British signals intelligence in the trenches, 1915–1918: part 2, interpreter operators

Figures & data

Table 1. Interpreter operators’ nationality and familial descent.

	Interpreter Operators (%)	Population (%)
Natural-born British subjects	81	99
Both parents natural-born British	56
Father natural-born British	5
Father ‘enemy’	10
Father other	6
Unknown	4
Naturalised British subjects	6	<1
Father ‘enemy’	2
Father other	5
Aliens	12	<1

Source: Census of England and Wales, 1911; Genealogical records of 130 IOs.

Table 2. Interpreter operators’ occupations.

Occupations	Census category	Interpreter Operators (%)	Population (%)
artist, naval architect, dental mechanic, teacher, lecturer, clergyman, doctor, translator, librarian, music hall artiste, journalist, photographer	3, Professional	23	3
merchant, salesman, commercial clerk, shipping clerk, foreign correspondence clerk, stock jobber	5, Commercial	44	4
motor driver, seaman, tourist director	6, Conveyance	2	10
jeweller, watchmaker	11, Precious Metals	1	1
furrier	16, Skins & Leather	1	<1
printer, printer’s clerk	17, Paper & Printing	2	1
woolen manufacturer, lace manufacturer, glove manufacturer	18, Textiles	2	4
tailor, presser	19, Dress	2	3
restaurateur, hotel clerk, publican, tobacco trade, baker, hotel porter	20, Food & Lodging	6	6
student, barber	23, Other or None	18	16

Source: Census of England and Wales, 1911; Genealogical records of 130 IOs.

Table 3. Interpreter operators’ occupations by familial descent.

Census category	‘British’ Interpreter Operators (%)	‘non-British’ Interpreter Operators (%)	Population (%)
3, Professional	32	12	3
5, Commercial	48	38	4
6, Conveyance	3	2	10
11, Precious Metals	3	-	1
16, Skins & Leather	-	2	<1
17, Paper & Printing	2	3	1
18, Textiles	4	-	4
19, Dress	-	5	3
20, Food & Lodging	3	14	6
23, Other or None	4	19	16

Source: Census of England and Wales, 1911; Genealogical records of 113 IOs.

Table 4. Authorised number of interpreter operators in the BEF.

Date	Unit	Allocation	BEF Corps	BEF Armies	Total
September 1916	Army Wireless Company	6 per corps	16		96
April 1917		8 per corps + 4 per army HQ	18	5	164
June 1917	Corps Signal Company	9	18		162
February 1918		9	19		171
October 1918		3	19		57

Sources: War Office Establishments 355 (11 September 1916), 501/77 (3 April 1917), 553 (15 June 1917), 1019 (27 February 1918), 1801/67 (31 October 1918), WO24/908, 911, 912, 918, 926, TNA; Becke, Order of Battle, Part 4, 131–263.

Table 5. Probable number of interpreter operators in the BEF.

Date	IOs identified by RE transfer date (cumulative)	Establishment	IOs identified as % of establishment
1916
September	23	96	24
October	32		33
November	50		52
December	50		52
1917
January	50		52
February	68		71
March	87		91
April	87	164	53
May	112		68
June	112	162	69
July	112		69
August	112		69
September	112		69
October	112		69
November	112		69
December	136		84
1918
January	136		84
February	136	171	80
March	145		85
April	145		85
May	156		91
June	156		91
July	156		91
August	156		91
September	158		92
October	158	57	277
November	158		277

Sources: Service records of IOs; Table 4.

Table 6. Vince Schürhoff’s tours of duty in IToc stations.

Dates	Total days	Days at station	(%)
9 June to 29 November 1916	173	112	65
5 January to 4 April 1917	89	76	85
16 August to 21 March 1918	217	139	65

Source: Beach, ed., Schürhoff, 101–132, 140–161, 199–245.

Table 7. Identified interpreter operators (wireless).

108152 Bernard EP Neinhaus	207373 Robert WB Pugh	251768 Reginald S Stanleigh
148149 David C Griffiths	207375 George CP McGill	251769 John KR Frey
148302 Joseph Diamond	207377 George E Hay	251857 Ben Rabin
172621 Charles J Dalton	207378 Stewart F Ramsay	254447 Norman R Crute
176014 Herbert S Dymond	207380 James A Milne	254448 Maurice Griffe
196023 John L Hampson	207384 Arthur WW Coton	312350 Constantin Sartinsky
197899 Otto J Wallis-Stolzle	207385 Joseph EE Shore	341134 Frederick BV Illingworth
197901 Harry WJ Boyce	207386 John J Friederick	357731 Wilfred H Pitcher
197902 Ulrich Koch	236799 Frederick JL Chick	357732 Allan Stewart
197905 William A Smith	236800 Robert P Jones	357733 Dennis L Nash
197914 Herbert J Benoly	236801 Francis L Calver	357734 Lionel HW Saunders
197916 Thomas C Baines	236901 Alfred H De Swarte	357735 James Taylor
198109 Joseph CW Eoll	236905 Carl F Juulman	357736 Edwin NDV Dawson
198110 Richard H Linder	236906 Alan F Jackson	357738 Clifford Fuller
198113 Edward Hamilton	236907 Isaac I Mazzier	357739 William F Hoyle
198142 Victor W Watt	236937 Adolph Goldberg	357740 Jack Finkel
198143 Arthur R Vine	244934 Elcanon Sanina	357741 Lawrence A Bisson
198144 William Roberts	244936 Raymend D Martlew	358105 Movcha M Slaweit
198145 Fritz V Schürhoff	244937 Charles Rudy	358106 Robert E Brown
198153 George N Borrow	244938 Jacob Grobsztein	358107 Fredrick C Redemann
198162 Evererd A Deal	244939 Herbert V Bush	358108 Percy EG Phillips
198163 George L McLaren	244940 Frederick W Cox	358109 John Patten
198164 Richard R Short	244941 Henry W Willcox	358110 Nathan Jacobwicy
198165 Oswald H Cohen	244942 Joseph Glass	358111 John T Stone
198166 Archibald LP Mason	244943 Paul Fishel	358113 William EG Cameron
199032 James R Cripps	244945 John Hazell	358116 John G Lloyd
199033 Donald M Grant	244946 Henry Madsen	359805 Jules Meurs
199037 Ernest H Ferris	244948 Charles HM Hillier	360138 Wilfred N Falding
199042 Edward E Walker	244949 Edward Treufeldt	360139 Charles F Laxton
199043 Sydney F Blackwell	244950 Sydney Sippert	360420 Halfdan W Haines
199044 Colin M Kerr	244979 Nicol K Kempton	360421 Norman Bray
199048 Forester Mills	244981 Janno Brande	360423 Charles Hennion
199049 Robert H Beach	244982 Martin H Albrecht	360578 Cecil H Todd
199050 David G Larg	244984 Sydney G Baines	360579 Frank EH Dearle
206928 Robert Liddell	245351 Curtis Black	360580 Leonard MB Waite
206929 Harold E Loveday	245478 Clifford Ogden	360581 James Slater
206934 Ernest EG Tucker	245907 John Behrens	360582 William NP Hill
206935 Walter Breakey	246021 Czeslas M Sztencel	360583 Richard H Swinglehurst
206936 William G Von Ahn	246038 Clarence C Lowden	361554 Archibald HT Mirrielees
206937 Robert Dewhurst	246039 Herbert O Crisp	361626 Andrew Stand
206938 William F Auckenthaler	246041 Walter L Holden	362428 Bindon CAW Lydiard
206941 Cecil EC Hanbury	246042 Percy Hellinger	362981 Robert Klopfenstein
206943 Charles C Edwards	246044 Stanislas Souque	423193 James Anderson
206945 Andrew Pahl	246046 William J Fortune	458983 John HV Sutcliffe
206946 Oliver P Benkert	246048 Alfred P Cabinil	471920 Jacob Grenbaum
206947 Charles Delafield	246053 Marc Rosenberg	547652 Charles H Tetley
206948 Richard Lederer	250947 Ronald Smith	547902 Rene A Sewell
206949 William A Deakin	250948 James Cracknell	547905 Aron Juwiler
206950 Arthur F Barnard	250950 Herbert W Needs	547907 Paul Sherard
206951 Roland U South	250951 Walter W Hilliger	549614 Richard G Coates
206952 Ernest White	250966 John Vincent Palmer	553901 Rafael D Fermo
206987 William H Morris	251766 Alfred J Cheyne	553902 Lazar D Fermo
207372 Thomas H Gregory-Gould	251767 Ferdinand Friedenthal	562410 Albert J Salomon