SOE / SIS Cooperation
An interesting look back into the British operations in the CBI Theater during the Pacific War.
The Special Operations Executive in Burma 1941-1945
Much has often made of the fractious relationship between the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS,) and the Special Operations Executive (SOE). The words used to sum up the problem between the two organisations is often something along the lines of SIS needed peace and quiet to collect intelligence, while SOE was hell bent on making loud bangs and disturbing the wasp’s nest. In the Far East, SIS used the cover name of the Inter-Services Liaison Department (ISLD), a name which hints at working with other British units, but by the later years of the war, in Burma at least, the archives suggest a much more cooperative arrangement than mere liaison.
The relationship between SIS and SOE in Burma was not always smooth, like any relationship, but the two secret services were forced together for pragmatic reasons. Probably the main reason for this is the lack of resources sent East due to…
View original post 1,047 more words
Posted on March 30, 2020, in Uncategorized, WWII and tagged British Intelligence, Burma, CBI, SIS, SOE, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 66 Comments.
As always you’re doing a great job
Stay well
Regards Thom
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Thom.
Stay safe!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for reblogging this – very interesting. A link regarding Major Seagrim – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Seagrim
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for contributing to the post! I love it when the readers are inspired to do their own research into history and then bring it here for all the others to read!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello GP…. it’s been too long, but it feels good to be here.
I don’t see my reader very often, but, I’m mighty glad I did today. GP, you’re never boring.
My Dad was in Burma, and several other places. What many fail to realize is the fact that our Dads weren’t gone on a years rotation….
Also, supplys weren’t always on time, many times they were low on ammo, and cold. In fact, they must have been very cold at times. In this day and time, I think very few people can even imagine what they endured to defend their respective countries.
GP, I Thank Our Dear Mighty GOD for all these people with hearts of solid gold, the size of locomotives, that fought side-by-side, selflessly defending their country and all the allied countries, They All Are My Heroes!!!!
GP, Our Dads are mighty proud of you, and so am I..
Keep up the good work,
Sincerely,
Robert
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whoa! It is great to see you, Robert and know you are still safe. Your words have made me speechless, I thank you for stopping by today. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of your!
LikeLiked by 1 person
GP, I hope you know you have a very big spot in my heart, that belongs to you only…
Keep up the great work!!!!
Robert
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a nice thing to say, Robert, thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
GP, you are very welcome!
I don’t know what happened, but almost a dozen notifications I answered did not go thru…
I have no idea why.
Sincrely,
Robert
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whenever wordpress updates their programs we end up with glitches – no problem.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello GP, it is good to see you, and I do apologize for being so long in answering my mail.
My 3rd Son’s Caregiver fell and had to be taken to ER. After 2 days of tests, it was determined she has a large mass on her brain.
We have planned to move back to west Texas in the near future, after My Brother’s estate is settled in probate, which was ready for final judgement the middle of January… it’s all too obvious to me that my shyster attorney is simply riding the clock.
Anyway GP, as I trust no one near my Son, besides Family, I had no choice but to expedite his move, since that is the home of his 3 Brothers. But it has created even more depression being so far from him; my production took a real nose-dive with Frank not being here, so… only time willl tell.
I send all Good Things your way
Robert
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so sorry to hear of this situation, Robert, but instead of becoming depressed, try to angle your anxiety toward the attorney and get his butt in gear. I understand even the courts are moving slow due to the pandemic, but you have given him plenty of time.
Take care, stay safe and keep your chin up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
GP, it’s good to read this today, it’s a great pick-me-up!!!!
I hope all is well with you and your Family, and enjoy your friday.
Robert
LikeLike
Yes, we follow the guidelines and have stayed well, thank you. I hope you and yours are dong the same.
LikeLiked by 1 person
PS. I just double-checked your site and sure enough, WP did not have me following you. I corrected that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
GP, we got it fixed is the important thhing!!!!
Robert
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right you are!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The only way one is able to appreciate the emotional stress associated with critical field operations is to have experienced them. The question is often asked, “Why do young men so readily place themselves in harm’s way? Why do they do such extraordinary things?” The answer is complex, of course. There is pride in service, which can never be underrated when it comes to motivating men—but where the rubber meets the road, there is pride in unit, brotherly love with one’s mates, with whom one shares danger, injury, death. At this stage, a waving flag is the last thing anyone thinks about. It is this esprit de corps within small units that prompts the most extraordinary behaviors: accomplishing the mission, no matter what; it is taking care of one another … a willingness to give up one’s life for a friend … knowing that your mate would do the same for you. It is the strongest of all human bonds.
I often think of these men from World War II … gutsy bastards all. I admire them, and I feel sadness for them as well. Their post-war life was no bed of roses. The war was quite suddenly over; the bond that they formed with others of their units was abruptly and permanently disrupted. In the aftermath of our more modern entanglements, psychologists have wondered why so many combat survivors engage in destructive personal behavior. They end up divorced from their wives, break off long-term engagements, isolate themselves from their parents and siblings, closet themselves from co-workers and high school or college chums. They too often drink more than they should, or worse. They never talk about “what happened.” Who can they talk to? Certainly not anyone who hasn’t experienced it. In combat, they had their mates. Afterward, they lived alone. This reminds me that we should love these men and women even more for what they did. They endured far more than anyone today realize.
I very much enjoyed this article, and I thank ORCID for posting it, and you for reposting it. I’ve now bookmarked ORCID’s site.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I thank you sincerely for this comment and also with even more gratitude for your own service. Only someone who has experienced it can speak so eloquently about the feelings many can only try to imagine. I am certain Richard will appreciate you following his site and I hope we all can continue to honor such men in any way possible.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Interesting history of MI6. We never learned this stuff in school.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Neither did I. I think the extent of my “spy” info in class was: “The OSS was precursor of the CIA”. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Not relevant to this, but I thought you would find this video of the opening of the airbase in Alliance, NE interesting. They trained glider pilots and paratroopers used in the D Day invasion here.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Terrific, Doug!! They even showed the para-canine!! haha Looked like he had a rough landing, but got right up and handled it like a pro!! Thanks!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I thought you might enjoy the video!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for sharing this GP!
Hope you are safe and well!
We are still living life with abandon** here…just doing it indoors, in the backyard, on walks late at night or early morning, etc. 🙂
(((HUGS)))
PS…saw the movie 1917 recently. Interesting, good movie.
PSS… **Living life with abandon doesn’t mean living recklessly but rather deciding that no matter what comes your way you are going to enjoy everything and you are going to make the best of what is going on around you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m living according to the guidelines and hoping that ‘cabin fever’ doesn’t set in too quickly.
I hope you and your family remain healthy and keep up that great attitude!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I find the work of intelligence agencies to be mind-boggling. It is so intricate and fraught with danger.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Their actions try to react to the enemy and neutralize. I imagine it might get tricky at times!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very tricky!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wonder how many people blog about WW II? Any idea, G. –Curt
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not really, Curt. I search the WWII tags every now and then and I’d say about 20, but there are those who just show up with a particular post carrying that tag rather than their entire blog. Those that blog mainly about the war – many have specialties, such as submarines or the Marines, etc.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, G. I think that those who have an intense interest in the era would find blogs like your’s a treasure chest. –Curt
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much for saying so, Curt!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Always an intriguing topic. Thanks for the link, GP. I hope you’re feeling happy and sassy. Hugs on the wing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Doing my best, Teagan. It sure doesn’t pay to gripe these days! haha My town just put the order through for us to be in house lock down until the end of May – I will be certifiably stir-crazy by then!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
May? Sigh… I don’t get broadcast TV, or cable, so I’m rarely well informed, but I haven’t heard an end date here. NM gave the “stay at home” order pretty early in the game, when there were only a handful of “positive” cases. Hugs.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I like the description of their differences. I can relate to that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Richard Duckett is a talented researcher.
LikeLike
Too kind!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for the link, GP. When I was orking for the Police Special Ops in London until 2012, I had daily dealings with SIS, both 5 and 6. I was rather surprised to discover that so many of their operatives are still very ‘posh boys’, who went to Oxford or Cambridge universities. It seems that they have not yet looked to the working classes to boost recruitment. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not quite sure what to say, except they may be overlooking a vital source of talent by doing that. Your opinion?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I doubt they would have taken me, GP. Too ‘Commie’. 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh dear, I wish you hadn’t told me that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Never been a secret. My turbulent youth! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, we all make mistakes. I made a few beauts!! 😝
LikeLiked by 1 person
When you in need of qualified information, cooperation is very useful. Hope our actual services will enlighten the origin of the Covid-19 too. Have you read the yesterday story on aphadolie.com? About a novel published in 2008, about a virus called Wuhan-400. The impossibility is the possibility of life. 😉 Thank you for this very interesting reblog. Michael.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The book is written by one of my favorite authors, Dean Koontz, but I can’t recall ever reading it (odd but true). So I put it on the list for my distributor.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thats great, and after i had read the posting at aphadolie.com, i was a little bit shocked. However, now we have to deal with this virus. Lets hope nobody will claim anyone for this virus.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed.
LikeLike
Thanks to all for the likes, comments, and follows. Much appreciated.
Since you liked this post on the cooperation between SIS and SOE so much, may I be so bold as to recommend another concerning OSS and SOE relations in CBI?
https://soeinburma.wordpress.com/2019/07/01/anglo-american-relations-early-soe-oss-relations-in-india-and-burma/
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the article, but we’ll see. I rather spotted a different one I may get into instead. Keep up the good work, hone your site and stay in touch with those who visited you.
LikeLike
I have heard about that book on Twitter. Very strange as if somebody knew about am upcoming False Flag or Bioterror attack
LikeLiked by 2 people
I got word that my book distributor located a hard cover issue of “Eyes in the Darkness” and it is on the way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true. Conspiracy theories the so called “salt in the soup” of life. Best wishes, Michael
LikeLiked by 2 people
All’s not fair in love and war … as they say 🙂 another fascinating slice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, how true that is, Paul!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was fascinating…there is always inter service rivalry – and that includes how history is interpreted too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very true, Helen. There always seems to be a proper time and place for for a comparison of notes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will be reading…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you’ll find it interesting, Pierre!
LikeLike
Thanks for the re-blog!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Your blog has a lot of very interesting material. It was my pleasure. I hope it brings you more steady readers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My phone has had a steady beep of likes all day; never had so much attention loo!
Thanks for all the kind comments too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You and your site deserve them, or I wouldn’t have re-blogged it!
The comments are still coming in to my site. Feel free to make a comment of your own to these people here, if you wish. I encourage the readers to talk to each other too (I can get to be boring and repetitive after a while). haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have not interacted much on here other than posting my work, so I’m just getting used to it now. For example, this comment of yours never appeared as a notification, so I didn’t see it! Thanks, I will try and respond by looking for comments now; don’t want to appear rude!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Understood. I had no idea how to work a blog when I first started either. If it wasn’t for terrific blogger friends like Pierre Lagace and Koji Kanemoto, I’d probably still be floundering!!!
LikeLike