Military Agency Records RG 226

Interallied and Interservice Military Agencies Records

Records of the Office of Strategic Services (RG 226)

Records of the Research and Analysis Branch

This Branch originated in the Office of the Coordinator of Information and was responsible for the accumulation, evaluation, and analysis of political, economic, military, and other information required for operations or requested by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the armed forces, and other Government agencies, and the preparation of studies and other documentation relating to such material.

The Central Information Division (CID) of the R & A Branch served as the repository for all but the most sensitive intelligence documents obtained by all OSS branches and from other intelligence agencies. The records held by the CID, organized into several series with accompanying indexes, constitute a general intelligence collection of military, political, economic, and social information for all areas of the world during the war. These series also include data collected by the Coordinator of Information as early as July 1941. (Note 57)

Records of the Office of the Chief

General Correspondence 1942-1946 (Entry 1)
Boxes 1-35

Despatches Received from Neutral Posts 1941-1942 (Entry 4)
Boxes 1-4

"Most Secret" Cablegrams Received from OSS Outposts 1942-1944 (Entry 5)

Arranged alphabetically by name of post from which received and thereunder chronologically in two subseries: cablegrams relating to shipping and cablegrams relating to all other matters. Boxes 1-5

Security-Classified Cablegrams Sent To and Received From OSS Outposts 1944-1946
(Entry 6)

Arranged alphabetically by name of outpost and ther eunder chronologically.
Boxes 1-14

Formerly Security-Classified Information Studies and Reports Concerning Political, Sociological, and Economic Conditions in Various Countries ("R and A Reports") 1941-1946 (Entry 8) (Note 58)

These records are arranged numerically (1-3492, with considerable gaps), with several subject and miscellaneous reports appended to the end of the numerical arrangement. These reports comprise studies of conditions of particular situations in general and specific areas, interviews with diplomatic representatives or area experts, and studies prepared by other intelligence operations. The overwhelming majority of reports concern developments in the Far East. Apparently no complete listing or index to the series exists. However in folder 2992 of Box 216 of Entry 146 there are partial listings, giving the name of the report, the report number, date of the report, and often a snyposis of the report. Also in folder 66 of Box 6 of Entry 157 there are similar listings;

Boxes 1-64

Security-Classified Weekly "Notes of Economic Intelligence" Prepared by the British Ministry of Economic Warfare 1942 (Entry 12)

Arranged chronologically. Box 1

Name and Subject Index to the "Regular" Intelligence Reports [Series 16]
(Entry 14)

This index is arranged in three subseries (persons, countries, and subjects), each thereunder arranged alphabetically. Entries under "countries" also include major islands; some specific regions; and general entries for "Allied Countries" and "Axis Countries." Within each entry of each subseries, the cards are arranged according to a numerical classification scheme. An explanation of the numerical scheme is provided at the beginning of the series. Each card identifies information from a single report, with references to the report's number and original security classification status; title; date; source; and a description of contents.

Boxes 1-436

Intelligence Reports ("Regular" Series) 1941-1945
(Entry 16)

The "regular" designation simply indicated that documents from this series could be borrowed by OSS staff and other agencies. This series covers all matters of intelligence interest during the war. The reports in this series were numbered as they were received, without regard for origin, subject, or chronology. There are no cover or forwarding sheets to indicate the processing of individual reports, nor is any indication provided concerning the use made or internal OSS processing of these reports. A number of reports were withdrawn by the State Department during the early postwar period and became integrated in that agency's files; sometimes these transfers are indicated by withdrawal cards. A number of reports are available as "sanitized" reproductions, with portions deleted for continued security classification. The series is arranged numerically (1-145,317, with some gaps). Many of the records, files 1-50,869, have been microfilmed as NARA Microfilm Publication 1499. Researchers will need to use the microfilmed version of these first 50,869, rather than the textual copies.

Files 1-50, 869; Boxes 1-606 (Microfilm Research Room)
Files 50, 870-106, 987; Boxes 607-1,203
Files 106,988-145,317; Boxes 1,204-1,684

"Regular" Intelligence Reports (Entry 16)

The next seven pages are listed individual files based on a review of the index cards for the following: "econic;" gold; and Switzerland; banking and insurance cards for Italy; and most of the index cards for, aircraft and automobile, financial and economic, economic warfare and general, banking and insurance, and Jews for Germany; and Axis general, political, political relations, government, war aims, nationals, economic, economic relations, finance, imports, exports, banking and insurance.

No attempt was made to ascertain whether the files were actually there. To assist researchers files relating to the same general event, activity, place, or subject have frequently been grouped together, often in chronological blocks, and thereunder numerically by file number.