Military security – Digithemis

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THE MILITARY SECURITY (AVRIL 1915)	THE MILITARY SECURITY (APRIL 1915)	MILITARY SECURITY (APRIL 1915)
The Belgian Military Security is established on 1is avril 1915. The service is staffed by commissioners and inspectors making up research brigades. Mainly from municipal police forces or specialized inspectorates, these civilians are supervised by officers. A branch of the Security operates in the cantonments, the other at the rear of the armies (Belgium not occupied, allied and neutral countries), based in Folkestone for most of the war.	The Belgian Sûreté militaire was established on 1st April 1915. The service consisted of commissioners and inspectors organised in investigation squads. Mainly originating from the municipal police or specialised inspection bodies, the civilians were supervised by officers. A wing of the Sûreté was active in the cantonments, while the other wing operated behind the lines (non-occupied Belgium, allied and neutral countries) and was located in Folkestone during most of the war.	Military Security is established on 1 april 1915. The service has investigation brigades composed of commissioners and inspectors, from local police forces and from corps of specialized inspectors. These investigation brigades are led by officers. One branch of Security works in the army quarters, another works behind the lines (unoccupied Belgium and the Allied countries). The service operated from Folkestone for most of the war.
The main mission of Military Security is to block enemy espionage.. To fulfill this mission, she is endowed with extensive powers : remove and intern convicted criminals, suspects of collaboration and espionage ; carry out searches and body searches ; search and seize weapons ; prevent subversive meetings ; capture and retain private correspondence.	The main role of the Sûreté Militaire consisted in thwarting the enemy’s espionage activities. To do so, the service possessed extended powers: keep off and intern offenders and people suspected of collaboration and espionage; conduct (body) searches; search for and seize arms; prevent subversive meetings; intercept private correspondences.	The main goal of Military Security is to counter enemy espionage. To achieve this goal, she has various powers: arresting and imprisoning people fleeing justice, locking up suspects of collaboration and espionage, carrying out house searches, searching people, detecting and confiscating weapons, preventing subversive meetings and intercepting private correspondence.


Glass cage used to make appear, thanks to iodine vapor, hidden writings in correspondence Glass case used to reveal hidden writings in correspondences by means of iodine vapour In this glass box, the secret code becomes visible through iodine-containing vapors

Probable example of use of sympathetic ink; on the front there is a private correspondence “normal”; au verse, l’agent “110” informs the Folkestone service about the progress of an exfiltration operation of soldiers interned in the Netherlands. Probable example of the use of invisible ink; on the front is written a “normal” private correspondence; on the back, agent “110” informs the intelligence service in Folkestone about an exfiltration operation of Belgian soldiers interned in the Nederlands. Likely example of using invisible ink. One on the front “normal” private correspondence; on the back, informs the officer “110” the intelligence service in Folkestone about an operation of exfiltration of Belgian soldiers interned in the Netherlands. MRAHM

To neutralize the transmission of intelligence collected by the enemy, Belgian counter-espionage attacks its two main modes of transmission : by postcard and by carrier. Postal censorship and control of the movement of people are its two main instruments.

In order to neutralise the transmission of enemies’ intelligence, the Belgian counter-intelligence targeted their two main methods of transmission: post cards and carriers. Postal censorship and the surveillance of the movement of persons therefore became its two main instruments.

To prevent the enemy's intelligence traffic, Military Security checks the distribution of postcards and messages by messenger. It does this by applying censorship and controlling the movement of people. In collaboration with the allied services, Military Security registers thousands of individuals.

François De Walque. Chief of the censorship office at Folkestone. He wears the Safety badge on his lapel. François de Walque, head of the censorship laboratory in Folkestone; he wears the special emblem of the Sûreté on his collar

François De Walque, head of the censorship laboratory at Folkestone ; he wears the special Security badge on his collar (European 14-18 / Royal Library)

French cartoon of the censorship service

French cartoon on the censorship department

French caricature of the censorship service

(French)

In collaboration with allied services, Military Security records thousands of individuals. In addition to counter-espionage, it fights different forms of subversion – the anarchist and pacifist threat in arms factories, For example, but above all, from 1917, it concentrates its efforts on the detection of frontist activities within the army.

In collaboration with allied services, the Sûreté Militaire filed information on thousands of individuals. Besides counter-intelligence, the Sûreté also fought all kinds of subversion, such as anarchist and pacifist threats in arms factory. From 1917 on, it particularly focused on the detection of frontist actions within the army.

In addition to counterintelligence, Military Security also combats other forms of subversion, o.a. the anarchist and pacifist threat in the weapons factories. From 1917 her attention is mainly focused on the Front movement in the army.

Pamphlet of the Front Movement. The authors and owners are wanted by Security officers.

Leaflet of the Frontbeweging distributed in cantonments; authors and owners of such documents were wanted by the agents of the Sûreté .

Frontbeweging leaflet distributed in cantonments ; the writers and holders of such documents were sought by the Sûreté agents.

(MRA-KLM)

Its discretionary powers have earned the Military Security the resentment of many soldiers – those convinced of defeatism but also the “doubtful” or “sons of Germans”, that she sorts and internal at the back, notably at the Ruchard camp.
Created for the duration of the war, the service is deleted on 30 september 1919.

The discretionary powers of the Sûreté Militaire aroused the rancour of many soldiers: those riddled with defeatism, and the “suspicious” ones, the “sons of Germans”, who were set aside and stayed in the home front, such as in the Camp du Ruchard.
Created for the war, the service was dissolved on 30th September 1919.

Due to the arbitrariness in its assessment, Military Security creates a feeling of bitterness among many defeatist soldiers, the “doubtful cases” and the sons of Germans, who are identified and imprisoned in the Ruchard camp in France.
Military Security, which was established for the duration of the war, is dissolved on 30 september 1919.

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