The Dictionary
–A–A BRANCH.TheMI5department responsible for administration and
support after the postwar reorganization. Subdivided into A1, A2,
A3, etc.
A DIVISION.TheMI5department responsible for administration
prior to the postwar reorganization of the Security Service, subdi-
vided into A1, External Services; A4, Internal Services; A5, Special
Sections (dealing with telephone intercepts); A6, Scientific and Gen-
eral Post Office liaison; and A7, Cipher Section.
‘‘A’’ FORCE.Cover name for the World War IIdeceptionunit in the
Middle East headed by ColonelDudley Clarkeand accommodated
in a flat above aCairobrothel. The officially approved war establish-
ment for ‘‘A’’ Force was three officers, an Auxiliary Service personal
assistant, 10 other ranks, one car, and four trucks. The unit became
the acknowledged experts in building dummy tanks and gliders,
camouflaging tanks as trucks, generating bogus engine noise, and
simulating fake tracks and erasing authentic ones.
ABBASSIA.The secret intercept site outsideCairoduring World War
II responsible for linking theCombined Bureau Middle Eastat He-
liopolis toBletchley ParkviaWhaddon Hall. Known as ‘‘the Cot-
tage.’’ Abbassia interception duties were shared with anotherWar
Office Y Groupstation at Sidhi Bishra, near Alexandria, Egypt.
ABDEL.Code name for anominal agentin World War II, supposedly
a businessmen in Damascus supplying political information topessi-
mist y.
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