Читать книгу SOE Manual: How to be an Agent in Occupied Europe - Special Executive Operations - Страница 12

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.