Far East Combined Bureau facts for kids
The Far East Combined Bureau (FECB) was a secret British group during World War II. Their main job was to listen in on and break secret messages from Japan, China, and Russia. They were like a special detective team for radio signals!
The FECB was first set up in Hong Kong in March 1935. It was an "outstation" of the main British codebreaking center, the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS). Over time, as the war changed, the FECB had to move several times. They went from Hong Kong to Singapore, then to Colombo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), then to Kilindini in Kenya, and finally back to Colombo.
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Starting in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, the FECB had its offices in a naval dockyard. Even though they had armed guards, it was hard to keep their work a secret! The place where they listened to radio signals was on Stonecutters Island, a few miles away. This listening post was staffed by people from the RAF (Royal Air Force) and the Royal Navy.
The team that broke the codes, called the "Y section," had experts who understood Japanese, Chinese, and Russian. One of the important leaders was Henry Shaw. He helped start the FECB.
At first, the Y section focused on breaking three main Japanese Navy codes. These codes were used for different things, like general messages, messages from important officers, and reports about where ships were sailing. Later, they also started trying to break codes used by Japanese businesses to track supply ships. Many of the messages they intercepted were sent back to London for more help with breaking them.
Moving to Singapore
In August 1939, just before World War II officially started, the FECB moved to Singapore. They were worried about a possible Japanese attack on Hong Kong. A small team stayed behind in Hong Kong, but they were captured by the Japanese on Christmas Day 1941.
In Singapore, the FECB set up their main office at the Seletar Naval Base. The listening station was at Kranji. More codebreakers joined them from Bletchley Park in England. This was because Bletchley Park was very busy breaking German codes, so many experts on Japanese codes moved to Singapore. By May 1940, about 40 people were working just on one important Japanese code called JN-25. They could read simple messages from it.
The FECB also worked with other Allied (friendly) codebreaking groups. They shared information with a US unit called Station CAST in the Philippines. They also worked with a Dutch unit in Java. This teamwork was very important for understanding Japanese plans.
New Home in Colombo
As the Japanese forces advanced, the British codebreakers had to move again. In January 1942, the Royal Navy codebreakers went to Colombo, Ceylon (which is now Sri Lanka). They traveled on a troopship with their cars!
In Colombo, they took over an Indian boys' school called Pembroke College. This school became their new secret base for breaking codes and listening to radio signals. The FECB worked closely with Admiral Sir James Fownes Somerville, who was in charge of the Royal Navy's Eastern Fleet in that area.
Kilindini in Kenya
In April 1942, most of the Royal Navy codebreakers moved once more. This time, they went to Kilindini, which is near Mombasa in Kenya. They moved because a Japanese naval force attacked Colombo.
In Kilindini, they took over another Indian boys' school, this one called Allidina. It was about a mile outside Mombasa and looked out over the Indian Ocean. This new base was secretly called HMS Allidina.
Even though the radio reception was not great, the FECB had some big successes in Kilindini. In September 1942, they managed to break the Japanese Merchant Shipping Code (called JN-40). This was a huge breakthrough! They also broke other Japanese codes used for navigation warnings and other merchant shipping messages.
These successes were incredibly important. By knowing where Japanese supply ships were going, Allied forces (like submarines) could attack them. This led to the Japanese losing a lot of their supply ships by the end of the war, which made it much harder for them to fight.
Back to Colombo
After their success in Kenya, the FECB started moving back to Colombo in August 1943. Their new location was at the Anderson Golf Course, about six miles from the main headquarters in Colombo. This base was known as HMS Anderson.
Sadly, during this time, eight female Typex operators (who worked on special code machines) were killed in February 1944. Their ship, the Khedive Ismail, was sunk by a Japanese submarine while they were traveling from Kenya to Ceylon.
After the war, in the 1950s, the British intelligence agency GCHQ built a new listening site in Ceylon to replace HMS Anderson. However, the Ceylon government later decided that all British bases should close. This was because they believed their bases had been used to refuel British ships during the Suez War. So, the new facility and HMS Anderson were closed down within five years.
Key People: Henry Shaw
Paymaster Henry (Harry) Livingston Shaw was a very important Royal Navy codebreaker. He helped start the FECB in Hong Kong and Singapore. He was in charge of the section that dealt with diplomatic (government-to-government) messages. He was known for his excellent Japanese language skills.
Conclusion
The work of British codebreakers like those at the FECB was crucial during World War II. By breaking Japanese codes, they provided vital information that helped the Allies win the war. Their secret efforts helped protect ships and plan important military actions.
