British signals intelligence in the trenches, 1915–1918: part 2, interpreter operators

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article uses prosopographical techniques to examine around 150 First World War signals intelligence personnel. Designated as ‘Interpreter Operators’ by the British army, these German-speakers listened to enemy and friendly messages that had leaked from telephone lines or were deliberately transmitted through the ground. Drawn from diverse ethnographic backgrounds, these men offer up a fascinating case study of an army harnessing language skills to support their military endeavours. They also highlight a paradoxical challenge facing all intelligence organisations; that in order to understand an opponent you must often employ those with close personal or familial connections to that enemy.