Inter-Services Liaison Department

[slick_mick]

Hi Guys,

Would anyone know if a nominal roll exists for members of the Inter-Services Liaison Department during WW2? Or if the service records of it's members are now available to the public? I'm kind of hoping that the documents may now be available 75+ years later (being a clandestine service I'm not sure what the time period for public release is for documents relating to clandestine service members) .

I'm trying to research a family member (Constantine Krilloff aka Alexander Kennedy) of the HK Police Special Branch who later served with the ISLD (and also the BAAG) in the Far East.

Mick

[slick_mick]

Constantin Kriloff served with the Hong Kong Police from 1930 to 1953.

He was a white Russian member of the Hong Kong Police and served in the Special Branch investigating German and Japanese activities in the colony.

After war broke out and HK was threatened he became part of the Inter Services Liaison Department (ISLD).

He escaped from Hong Kong I think maybe before the Japanese invaded.

During World War II, the innocuous-sounding Inter-Services Liaison Department was the cover in the Middle East and the Far East adopted by Great Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service. The ISLD established regional headquarters in Cairo and Delhi and undertook intelligence-gathering operations independently of, and sometimes in competition with, Special Operations Executive and the local regional security apparatus.

In reality he became a spy and got around a fair bit during WW2 - India, Burma, China, Australia and even the USA.

The chinese language travel document is a letter of authority to allow him to travel in Southern China when he was attached to the British Army Aid Group.

My was married to my grandfather's cousin Lydia Veriga.

He died in Brisbane in 1954.

Mick
Mick

[Mike Jackson]

Originally Posted by slick_mick

Hi Guys,

Would anyone know if a nominal roll exists for members of the Inter-Services Liaison Department during WW2? Or if the service records of it's members are now available to the public? I'm kind of hoping that the documents may now be available 75+ years later (being a clandestine service I'm not sure what the time period for public release is for documents relating to clandestine service members) .

I'm trying to research a family member (Constantine Krilloff aka Alexander Kennedy) of the HK Police Special Branch who later served with the ISLD (and also the BAAG) in the Far East.

Mick

Fascinating. Some questions: Can you decipher the signature and post-nominal letters o fthe Witness on the ID Card? The date of issue and therefore the date of the photograph has to be on or before 26 Jun 45, On that date the Japanese still occupied Hong Kong and south China - liberation of Hong Kong was in mid-August 1945. Given that rank and unit on the ID card indicate service in the British (?) Army he should feature on some Army records. Finally - for now - can you decipher the oval stamp on the ID card? I can read HEADQUARTERS, but I cannot read the remained of the imressed lettering. Deciphering that would be really helpful. Thanks. Mike

[slick_mick]

Originally Posted by Mike Jackson

Fascinating. Some questions: Can you decipher the signature and post-nominal letters o fthe Witness on the ID Card? The date of issue and therefore the date of the photograph has to be on or before 26 Jun 45, On that date the Japanese still occupied Hong Kong and south China - liberation of Hong Kong was in mid-August 1945. Given that rank and unit on the ID card indicate service in the British (?) Army he should feature on some Army records. Finally - for now - can you decipher the oval stamp on the ID card? I can read HEADQUARTERS, but I cannot read the remained of the imressed lettering. Deciphering that would be really helpful. Thanks. Mike

I'm not sure but I suspect (and if I remember correctly what my dad told me) was that he was in India at that time). He left Hong Kong before the Japanese invaded and only returned to the HK Police after the war.

Unfortunately I've not been able to find any information on what he did during the war and suspect it may still be classified.

That name on his army ID card is a false name. I suspect records would be under his real name Constantine Krilloff.

Mick

[Mike Jackson]

Originally Posted by slick_mick

I'm not sure but I suspect (and if I remember correctly what my dad told me) was that he was in India at that time). He left Hong Kong before the Japanese invaded and only returned to the HK Police after the war.

Unfortunately I've not been able to find any information on what he did during the war and suspect it may still be classified.

That name on his army ID card is a false name. I suspect records would be under his real name Constantine Krilloff.

Mick

Thanks. With your permission, I'll ask the (UK) Int Corps Archivist if the Corps has any record of the Name and/or the "false name". Mike

[slick_mick]

Thanks Mike!

That would be awesome.

Mick