Minutes of the nineteenth Meeting of the sub-committee, held in the Secretary's Room, Great George Street, S.W.1. on Tuesday, 13th April. 1943, at 10.15 am

2. PRISONERS OF WAR - SECURITY. THE SUB-COMMITTEE had before them a Minute (JIC/443/43 of the 10th April, 1943) from the Secretary, covering a letter he had received from Air Vice Marshal Inglis, stating that there had recently been indications that some British prisoners of war in Germany were not sufficiently security-minded, and suggesting that the Sub-Committee should satisfy themselves that everything possible was being done to impress upon all ranks in all Services the importance, in the event of capture, of complying with the regulations that had been laid down. AIR COMMODORE PENDRED pointed out that the kind of person in the Air Force who fell into enemy hands was generally a responsible and well-educated individual. If there was evidence that people of this kind were behaving carelessly as prisoners of war, it was reasonable to assume that prisoners of war from other Services and from the Merchant Navy would not be more security- minded. He, therefore, suggested that it might be desirable to issue reminders on this subject at more frequent intervals. THE DIRECTOR OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE suggested that there was some danger lest by the adoption of this proposal the opinion should become widespread that people should be prepared to become prisoners of war. It was desirable that members of the fighting Services should have impressed upon them the importance of doing everything possible to avoid capture. BRIGADIER CROCKATT said that M.I.9 were too fully occupied to devote much time to this question. He informed the Sub-Committee, however. that in his opinion the enemy probably did obtain a fair amount of Intelligence through the indiscretions of our prisoners of war in their hands. There was evidence that the Germans had established several special interrogation centres. After discussion, THE SUB-COMMITTEE:- (i) Agreed that conditions in the three Services varied so much that it was not desirable to record a general decision on this question: but (ii) Invited the Service Departments to consider to what extent it would be safe to issue reminders on this subject. 3. C.S.D.I.C. IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. THE SUB-COMMITTEE had before them a Memorandum (M.I.19(a)/CC/250/7 dated 8th April, 1943) by the Director of Military Intelligence, stating that an offer had been received from the Head of the Polish Intelligence organisation of the services of a Polish Intelligence Officer now in Algeria, for the purpose of interrogating Axis prisoners of war of Polish origin captured in North Africa. The Memorandum also referred to a proposal put forward by the Chief Intelligence Officer at Allied Force Headquarters for the employment of a number of French Officers in the Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre in North Africa. These proposals raised a question of Principle upon which the Sub-Committee should rule. -2-