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

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.