I assume the Official Secrets Act is still used today ?
A question for those of you who are ex-forces and came under the umbrella of this act.
If you were privy to classified information back in the 60s, for instance, about the performance of an
aircraft which is now obsolete, are you still bound by that act. Even though that information has long since passed
through the public domain.
I was talking to a chap recently, who was in the army and worked in communications during the cold war.
He was saying that there is still a lot of what he did which was classified and can’t talk about, even though the equipment he used is obsolete and the cold war is over. As well as being the subject of a multitude of documentaries.
A lot of you will also remember a lot of the Bletchley Park employees being upset when a book was written
about their wartime activities, as they said they were told never to talk about it.
Although they were no doubt miffed that they weren’t first with the book.
I realize there are still some secrets kept locked away, as there are surviving relatives who could be embarrassed.
By: TonyT - 24th January 2014 at 18:50
Yes, but in the same context there are files from WW2 that still haven’t been released even after the 30 yr rule? is up.
Never been in that position so couldn’t really comment Trumper
You have to remember that on a station there would be few that knew what went on in different sections etc and although you have signed the OFA you wouldn’t know what you were cleared / vetted to, though when you start talking about special weapon etc, you know your security clearance is past the pot washing in the mess level. If that makes sense.
By: trumper - 24th January 2014 at 18:48
What would happen if you had to keep a secret on something that was just so blatantly wrong,professionally,humanly wrong it would see guilty people get away with something so hideous you couldn’t live the rest of your life knowing you didn’t do something or report something you should have.
By: AlanR - 24th January 2014 at 18:25
You have to remember, when you sign the official secrets act it is for life with no time limit on it.
That’s what I was told.
Although you could take that to mean, that someone from WWII, is not allowed to tell you what was about to happen on
June 6th 1944, as they were told it was a secret. An extreme example I know.
I would “guess” that there are few secrets of the cold war era kept by allied personnel today, that the Russians didn’t know about. Many kept to protect individuals ?
By: TonyT - 24th January 2014 at 18:14
I can understand it, there is a discussion on pprune re a nuclear incident at Bruggen where they dropped one, I knew about it at the time as I was there, although the incident is now in the public domain and the BOI (board of inquiry) has been released, I still feel uncomfortable talking about it or for that, what we actually did then.. Remember, for years what we were doing was Secret
I actually gave the one at Elvington a little kick when I visited, as the last time I had seen one it was live lol. I could understand his reluctance and yes not everything is in the public domain from that time and there will be things some people can’t talk about, I know there is still from my career..
You have to remember, when you sign the official secrets act it is for life with no time limit on it.
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January 24, 2014 at 5:55 pm