Operation Legacy facts for kids

Operation Legacy was a secret plan by the British government that ran from the 1950s to the 1970s. During this time, many countries that were once part of the British Empire were becoming independent. The plan's main goal was to hide or destroy important documents. These files showed things the British Empire did that they didn't want their former colonies to find out about.

Hiding the Files: How it Worked

British officials, including agents from MI5 (Britain's security service) and Special Branch (a police unit), looked through many secret documents. They were searching for any papers that could make the British government look bad. This included files that showed unfair treatment based on race or religion.

They found about 8,800 sensitive files from at least 23 different countries and areas. These files were either destroyed or secretly sent back to the United Kingdom. Officials were given very clear instructions on how to get rid of the documents. Methods included burning them or dumping them into the sea. Some of these files even described harsh methods used against people who disagreed with the colonial governments, like during the Mau Mau Uprising.

Avoiding Embarrassment

British officials wanted to avoid a repeat of what happened in New Delhi in 1947. Back then, documents were openly burned, and Indian news reported on it. To prevent this kind of embarrassment again, they planned carefully.

On May 3, 1961, Iain Macleod, who was in charge of the colonies, sent a secret message to all British embassies. This message told them the best ways to collect and get rid of sensitive papers. To make sure new governments never learned about Operation Legacy, officials had to send "destruction certificates" to London. These certificates confirmed the files were gone. Sometimes, there were so many documents to burn that officials worried they would "celebrate Independence Day with smoke."

Learning About Operation Legacy

For many years, the details of Operation Legacy were kept secret. However, in recent years, researchers have learned more about it. This is thanks to documents called the migrated archives. These files were moved from colonial offices to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London.

In 2011, the UK government admitted it had secret documents related to the Mau Mau Uprising. After this, they started to make many of these hidden files public. By November 2013, about 20,000 files had been released. You can now find and read these documents at The National Archives in Kew, London.

See also

• Cover-up
• Post-colonialism