Military Interpreters in War

Abstract

Throughout the course of the Second World War, linguists and foreign language speakers were employed by a variety of different agencies, such as the armed forces and their auxiliary services, the Foreign Office, and other ministries. When the liberation of Europe was almost accomplished and the conflict drew closer to its end, preparations for the occupation of enemy territory had to include the governing and administration of all aspects of life. Slowly, the importance of language intermediary roles for the military during liberation/occupation and later in regime change became clearer, not least given the requirements of denazification. This chapter reflects on how a ‘linguistic space’ was created and developed in the post-war occupation of Germany and on how an interpreting system was developed by the military incrementally and ‘on the ground’ to respond to the needs of military effectiveness.

It was also noted that there had been a failure in the interpretation at more than one recent trial … at the abortive trial of Dr. JUNG the interpreters, who were Dutchmen, were able to speak neither English nor German.¹