The Welwand: SOE Assassin’s “Sleeve Gun”
SOE demonstration of how Welwand is employed as sleeve gun. The Welwand. or “Sleeve Gun”, as ir was nicknamed, was a modification of the more recognized Welrod pistol of World…
Mansfield George Smith-Cumming: The Man Behind the Birth of MI6
Captain Sir Mansfield George Smith-Cumming KCMG CB, born on April 1, 1859, was a British naval officer who served as the first chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), also…
Peter J. Ortiz: A Hero in War and on Screen
Peter J. Ortiz. Peter Julien Ortiz, born on July 5, 1913, in New York City, was the son of a French-Spanish father and an American mother of Swiss descent. He…
Whispering Death: The Welrod Pistol
Welrod Mk II at Parham Airfield Museum, Parham Airfield, Suffolk. Museum of the British Resistance Organisation. Photo: Gaius Cornelius / CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED. The Welrod is a fascinating piece…
James Armistead Lafayette: Hero Spy of the American Revolution
James Armistead Lafayette. Credit: US Army. James Armistead Lafayette was born into slavery around the year 1748 in New Kent County, Virginia. He was raised on the property of Colonel…
The Langley Files: The CIA’s First Public Podcast
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), known for its clandestine operations and intelligence gathering, has taken a step towards transparency with its first public podcast, The Langley Files. The Langley Files…
The NRO: Pioneering Space-Based Intelligence
Aerial photograph of the National Reconnaissance Office by Trevor Paglen. Commissioned by Creative Time Reports, 2013. The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is a pivotal institution within the United States Intelligence…
The FP-45 Liberator: An Unconventional Weapon for Resistance
FP-45 Liberator. Photo: Armémuseum / CC BY 4.0 DEED. The FP-45 Liberator was a unique weapon developed during World War II by the United States. It was a single-shot handgun…
ETS Universal Speedloader for Pistols: World’s Fastest Loader
ETS 9mm/.40 Cal Universal Speedloader for Pistols. Shown with ETS polymer and steel Omega magazine. Elite Tactical Systems Group (ETS) recently sent me its 9mm/.40 Cal Universal Speedloader for Pistols…
Captain Peter Mason: Official Assassin
Photo of Peter Mason, date unknown. Captain Peter Mason, a figure whose life was as intriguing as any spy novel, served in the British Special Air Service (SAS) during World…