Czechoslovak Defence Ministry Intelligence Department, London

military intelligence of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile

Second Department from June 1941 · wartime work in London

The Czechoslovak Defence Ministry’s Second Department in London directed the government-in-exile’s military intelligence. Under František Moravec, it prepared parachute teams, gathered intelligence from the occupied country and maintained contact with the domestic resistance. ANTHROPOID was one operation within its wider work.

Military intelligence and domestic contact

The ministry in exile needed intelligence from the Protectorate and ways to stay in touch with domestic organizations. It used radio, couriers and parachute missions. Communications failures were among the reasons some planned teams’ priorities had to change in December 1941.

Parachute missions and British cooperation

The department cooperated with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in training and transporting Czechoslovak teams. Czechoslovak command set intelligence and operational tasks, while Britain provided part of the training, technical and aviation support. ANTHROPOID was neither a purely British mission nor an operation conducted without British assistance.

ANTHROPOID alongside SILVER A

In autumn 1941 the department prepared an attack on a senior occupation official. Karel Svoboda’s injury required Jan Kubiš to join the pair and continue training. SILVER A was being prepared in parallel, carrying the Libuše radio on a different mission to restore intelligence communications. The teams flew together, but their tasks and later operating areas must remain distinct.

Explore further

• František Moravec

  head of the department

• Operation ANTHROPOID

  preparation of the Czechoslovak operation

• Ležáky

  later location of SILVER A’s Libuše radio; that team was also prepared in London

• Tangmere

  the teams’ departure from a British airfield