Collection number: MC 352 [Off-site storage]
Size:
(25 boxes)
(8.33 cu.ft.)
About Tom McNiff, Jr. (1940-2017)
Thomas Alfred McNiff Jr. (1940-2017) was a freelance reporter based in Massachusetts. He was a member of the United States Air Force from 1957-1961, later working for the Boston Globe at various points. As a freelance journalist his primary research focused on American and British counterintelligence activities in Albania after WWII. McNiff seems to have been inspired by Nicholas Bethell’s 1984 book “The Great Betrayal: The Untold Story of Kim Philby’s Biggest Coup” about British/Soviet double agent Kim Philby’s involvement in Operation BFIEND (later Operation OBOPUS) in Albania. [Note: Sources disagree on whether the original name was BGFIEND or BFIEND. McNiff used the latter, so that spelling is preserved throughout this finding aid.]
Operation BFIEND/OBOPUS was a joint effort (1949-1958) by British and American intelligence services to arm anti-communist guerilla organizations in Albania. They hoped to overthrow the Soviet-backed Communist regime of Envar Hoxha (1908-1985, in power 1941-1985) by setting up exiled Albanian King Zog I and fomenting an Albanian civil war. Additionally, it was hoped that a revolt in Albania would inspire a chain of anti-Communist revolts in Eastern Europe. The operation was a complete failure due to Soviet agents infiltrating the groups and tipping off the Albanian regime.
In a 1985 letter, McNiff wrote,
“I am a freelance journalist now pursuing a project similar to Lord Bethell’s examination of the Anglo-American intelligence operations in Albania, but from an American point of view.”
McNiff’s research found a series of operations not included in Bethell’s book. These served to link Albanian operations more closely with Balkan history of the era – especially Tito’s break with Stalin in 1948 and the emigration to US of Nazi officials around the same time. In another 1985 letter McNiff wrote,
“I am a journalist working on a book that examines American and English intelligence activities in Albania after World War II. As you know the Americans have been accursed of allowing Nazi collaborators to emigrate to the U.S. after the war because of alleged intelligence usefulness. It is this point that I am trying to clear up: whether Albanian collaborators [of the Hoxha regime] were allowed to emigrate to the U.S.”
McNiff’s research concentrating on the American side of the story, but he also needed to get the British and Albanian sides. Between 1985 and 1998 he traveled across the United States, Britain, and Europe conducting interviews and research in support of the book he planned to write. While this volume was ultimately never published, several partial drafts are included in this collection.
About the Tom McNiff Jr. Collection (1945-2010)
This collection consists of ca. 25 cubic feet of research materials. There are 155 audio tapes of interviews with Albanians living in Britain and 148 original and reproduced photographs. The bulk of the collection over 10,000 pages of documents obtained from the FBI, CIA, MI6, U.S. Army, National Archives & Records Administration (NARA), United Nations, and related entities, the bulk of which was obtained through Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests. Photocopies from his research at the Eisenhauer and Truman presidental libraries and various Ivy League universities are included. Around 1000 pages are handwritten notes taken during unrecorded interviews McNiff conducted. Materials are in a mix of English and Albanian.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open.
Contents of this collection are stored offsite and require 48 hours' notice for access. Please contact archives@unh.edu for more information.
Copyright Notice
Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], [Folder Number], [Box Number], Tom McNiff Jr. Collection, 1940-2010, MC 352, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Gift of the estate of the creator, 2020
Separated Material
Duplicates and unrelated material were removed. Approximately 230 books relating to the Albanian operation were removed and selected volumes will be cataloged.
Collection Arrangement
Original order was not discernable upon acquisition. An artificial order was imposed by subject, creating a single series. Each subject is organized chronologically.
Collection Contents
Series 1: Research Materials, 1940-2017
(25 cubic feet)| Box 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 1, Folder 1 | Copy of “The Great Betrayal” by Lord Nicholas Bethell | |
| Box 1, Folder 2 | Copy of “rhetoric and Reality: The Eisenhower Administration and unrest in Eastern Europe, 1953-1959 by James David Marchio | |
| Box 1, Folder 3 | Maps of Albania | |
| Box 1, Folder 4 | Correspondence 1985-1986 | |
| Box 1, Folder 5 | Correspondence 1987-1995 | |
| Box 1, Folder 6 | Correspondence 2008-2017 | |
| Box 1, Folder 7 | Early book draft materials | |
| Box 1, Folder 8 | Early book draft materials | |
| Box 1, Folder 9 | Early book draft materials | |
| Box 1, Folder 10 | Early book draft materials | |
| Box 1, Folder 11 | OPVAL(operational validation program) draft | |
| Box 1, Folder 12 | OPVAL (operational validation program) draft | |
| Box 1, Folder 13 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.1 part 1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 1, Folder 14 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.1 part 2 | |
| Box 1, Folder 15 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.2 part 1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 1, Folder 16 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.2 part1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 1, Folder 17 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.3 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 1, Folder 18 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.4 part 1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 1, Folder 19 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.4 part 2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2 | ||
| Box 2, Folder 1 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.5 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 2 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.6 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 3 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.6 pt.2 with handwritten notes, FBI records of trial | |
| Box 2, Folder 4 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.7 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 5 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.8 with handwritten notes, valuable Fiend leaflets | |
| Box 2, Folder 6 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.9 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 7 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.10 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 8 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.11 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 9 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.12 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 10 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.13 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 11 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.13 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 12 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.14 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 13 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.14 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 14 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.15 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 15 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.15 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 16 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.16 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 17 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.17 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 18 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.17 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 19 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.18 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 20 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.18 pt. 2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 21 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.19 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 22 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.20 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 23 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.20 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 2, Folder 24 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.22 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3 | ||
| Box 3, Folder 1 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.23 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 2 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.23 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 3 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.24 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 4 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.24 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 5 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.25 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 6 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.25 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 7 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.26 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 8 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.26 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 9 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.27 pt.1 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 10 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.27 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 11 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.28 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 12 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.29 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 13 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.29 pt.2 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 14 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.30 with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 15 | Copy of CIA report, OBOPUS / BFIEND, Vol.31 | |
| Box 3, Folder 15 | Operation QKSTAIR Bulgaria | |
| Box 3, Folder 17 | Operation OBDURATE Bulgaria | |
| Box 3, Folder 18 | Personnel File: Destan Berisha with handwritten notes | |
| Box 3, Folder 19 | Personnel File: Shaqir Kabashi with handwritten notes, pt. 1 | |
| Box 3, Folder 20 | Personnel File: Shaqir Kabashi with handwritten notes, pt. 2 | |
| Box 4 | ||
| Box 4, Folder 1-20 | Copies of declassified documents form CIA, 1951 - 1955; copies about Michael Tanes; Copies from Harry S. Truman; copies of Presidential Secretary files, 1950s. | |
| Box 5 | ||
| Box 5, Folder 1-20 | Copies of Lists of US Government documents; copies of Albanian Activities in the US 1951 through 1954; copies of newspaper articles; information on how to get declassified government documents. | |
| Box 6 | ||
| Box 6, Folder 1-20 | Files of 1952 OPS; Thunderclap 1951; Project Obdurate 1953 through 1954; Mustafa Story; copies of CIA declassified documents. | |
| Box 7 | ||
| Box 7, Folder 1-20 | Copies of declassified British files; copies from Eisenhower Library; information concerning Everland - Truitt Case; background of Ahmet Kabashi. | |
| Box 8 | ||
| Box 8, Folder 1-20 | Copies pertaining to Michael Burke and Hermann Neubacher; copies from British Foreign Office, 1949. | |
| Box 9 | ||
| Box 9, Folder 1-20 | Transcripts of interviews with Kupi Family, John Campbell, Abas Ermenji, Ndue Gjonmarka, John Hart, Saiti Bariq, Avni Gastra, Maco Hasani, Alfred Ulmer, Sam Hopler, Philip Adams, Nick Lalic, Asim Jakava, Gilbert Greenway | |
| Box 10 | ||
| Box 10, Folder 1-20 | Albanian Maritime, CIA account of Albania 1949 - 1955, Thunderclap Operation, League of the Mountains 1950 - 1951. | |
| Box 11 | ||
| Box 11, Folder 1-20 | Copies from the Department of State National Archives, Truman Library, OP Val 1940 - 1950. | |
| Box 12 | ||
| Box 12, Folder 1-20 | Personnel files for Philip Adams through Joseph Gurley. Many files contain interviews notes. | |
| Box 13 | ||
| Box 13, Folder 1-20 | Personnel files for Ed Hamilton through Lokman Lutvi. Many files contain interview notes. | |
| Box 14 | ||
| Box 14, Folder 1-20 | Personnel files for Safet Malushi through Gratian Yatsevitch, many files contain interview notes. | |
| Box 15 | ||
| Box 15, Folder 1-20 | Albanian spy activities, CIA information, British Intelligence; notes taken on a trip to Washington DC in 1989. | |
| Box 16 | ||
| Box 16, Folder 1-20 | Copies from 1950s pertaining to activities in Albania. | |
| Box 17 | ||
| Box 17, Folder 1-20 | Information about Joseph Lieb; CIA activities; pages of handwritten notes of research and findings. | |
| Box 18 | ||
| Box 18, Folder 1-20 | Research Materials: miscellaneous copies. | |
| Box 19 | ||
| Box 19, Folder 1-20 | Copies from FBI files on Albanian citizens and their activities. | |
| Box 20 | ||
| Box 20, Folder 1 | Photo: Tom McNiff at his house in Winthrop, MA | |
| Box 20, Folder 2 | List of photos | |
| Box 20, Folder 3 | Photos: Identified people and places, 1945 - 1951 | |
| Box 20, Folder 4 | Photos: Identified people and places, 1951 - 1952 | |
| Box 20, Folder 5 | Photos: Identified people and places, but undated | |
| Box 20, Folder 6 | Unidentified slides and negatives | |
| Box 20, Folder 7 | Unidentified photos | |
| Box 20, Folder 8 | Misc. photos, 1980s | |
| Box 20, Folder 9 | Photos: Esat Bajraktar, 1947 - 1952 | |
| Box 20, Folder 10 | Photos: Bektashi in Detroit, 1985 | |
| Box 20, Folder 11 | Photos: John C. Lee, undated | |
| Box 20, Folder 12 | Photos: Ndue Melyshi, 1949, 1987 | |
| Box 20, Folder 13 | Photos: Mr. Surla, 1984 | |
| Box 20, Folder 14 | Photos: Romanian Agents | |
| Box 20, Folder 15 | Photos: Tameion Building in Athens, 1990 | |
| Box 20, Folder 16 | Photocopies: BFIEND / OBOPUS Training Photos, 1949 – 1953 | |
| Box 20, Folder 17 | Newspaper Clippings, 1949 – 1953 | |
| Box 20, Folder 18 | Albanian Newspaper Clippings, 1991 – 1993 | |
| Box 20, Folder 19 | Yugo Newspaper clippings, 1992 – 1993 | |
| Box 20, Folder 20 | Yugo / Albanian Newspaper clippings, 1989 – 1992 | |
| Box 20, Folder 21 | Misc Newspaper clippings, 2008 - 2010 | |
| Box 21 | ||
| Box 21, Folder 1-20 | Newspaper articles written by Tom McNiff, undated | |
| Box 22 | ||
| Box 22, Folder 1-20 | Reporter Notebooks (50-75), mostly undated | |
| Box 23 | ||
| Box 23, Folder 1-20 | Cassette player, cassettes of interviews, floppy discs and compact discs. | |
| Box 24 | ||
| Box 24, Folder 1-20 | Cassettes of interviews, with inventory | |
| Box 25 | ||
| Box 25, Folder 1-20 | Four books of copies from the United Kingdom National Archives | |
