual unit officers.
Second World War
On 19 July 1940 a new Intelligence Corps was created by Army Order 112 and has existed since that time. The Army had been unprepared for collecting intelligence for deployment to France, and the only intelligence had been collected by Major Sir
Gerald Templer. The Corps trained operatives to parachute at
RAF Ringway; some of these were then dropped over France as part of the
Special Operations Executive (SOE). Intelligence Corps officers were involved in forming the highly-effective
Long Range Desert Group, and Corps officer Lt Col Peter Clayton was one of the four founders of the
Special Air Service
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...
(SAS). Around 40 per cent of British Army personnel at
Bletchley Park were in the Intelligence Corps.
[History of the Intelligence Corps, p. 4]
The Combined Allied Intelligence Corps as it was known in Malta, began recruiting in 1940 following Italy’s entry into the war on the side of Germany.
[Recorded interview with Captain “C.M.” (Rtd) of the Combined Allied Intelligence Corps (1941–1946) at Sliema, Malta on 7 November 2012] Among its many responsibilities in the
Mediterranean Theatre were debriefing and interrogation of high-ranking prisoners of war in East Africa following
Mussolini's invasion of
Abyssinia (“Eldoret” P.O.W. Camp no. 365 being one example), counter-intelligence operations following
Operation Husky the Allied invasion of Sicily in August 1943, and implementation of the Allied Screening Commission.
The Commission was established by Field-Marshal
Sir Harold Alexander a few days after the fall of Rome in June 1944 to identify and reimburse Italian civilians who had assisted Allied escapees.
Cold War
Throughout the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, Intelligence Corps
officers and
NCOs (with changed insignia) were posted behind the
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...
in
East Germany, to join in the intelligence-gathering activities of the British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany (
Brixmis
The British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany (BRIXMIS) was a military liaison mission which operated behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany during the Cold War.
BRIXMIS existed from 1946 – shortly after the end of t ...
).
Northern Ireland
Many members of the Intelligence Corps served in
Northern Ireland during "
the Troubles". Units such as the
Military Reaction Force
The Military Reaction Force, Military Reconnaissance Force or Mobile Reconnaissance Force (MRF)Taylor, Peter (2001). ''Brits: The War Against the IRA''. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 128–130. was a covert intelligence gathering and counterinsurgenc ...
,
Special Reconnaissance Unit
The Special Reconnaissance Unit, also known as the 14 Field Security and Intelligence Company (internally "The Det") was a part of the British Army Intelligence Corps involved in plainclothes operations in Northern Ireland from the 1970s onwa ...
,
Force Research Unit
The Force Research Unit (FRU) was a covert military intelligence unit of the British Army's Intelligence Corps. It was established in 1982 during the Troubles to obtain intelligence from terrorist organisations in Northern Ireland by recruiti ...
and
14 Intelligence Company
The Special Reconnaissance Unit, also known as the 14 Field Security and Intelligence Company (internally "The Det") was a part of the British Army Intelligence Corps involved in plainclothes operations in Northern Ireland from the 1970s onwa ...
contained Corps soldiers and officers.
Designation
On 1 February 1985 the corps was officially declared an 'Arm' (combat support) instead of a 'Service' (rear support).
[
]
Corps traditions
Intelligence Corps personnel wear a distinctive cypress
Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the ...
green beret with a cap badge
A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as w ...
consisting of a union rose (a red rose with a white centre) between two laurel branches and surmounted by a crown. (According to the late Gavin Lyall, the Intelligence Corps cap badge is referred to jokingly as "a rampant pansy resting on its laurels".) Their motto is ''Manui Dat Cognitio Vires'' ("Knowledge gives Strength to the Arm"). The corps' quick march is ''The Rose & Laurel'' while its slow march is Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer.
Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest E ...
's ''Trumpet Tune & Ayre''.[History of the Intelligence Corps, p. 5] Due to the colour of the beret, Intelligence Corps personnel are often referred to as 'Green Slime', or simply 'Slime' by fellow soldiers.
Locations
Their headquarters, formerly at Maresfield, East Sussex, then Templer Barracks at Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the county of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Great Stour at the southern or Escarpment, scarp edge of the North Downs, about southeast of central London and northwest of Folkestone by road. In the ...
, moved in 1997 to the former Royal Air Force station at Chicksands in Bedfordshire along with the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre (DISC).[ DISC was renamed as Joint Intelligence Training Group in January 2015.
The Intelligence Corps Museum was created in 1969, and later renamed as the Military Intelligence Museum, now also at Chicksands. As a working military base, the Museum can be visited by appointment only.]
Training and promotion
The corps has a particularly high proportion of commissioned officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...
s, many of them commissioned from the ranks, and also a high percentage of female members. Non-commissioned personnel join as an Operator Military Intelligence (OPMI) or Operator Military Intelligence (Linguist) (OPMI(L)). They do basic 14-week military training at either the Army Training Centre Pirbright
The Army Training Centre Pirbright is an initial training establishment of the British Army, at Pirbright Camp.
Scope
The ATC, along with the Army Training Regiment Winchester and the Army Training Regiment Grantham, provides Phase 1 milita ...
, or the Army Training Regiment, Winchester. OPMI soldiers then will complete a 20-week special-to-arm training at Templer Training Delivery Wing, Chicksands, at the end of which they are promoted to Lance Corporal and posted to a battalion.
Current units
All battalions of the Intelligence Corps fall under 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade
1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade (1 ISR Bde) of the British Army was created as part of the Army 2020 reform, to command military intelligence, ISTAR, and electronic warfare units.
Brigade
Under the Army 2020, Army 20 ...
of the 6th (UK) Division
The 6th (United Kingdom) Division is an infantry division of the British Army. It was first established by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsular War as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army and was active for most ...
.Trenchard Lines
Royal Air Force Upavon or RAF Upavon is a former RAF station in Wiltshire, England. It was a grass airfield, military flight training school, and administrative headquarters of the Royal Air Force. The station opened in 1912 and closed in 1993, ...
, Upavon
** Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company
**21 Military Intelligence Company, at Dalton Barracks
Dalton Barracks is a military installation near Abingdon in Oxfordshire, England and home to No. 3 and 4 Logistic Regiments of the Royal Logistic Corps.
History
The barracks were established, on the site of the former RAF Abingdon airbase, in 1 ...
, Abingdon-on-Thames
**22 Military Intelligence Company
**23 Military Intelligence Company, at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn
Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...
**24 Military Intelligence Company
**25 Military Intelligence Company
**
* 3 Military Intelligence Battalion (Reserve), in Hackney, London''Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...
, London
**34 Military Intelligence Company, in Hampstead, London
* 4 Military Intelligence Battalion
The 4th Military Intelligence Battalion (4 MI Bn) is a military intelligence unit of the British Army's Intelligence Corps, which provides close intelligence support to the headquarters for the only warfighting division in the army.
History
T ...
, at Ward Barracks, Bulford Camp (Regular Army) – supports 3rd UK Division''Aldershot Garrison
Aldershot Garrison, also known as Aldershot Military Town, is a major garrison in South East England, between Aldershot and Farnborough in Hampshire. The garrison was established when the War Department bought a large area of land near the villa ...
— supporting 101st Logistic Brigade
101st Logistic Brigade (101 Log Bde) is a logistic brigade within 3rd (United Kingdom) Division of the British Army, formed from the Combat Service Support Group in 1999. The brigade is held in high readiness and is described as a "vanguard suppo ...
**Detachments, at Bovington Camp
Bovington Camp () is a British Army military base in Dorset, England. Together with Lulworth Camp it forms part of Bovington Garrison.
The garrison is home to The Armour Centre and contains two barracks complexes and two forest and heathland tr ...
and in Germany
* 5 Military Intelligence Battalion
5 Military Intelligence Battalion (5 MI Bn) is an Intelligence Corps Army Reserve unit in the British Army. It is based in Scotland, with sub-units in Edinburgh, Gateshead and Leeds and detachments in Glasgow and Chesterfield. It is partnered ...
(Reserve), at Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
, Edinburgh[British Army Newsletter , Summer 2020 , Issue 5 , In Front](_blank)
''Gateshead
Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...
**53 Military Intelligence Company, at Carlton Barracks, Leeds
***Detachment, at Wallis Barracks, Chesterfield
Chesterfield may refer to:
Places Canada
* Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan
* Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom
* Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England
** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...
* 6 Military Intelligence Battalion (Reserve), in Manchester''Lisburn
Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...
***Manx Detachment in Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
*Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
*Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...
, Isle of Man
**63 Military Intelligence Company, in Stourbridge
***Detachment in Bletchley
* 7 Military Intelligence Battalion (Reserve), in Bristol''Wyvern Barracks
Wyvern Barracks is a military installation on Topsham Road in Exeter.
History
The site was established as an artillery barracks for the Board of Ordnance under the name of Topsham Barracks around 1800. In 1873 a system of recruiting areas based ...
, Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
Newport
Newport most commonly refers to:
*Newport, Wales
*Newport, Rhode Island, US
Newport or New Port may also refer to:
Places Asia
*Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay
Europe
Ireland
*Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...
Notable personnel
* :Intelligence Corps officers
References
External links and further reading
Official website
Intelligence Corps Association
3 MI Bn (V) – London
5 MI Bn – Edinburgh
Military Intelligence MuseumThe Intelligence Corps in the Second World War
The Services 1930 – 1956 at www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk
*
*
{{The British Army
Nationstate regiments/corps of military intelligence
1914 establishments in the United Kingdom
Military units and formations established in 1914
Military units and formations disestablished in 1929
Military units and formations established in 1940
Corps of the British Army in World War I
Corps of the British Army in World War II