‘Heil England!’ Reggie Sutton-Pratt, British Military Attaché in Stockholm 1939-1945

Abstract

ABSTRACT During the Second World War, neutral Sweden was regarded by Britain as an important source of intelligence but the activities and contribution of the Stockholm Military Attaché, Reginald Sutton-Pratt to the sourcing, management and communication of British military intelligence have not been previously assessed. Sutton-Pratt was a key figure in Anglo-Swedish ‘intelligence liaison,’ that enabled Britain to estimate the military capability of this neutral in the event of German invasion. Intelligence liaison required competences that facilitated cooperation between senior Swedish and British military officers to a perhaps surprising degree. Additionally, Sutton-Pratt maintained Norwegian sources that provided detailed intelligence about German deployment and activities in the occupied territory. He also sourced intelligence from escaped British POWs for MI9. Sutton-Pratt’s valuable position as an accredited attaché was threatened by his involvement in SIS and SOE operations but he avoided being recalled. In addition to his intelligence roles, he worked assiduously to contribute to the British war effort across a range of activities such as military supplies to Finland during the Winter War and prisoner exchange with the Germans.