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| Germany, April 1945. André LOUWAGIE of the CI MIssion Team assigned to the 3rd US Army. |
THE BELGIAN COUNTER INTELLIGENCE
1945
SHORT HISTORY
Already in
1943, in London, the Belgian State Security and the 2nd Direction
(Counter Intelligence)
of the Ministry of Defence
agreed to work together, once Belgium liberated,
to track down
all war criminals and military collaborators.
As most
military collaborators fled to Germany, it was only once the War
had ended that the real work could start.
Four Field Security Sections were raised, each consisting of one officer, five NCO's and five men.
Several Interrogation Sections were also raised, each consisting of four officers, ten NCO's and thirtynine men.
The Security Sections and the Interrogation Sections were put at the disposal of the 21st Army Group.
SHAEF also
requested Belgian help, especially military with good notice of
German and English,
for the 12th US Army Group.
This Belgian CI Mission, seven officers and ten men, consisted of four teams.
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| Germany, April 1945. André LOUWAGIE of the CI MIssion Team assigned to the 3rd US Army. |
| UNIT | Raised | At disposal of | Disbanded |
| Field Security Sections | February 22 1945 | 21st Army Group | December 31 1945 |
| Interrogation Sections | February 22 1945 | 21st Army Group | December 31 1945 |
| Belgian CI Mission Teams | February 28 1945 | 12th US Army Group | July 27 1945 |
FORMATION BADGES
FIELD SECURITY SECTIONS - INTERROGATION SECTIONS
Most of them wore the Formation Badge of the HQ of the 21st Army Group.
2 Crusaders swords in gold, on a dark blue cross on a red shield.
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| Formation Badge of the HQ 21st Army Group. |
BELGIAN CI MISSION TEAMS
One team was attached to the 3rd US Army and wore its Formation Badge.
A white capital "A" surrounded by a red circle, the whole in a blue circle.
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| Formation Badge of the 3rd US Army. | Lieutenant LOUWAGIE of the
CI Mission Team assigned to the 3rd US Army. He wears a British Battle Dress |
A second team was assigned to the US Office of Military Government Detachment I-364.
They wore the US Civil Affairs badge.
A shield divided in 5 equal vertical bars, red-white-blue-white-red, a sword with golden handle in front.
 |
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| US Civil Affairs badge. | Charles DECOT,
member of the Belgian CI Mission team attached to the US Civil Affairs Detachment I-364 |
I have no valid information about the other two teams.
RANK INSIGNIA
As most were civilians, they were assimilated to a military rank and wore specific rank insignia.
On the
collars of the battledress, officers wore white embroidered
Belgian lions,
NCO's light grey embroidered lions,
and coporals and privates wore blue embroidered lions.
Field officers wore a 3mm width bar under the lions, senior officers a 7mm width bar.
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| Collar Insignia as worn by Senior Officers. |
Officers shoulder strap rank insignia |
|
| Colonel | 3 white bars |
| Lieutenant-Colonel | 2 white bars |
| Major | 1 white bar |
| Senior Captain | 3 white bars |
| Captain | 2 white bars + 1 brown bar between |
| Lieutenant | 2 white bars |
| Second Lieutenant | 1 white bar |
NCO's, corporals and privates wore no shoulder strap rank insignia.
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| Collar Insignia of a Field Officer. |
OTHER INSIGNIA
All wore a bronze-coloured Belgian lion on the field cap, képi or béret.
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| Bronze-coloured Belgian lion. |
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| Civilian
of a Field Security Section, assimilated Lieutenant. Watch collar and shoulder strap insignia, képi lion and "BELGIUM" arm title. |
On the left
upper sleeve a white curved "BELGIUM" armtitle was
worn,
on the right upper sleeve the Belgian National Colours.
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| White BELGIUM Arm Title. |
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| Belgian national Colours. |
