MI7
Encyclopedia
MI7, the British Military Intelligence
Section 7 (now defunct), was a department of the British
Directorate of Military Intelligence
. Part of the War Office
, MI7 was set up to work in the fields of propaganda
and censorship
.
in May 1915, ensuring that the military authorities would maintain control over the correspondents' work. In January 1916, as part of a reorganisation of the Imperial General Staff, a new Directorate of Military Intelligence was created and MO7 became MI7.
In the Bond film Dr. No
(1962) there are two explicit references to James Bond working for MI6; strangely one of these (where the words are spoken by 'M') has been dubbed to "MI7", although the speaker's lips clearly say "MI6".
Rowan Atkinson
's character of Sir Johnny English from the Spy spoof films Johnny English
and Johnny English Reborn
is an MI7 Agent.
In St. Trinian's II: The Legend of Fritton's Gold
, ex-head girl Kelly Jones mentions to Talulah Riley's character, on the question of "what she does now", that she is involved in MI7.
Other examples include:
Firstly, the various references to "MI7" in fiction (see above), which some people have taken as fact.
Secondly, many websites make explicit reference to MI7's continued operation, usually citing it as a secret Government department for investigation of the occult or supernatural. Such websites tend to be the work either of conspiracy theorists or on-line games players who have constructed such elaborate website material that the casual viewer may not always be able to distinguish fact from fiction.
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
Section 7 (now defunct), was a department of the 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...
Directorate of Military Intelligence
Directorate of Military Intelligence
The Directorate of Military Intelligence was a department of the British War Office.Over its lifetime the Directorate underwent a number of organisational changes, absorbing and shedding sections over time.- History :...
. Part of the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
, MI7 was set up to work in the fields of propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
and censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
.
History
In February 1915 a Directorate of Special Intelligence was formed which in turn gave rise to MO7, a branch of the War Office concerned with press publicity; it was MO7 which gave the first war correspondents permission to visit the Western FrontWestern Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in May 1915, ensuring that the military authorities would maintain control over the correspondents' work. In January 1916, as part of a reorganisation of the Imperial General Staff, a new Directorate of Military Intelligence was created and MO7 became MI7.
Organisation
Military Intelligence Section 7 (MI7) was organised in a series of sub-sections distinguished by lower-case letters in brackets. The precise duties of these sub-sections varied with time, but may be roughly summarised as follows.- MI7 (a) - censorship.
- MI7 (b) - foreign and domestic propaganda, including press releases concerning army matters.
- MI7 (c) - translation and (from 1917) regulation of foreign visitors.
- MI7 (d) - foreign press propaganda and review (part of subsection (b) until subsection (d) was formed in late 1916).
In fiction
The name MI7 has often been used in fiction as the title for an intelligence agency or organisation similar to the actual MI5 or MI6, with the film makers apparently unaware that the organisation actually existed.In the Bond film Dr. No
Dr. No (film)
Dr. No is a 1962 spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film. Based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather and was directed by Terence Young. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R...
(1962) there are two explicit references to James Bond working for MI6; strangely one of these (where the words are spoken by 'M') has been dubbed to "MI7", although the speaker's lips clearly say "MI6".
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
's character of Sir Johnny English from the Spy spoof films Johnny English
Johnny English
Johnny English is a 2003 British action comedy film parodying the James Bond secret agent genre. The film stars Rowan Atkinson as the incompetent titular English spy, with John Malkovich, Natalie Imbruglia, Tim Pigott-Smith and Ben Miller in supporting roles...
and Johnny English Reborn
Johnny English Reborn
Johnny English Reborn is a 2011 British spy comedy film parodying the James Bond secret agent genre and film franchise reboots. The film is the sequel to Johnny English , and stars Rowan Atkinson reprising his role as the title character and directed by Oliver Parker. The film has a slightly...
is an MI7 Agent.
In St. Trinian's II: The Legend of Fritton's Gold
St. Trinian's II: The Legend of Fritton's Gold
St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold is a 2009 comedy film directed by Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson, both of whom directed the previous film in the series...
, ex-head girl Kelly Jones mentions to Talulah Riley's character, on the question of "what she does now", that she is involved in MI7.
Other examples include:
- ChuckleVisionChuckleVisionChuckleVision is a popular British television series shown mainly on CBBC. New episodes are always first aired on BBC One, and occasionally episodes are shown on BBC Two. The first episode was shown on 26 September 1987. It follows the adventures of the Chuckle Brothers & the Patton Brothers, who...
- comedy television series; - CloneClone (TV series)Clone is a 2008 BBC Three comedy series starring Jonathan Pryce and Mark Gatiss, centred on the creation and education of the world's first human clone...
- comedy television series; - MI High - Childrens TV series.
Confusion concerning MI7 today
The repeated suggestion that MI7 continues to operate in the United Kingdom (with little or no supporting evidence) is likely to arise from two popular misunderstandings.Firstly, the various references to "MI7" in fiction (see above), which some people have taken as fact.
Secondly, many websites make explicit reference to MI7's continued operation, usually citing it as a secret Government department for investigation of the occult or supernatural. Such websites tend to be the work either of conspiracy theorists or on-line games players who have constructed such elaborate website material that the casual viewer may not always be able to distinguish fact from fiction.