Unspecified services attachments in army list

[John Gilinsky]

The official army lists were of course self-censored due to security restricitons and War Office regulations during the war. While even before 1914 there were several officers on the "unattached list" or who are described as serving as "services unspecified" or "special services" and the like has anyone found out whether any of these officers were actually SPIES?

Do military or foreign office intelligence files that should now be open disclose the names and identities for sure of military or former military (retired) officers on such "special services?"

The political work and not just spying might mean that domestic intelligence gathering say on subversives or alleged subversives, interallied liasion, covert operations, secret negotiations might be beter revealed now if we knew these officer's identities. I hope that I am not engaged in a "paper chase" here!

John

Toronto

[rflory]

'Unattached lists' were generally lists of officers in a regiment who were between assignments. The "The Royal Regiment of Artillery Seniority and Distribution Lists ('Blue Lists') issued during the Great War show tens of officers on that list each issue and not one of them was a spy. "Services unspecified" or "special services" generally denoted some type of extra-regimental service which either was not known to the compiler of the list or was an officer on a duty that did not rate an official title. A few of the officers may well have been intelligence officers, or even spies, but the vast majority were filling rather unexciting and often temporary positions. Regards, Dick Flory

[John Gilinsky]

Thanks Dick. I knew this but I am sure as you surmise that some of these officers even if only a few were indeed spies or intelligence agents. I suppose someone researching especially British military intelligence operatives during the war would know either way. Anyone out there doing this who can identify specific officers?

John