MI5 A Branch

A Branch is a division of the Security Service (MI5).
According to Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, A Branch is responsible for telephone tapping, covert entry, and specialised secret photography:
::Known as 'Operational Support', this also runs mobile and static surveillance units, who cover long-term targets like embassies. Other parts of A Branch keep safehouses and and listening posts, and transcribe the tapes of tapped telephone calls.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, p.59.
A Branch is presumably identical to the branch reporting to the Deputy Director General which is identified on the MI5 website as "responsible for managing the Service's operational capabilities such as its technical and surveillance operations".Organisation, MI5, accessed 19 July 2009.
==Organisation==
===Directors===
*William A. Phillips, c.1929.Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.127.
*Charles Butler, c.1941.Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.236.
*Royd Barker c. 1981-83Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.484.
*Julian Faux 1985-88Julian Faux, The Times, 23 July 1998.
*Eliza Manningham-Buller c.1994-96. According to Michael Smith, Manningham-Buller is a former head of A Branch.Michael Smith, The Spying Game, Politico's 2003, p.136. This is most likely identical with her appointment as Operations Director in 1994, described by Hollingsworth and Fielding.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, p.290.
===A1===
Section responsible for technical operations.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.484.
*Christopher Herbert, section head c.1968.Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.337.
*Brian Weston - Section head c.1981-83.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.484.
====A1A====
Responsible for Technical Operations, such as covert entry and audio and video surveillance, according to authors Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, pp.320-321.Similarly, Stephen Dorril describes the section as responsible for "Housebreaking, planting bugs, stealing or photographing of documents".Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.484. 
====A1B====
Responsible for running officials in government departments, banks, etc, to improperly pass on confidential information.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.484.
====A1C====
*Provides safe-houses.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.484.
====A1D====
Lockpickers and carpenters.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, p.74.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.484.
====A1E====
Production of Bugs and electronic equipment.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.484.
====A1F====
As A1A, but on longer term target sites.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, p.74.
===A2===
Technical support.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.484.
*Hugh Winterborn - Section head c. August 1963.Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.508.
*Geoffrey Blackburn-Kane - Section head, c. 1981-83.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.484.
====A2A==== 
Bug and tap intercept transcription.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, p.74.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.484.
*Evelyn Grist - supervised section as assistant officer. c.1950s.Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.336.
====A2B====
Photograph service, laboratory work and liason with GCHQ.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.485.
===A3===
Liason with special branch, disbanded by 1993, according to Dorril.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.485. Responsible, along with A5, for technical support for operations, including specialised covert photography and lockpickers, according to Hollingsworth and Fielding.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, pp.320-321.
===A4===
Physical surveillance teams or 'watchers'.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, p.74.
*Harry Hunter - section head 1937-1947.Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.335.
*David Storrier - section head c.1947Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.335.
*William Skardon - section head, 1953-1961.Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.336.
*Julian Faux - Section head, c.1981-83.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.485.
===A5===
Scientific research and development, according to Dorril.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.485. Responsible, along with A3, for technical support for operations, including specialised covert photography and lockpickers, according to Hollingsworth and Fielding.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, pp.320-321.
*John Birtell - Section head, c. 1981-83.Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.485. 
===Other A Branch Officers===
*Mary Dicker c.1929.
*A.W. Masterton c.1929.Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.127.
*Hal Doyne-DitmassDavid Leigh, The Wilson Plot, Mandarin, 1989, p.242.
*Witness S284 (Rosemary Nelson Inquiry)
==Facilities==
A Branch was at one time based at Euston Tower, near Kings Cross, London.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, p.73. 
Watchers have used cars based at a garage in Streatham High Street, South London, officially used by the Department of the Environment.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, p.74.
==History==
===Early Incarnations===
The name A Branch has been applied to a number of different divisions within MI5 over the course of its history.
The earliest A Branch covered monitoring aliens during the First World War.Michael Smith, The Spying Game, Politico's 2003, p.77.
When MI5 became the Security Service in 1931 the administration division was named A Branch.Michael Smith, The Spying Game, Politico's 2003, p.81. After a re-organisation in 1938, A Branch covered administration and registry functions.Michael Smith, The Spying Game, Politico's 2003, p.85. A Branch retained responsibility for administration in another re-organisation, launched by Sir David Petrie in 1941.Michael Smith, The Spying Game, Politico's 2003, p.88.
===1950s===
A Branch retained responsibility for technical support and the surveillance 'watchers', in a re-organisation under Sir Dick White in the early 1950s.Michael Smith, The Spying Game, Politico's 2003, p.110.
===1970s===
In mid-1974 false rumours that Labour Minister Judith Hart was a communist circulated around London after A Branch intercepted her phoning the British Communist Party HQ to inquire about the fate of dissidents in Chile.David Leigh, The Wilson Plot, Mandarin, 1989, p.228-229.
During the mid-1970s, former K Branch officer Hal Doyne-Ditmass worked in A Branch on computerising watcher records.David Leigh, The Wilson Plot, Mandarin, 1989, p.242.
===1980s===
In 1987, Frank Larsen, a Norwegian charged with plotting to kidnap ANC members, claimed to have links to A Branch and to MI5 K Branch. The charges were dropped after consultations with MI5.Richard Norton-Taylor, ANC case man threatens the Government, The Guardian, 27 October 1987.
===1990s===
MI5 whistleblower David Shayler revealed the Guardian journalist Victoria Brittain was under A Branch surveillance between 1993 and 1995, after MI5 wrongly concluded she was laundering money for Libyan intelligence.Mark Hollingsworth and Nick Fielding, Defending the Realm: Inside MI5 and The War on Terrorism, André Deutsch, 2003, p.194.
===2000s===
A Branch surveillance during Operation Large in late 2000 led to the 2002 conviction of Moinul Abedin for commiting an act with intent to cause explosions.Michael Evans, Terrorist plotter trapped by MI5 is given 20 years, 28 February 2002.
 
A Branch was responsible for the electronic surveillance of the house that was targetted in the June 2006 Forest Gate Raid.Sean Rayment, MI5 fears silent army of 1,200 biding its time in the suburbs In the wake of terror raid, injured man's solicitor claims police gave no warning before opening fire, Sunday Telegraph, 4 June 2006.
===2010s===
After a failed attempt to have Russian national Katia Zatuliveter deported in 2011, it was reported that Russian diplomat Mikhail Repin had been expelled following surveillance by A Branch.Mikhail Repin: the perfect party guest who was Whitehall spy for the Russians, The Telegraph, 10 December 2011.
==Notes==
Category:MI5