89 Field Security Section – May 1944

Operation Market Garden

Background

A Field Security Section, an Army Divisional intelligence capability, was a 20 man section, all cap-badged to the Intelligence Corps (more later).  The concept of Field Security (FS) predates the formation of the Intelligence Corps (July 1940) by some years indeed, one could suggest that it is a Napoleonic device, with Wellington’s Army of the Peninsula having a capability not dissimilar.  This concept of operations was certainly employed in the Boer War(s) and on various fronts during the Great War.

From the Great War’s “Scouts”, the FS role devolved to the Corps of Military Police and in, the late 30s saw the establishment of the Field Security Police. The role then devolved to the Intelligence Corps on its formation.

In barracks, pre-deployment an FS Section would find itself conducting standard “security” tasks, from documentary to physical – checking on the classified papers and making sure the windows and doors were locked.

Once deployed, however, the role of the Section became an intelligence gathering and reporting capability. This intelligence gathering could involve, the exploitation (translation and analysis) of captured enemy material, interrogation of prisoners of war (PoW) and the rapid production intelligence reports for the command.  Additionally, should the Section be operating in a more static role (across a period of time), it could engage in the establishment and management of local intelligence assets (agents) – a more counter-intelligence role.

Who were the Field Security Soldiers?

FS personnel were selected from volunteers and those nominated by commanding officers – or indeed, poached by the Intelligence Corps. FS personnel were soldiers first, but, then selected after displaying the necessary FS skills. Perhaps looking to their CMP heritage all FS soldiers were NCOs. Primarily, these were an aptitude for languages (to allow the translation of enemy materials and interrogation of PoW, as well as the management of agents in the field), a capacity for independent operation (as direction could be limited in the field) and a clear capability to assess the importance of material for reporting. Reporting was through the intelligence staffs (GSO 1-3) in the Divisional HQ.

These capabilities were even more important for the Airborne Soldier, who as a volunteer for parachuting would find themselves, (immediately) behind enemy lines. The first, parachute FS Section, was 89 FSS.  Readers may think that the “89” is just another number thought up to confuse the enemy – the Intelligence Corps had a large number of FS Sections however, across the Army, there was an 88 and a 90 FSS, with other Army Divisions.

89FSS

89FSS had been formed in the summer of 1942, as the Parachute FS Section for 1^st Airborne Division, under Captain Jack Dunbar - as the Field Security Officer (FSO) in command.  The Section was allocated to the elements of 1^st Airborne. Having spent some time in the wider Wiltshire area, 89FSS deployed to North Africa with the fledgling 1^st Airborne as part of Operation Torch.

Jack Dunbar was tragically killed when his glider ditched during Operation Husky, the Sicily invasion – a strong swimmer himself, he was killed going to the assistance of another soldier – he is commemorated on the Memorial in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Cassino, Italy.  The command of the Section fell to the Company Sergeant Major John “Jack” Loker.  Jack Loker successfully commanded the Section throughout the Division’s 9 month long Italian Campaign and was commissioned on return to the UK in 1944. He appears in photographs of the Section in Wellingore, on the old Grantham Road, but left the Section as the new FSO arrived.

89 FSS in Lincolnshire

Headquartered at Harlaxton Manor, but sub-divided and attached to the Divisional and Brigade HQ, the Section seems to have spent the majority of its off-duty hours in the Red Lion Inn, a pub in Wellingore High St, on the old Grantham road (A15). The Red Lion is still functioning a pub/inn.

The Section from June onwards had a number of “alarums and excursions” with the FSO recalling that they were issued Armbands and Francs for a possible French operation.  Finally, after a number of false alarms (Comet, Linnet etc), Operation Market Garden was given the go ahead for 17^th September 1944 and the Section deployed as follows:

1^st Para Drop – 17 Sept 1944

Division HQ

FSO Capt JE Killick (Captured 21 Sept 1944 – the Bridge, PoW)

Sgt Chambers (Captured 21 Sept 1944 – the Bridge, PoW)

1 Para Bde

Sgt Pinguet (Wounded 17 Sept, PoW)

Cpl Gray (PoW)

Cpl Linden (PoW)

Cpl Maybury (KiA 17 Sept 1944)

Cpl Gately (PoW)

1^st Glider Lift

1 Air Landing Brigade HQ

Sgt Ramage (Evaded)

Cpl Foster (WiA PoW)

CSM Armstrong (to Div HQ) (Evaded, crossed the Rhine from Oosterbeek)

2^nd Para Drop – 18^th Sept 1944

4 Para Bde

Sgt Syme (PoW)

Cpl Hanet (Evaded)

Cpl Gorrie (Evaded)

Cpl Zitman (WiA PoW)

2^nd Glider Lift

Cpl Smyth (PoW)

Cpl Scarr (DoW)

1^st Airborne Division Seaborne Party (in Belgium on 17^th Sept)

Cpl Edwards, Cpl Zucker, L/Cpl Eley

The Airborne Assault museum assisted with the South Kesteven Council with their 2025 'Soldiers From The Sky Project', which included details of men in the 89 FSS please use this link to find out more:   Airborne Spies: 89 Field Security Section, Intelligence Corps | Soldiers from the Sky 

Written and researched my Mark Pitt.