Posted by phil tomaselli on March 07, 2005 at 07:04:48 from 212.211.102.20 user Phil_T.
I went back to the National Archives on Saturday & they've digitised the two MI5 files which are the subject of discussion elsewhere. The good news is that they should be available for all and sundry to view on the NA website. The bad news is that with their usual efficiency in things electronic (you may recall the 1901 Census fiasco) they're very difficult to locate on the site, cost money to download and I'm not absolutely sure they're downloadable (??) properly yet. this last may be due to my own computer illiteracy. Instructions for use are not exactly clear either.
If you can locate the online documents section of the NA website they lurk under International & national affairs (or somesuch) category.
The files are KV 2/1903 & KV 2/1904. Please be aware that they have split the files into downloadable sections & the MI5 files run backwards so that the top download is the index and the earlier material on the file (what we're more likely to be interested in) is towards the beginning. This may save you some time & money.
If you go to NA at Kew you can download (but not copy) for free.
I'd be interested in how anyone else gets on with this to check whether it really is just me being stupid.
Phil T