SOE Manual: How to be an Agent in Occupied Europe

iv. If you are about to undertake some special subversive act.

3. FROM PAST TO PRESENT.

As soon as you arrive you must adopt a cover life to account for your presence. Your cover story for your past must merge naturally into this.

a. From the beginning start completing the details of the cover story of your past. Really do the things you say you have done. Really go to the places you say you have been to. This will serve a double purpose:–

i. You will obtain the information which you would have had, had your story been true, e.g. see the towns, learn their recent history, etc. With this knowledge you can support and, if necessary, modify your background cover.

ii. You can manufacture evidence confirming your background cover, e.g. make acquaintance in the places you go to, possess things coming from these places, etc.

b. Build up also your present cover background by innocent and inconspicuous actions to which reference can be made later. It may be useful to make innocent acquaintances, etc.

4. YOUR PRESENT.

This is the life which you lead and the story which you will tell about that life to account for your presence. It may be planned with the help of your Section Officers before your departure. Or you may have to work it out for the first time after your arrival. In any case, your ostensible present must be consistent with your alleged past.

a. Maintenance of Cover.

i. Name. Always sign correctly and respond to it immediately.

ii. Consistency in General. Your personality and general conduct must fit your cover background, e.g.:–

Expenditure must accord with ostensible income.

Volume and nature of correspondence must fit your social circumstances.

Character of friends and acquaintances must accord with your cover personality.

Documents, clothing, possessions; etc. must be suitable.

Manners, tastes, bearing, accent, education and knowledge must accord with your ostensible personality.

iii. Concealment of Absence from your Country.

Avoid foreign words, tunes, manners, etc. Avoid slang which has developed among your countrymen in Britain.

Avoid showing knowledge or expressing views acquired in Britain.

Conform with all new conditions which have arisen, observe new customs and acquire the language which has developed in your country.

a. Cover Occupation.

It is advisable for you to have, or pretend to have, a cover occupation. (A real one is best, but sometimes their subversive activity does not permit agents to do other work.) An occupation is necessary:–

i. To account for presence in locality.

ii. To explain the source of livelihood.

iii. To avoid, if possible, conscription for work in Germany or elsewhere.

In selecting a cover occupation, bear in mind the possibilities of having:–

An unregistered job, such as student, stamp dealer, or,

An imaginary job. In this case it is an advantage if you have a real employer to vouch for you.

Your range of choice of occupation is restricted by certain factors. Some of these factors apply also to an imaginary job. Consider the following:–

Some jobs involve special investigation of credentials and/or restriction of liberty.

The job which you select should afford you cover and facilities for your activity. Consider hours, pay, movement, technical facilities, e.g. transport, storage, access, etc.

You must have adequate technical qualifications.

c. Conclusion.

Good background cover is hard to build up and easily destroyed. It is essential to your relations with the general public. Never sacrifice such cover once acquired if you can possibly avoid it.

Remember, however, that a serious investigation is likely to break down your background cover by exposing the falseness of your documents or statements about your past life. Always, therefore, avoid trouble with the authorities. Have a ready story to account for everything.

In some cases an ostensible lawful existence is impossible. Then you must live underground. Be inconspicuous. Avoid officials. Vary your appearance, habits, haunts, routes, etc. Produce one story or another as the occasion demands.

5. “ALIBI”.

a. Nature of “Alibi”.

In addition to your cover background, you must have an explanation ready for every subversive act, however small, e.g. conversation, journey. Such alibis are more important than your background cover. If they are good no further enquiries will be made.

You may be questioned about your activity in many different circumstances and have to conceal its true nature, e.g. when obtaining permits, telephoning by regular or snap controls, through infringing regulations or being called as a witness, through suspicious activity when under surveillance.

b. Construction of an “Alibi”.

Remember the following points:–

i. Plausibility. If you give a plausible explanation of your conduct no further investigation is likely. An unplausible one will be investigated and must, therefore, be watertight. A plausible story justifies a friendly policeman in letting you go. If your story is not plausible he may not dare to do so in case you are an agent provocateur.

ii. Detail. Decide on the “facts” which must be prepared in detail and those which can be left vague, e.g. people remember times of rendezvous trains, etc., but not when they have finished meals. If you can remember a time exactly there is usually a reason for it, e.g. because you checked your watch with the town hall clock or you turned on the wireless for a particular programme, and it is occasionally a good thing to mention this casually.

iii. Self-Consistency. Your “alibi” must be consistent with your circumstances, especially those immediately ascertainable, e.g. clothes, general appearance, special knowledge, activity.

iv. Cover Background. For choice your “alibi” should be consistent with your main cover background, but you may have to manufacture special background for the occasion.

v. Truth. The “alibi” should be as near the truth as possible, provided that it is not suspicious. Time can be expanded. Dates of events can be transposed. If you do this make sure you allow for different circumstances on different days, e.g. do not say you had been to the market if there is no market on the day for which you give your alibi, although there was one on the day the events of which you have transposed. Furthermore have a story ready in case you are asked about your movements for the day the events of which you have moved. Where the story is quite untrue the false parts can often be rehearsed. Cf. Build up of cover (above). It is dangerous to tell a story entirely untrue.

vi. Dead End. In so far as is possible the story should be closed. It should leave few openings for further investigation. Links with outside persons, events or places are dangerous.

vii. Consistency with Others. If you are going to mention people who will corroborate your story you must arrange this very carefully. Attention should be paid to the following points:–