TIMELINE OF SECURITY SERVICES
COVERAGE IN AUSTRALIA
1907 to 1955 and beyond:
The spreadsheet image below is an attempt at putting the historical timeline of the various Australian Security services in place.
As you can see the period covering WW2 and the immediate post-war years were somewhat 'crowded' for want of a better term.
There was great rivalry between civilian and military intelligence units that manifested itself in some highly unusual ways. Tapping each other's telephones, breaking into offices, and retrieving 'sensitive' documents, hiring ladies of the night to compromise officers and agents from competing organisations were all par for the course. The Soviets must have thought it was their birthday.
From the perspective of the SM case, there had to have been an impact. Security cover in South Australia had, by and large, been left to the SA Special Branch officers during hostilities and for 4 years after whether as Special Branch or the Subversive squad. Their liaison would have been mostly with Military Intelligence who were based at Keswick Barracks I believe. Liaison with CSS then CIS was, I understand good through the war but it quickly dropped away as funding was cut.
The image shows a quick overview, the download is interactive and has a small amount of additional information about each service included. It's not meant to be a comprehensive document, it's a first cut which should prove of value in the coming weeks.
Click this link to download the interactive XLS file
A little historical information about the SA Police:
ReplyDelete1. In 1950, there was a photograph taken of all SA Detectives, some 50 men in all. I assume that the Pic will be at the SA Police Museum or failing that at the Library.
2. The Detectives were not referred to as being CIB until after 1950, prior to that, they were Detective Police officers.
3. There was a strict dress code or 'uniform' for Detectives in those days. Suit, waistcoat clean shirt and tie, polished shoes and, in summer, a panama hat. I think there's one of the pics in circulation that shows Leane? with such a hat. That may possibly be important, the couple on the bench, Gordon and Olive, spoke of a man in a suit and hat but they didn't mention that it was a white panama hat and I think they would have done. Then again, it was only the first day of summer, well almost.
3. The Detective office was on the 1st floor of 1, Angas Street, I think that was above the Coroners court in those days? Stand to be corrected of course.