Allied Intelligence Bureau
Encyclopedia
The Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB) was an joint United States
, Australia
n, Dutch
and British
intelligence and special operations agency during World War II
. It was responsible for operating parties of spies
and commando
s behind Japanese
lines in order to collect intelligence and conduct guerrilla warfare
against Japanese forces in the South West Pacific
. The AIB was formed in June 1942 to coordinate the existing Allied propaganda and guerrilla organisations. The first controller of the AIB was Colonel C.G. Roberts. At its peak the AIB contained men from ten individual services and controlled or coordinated eight separate organisations. The role of the AIB was to obtain information about the enemy, "to weaken the enemy by sabotage and destruction of morale and to lend aid and assistance to local effort to the same end in enemy territories."
A Section
B Section
C Section
D Section
The AIB was disbanded at the end of the war.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n, Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
intelligence and special operations agency during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was responsible for operating parties of spies
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
and commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
s behind Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
lines in order to collect intelligence and conduct guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
against Japanese forces in the South West Pacific
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
. The AIB was formed in June 1942 to coordinate the existing Allied propaganda and guerrilla organisations. The first controller of the AIB was Colonel C.G. Roberts. At its peak the AIB contained men from ten individual services and controlled or coordinated eight separate organisations. The role of the AIB was to obtain information about the enemy, "to weaken the enemy by sabotage and destruction of morale and to lend aid and assistance to local effort to the same end in enemy territories."
Structure
The AIB was divided into four sections; A, B, C and D each focused on a specific area of operationsA Section
- A Section was made up of Special Operations Australia, which was later known as the Services Reconnaissance DepartmentServices Reconnaissance DepartmentThe Services Reconnaissance Department , also known as Inter-Allied Services Department , Special Operations Australia and Section A, Allied Intelligence Bureau was an Australian military intelligence and special reconnaissance unit, during World War II.Authorised by General Thomas Blamey in March...
, and focused on information collection and commandoCommandoIn English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
operations. A Section was initially commanded by Major G. Egerton Mott.
B Section
- B Section focused on secret intelligence and was commanded by Captain R. Kendall, RNRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, known as Secret Intelligence AustraliaSecret Intelligence AustraliaSecret Intelligence Australia was a British World War II intelligence unit commanded by Captain Roy Kendall who reported directly to MI6 in London. SIA was known as Section B of the Allied Intelligence Bureau but was not accountable in any way to the Australians or the Americans.SIA had two main...
(SIA)
C Section
- C Section gathered field intelligence through CoastwatchersCoastwatchersThe Coastwatchers, also known as the Coast Watch Organisation, Combined Field Intelligence Service or Section C, Allied Intelligence Bureau, were Allied military intelligence operatives stationed on remote Pacific islands during World War II to observe enemy movements and rescue stranded Allied...
, natives and civilians. C Section was commanded by Commander Eric FeldtEric FeldtCommander Eric Augustas Feldt OBE, RAN , was an officer in the Royal Australian Navy and the director of the Coastwatchers organization for much of World War II.-Popular Culture:...
, RANVRRANVRRoyal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve is a defunct reserve force of the Royal Australian Navy. The current Royal Australian Naval Reserve was formed in June 1973, from a merger of the RANVR and the RANR ....
.
D Section
- D Section was the Far Eastern Liaison OfficeFar Eastern Liaison OfficeThe Far Eastern Liaison Office was a Second World War Propaganda and Field Intelligence unit set up under the orders of the Allied Land Commander, General Sir Thomas Blamey, on 19 June 1942...
which was concerned with propaganda and was commanded by Commander J. C. Proud, RANVR
The AIB was disbanded at the end of the war.