MI7

MI7, the British Military Intelligence Section 7 (now defunct), was a department of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence. Part of the War Office, MI7 was set up to work in the fields of propaganda and censorship.

History

In February 1915 a Directorate of Special Intelligence was formed which in turn gave rise to MO7, a branch of the War Office concerned with press publicity; it was MO7 which gave the first war correspondents permission to visit the Western Front in May 1915, ensuring that the military authorities would maintain control over the correspondents' work. In January 1916, as part of a reorganisation of the Imperial General Staff, a new Directorate of Military Intelligence was created and MO7 became MI7.

Organisation

Military Intelligence Section 7 (MI7) was organised in a series of sub-sections distinguished by lower-case letters in brackets. The precise duties of these sub-sections varied with time, but may be roughly summarised as follows. [ [http://www.psywar.org/psywar/reproductions/MI7b.pdf See history of subsection (b)] in a PDF file here.]
*MI7 (a) - censorship.
*MI7 (b) - foreign and domestic propaganda, including press releases concering army matters.
*MI7 (c) - translation and (from 1917) regulation of foreign visitors.
*MI7 (d) - foreign press propaganda and review (part of subsection (b) until subsection (d) was formed in late 1916).

In fiction

The name MI7 has often been used in fiction as the name for an MI5 or MI6-like agency or organisation, with the makers apparently unaware that the organisation actually existed — examples include the spy film spoof "Johnny English" and several episodes of "ChuckleVision", along with a few mentions in "Casino Royale" (2006), the latest in the James Bond series. In the Bond film "Dr No" (1962) there are two explicit references to James Bond working for MI6; strangely one of these (where the words are spoken by 'M') has been dubbed to "MI7", although the speaker's lips clearly say "MI6". [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055928/goofs The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)] records the fact twice on this page, as a technical and a continuity fault.] [ [http://www.cedmagic.com/featured/007/dn-1-1339-m.html CED Magic website] here records the dubbing in detail, with a still from the incident on the film. Multiple additional sources are available on-line.]

Confusion concerning MI7 today

The repeated suggestion that MI7 continues to operate in the United Kingdom (with little or no supporting evidence) is likely to arise from two popular misunderstandings.

Firstly, the various references to "MI7" in fiction (see above), which some people have taken as fact.

Secondly, many websites make explicit reference to MI7's continued operation, usually citing it as a secret Government department for investigation of the occult or supernatural. Such websites tend to be the work either of conspiracy theorists or on-line games players who have constructed such elaborate website material that the casual viewer may not always be able to distinguish fact from fiction. [ [http://www.grey-elf.com/buffy/MI7.pdf An example] of the type of site referenced.] [ [http://www.pjfarmer.com/secret/contributors/secrets.htm A further example] of the same genre.]

Notes

References

*cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = HISTORY OF M.I. 7 (b) (MARCH, 1916 - DECEMBER, 1918) | work = | publisher = | date = 1920 | url = http://www.psywar.org/psywar/reproductions/MI7b.pdf | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-08-20