OSS - RECRUITING AND TRAINING PROGRAM FOR COMMUNICATIONS PERSONNEL/ORGANIZATION OF COMMUNICATIONS BRANCH, 1942
Declassified Document
Document Type: CREST
Collection: OSS Collection
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP13X00001R000100110005-7
Release Decision: RIFPUB
Original Classification: K
Document Page Count: 18
Document Creation Date: November 3, 2016
Document Release Date: September 9, 2013
Sequence Number: 5
Case Number:
Content Type: MISC
Summary
The declassified government documents, approved for release on September 9, 2013, under the CIA reference CIA-RDP13X00001R000100110005-7, detail the operations and structure of the Communications Branch of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a wartime intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. Below is a brief summary of the key points from the legible text:
1. **Purpose and Scope**: The Communications Branch was responsible for planning, organizing, and operating all OSS communications, excluding telephone and courier services. It supported the OSS’s specialized operations by providing secure and effective communication systems, requiring special equipment and trained personnel.
2. **Training and Recruitment**: The Branch oversaw a detailed training program at designated areas, such as "Area C" and "Area M" in the Midwest. Recruits were trained as technicians, operators, or operator-technicians for field, base station, or mobile unit roles. Training included a minimum of 60 hours of practice in simulated conditions (e.g., "Base Station Watch") and long-range communication exercises. Specialized Direction Finding (DF) personnel and field station operators received additional field training, including covert operations up to 1,000 miles from base stations.
3. **Equipment and Logistics**: The Branch shipped 60 tons of equipment monthly, managed by the Supply, Shipping, and Warehousing Division. This division procured standard military and specialized equipment, maintained three warehouses, and handled clerical tasks like inventory and shipping schedules, often in coordination with Army and Navy supply services.
4. **Research and Development**: The Research and Development Division designed custom communication equipment tailored to specific operational needs, considering factors like terrain, user skill, portability, and material efficiency. It maintained a laboratory for prototyping and collaborated with external manufacturers for production.
5. **Plant and Engineering**: This division ensured technical coordination, approving all equipment for OSS use and overseeing the construction and maintenance of base stations, sub-bases, and mobile units. It also managed two radio receiving stations (in Long Island and California) for monitoring foreign propaganda, shared with Army and Navy Signal Security Sections.
6. **Washington Message Center**: This division handled all official telegrams and cables for OSS headquarters in Washington, encoding classified messages, ensuring security compliance, and training personnel in cryptography. It also processed some Army and Navy messages related to OSS operations.
7. **Branch Oversight**: The Chief of the Communications Branch coordinated with various OSS units and theater commands, setting up and operating communication networks in operational theaters. This included main base stations, sub-bases, mobile units, and Direction Finding stations, ensuring seamless information flow between Washington and field headquarters.
In summary, the documents outline the Communications Branch’s critical role in supporting OSS operations through specialized training, equipment management, technical innovation, and secure communication networks, all tailored to the demands of wartime intelligence activities.
Names
The provided text from the declassified intelligence document is heavily redacted and contains significant amounts of garbled or unreadable content due to formatting issues, special characters, and redactions. As a result, it is challenging to identify proper names (e.g., individuals, specific locations, or organizations) with certainty. However, I have carefully reviewed the text to extract any discernible names or terms that appear to be proper nouns, such as names of people, places, or organizational entities, while avoiding speculative interpretation of unclear sections.
The document appears to be related to the operations of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), a wartime intelligence agency, and mentions various divisions, areas, and operational terms. Below is a list of identifiable names extracted from the text, categorized where possible:
Organizational Names or Entities:
CIA - Appears in the declassification stamps (e.g., "CIA-RDP13X00001R000100110005-7"), indicating the Central Intelligence Agency as the releasing authority.
OSS - Frequently mentioned throughout the text (e.g., "OSS Agents' Set," "OSS operations"), referring to the Office of Strategic Services.
Communications Branch - A specific branch within the OSS, responsible for planning and operations (e.g., "Communications Branch," "Chief of Branch").
Training Division - Mentioned in "AND TRAINING DIVISION Chart II," indicating a division focused on training personnel.
Supply, Shipping and Warehousing Division - Referred to in the context of equipment logistics (e.g., "Supply, Shipping and Warehousing Division").
Research and Development Division - Mentioned as responsible for designing special equipment (e.g., "Research and Development Division").
Plant and Engineering Division - Noted for technical coordination (e.g., "PLANT AND ENGINEERING DIVISION").
Washington Message Center - A division handling telegrams and cables (e.g., "Washington Message Center").
Army - Referenced in relation to supply services and signal security (e.g., "Army and Navy Signal Security Sections").
Navy - Similarly referenced alongside the Army (e.g., "Army and Navy messages").
Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment - An operational group within OSS (e.g., "Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment").
Planning Group - Mentioned as part of coordination efforts (e.g., "Planning Group").
Secretariat - Another entity involved in coordination (e.g., "the Secretariat").
SI, SO, MU, MO, OG, X-2 - Operational groups within OSS (e.g., "SI, SO, MU, MO, OG and X-2"), likely abbreviations for specific branches like Special Intelligence (SI), Special Operations (SO), etc.
Geographic or Area Names:
Area "C" - A training location mentioned multiple times (e.g., "Area 'C' Base Station").
Area "M" - Another training location in the Midwest (e.g., "Area 'M' in Midwest").
Midwest - A region in the U.S. where Area "M" is located (e.g., "Midwest").
Long Island - Location of a radio receiving station (e.g., "one in Long Island").
California - Location of another radio receiving station (e.g., "the other in California").
Washington - Refers to the Washington headquarters of OSS (e.g., "Washington Headquarters").
Other Potential Names or Terms:
Chart I and Chart II - References to specific organizational or training charts (e.g., "Chart I shows," "Chart II shows"), though these are more likely titles than names.
Notes:
No Individual Names: The text does not contain any clear references to specific individuals (e.g., first and last names). Most of the content refers to organizational units, roles (e.g., "Chief of Branch," "operators"), or generic terms rather than named persons.
Redacted or Garbled Text: Much of the document is obscured by question marks, special characters, or incomplete phrases (e.g., "????,' 7al.'%tf? riFfIffV"), making it impossible to extract additional names reliably.
Repetition: The same declassification stamp ("Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/09/09: CIA-RDP13X00001R000100110005-7") appears repeatedly but does not introduce new names beyond "CIA."
Final List of Names:
CIA
OSS
Communications Branch
Training Division
Supply, Shipping and Warehousing Division
Research and Development Division
Plant and Engineering Division
Washington Message Center
Army
Navy
Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment
Planning Group
Secretariat
SI
SO
MU
MO
OG
X-2
Area "C"
Area "M"
Midwest
Long Island
California
Washington
