British Online Archives

When the British and American security services went to war together, their targets included morale, supplies and governments. Sabotage training and supplying rebels in occupied countries weakened the enemy. Friends were found in Italy and hostile groups in America. The American OSS and British SOE would also deliberately keep some information from each other. When they did work together, companies in hostile countries were blacklisted and their covert Jedburgh units supported allied rebels around the world.

Like the America First Committee, most of the Isolationist-cum-Fifth Columnist organizations sickened and died after Pearl Harbor, but not before carrying on as long as they could muster any support.

British security services, 1942, British security services' activities in the USA, 1940-1945; Political warfare, fifth columnists and propaganda in the United States, 1941-1942

Key Documents

Document

Anglo-American operations in China and the South East Asia Command, 1940-1946

Document

British security services' activities in the USA, 1940-1945

Document

Britain and the US in South and Central America, 1940-1946

Document

Anglo-American communication and trade, 1942-1943

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Military Intelligence Files: Land, Sea & Air, 1938-1974

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Life under Nazi Rule: Reports by Anti-Fascists in Occupied Europe, 1933-1945

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Conscientious Objection During World War 1

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‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’: Missionaries in Asia during the World Wars, 1914-1946

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(Exhibit)

Insights

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was established on 22nd July 1940 and received orders from Winston Churchill to “set Europe ablaze” through disrupting countries that were occupied by AXIS powers.

From the outbreak of war, the SOE and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) worked together to train recruits and share information. They successfully shared intelligence during Operation Jedburgh however, their tumultuous relationship is evident in Algiers as despite sharing a headquarters, they refused to share information with each other.

The collection is arranged by country, then by subject and contains documents from areas where the SOE and OSS operated such as South East Asia, South and Central America and the Middle East. The collection contains Cabinet Committee reports, War Office reports and Training Handbooks and the documents are drawn from the National Archives.

The highest volumes of diplomatic materials can be found in 'British security services' activities in the USA, 1940-1945', 'Anglo-American operations in China, 1940-1946', and 'US and British operations in Europe, 1940-1945'.

Records on the US-UK Jedburgh teams, their sabotage training and their operations in occupied territory are all in one place. They can be found under 'Anglo-American joint projects, 1940-1954'.

General reports on worldwide events can be found in the volume 'Ministry of Economic Warfare and economic intelligence, 1939-1945'. This volume contains their weekly meetings and intelligence reports and covers industrial output, food rationing and the effect of aerial attacks on manufacturing.

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