Records of the US Counter-intelligence Corps (CIC)

[Penn44]

Have you tried to request the CIC records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) directly from the successor US agency, US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM)?

Many years ago I requested and received a person’s CIC record from INSCOM with relative ease and within just a few months.

Penn44

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[RHWinter]

Hi Penn44,
thanks for your hint! Yes, after I had forewarded a FOIA request to the NARA, I heard of the possibility of doing the same towards the INSCOM. I did and quite quickly received an answer, saying that these records were no longer maintained at that command, but had been transferred to the NARA "because of their historical importance".
Sincerely
Richard

[steve248]

A lot of CIC material can also be found among the CIA "Name Files" and "Subject Files" at US NARA.
Check their website and enter "RG 263" (without the quotes) for detailed listings by names and subject.

[Penn44]

Richard:

Maybe you should write the German Embassy in Washington requesting that it forward your document request with endorsement to NARA?

I would write the German Embassy two letters, one of them a polite letter requesting the documents that they should forward to NARA along with their endorsement, and a separate letter just for the Embassy that in blunt language that details your efforts over the last three years trying to get a reply from NARA.

NARA does respond more swiftly to government agencies, and I assume they would readily respond to an Embassy as well.

Penn44

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[RHWinter]

Thank you, Penn44 - maybe that's really worth an attempt!
I already tried to push my request through a Congress man (via business contacts) about a year ago, but without success: The answer I got was only the one, I had already received in NARA's first letter.
But I'll think the embassy-way over. Although I hope, NARA doesn't know from the actual strenuous attempts of our Chancellor, Frau Merkel, to withhold nearly sixty years old german intelligence documents (BND) of the Rudolf Eichmann case from public! They might take the German embassy's support to my FOIA request not serious enough...
Regards
Richard

[Penn44]

The problem at NARA is not that they don’t want to answer your request, those guys are just terribly understaffed considering the volume of requests they get. Some of the archivists are ancient, too. They are wonderful people, but I think they became archivists when records were written in cuneiform on clay tablets. They are a wealth of information and are very willing to share it with you, but because of their age, they move painfully slow.

Penn44

[RHWinter]

Oh, please don't get me wrong: I know, it's not the NARA's staff, who's to blame! I fear, it's in fact nobody, who's to blame: It's just the way it is and thus takes as long, as it takes. It's simply the fact as such, I don't like.
Richard

[photografr7]

The US Counter-intelligence Corps (CIC) records listed below were recently declassified by the Interagency Working Group (IWG) and are now available to researchers at the US National Archives. I apologize in advance for my poor formatting skills:

NARA | IWG | Declassified Documents: Record Group 319: CIC: IRR Case Files: Impersonal Files 1940-1976
Records of the Army Staff (Record Group 319)
Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) Collection
Records of the Investigatory Records Repository (IRR)
IRR Case Files: Impersonal Files 1940-1976

This series of records includes reports, memorandums, interrogations, interviews, cables, affidavits, and other records collected during the course of investigations of individuals and organizations. Many case files relate to German wartime intelligence, security, and special forces organizations and operations. Many case files relate to Communist organizations and operations, especially in Austria, Germany, Korea, and Japan. Some case files relate to the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Also included are case files relating to the exploitation of German scientists, post-World War II eastern European intelligence services, Soviet activities, Nazi Party membership lists for numerous countries. A relatively small quantity of the records pertain to the World War II in the Pacific. Many of the case files were declassified during the 1980s and 1990s and more were declassified under the Nazi War Crimes Records Disclosure Act of 1998. There are still some documents undergoing declassification review. As soon as they are declassified they will be refiled in the folder from which they were withdrawn.

Yes, it is TEN YEARS later, but you have just helped me solve a 70-year old mystery!

Thank you.
Bill Streifer

[Nerac30]

Hi do you know whether ZF010117W (Federal Intelligence Services) is available in NARA?

[SHIFounder]

This is an outstanding, OUTSTANDING update.

I was led here by a tip from the webmaster and President of the 70th Infantry Division "Trailblazers" Association.

Thank you all so very much. -Eric