ANCC meeting nr 06

Beskrivelse

Special meeting ANGLO/NORWEGIAN COLLABORATION COMITTEE 13th May, 1942

1. General Hansteen and Colonel Christophersen were welcomed by the Chairman, who emphasixed that it was S.0.E.'s sole deisre to ensure compete and effective co-opteration with the Norwegian Authorities towards the final end common aim of the removal the enemy from Norway, As he stated later, S.0.W- had a directive from the Chiefs of staff which governed its activities, mainly in the direction of strengthening any subversive organisations acting at present against the energy and of assisting the Secret Army for future operations. S.O.E. was responsible to the Chiefs of staff for its share of work in Norway.

2. General Hansteen raised three main points for discussion:
(1) Co-ordination of the activities of the various organisations interested in Norway,

(a) in London, (b In Stockholm, (c) in Norway.

(2) Division of responsibility an! control between
Norwegens and British Officers, (a) at Aviemore, (b) in Shetlands.

(3) Dissemination of propaganda within Norway.

3. Certain difficulties already experienced in co-ordination were
mentioned. Patricular emphasis being laid on the vital need for more interchange of advance information between S.I.S. and S.0.E. in view of the Televaag affray.

4. Doubts were expressed as to whether S.O.E. in London were keeping the members of General Hansteen's staff fully informed of its present and proposed activities in Norway. No specific instances were given. The provision of regular progress reports at Commmittee Meetings was raised, but the general concensus of opinion was that close personal collaboration as between Norwegian and British members could, and to a large extent did, meet the case.

5. In Stockhola it was of vital importance that comletely independent action should not be taken. In S.0.E's opinion the work of 4308 (RING) had proved valuable in this respect. 4404 (NN) had been instructed to further collaboration, and to work. in close touch with Major Dahl who was Genersl Hansteen's representative so far as the organisation and activities of the Secret aray were concerned.

6. The relationships of the Secret Amy and .S.O E. groups in Norway were discussed at length. In both cases the work was carried out under the authority and general direction of the C.-in-C., but the two lines should be kept distinct until the Norwegian C.-in-C. as the co-ordinating authority decided that the time had come to combine them. W/T operators could be used for the passing of information of on emergent and exceptional character only from the Secret Amy through a contact and cut-out. S.0.E . hoped to provide direct wireless communication on with the secret Army H.Q. Otherwise contact between the two organisations in the field should be limited to the provision of Arms and Demolition Instructors through men trained by S.0.E. The activities and duties of the two should be divided - territorially or otherwise - so as to cover the maximum number of objectives without duplication or dispute. The Secret Army would come into action only under the C.-in-C,» orders, and immediately prior to an Allied landing. Which areas or districts were called into action would depend entirely on the actual military plan for the reconquest of Norway.

It was held that details of the location of dumps of arms and other munitions should not be given to the secret army until the time was ripe, but that the leaders should have information in general terms of the present intentions of the committee.

7. It was agrees that the present division of responsibility between 0.C., STS. 26 and Commander N.I.C.1 had not worked out very satisfactorily owing to the practical difficulties involved. The reorganisation of .N.I.C.1 on the lines already proposed was agreed. The ten left were still soldiers and must remain under Norwegian discipline. It was left to ST and SN to agree recommendations for future admistration. It was agreed that every Norwegian proceeding into the field should receive a final movemet order from an officer representing the C.-in-C.

8. There was no time to discuss the division of responsibility end joint working of Shetland Base.

9. The Minister of Foreign Affairs had requested General Hansteen to state that all internal propaganda in Norway was the rrespnsibility of the Norwegian Government. It was pointed out that S.O.E so far as propaganda was concerned - were only the agents of .P.W.E. in the field. It was responsible for the provision of field personell and was interested only in the security aids and the dissemination of operational propaganda. A Joint propaganda Comittee had been suggested some time before. It was agreed that the whole question should be left for discussion between the Norwegian ministers and P.W.E.

10. The Chairman at the conclusion of the meeting again thanked General Hansteen for attending and for his helpful advice. He expressed the hope that difficulties of details would not be allowed to overshadow the undoubted increase in mutual understanding and joint action.

Det er 2 kommentarlapper til referatet, håndskrevet, fra HS -Dette er Harry Sporborg.

1: To AD/S
I agree that SN's "record in variant form" is better than my original effort, while at he same time endorsing this view that a time record is in the circumstances an impossible task. I would like to make the following comments:

1. Para 4: The suggestion of a Progress Report was made by you and of a Planning Report by C.D.. I understand that SN & SS agree that they would prefer not the Minutes have accordingly been "cooked" to some extent of this case.
2. The despicability of coordination of the activities of the Secret Army & SOE in London only, which I emphasized at the Meeting, is not perhaps sufficiently indicated in Para 5.
3. I think Para 7 is admirable but it is barely a record of 1,5 hours of circuiting discussions which brought us back to where we started. Personally I am all for leaving brevity if you feel it is sufficient.

2: AD/S 1
I have suggested a few fencible alternations. It is really an impossible task to minute that meeting. I have made my attempt ( attached ) to render the record in a variant form.

17.5.1942 HS

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