05 October
From Sam Wanamaker and Ezra Pound to P G Wodehouse and Lee Miller; a look back through the files released by the Security Service over the last 12 years gives a curious insight into much more than just the political activity of these famous names.
At a time of heightened political sensitivity during the inter-war years, the Second World War and beyond, the Security Service, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this month, kept personal files on a great range of individuals. But alongside the politics, suspected sabotage and subterfuge, the records also include intriguing details about George Orwell's 'bohemian' fashion sense, and Sylvia Townsend-Warner's rabbit shooting, among others.
Howard Davies, Records Specialist at The National Archives, said: 'We know about the critical reaction to the work of the major left-wing figures in the arts in Britain already. But the released Security Service files, including as they do the intercepted phone calls and private correspondence of the writers and performers, throw new light on the private views and lives of the artists and their circles.'
He added that these additional details can be invaluable for historians, writers and researchers alike: 'The deadpan accounts by plain clothes police officers of speeches made or concerts given mean that, for any biographer wanting a layman's take on the impact of hearing Paul Robeson sing for the first time, for instance, the MI5 file is the place to go.'
The Security Service has been releasing files to The National Archives since 1997. More than 4,000 MI5 files, covering a period up to the late 1950s are now open to the public, with more than 150 of these MI5 files available to download from DocumentsOnline.
For those with a passion for espionage, check out the latest books available from The National Archives, and our fascinating online resources:
- The Defence of The Realm: The Authorised History Of MI5 - by Christopher Andrew (new book - out now)
- British Intelligence - by Stephen Twigge, Edward Hampshire and Graham Macklin
- Spooks: The Unofficial History of MI5 - by Thomas Hennessey and Claire Thomas
- Our online exhibition: Secrets and Spies - a fascinating selection of secret documents used to illustrate the history of espionage.
