This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from the King’s Research Portal at https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/ Intelligence and British decolonisation The development of an imperial intelligence system in the late colonial period 1944- 1966 Davey, Gregor Awarding institution: King's College London The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and no quotation from it or information derived from it may be published without proper acknowledgement. END USER LICENCE AGREEMENT Unless another licence is stated on the immediately following page this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the work Under the following conditions: Attribution: You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Non Commercial: You may not use this work for commercial purposes. No Derivative Works - You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. Any of these conditions can be waived if you receive permission from the author. Your fair dealings and other rights are in no way affected by the above. Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 25. Sep. 2021 1 Intelligence and British decolonisation: the development of an imperial intelligence system in the late colonial period 1944-1966. By Gregor William Davey M.A. (History) (Open), B.A. (Hons.) Syd. 0736340 Supervisor: Dr Sarah Stockwell King’s College, London. This thesis is presented in partial fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at King’s College London. 2014 96,573 Words 2 Abstract: This thesis seeks to explain the development of an ‘imperial intelligence system’ connecting Whitehall and the colonies. The system had two roles; to collect information and process it into intelligence for policy and decision making and to provide machinery to coordinate and implement covert action in support of policy. The ‘system’ consisted of parallel information channels; interconnected, coordinated, and directed by committees at various levels. Analysis was mainly conducted in Whitehall departments. The system reflected the split between ‘security’ and ‘foreign’ intelligence and the ‘information gathering’ and ‘covert action’ roles in the British machinery. The system paralleled the British professional intelligence machinery headed by the JIC and this division prevented information from being fully integrated with other consumers in Whitehall. The system was shaped by four major factors: threats; experience; the nature of the administrative system; and the development of professional agenda in both the administration and security organisation (the Security Service and Colonial Police Service) which dictated the points of reform and development over time. Before the Second World War information gathered by ‘police’ and ‘administrators’ was used to manage a colony’s internal politics. The end of ‘colonial isolation’ during the 1930s and 1940s meant colonial problems affected the British state’s international prestige and later its ability to fight the Cold War. To counter this, Whitehall departments sought information to increase their control over colonial affairs, despite the opposition of the Colonial Office which was used to a degree of autonomy. The Colonial Office was more closely coordinated into Whitehall. Colonial and metropolitan intelligence systems were connected and common practices and product formats adopted. Whitehall tried to use ‘counter subversion’ to shape colonial politics. Security intelligence became increasingly important in the last stages of decolonization because, it was the last source of information handed over and consequently it shaped Whitehall’s reactions to events. The machinery also assisted the British to maintain their influence in new states after independence. 3 Acknowledgements: I would like to thank: the Staff at the Freedom of Information Section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who responded to my requests for the opening of intelligence files with speed and generosity; the staff of the National Archives of the United Kingdom; various correspondents who served in the Colonial Police Service and British South Africa Police and who have communicated with me over the years most generously but whose identity it would not be appropriate to publicise; colleagues in the Open University including Clive Emsley, Bernard Waites, Chris Williams, Georgina Sinclair and Stuart Mitchell who were all most encouraging during my period of research; my family, particularly my mother Leath Davey and my aunt Bibi Calf, who paid in various ways; my friend Anna Sheffield whose ability to cope with my oddities and obsessions is incredible and whose calm counsel has made much possible; my friend Mary Fotheringham who provided constant encouragement; Andrew Trevillion who ensured I survived to write it. Finally I would like to acknowledge my father, the late Brian Davey who would, I think, despite our differences, be proud I stuck it out. Any mistakes are, of course, my own. 4 Table of Contents: Title page: p.1. Abstract: p.2. Acknowledgements: p.3 Table of contents: pp.4-5. Glossary: pp.6-8. Introduction: An Imperial Intelligence system? pp. 9-59. Chapter 1: Precedents and Practices: Information gathering and covert action in the British Empire, 1880-1944. pp. 60-82. Chapter 2: The Colonial Office and Post War Intelligence Development 1944-1948. pp. 83-122. Chapter 3: The Colonial Office Intelligence Machinery: The Templer Report 1955 and Reform. pp. 123-152. Chapter 4: The Development and Handover of the Imperial Intelligence Machinery 1956-1966. pp. 153-187. 5 Chapter 5: The Colonial Office: Counter-Subversion and Covert Action 1945-1956. pp. 188-236. Conclusion: The Causes of Intelligence Development pp. 237-246. Appendices: Appendix A: Organisation of Intelligence: United Kingdom p.247. Appendix B: Organisation Joint Intelligence Committee p.248. Appendix C: Organisation of the Colonial Office p.249. Appendix D: Organisation of the Defence and Security Group CO p.250. Appendix E: Organisation of Intelligence: Ireland. p.251. Appendix F: Organisation of Intelligence: India. p.252. Appendix G: Organisation of Intelligence: Government of India p.253. Appendix H: Organisation of Intelligence: Palestine p.254. Appendix I: Organisation of Intelligence: Far East 1948-49 p.255-258. Appendix J: Organisation of Intelligence: Kenya pp.259. Appendix K: List of Colonial Office Circulars on Intelligence p.260. Bibliography: pp.261-300. 6 Glossary and abbreviations: Allied Land Forces South East Asia ALFSEA Assistant Superintendent of Police ASP British Defence Coordination Committee BDCC British Military Administration BMA British South Africa Police (Southern Rhodesia) BSAP Cabinet Office CAB Central Intelligence Organisation CIO Central Security Committee CENSEC Chiefs of Staff Committee COS Colonial Office CO Colonial Police Service CPS Commissioner of Police COMPOL/ Comsnr Commonwealth Relations Office CRO Criminal Investigation Department CID Defence Intelligence DI Director Intelligence Bureau (India) DIB Director General DG District Intelligence Committee DIC Dominions Office DO Director Military Intelligence DMI Dublin Metropolitan Police DMP East Africa Command EAC Far East Land Forces FARELF Federal Intelligence and Security Bureau FISB Foreign Office FO General Headquarters GHQ General Officer Commanding GOC General Staff Officer GSO (Grade) Government of India GofI 7 Head of the Secret Intelligence Service C Home Office HO India Office IO Inspector General of Colonial Police IGCP Intelligence Adviser IA Intelligence Bureau (India) IB Information Research Department (FO) IRD Intelligence and Security Department (CO) ISD International Relations Department (CO) IRD (CO) Jamaica Constabulary Force JCF Joint Intelligence Committee JIC Joint Intelligence Organisation JIO Joint Intelligence Staff JIS Kenya Police KP Local Intelligence Committee LIC Metropolitan Police (London) MP /MET Metropolitan Police Special Branch MPSB Middle East Command MEC Military Intelligence MI Military Intelligence Officer MIO Military Intelligence Liaison Officer MILO Northern Rhodesia Police NRP Nyasaland Police NP Oversea Defence Committee ODC Permanent Under Secretary’s Department (FO) PUSD Police POL Police Headquarters PHQ Police Mobile Force PMF Political Intelligence Officer (Trinidad) PIO Political Office Middle East Command POMEC Provincial Intelligence Committee PIC Royal Canadian Mounted Police RCMP Royal Hong Kong Police RHKP/ HKP Royal Irish Constabulary RIC 8 Royal Ulster Constabulary RUC Security Intelligence (Far East) SIFE Security Intelligence (Middle East) SIME Secret Intelligence Service MI6/ SIS Security Service MI5 South African Police SAP South East Asia Command SEAC Special Branch SB Superintendent SUPT Trinidad Constabulary TC War Office WO 9 Introduction Intelligence and British decolonisation: the development of an imperial intelligence system in the late colonial period 1944-1966. This thesis seeks to examine the development of ‘imperial’ intelligence machinery within the Colonial Office (CO) and empire in the context of the development of the British government and intelligence machinery during the