Security Intelligence Middle East

{{Short description|WW2 British intelligence organisation}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

Security Intelligence Middle East (SIME) (1912–1946) was an organisation made up of a number of British intelligence agencies supporting the British Military Government during the Second World War, based in Cairo, Egypt. It was composed of Security Service (MI5), with Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) provided by liaison officers and army Intelligence Corps personnel (including Field Security teams), but MI5 were the lead agency and provided the focus.{{cite journal|last1=Arditti|first1=Roger|title=Security Intelligence in the Middle East (SIME): Joint Security Intelligence Operations in the Middle East, c. 1939–58|journal=Intelligence and National Security|date=15 April 2016|volume=31|issue=3|pages=369–396|doi=10.1080/02684527.2015.1034471|s2cid=155958178|issn=0268-4527}}{{cite book|last1=West|first1=Nigel|title=Double Cross in Cairo: The True Story of the Spy Who Turned the Tide of War in the Middle East|date=2015|publisher=Biteback Publishing|isbn=9781849548670|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2tkVBgAAQBAJ&dq=Desmond+Doran+SIS&pg=PT12|accessdate=3 June 2017|language=en}}{{cite book|title=Counter Intelligence Corps History and Mission in World War 2|date=1951|publisher=The Counter Intelligence Corps School|location=Fort Holabird, Baltimore|pages=58–59|url=http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a439224.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228035343/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a439224.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=28 February 2017|accessdate=3 June 2017}}

SIME was created in December 1939 as the British Government sought to develop a more focussed approach to counter intelligence and developing security intelligence on the spectrum of threats from espionage, subversion, sabotage and eventually terrorism.{{cite book|last1=Williams|first1=Manuela|title=Mussolini's Propaganda Abroad: Subversion in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, 1935-1940|date=2006|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781134244416|page=169|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j7l-AgAAQBAJ&dq=SIME+role+middle+east&pg=PA169|accessdate=3 June 2017|language=en}} SIME's first chief (titled Defence Security Officer) was Colonel Raymond John Maunsell, although he had moved on by February 1945 as he was recorded as being at Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force G2 based in northwestern Europe.{{cite book|last1=Rankin|first1=Nicholas|title=Ian Fleming's Commandos: The Story of the Legendary 30 Assault Unit|date=2011|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199782901|page=274|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zbFoAgAAQBAJ&dq=Brigadier+Raymond+Maunsell&pg=PA274|accessdate=3 June 2017|language=en}}{{cite book|last1=Lewis|first1=Jeremy|title=Shades of Greene: One Generation of an English Family|date=2011|publisher=Random House|isbn=9780099551881|pages=328–329|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=THLpAgAAQBAJ&dq=intelligence+corps+SIME&pg=PA329|accessdate=3 June 2017|language=en}}{{cite book|last1=Bendeck|first1=Whitney|title="A" Force: The Origins of British Deception in the Second World War|date=2013|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=9781612512341|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZV49BAAAQBAJ&dq=SIME+role+middle+east&pg=PT45|accessdate=3 June 2017|language=en}} Another source (Hashimoto) notes that Maunsell's successor to SIME started in 1944, suggesting that Maunsell had moved on by then.{{cite thesis |last=Hashimoto |first=Chikara |date=2013 |title=British Intelligence, Counter-Subversion, and 'Informal Empire' in the Middle East, 1949-63 |type=PhD |chapter=Appendix II |publisher=Aberystwyth University |chapter-url=http://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/185314811.pdf |access-date=10 February 2021}}

A record of a 1947 visit by two senior Security Service officers to SIME confirmed that it was still based in Cairo and had offices in Baghdad, Jerusalem and Cyprus.{{cite web|last1=The National|first1=Archives|title=Visit of James Robertson (B3A) and Guy Liddell (DDG) to Security Intelligence Middle East (SIME) Headquarters in Cairo and outlying offices in Baghdad, Jerusalem and Cyprus, April and May 1947.|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C11497072|website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk|accessdate=3 June 2017|ref=KV 4/438}}

According to Nigel West, Maunsell was succeeded by the following as Chief of SIME,{{cite book|last1=West|first1=Nigel|title=Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence|date=2014|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810878976|page=534|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HKPmAgAAQBAJ&dq=Raymund+John+Maunsell&pg=PA719|accessdate=3 June 2017|language=en}} however Hashimoto, in his 2013 doctoral thesis provides dates of service for the other heads of SIME but does not have David Stewart listed.{{cite thesis |last=Hashimoto |first=Chikara |date=2013 |title=British Intelligence, Counter-Subversion, and 'Informal Empire' in the Middle East, 1949-63 |type=PhD |chapter=Appendix II |publisher=Aberystwyth University |chapter-url=http://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/185314811.pdf |access-date=10 February 2021}} Elsewhere Hashimoto notes that David Stewart had served as Deputy Head of SIME.{{cite thesis |last=Hashimoto |first=Chikara |date=2013 |title=British Intelligence, Counter-Subversion, and 'Informal Empire' in the Middle East, 1949-63 |type=PhD |chapter=Chapter 6 |page=225 |publisher=Aberystwyth University |chapter-url=http://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/185314811.pdf |access-date=10 February 2021}}

• Brigadier Douglas Roberts (1944–2001)
• William (Bill) Morgan Tilson Magan{{cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/mi5-spymaster-and-soldier-of-the-raj-who-was-born-in-ireland-1.644891 |title=MI5 spymaster and soldier of the Raj who was born in Ireland |publisher=Irish Times |date=March 27, 2010 |website=The Irish Times |access-date=February 10, 2021}} (1947–1951)
• Robin William George Stephens (1951–1953)
• David Stewart
• William (Bill) Oughton (1953–1955)
• Philip Kirby-Green (1955–1958)

The SIME organisational model was in employed elsewhere and in 1946 Security Intelligence Far East (SIFE) was established. SIME was disbanded in 1958.{{cite book|last1=West|first1=Nigel|title=Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence|date=2014|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810878976|page=534|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HKPmAgAAQBAJ&dq=Raymund+John+Maunsell&pg=PA719|accessdate=3 June 2017|language=en}}