Series number

AWM347

 

Series title

Directorate of Military Intelligence - Collection of historical war records

 

Contents date range

December 1927 – May 1992

 

Extent

8 metres

 

Access conditions

Subject to Archives Act 1983.

Controlling agency

Department of Defence

 

Custodial agency

Australian War Memorial

 

Function and Provenance

The Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) was part of the former "G" (General Staff) Branch of Army Headquarters and is part of "Operations Branch" within the current Army Office. Its principle responsibilities include the collection, collation and dissemination of military intelligence; as well as certain Army related counter-intelligence and physical security matters.

The collection spans over 60 years and is made up of reference and operational records of an intelligence and security nature. These are sourced from United States as well as Australia. The format of the collection comprises of booklets, maps, reports and reviews. The collection demonstrates the prevailing intelligence doctrine of the era, evolving from conventional military aspects of intelligence towards an examination of the political, economic and scientific factors at work. The records are a study of the trends, direction and cooperation between Australia and its western security alliances partners between 1927 and 1992.

Content

As such the archives of the DMI are a written account that helped interpret the intelligence climate of the period. The attention of the user is drawn to the fact that this material is not the core administrative record of the DMI as an entity, or its predecessors.

Policy and working files of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) of Army Headquarters/Army Office may be accessed via the National Archives of Australia.

The overwhelming majority of content is now in the Open period. Where content is identified as being in the Closed period (less than 30 years old), access is withheld. Some of the content is linked to descriptive notes. Item notes elaborate on the content, provenance or historical significance of the material.

 

System of arrangement and control

The accumulation of these records begins with the interwar period and grew extensively during the Second World War and the Vietnam War. Due to the diverse nature of material, the Memorial has imposed a numbering order for the purpose of identifying items in this series.

Using the series

Due to security, information sharing and personal sensitivities inherent in this series, applicants seeking to use these records are advised that access to material may be restricted under the Archives Act 1983.

Sources

CRS A5897

CA 3275 Directorate of Military Intelligence

CA 400  Joint Intelligence Committee

CA 1566 Joint Intelligence Bureau

CA 1533 Defence Intelligence Organisation (before 1990 known as Joint Intelligence Organisation)

CA 6966 Defence Signals Directorate