MI6 'used bodily fluids as invisible ink'

[Chives]

A diary entry belonging to a senior member of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) has revealed that during the First World War it was discovered that the bodily fluid could act as an effective invisible ink.

In June 1915, Walter Kirke, deputy head of military intelligence at GHQ France, wrote in his diary that Mansfield Cumming, the first chief (or C) of the SIS was "making enquiries for invisible inks at the London University".




In October he noted that he "heard from C that the best invisible ink is semen", which did not react to the main methods of detection. Furthermore it had the advantage of being readily available.


A member of staff close to "C", Frank Stagg, said that he would never forget his bosses' delight when the Deputy Chief Censor said one day that one of his staff had found out that "semen would not react to iodine vapour".



Stagg noted that "we thought we had solved a great problem".



However, the discovery also led to some further problems, with the agent who had identified the novel use having to be moved from his department after becoming the butt of jokes.



In addition, at least one agent had to be reminded to use only fresh supplies of the 'ink' when correspondents began noticing an unusual smell.
The revelations are included in 'MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949' by Professor Keith Jeffery.



Prof Jeffery, of Queen's University, Belfast, was given access to all of MI6's files between those years. The book is published on Tuesday and is being serialised in The Times.

I wouldn't like to be the supplier of the goods.
Linky

 

[Greenlizard0]

Wait - the guy's called Mansfield Cumming?

 

[Chives]

Wait - the guy's called Mansfield Cumming?

Only just noticed that!

 

[Doughnut007]

how did he find it out? Lol

 

[DJMK4]

Some might say he's the right guy for the job

 

[arc@css]

 

[Metatron]

Must be a slow news day because I read about this several years ago.


Edit: Here you go, 11 year old article in The Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...ter-who-was-stranger-than-fiction-737707.html

Cumming was so pleased to discover that semen made a good invisible ink that his agents adopted the motto: "Every man his own stylo".

 

[Azza]

Was on QI the other night this.

 

[Greenlizard0]

It may avoid detection.

But as every 12 year old boy works out (after looking at the Littlewoods' catalogue) semen makes the pages stick together..

Was on QI the other night this.

I remember now. Was trying to find the episode.

NEVER search for anything with the words 'semen' and/or 'cumming'

 

[DJMK4]

It may avoid detection.

But as every 12 year old boy works out (after looking at the Littlewoods' catalogue) semen makes the pages stick together..

I preferred razzle tbh

 

[Retikulan]

Gives new definition to the phrase "Lead in your pencil".

 

[Cosimo]

But as every 12 year old boy works out (after looking at the Littlewoods' catalogue) semen makes the pages stick together..

... and then gets mum asking why pages have gone missing from her catalogue.

 

[timmyt]

I remember something like this on QI during a spy themed episode was a good episode.

 

[InvaderGIR]

I remember now. Was trying to find the episode.

NEVER search for anything with the words 'semen' and/or 'cumming'

Surely it'd spring to mind that these are not sensible search criteria?

 

[mrk]

... and then gets mum asking why pages have gone missing from her catalogue.

What catalogue?