SOE - Military Establishments

Discussion in 'SOE & OSS' started by Jedburgh22, Feb 24, 2011.

  1. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    SOE used the term Military Establishment as a cover for many of it's bases, as well as being the means by which it could obtain military personnel and stores to run the establishment. I have attached a PDF of a work in progress to list ME numbers that I've identified with some brief notes, where known, as to their function.

    Also attached for info is the Staffing table for the Jedburgh Training School and Holding Area ME65 which was located at Milton Hall near Peterborough.

    Any assistance on the functions of any of the MEs would be appreciated
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    ME 71 seems to have been a specialist signals establishment set up in February 1944 and dealing with Jedburgh Team communications.

    It may also have had a command and intelligence function.

    The staff table was

    Lt Cols 7
    GSO Gd II 2
    Majors 20
    Captains 20
    Subalterns 13

    Total Officers 62

    Royal Signals Operators Wireless and Line (Sgts) 40


    Total Strength ME 71 102 Officers & ORs
     
  3. PsyWar.Org

    PsyWar.Org Archive monkey

    Some notes I have made from SOE records about M.E. 42:-

    MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT 42
    (SOE STAFF, GERMANY)


    The planned War Establishment consisted of:-

    Officers
    ORs
    Total
    H.Q.
    12
    30
    42
    Outstations (at Military District HQs, British Zone)
    4
    8
    12
    TOTAL
    16
    38
    54

    The unit was formed at M.E.65 on 16 December 1944.


    Major E.H. Van Maurik was appointed C.O. in the rank of GSO2 pending the appointment of a GSO1.

    Charter for M.E.42 – Counter-Intelligence Liaison Mission


    1. Trace missing SOE agents believed to be still in Germany. Identifying and clearing with C.I. anybody claiming to be an SOE agent.

    2. Collect by means of liaison with interrogating authorities and scrutiny of interrogators’ reports and other documents all available information about the impact of SOE on the German security services, and vice versa.

    3. Maintain contact with a rear link at SOE H.Q. to obtain information from it as required by SHAEF G-2, C.I.

    4. To get in touch with any SOE sub-agents and contacts resident in Germany and use them as may be required by the C.I. for countering any Nazi Underground Movement.

    5. Communicate to SOE H.Q. any requests that may be made by C.I. for unacknowledgeable work in countries outside Germany in which SOE is represented.

    6. Give any advice requested by C.I. on the methods likely to be adopted by German Underground Groups in the light of SOE experience.



    The unit, under command of Major E.H. Van Maurik, reached Germany on 8 May 1945 and then proceeded to Süchteln, Rheinprovinz. (50% establishment).


    SCI directed that M.E.42 devise a scheme for infiltrating agents into the Prisoner of War camps in Belgium and into such POW Labour Companies as were being formed from amongst the occupants of those camps. Major Betts and Captain Leeper, the SOE Bonzo Recruiting Officers, cooperated. Thus B Detachment was formed for this scheme and located in the vicinity of Brussels (Chateau les Chenes, Fourstraat, Humbeek, Brabant Province). B Detachment comprised of Major O’Bryan-Tear and a party of three ORs and was joined by Major Betts and Captain Leeper.


    5 June 1945, M.E. 42 moved to Bad Salzuflen.


    With the stabilisation of British Military Government in Germany, it soon became evident that there were several danger points which demanded the closest surveillance if civil order was to be maintained. The foremost of these was provided by the Concentration Areas into which the defeated German forces had withdrawn in accordance with the terms of surrender. These areas were in Schleswig-Holstein and along the North West German coast. Here, it was felt large numbers of dangerous Nazis might well be hiding in the disguise of ordinary members of the Wehrmacht.


    Accordingly SCI requested that M.E. 42 instigate an operation to penetrate these Concentration Areas in order to weed out undesirable elements and to report generally upon the activities of the formations located therein. Operation Battleship was, therefore, devised to penetrate the Concentration Areas in Schleswig-Holstein and Operation Dreadnought to cover the Concentration Area in Cuxhaven peninsula.


    Operation Battleship was organised from “A” Detachment and was begun with the infiltration of six agents on 3 July 1945. In the course of the operation, which lasted throughout the months of July and August, ten agents in all were employed.


    Operation Dreadnought, organised from H.Q. M.E. 42, was begun on 13 August 1945. Ultimately three agents were employed…


    Lee
     
  4. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    many thanks Lee

    Steven
     
  5. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Steven/Lee,

    Really interesting research and information.

    Well done.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  6. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Might be of interest, from an American account of their training @ Milton Hall. The entire article, a 'long read' has been posted elsewhere in a thread on 'Team Frederick' which operated post-D-Day in Brittany:
    Link: 1944: An Allied Team With the French Resistance — Central Intelligence Agency

    There is one photo: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-...dies/studies/winter98_99/page22.gif/image.gif
     
    Last edited: May 6, 2020

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