James H. Critchfield Papers, 1941/2003

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

James H. Critchfield Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Summary

Extent:
11.50 Linear Feet
Language:
English German
Preferred citation:

James H. Critchfield Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Background

Scope and content:

Primary source documents, research materials and drafts for James Critchfield's book, "Partners at the Creation the Men behind Postwar Germany's Defense and Intelligence Establishments." Includes information on Germans imprisoned by the Allies, and on De-Nazification, for which Critchfield conducted interviews; also included are two copies of a booklet about a camps for detainees ("Camp 71"). The illustrated booklet is written in German and one English translation insert is provided. Further included are oral history transcripts and documents relating to the Berlin Crises (1958-1961), the founding of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), the declassified Central Intelligence Agency documents (1945-1949), a German-English intelligence glossary, biographical files and correspondence. Includes some Holocaust materials and photographs of concentration camp victims.

Acc. 2009.367 consists of photocopies of "Foreign Intelligence and Partnership:CIA and the origins of the BND, 1945-49"; as well as one bound and one loose-leaf set of copies of correspondence relating to Critchfield's post-war Intelligence tasks.

Scope and Contents Dissertation: "The Denazification Program in the U.S. Zone of Germany."

Some tapes have been digitized. Tapes that have not been digitized will need to be digitized before access. Please contact Special Collections staff for more information. At least 72 hours advanced notice required for access.

This series includes material about the CIA and the origins of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) as well as historical information about the CIA relationship with the German Federal Intelligence Service.

Volume I Part I Firsthand Accounts Part II Stunde Null (Zero Hour, June 1945) Part III Vandenberg Report Part IV Bossard Report The report gives the history of the relationship between the CIA and the BND, beginning with General Gehlen, a German officer who started an organization during the war to preserve German intelligence records on the Soviet Union after Germany's defeat. The United States Army worked with Gehlen's organization after the end of the war, in a project called "Operation Rusty". The Vandenberg report was an evaluation by the CIA in 1947 of the merits of the CIA taking over this operation, which rejected the idea. The Bossard report was a later CIA follow up which was more favorable to the idea. In 1948 James Critchfield, head of the Munich Operations Based prepared the "Critchfield Report" which recommended the CIA take over Gehlen's operation , and this policy was put into effect in 1949. "Year of Decisions" the final section of the report consists of memos and reports between the CIA and the BND during 1949 as the policy was being carried out.

Bound copy of Item 1.

Volume II Part V Critchfield Report Part VI Year of Decisions.

Bound book with copies of documents and reports relating to the CIA-BND operations, with a cover letter from Eberhard Blum, head of the BND from 1982-1985, to his "dear friend" James Critchfield.

Looseleaf copy of Item 4.

Biographical / historical:

James H. Critchfield was a United States Army officer during World War II who remained in Germany and Austria as an army intelligence officer and joined the newly formed Central Intelligence Agency where he was the principal CIA officer working with the Gehlen Organization until its emergence as the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND).He was born January 30, 1917 and graduated from North Dakota State University. He retired from the CIA in 1974 and died April 23, 2003. Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .

Acquisition information:
Acc. 2004.09 was a gift of Lois Critchfield in 2004. Acc. 2009.367 a gift of Lois Critchfield in August 2009.
Processing information:

Processed by Matthew Hopper, SCRC Staff, during 2003-2004. Addition accessioned in August 2009 ,and described and rehoused by Terry Noziglia, SCRC Staff, in October 2009.

Physical / technical requirements:

Some cassette tapes have been digitized. Tapes that have not been digitized will need to be digitized before accessing. Please contact Special Collections staff for more information. At least 72 hours advanced notice required to access cassette tape recordings.