22:
102:
392:
not be questioned even under forensic examination. The letter purported to come from LATI's head office to an executive of the company stationed in Brazil. The contents included disparaging references to the
Brazilian president and to the US, and implied connections with a fascist opposition party in Brazil, the
391:
in the US, making official channels ineffective. To curtail LATI's activities, the BSC decided that the
Brazilians themselves would have to take measures - sabotage would be only a temporary inconvenience. Accordingly, the BSC constructed a forged letter of such accuracy that its authenticity could
160:
Stephenson's report on the
American situation advocated a secret organisation acting beyond purely SIS activities and covering all covert operations that could be done to ensure aid to Britain and an eventual entry of the US into the war. Stephenson was given this remit and the traditional cover of
225:
shortwave radio station foreign-language broadcast capability and then fed it stories it wanted disseminated worldwide. The station had a large number of listeners who corresponded with the station, which made it possible for reactions to the broadcasts to be directly monitored. For a period, the
360:
saw
Stephenson, colloquially known as "Little Bill", at the end of July 1940 when on a world entertainment and propaganda tour. He wrote that the "suite in the Hampshire House with the outsize chintz flowers crawling over the walls became pleasantly familiar to me..." and that Stephenson "had a
152:
Ellis said
Stephenson 'had been providing a great deal of information on German rearmament to Mr Churchill at that time he was not in office but was playing quite an important role in providing background information to members of House of Commons who were much more concerned with what was
137:
was sympathetic, he could not go against the State
Department without the President's authorisation; he also believed that if it was authorised, it should be a personal liaison between Stephenson and himself without other departments being informed. However, Roosevelt endorsed co-operation.
153:
happening than the administration seemed to be at the time... I introduced him to my own channels, to heads of intelligence. And that led to his being asked if he was going to
America... if he would do what he could to reestablish a link between security authorities here and the FBI.’
161:
appointment as a 'Passport
Control Officer' which he took up in June 1940. Although the existing setup in New York was lacking, Stephenson could call upon his personal liaison with Hoover, the support of Canada, the British ambassador, and his acquaintances with US interventionists.
47:
Its purpose was to investigate enemy activities, prevent sabotage against
British interests in the Americas, and mobilise pro-British opinion in the Americas. As a 'huge secret agency of nationwide news manipulation and black propaganda', the BSC influenced news coverage in the
156:
The liaison was necessary because
Britain's enemies were already present in the US and could expect sympathy and support from German and Italian immigrants, but the authorities there had no remit or interest in activities that were not directly against US security.
260:
in the US. The British hired Americans despite promising otherwise. The Americans who were recruited in the BSC were given British identification numbers beginning with the digits 4 and 8, apparently representing the 48 states.
404:. LATI's operations in Brazil were confiscated and its personnel interned - the airline ceased transatlantic flights in December 1941. Brazil broke off relations with the Axis and joined the Allies in 1942.
291:(BSC), before being routed to their destination. With BSC working closely with the FBI, the censors were responsible for the discovery and arrest of a number of Axis spies operating in the US, including the
354:, stated that although the total number of BSC agents operating in the US in the early 1940s is unknown, he estimated there were at least "many hundreds" and had seen "the figure of up to 3,000 mentioned".
341:. Camp X had been established in December 1941 by Stephenson to train Allied agents in methods of clandestine operations; many graduates would be dropped behind enemy lines in Europe by SOE.
196:
and was officially known as the British Passport Control Office from which it had expanded. BSC acted as administrative headquarters more than operational one for SIS and the
118:
1070:
387:
The airline had connections with the Brazilian government through the President's son-in-law, and it was supplied, despite the US State Department protests, by
1105:
1110:
372:
was an important neutral source of trade for the Axis forces; its importance would increase after the US entry into the war in 1941. The Italian airline
836:
558:
1080:
207:, who was cultivating support and possible sabotage among American oil companies, was effectively exposed through news articles placed in the
109:
has been credited with changing American public opinion from an isolationist stance to a supportive tendency regarding America's entry into
314:(RAF) in the war against Germany. BSC also sourced a transmitter for it to communicate with the UK which was operated under the code name "
1039:
283:. All mail, radio and telegraphic traffic bound for Europe, the U.S. and the Far East were intercepted and analyzed by 1,200 censors, of
74:
would then be legitimately picked up by other radio stations and newspapers, before being relayed to the American public. Through this,
589:
133:
was sent to the US by the head of SIS to see if it could be rekindled to an extent that SIS could operate effectively in the US. While
1090:
489:
1100:
1095:
974:
706:
234:
170:
396:(founded in 1945). Following a "burglary" of the executive's house, a photostat of the letter was placed with an American
256:
Stephenson and Hoover did not see eye to eye but had cooperated in a number of operations against espionage activities by
226:
station was unwittingly the agent of BSC; after the US entered the war, the WRUL operation was turned over to US control.
25:
BSC operated from the 35th and 36th floors of the International Building, Rockefeller Center, New York during World War II
376:
operated a transatlantic service - between Rome and Rio de Janeiro - which was a conduit for high-value goods (platinum,
333:
for training covert agents in the methods of "secret warfare". The Hydra station was established in May 1942 by engineer
200:(SOE) and was a channel for communications and liaison between US and British security and intelligence organisations.
213:. A wave of public outrage was followed by Weldrick's expulsion from the US and the forced resignation of the head of
1054:
1035:
1017:
1002:
988:
928:
656:
265:
400:
reporter, who immediately took it to the American Embassy, which then showed the letter to the President of Brazil,
361:
considerable influence on the next few years of my life". Stephenson offered him a job but was overruled by London.
1085:
819:
393:
292:
246:
692:
238:
182:
1075:
288:
81:
Its cover was the British Passport Control Office. BSC benefitted from support given by the chief of the US
506:
197:
82:
50:
303:
37:
621:
840:
464:
272:
146:
758:
948:
531:
1028:
British Security Coordination: The Secret History of British Intelligence in the Americas, 1940–1945
784:
192:
The BSC was registered by the State Department as a foreign entity. It operated out of Room 3603 at
299:
126:
334:
209:
876:
337:; he also invented a very fast coding/decoding machine for telegraph transmissions labelled the
909:"The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington", 2008, Jennet Conan
280:
250:
204:
862:
345:
90:
75:
101:
483:
8:
732:
599:
563:
447:
193:
174:
130:
106:
86:
71:
1050:
1031:
1013:
998:
984:
970:
924:
688:
652:
625:
473:
435:
269:
121:
by the British in September 1939 forced a break in liaison between SIS (MI6) and the
62:
41:
401:
1022:
Stephenson, William Samuel, Roald Dahl, Tom Hill and Gilbert Highet (introduced by
397:
222:
67:
241:
level at the time, the arrival of "British spies" in the United States infuriated
177:. Its first tasks were to promote British interests in the United States, counter
1005:
This book contains interviews with several Canadian employees of BSC in New York.
453:
413:
330:
311:
242:
178:
134:
78:
stories were placed in major American media outlets to help turn public opinion.
585:
478:
458:
441:
381:
373:
218:
203:
BSC used a number of legitimate outlets for its work. In 1940, a German agent,
357:
1064:
369:
230:
56:
1010:
Desperate Deception: British Covert Operations in the United States, 1939–44
622:"William Stephenson, 93; British Spymaster Dubbed 'Intrepid' Worked in U.S."
427:– deputy-head, post-war accused of being spy for the Germans and the Soviets
141:
Stephenson's deputy at BSC was Australian-born British intelligence officer
21:
594:
536:
388:
350:
326:
323:
257:
110:
89:(whose organisation was modelled on British activities), and US President
960:
The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington
921:
Mi6: Inside the Covert World of Her Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service
430:
421:– after he was transferred to Washington, D.C. as Assistant Air Attaché.
173:
and propaganda services, was headed by Icelandic-Canadian industrialist
1023:
424:
418:
221:). Through third parties, BSC developed the independent and non-profit
142:
364:
315:
461:– screenwriter, lyricist and broadcaster, Intelligence Corps officer
1040:
Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb (National Endowment for the Humanities)
186:
36:) was a covert organisation set up in New York City by the British
863:"Camp X – Canada's secret spy school – Canadian Military History"
276:
995:
The True Intrepid: Sir William Stephenson and the Unknown Agents
979:
Hodgson, Lynn Philip, (foreword by Secret Agent Andy Durovecz),
444:– historian, professor of Greek and Latin at Columbia University
40:(MI6) in May 1940 upon the authorisation of the Prime Minister,
501:
338:
319:
214:
891:|Noel Coward |page 159, 194 |(William Heinemann, London, 1954)
298:
It was through the BSC that the British acquired the powerful
70:. The stories disseminated from the organisation's offices at
279:
to become a censorship centre (after initially operating at
651:. Edinburgh: Black & White Publishing. pp. 74–75.
377:
307:
122:
384:. London instructed the BSC to do something about that.
737:Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel (Princess Hotel)
733:"Hotel History of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess"
1062:
1045:Stevenson, William (no relation to Stephenson),
837:"Parks Canada - News Releases and Backgrounders"
831:
829:
1071:Military history of Canada during World War II
584:
509:, the corresponding white propaganda operation
450:– counter-espionage Intelligence Corps officer
105:As head of the British Security Coordination,
1106:British intelligence services of World War II
826:
467:– applied Gallup audience research techniques
529:
590:"'45 papers detail British spying in U.S.'"
525:
523:
322:, BSC's Special Training School No. 103, a
672:The Secret History of British Intelligence
556:
365:Counter-smuggling and "shipping security"
520:
407:
100:
20:
923:. New York City: Simon & Schuster.
619:
613:
1111:United Kingdom–United States relations
1063:
1049:, (Harcourt Brace Javonovich, 1976) –
918:
877:|William Boyd |"The Secret Persuaders"
169:The office, which was established for
1081:Intelligence services of World War II
1047:A Man Called Intrepid, The Secret War
969:(Black & White Publishing, 2023)
713:. City of Hamilton, Pembroke, Bermuda
264:In 1939, Stephenson arranged for the
1038:(first published in the UK in 1998)
1030:, Fromm International (June 1999) –
646:
620:Folkart, Burt A. (3 February 1989).
302:that was used for propaganda by the
704:
13:
145:. The pair had been introduced by
14:
1122:
820:"Bayly, Benjamin de Forest (Pat)"
707:"Celebrating a wartime spy chief"
557:Macintyre, Ben (8 October 2006).
1091:British propaganda organisations
912:
903:
894:
882:
869:
855:
812:
803:
777:
759:"Bermuda's WWII Espionage Role"
751:
739:. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
685:MI6 and the Machinery of Spying
530:William Boyd (19 August 2006),
394:Party of Popular Representation
310:overseas broadcasts and by the
247:Federal Bureau of Investigation
119:declaration of war upon Germany
725:
698:
677:
665:
640:
578:
550:
380:, diamonds, etc.), agents and
30:British Security Co-ordination
1:
941:
695:|4 December 2004 |pp 128, 131
289:British Security Coordination
96:
93:who was staunchly anti-Nazi.
1101:Special Operations Executive
1096:Ministry of Economic Warfare
507:British Information Services
438:— Menshevik and ex-Freemason
198:Special Operations Executive
164:
83:Office of Strategic Services
7:
765:. Bermuda. 11 November 2011
495:
304:Political Warfare Executive
285:British Imperial Censorship
38:Secret Intelligence Service
16:British intelligence agency
10:
1127:
962:(Simon and Schuster, 2008)
486:– spy, codenamed "Cynthia"
1012:, (Brassey's Inc., 1999)
233:were co-operating at the
229:Although the British and
919:Dorril, Stephen (2002).
513:
348:, in a 2006 article for
300:"Aspidistra" transmitter
127:Neutrality Acts of 1930s
68:Radio New York Worldwide
1086:World War II propaganda
967:The Eagle in the Mirror
785:"Ontario War Memorials"
649:The Eagle in the Mirror
559:"The Spy Who Raised Me"
532:"The Secret Persuaders"
470:John Arthur Reid Pepper
335:Benjamin deForest Bayly
210:New York Herald Tribune
997:, (Raincoast, 2001) –
949:"The Secret Persuaders
251:US Department of State
245:, the director of the
205:Gerhard Alois Westrick
114:
26:
789:Ontario War Memorials
408:Notable BSC employees
344:The British novelist
249:, and displeased the
104:
91:Franklin D. Roosevelt
24:
1076:Covert organizations
843:on 24 September 2015
647:Fink, Jesse (2023).
600:The Washington Post
1008:Mahl, Thomas E.,
588:(1 October 1989).
564:The New York Times
448:H. Montgomery Hyde
194:Rockefeller Center
181:, and protect the
175:William Stephenson
131:William Stephenson
115:
107:William Stephenson
87:William J. Donovan
72:Rockefeller Center
27:
993:Macdonald, Bill,
975:978-1-785-30510-8
955:, 19 August 2006.
889:Future Indefinite
711:The Royal Gazette
626:Los Angeles Times
474:Ivan T. Sanderson
436:Alexander Halpern
270:Imperial fortress
63:The Baltimore Sun
42:Winston Churchill
1118:
1042:, December 1999.
935:
934:
916:
910:
907:
901:
898:
892:
886:
880:
879:, 19 August 2006
873:
867:
866:
859:
853:
852:
850:
848:
839:. Archived from
833:
824:
823:
816:
810:
807:
801:
800:
798:
796:
791:. 14 August 2012
781:
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398:Associated Press
329:installation in
324:Second World War
183:Atlantic convoys
1126:
1125:
1121:
1120:
1119:
1117:
1116:
1115:
1061:
1060:
958:Conant, Jennet
947:Boyd, William,
944:
939:
938:
931:
917:
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908:
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899:
895:
887:
883:
875:Boyd, William,
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528:
521:
516:
498:
490:Harold Phillips
454:Dorothy Maclean
414:Cedric Belfrage
410:
382:diplomatic bags
367:
331:Whitby, Ontario
312:Royal Air Force
243:J. Edgar Hoover
179:Nazi propaganda
167:
135:J. Edgar Hoover
125:because of the
99:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1124:
1114:
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705:Hodgson, Tim.
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586:David Ignatius
577:
549:
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479:Herbert Sichel
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459:Eric Maschwitz
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442:Gilbert Highet
439:
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428:
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409:
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402:Getúlio Vargas
366:
363:
266:Princess Hotel
235:Prime Minister
219:Torkild Rieber
166:
163:
147:Sir Ralph Glyn
98:
95:
51:Herald Tribune
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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1055:0-15-156795-6
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1036:0-88064-236-X
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1021:
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1018:1-57488-223-6
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1003:1-55192-418-8
1000:
996:
992:
990:
989:0-9687062-0-7
986:
982:
981:Inside Camp X
978:
976:
972:
968:
965:Fink, Jesse,
964:
961:
957:
954:
950:
946:
945:
932:
930:0-7432-0379-8
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658:9781785305108
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370:South America
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57:New York Post
53:
52:
45:
43:
39:
35:
31:
23:
19:
1046:
1027:
1009:
994:
980:
966:
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953:The Guardian
952:
920:
914:
905:
900:BSC p288-290
896:
888:
884:
871:
857:
845:. Retrieved
841:the original
814:
809:Davies, p137
805:
793:. Retrieved
788:
779:
767:. Retrieved
762:
753:
741:. Retrieved
736:
727:
715:. Retrieved
710:
700:
684:
679:
671:
667:
648:
642:
630:. Retrieved
624:
615:
603:. Retrieved
595:Toledo Blade
593:
580:
568:. Retrieved
562:
552:
541:, retrieved
537:The Guardian
535:
484:Betty Thorpe
465:David Ogilvy
389:Standard Oil
386:
368:
356:
351:The Guardian
349:
346:William Boyd
343:
327:paramilitary
297:
284:
263:
258:Nazi Germany
255:
228:
208:
202:
191:
171:intelligence
168:
159:
155:
151:
140:
116:
111:World War II
80:
61:
55:
49:
46:
33:
29:
28:
18:
632:30 November
605:30 November
570:30 November
543:30 November
431:Ian Fleming
358:Noël Coward
185:from enemy
76:anti-German
1065:Categories
1024:Nigel West
942:References
693:0714683639
425:Dick Ellis
419:Roald Dahl
293:Joe K ring
287:, part of
143:Dick Ellis
97:Beginnings
983:(2003) –
239:President
231:Americans
165:Operation
847:3 August
795:23 March
683:Davies |
496:See also
187:sabotage
769:23 July
763:BERNEWS
743:23 July
717:23 July
306:(PWE),
277:Bermuda
268:in the
1053:
1034:
1016:
1001:
987:
973:
927:
691:
674:p.xxvi
655:
502:Camp X
339:Rockex
320:Camp X
273:colony
215:Texaco
66:, and
54:, the
514:Notes
318:" at
316:Hydra
1051:ISBN
1032:ISBN
1014:ISBN
999:ISBN
985:ISBN
971:ISBN
925:ISBN
849:2015
797:2013
771:2022
745:2022
719:2022
689:ISBN
653:ISBN
634:2013
607:2013
572:2013
545:2013
378:mica
374:LATI
223:WRUL
117:The
1026:),
951:",
308:BBC
275:of
123:FBI
34:BSC
1067::
828:^
787:.
761:.
735:.
709:.
598:.
592:.
561:.
534:,
522:^
295:.
253:.
189:.
149:.
129:.
113:.
85:,
60:,
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1057:.
933:.
865:.
851:.
822:.
799:.
773:.
747:.
721:.
687:|
661:.
636:.
609:.
574:.
237:-
217:(
32:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
