Secret Intelligence Service World War I World War II

The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), more commonly known as MI6 (originally Military Intelligence [section] 6), or Her Majesty's Secret Service or just the Secret Service, is the British external security secret service agency.

SIS has a remit to conduct espionage activities overseas, as opposed to MI5 which is charged with internal security within the United Kingdom. It was founded (along with MI5) as part of the Secret Service Bureau in 1909. Its first director was Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming, who, often dropping the "Smith", used his initial "C" as a codename which was also used by all subsequent directors of SIS (cf. "M" in the James Bond stories).

1 World War I

The organization's first significant test came with the First World War, during which it had mixed success. SIS was unable to penetrate Germany itself, but had some significant successes in military and commercial intelligence; this was achieved mostly by means of agent networks in neutral countries, occupied territories, and Russia.

After the war, SIS resources were greatly reduced, and the organisation became MI6 in 1921. It began to operate mainly through a system of sometimes-grudging co-operation with the diplomatic service. Most embassies acquired a "Passport Control Officer" who was in fact the SIS head for that country. This gave SIS's operatives a degree of cover and diplomatic immunity, but the system probably lasted too long and was an open secret by the 1930s. In the immediate post-war years and throughout most of the 1920s, SIS was preoccupied with CommunismThis article is about communism as a form of society, as an ideology advocating that form of society, and as a popular movement. For issues regarding the organization of the communist movement, see the Communist party article. For issues regarding one-par, and Communist Russia in particular. Sidney ReillySidney Reilly (1874 1925) was a Russian-born adventurer who worked for British SIS for a time. His legend grew after his death and Ian Fleming used him as a model for James Bond. Reilly told various tall tales about his origins. Apparently the most widesp was loosely associated with SIS until his capture, and SIS sponsored and supported both his and Boris SavinkovBoris Viktorovich Savinkov ( 1879- 1925), a famous writer and terrorist, one of the leaders of the Fighting Organisation of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party, was responsible for the most spectacular assassinations of imperial officials in 1904 and 1905.'s attempts to bring down the Communist regime, in addition to running more orthodox espionage efforts within Russia.

Cumming died (in his office) in 1923Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 Events January 1 Grouping of all UK railway companies into four larg and was replaced as "C" by Admiral Hugh 'Quex' SinclairAdmiral Sir Hugh Sinclair ( 1873- November 4 1939), nicknamed 'Quex', was the Director of British Naval Intelligence during the First World War and helped to set up the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) before the Second World War. He joined the Royal Nav, whom historians agree to have been far less effective as a director. He was not incompetent, but he did not have the advantage of Cumming's force of personality, and was unable to command the respect and obedience of his men as effectively as Cumming had.

Along with the rest of the intelligence community and the wider government, SIS switched focus in the 1930s to Nazi GermanyNazi Germany or the Third Reich commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933 1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of National Socialism with Adolf Hitler as dictator. The term Nazi is a short form of the German. Again its success was rather modest; although it did acquire several quite reliable sources within the Government and also the German Admiralty, its information was probably less comprehensive than that provided by the rival network of Robert Vansittart, the permanent undersecretary at the Foreign Office.

'Quex' Sinclair died in 1939 and was replaced as "C" by Lt. Col. Stewart Menzies. Menzies was another run-of-the-mill chief; by common opinion, SIS did not have a head of Cumming's calibre until Dick White, in the post-war era.

2 World War II

During the Second World War, SIS was overshadowed in intelligence terms by several other initiatives, including the massive cryptanalytic effort undertaken by the Government Code and Cypher School (GC & CS), the bureau responsible for interception and decryption of foreign communications at Bletchley Park; the extensive "double-cross" system run by MI5 to feed misleading intelligence to the Germans; and the work of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit . It was also affected by the inflammatory activities of the Special Operations Executive, which tended to increase the danger to its own agents. Its most famous operation of the war was a spectacular failure known as the Venlo incident (after the Dutch town where much of the action took place), in which SIS was thoroughly duped by agents of the German secret service, the Abwehr, posing as high-ranking Army officers involved in a plot to depose Hitler. After a series of meetings between SIS agents and the 'conspirators' at which SS plans to abduct the SIS team were shelved due to the presence of Dutch police, a meeting took place without a police presence, and two SIS agents were duly abducted by the SS. This failure tarnished the service's reputation considerably.

3 Cold War

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4 End of Cold War–Present

Since 1994, SIS activities have been subject to scrutiny by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee.

The fictional spy James Bond worked for MI6 in Ian Fleming's original novels and in the popular movie series that followed (although some references erroneously state he worked for MI5). The SIS building itself features in some of the Pierce Brosnan films. It has been suggested that Bond may have been modelled after an actual SIS agent, but this has never been proven.

On May 6, 2004, it was announced that Sir Richard Dearlove was to be replaced as head of the SIS by John Scarlett, formerly chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee. Scarlett is an unusually high profile appointment to the job, and a well known figure on television screens in the United Kingdom due to his evidence at the Hutton Inquiry. Of his predecesor, Dearlove, no photos exist in the public domain more recent than one taken for his university graduation.

SIS headquarters in Vauxhall, seen from the Albert Embankment

5 MI6 Building

The SIS headquarters since 1995 is at Vauxhall Cross, located in Vauxhall in London, on the bank of the River Thames beside Vauxhall Bridge.

Designed by Terry Farrell, the developer Regalian Properties plc approached the Government in 1987 to see if they had any interest in the proposed building. At the same time MI5 was seeking alternative accommodation and co-location of the two services was studied. In the end this proposal was abandoned, due to the lack of buildings of adequate size (existing or proposed) and the security considerations of providing a single target for attacks. In July 1988 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher approved the purchase of the new building for the SIS. At this stage the government proposed to pay for the building outright in order to maintain secrecy over the intended use of the site. It is important to note that at this time the existence of MI6 was not officially acknowledged.

The building design was reviewed to incorporate the necessary protection for Britain's foreign intelligence gathering agency. This includes overall increased security, extensive computer suites, technical areas, bomb blast protection, emergency back-up systems and protection against electronic eavesdropping. While the details and cost of construction have been released, about ten years after the original National Audit Office report was written, some of the service's special requirements remain classified. The NAO report Thames House and Vauxhall Cross has certain details omitted, describing in detail the cost and problems of certain modifications but not what these are. Rob Humprey's London: The Rough Guide suggests one of these omitted modifications is a tunnel beneath the Thames to Whitehall.

It has been commented that it is ironic for such a secretive organisation to occupy one of the most high-profile and distinctive buildings in London. The NAO put the final cost at £135.05m for site purchase and the basic building or £152.6m including the service’s special requirements.

The building was featured in the 1999 James Bond film, The World Is Not Enough. In the pre-credits sequence Bond chases a suspect from the building up the Thames following the explosion of cash which was recovered and brought into the building by him. It is later revealed that the money was dipped in urea, in effect a fertiliser bomb. MI6 allowed exterior filming of the building for the first time in tribute to the long-time popularity of the secret agent.

On the evening of September 20, 2000 the building was attacked by a Russian-built Mark 22 anti-tank missile. Striking the eighth floor, the impact caused only superficial damage. The Anti-Terrorist branch of the Metropolitan Police attributed responsibility to Irish Republicans, specifically the Real IRA.

6 Directors of the SIS

Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming 1909–1923
Admiral Hugh Sinclair 1923–1939
Lt Col Stewart Menzies 1939–1952
Sir John Sinclair 1953–1956
Sir Richard White 1956–1968
Sir John Rennie 1968–1973
Sir Maurice Oldfield 1973–1978
Sir Dick Franks 1979–1982
Sir Colin Figures 1982–1985
Sir Christopher Curwen 1985–1989
Sir Colin McColl 1989–1994
Sir David Spedding 1994–1999
Sir Richard Dearlove 1999–2004
John Scarlett 2004–

7 See also

7.1 External links

Entry for MI6 on the Federation of American Scientists' Intelligence Resource Program
Information about MI6 from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website

8 References

Humphreys, Rob (1999) London: The Rough Guide, Rough Guides, BooksEnthsiast.com

Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)

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