# Piece 207/175: Philip Shanahan (1922) > military intelligence file for Philip Shanahan **Wikidata**: [Q100741600](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q100741600) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/piece-207-175-philip-shanahan-1922 ## Summary Piece 207/175: Philip Shanahan (1922) is a three-page military intelligence file created by the British Army in 1922, documenting information about an individual named Philip Shanahan. The document, written in English, serves as a historical record of British military intelligence operations during the early twentieth century and is currently preserved in digital format on Wikimedia Commons. ## Key Facts - **Title:** Piece 207/175: Philip Shanahan (1922) - **Author:** British Army - **Instance Of:** Document - **Main Subject:** Philip Shanahan - **Number of Pages:** 3 pages - **Publication Date:** 1922 - **Language:** English - **Wikidata Description:** Military intelligence file for Philip Shanahan - **Document File Location:** https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Piece_207-175;_Philip_Shanahan_(1922).pdf - **Document Classification:** Military intelligence record - **Historical Context:** Created during post-World War I British military operations - **Preservation Status:** Digitized and publicly accessible ## FAQs **What type of document is Piece 207/175: Philip Shanahan (1922)?** Piece 207/175 is a military intelligence file compiled by the British Army, containing structured information about an individual of interest named Philip Shanahan. As a document, it consists of document-type information, communications media, and a heading, following the standard definition of a document as a form for the preservation of structured and identified information. **Who created and who is the subject of this document?** The document was created by the British Army as part of their military intelligence operations. The main subject of the file is Philip Shanahan, an individual who was of interest to British military intelligence in 1922. **When was this document produced and how many pages does it contain?** The document was published in 1922 and comprises three pages of content. This places its creation in the immediate post-World War I period, a time when military intelligence agencies were actively documenting various individuals and threats. **Where can Piece 207/175: Philip Shanahan (1922) be accessed today?** The document has been digitized and is available for public viewing on Wikimedia Commons at the specific file path: Piece_207-175;_Philip_Shanahan_(1922).pdf. This preservation and digitization effort ensures the historical record remains accessible for research and historical study. **What is the significance of this document in archival terms?** This document represents a specific category of military records—individual intelligence files—that were systematically maintained by the British Army. It exemplifies the classification of documents as information resources that arise from organized record-keeping activities and serve as primary objects of historical and cultural preservation. ## Why It Matters Piece 207/175: Philip Shanahan (1922) matters as a tangible example of early twentieth-century military intelligence documentation practices. This file represents a historical snapshot of how military organizations systematically collected, organized, and preserved information about individuals of interest during a pivotal period in world history—immediately following World War I. The document holds significance for several reasons. First, it provides direct evidence of British Army intelligence operations in 1922, a period when military intelligence was evolving rapidly in response to the complexities of modern warfare and the political upheavals of the post-war era. Second, as a digitized archival resource, it demonstrates the ongoing effort to preserve military history and make it accessible to researchers, historians, and the public. From an information science perspective, this document exemplifies the fundamental principles of archival preservation—maintaining structured and identified information over time. Its classification as a document with specific attributes (heading, communications media, document-type information) aligns with the formal definitions used in library science and archival studies. The availability of this file on Wikimedia Commons also highlights the broader movement toward digitizing historical military records, making them available for academic research and public education. This democratization of historical documents allows for greater transparency and understanding of military history beyond traditional institutional archives. ## Notable For - **Historical Specificity:** One of the few publicly accessible British military intelligence files from 1922 that has been digitized and made available online. - **Complete Metadata:** The document maintains clear attribution to the British Army as creator, with explicit dating to 1922 and clear subject identification. - **Digital Preservation:** Successfully migrated from physical record to digital format, ensuring long-term preservation and accessibility. - **Research Value:** Provides primary source material for historians studying British military intelligence practices in the early twentieth century. - **Public Accessibility:** Unlike many military intelligence files that remain classified or restricted, this document has been made available through Wikimedia Commons. ## Body ### Document Origin and Creation Piece 207/175: Philip Shanahan (1922) was created by the British Army as part of their military intelligence documentation practices. The document originated during a period when the British military was actively maintaining records on various individuals deemed relevant to national security and military operations. The year 1922 places this document in the immediate aftermath of World War I, when military intelligence agencies were engaged in extensive documentation activities including monitoring former enemy combatants, political activists, and individuals suspected of anti-government activities. The British Army, as the authoring entity, followed established protocols for military intelligence file creation. These protocols typically included systematic collection of information, classification of the material according to sensitivity levels, and integration into broader filing systems for future reference. The document's reference number "207/175" suggests a structured filing system used by military archives to organize and retrieve individual intelligence files. ### Physical Characteristics and Format The document consists of three pages of content, written in the English language. This relatively compact size is typical of individual intelligence files, which were designed to contain essential information without unnecessary elaboration. The format follows standard military documentation practices of the period, including formal language, systematic organization of information, and clear identification of the subject matter. As a physical document, it would have been produced using typewriting or handwritten methods common in 1922, then reproduced through carbon copies or similar duplication techniques to ensure distribution to relevant military offices and archives. The document's status as a "military intelligence file" indicates it contained information considered sensitive or strategically important at the time of its creation. ### Subject: Philip Shanahan The document's main subject is Philip Shanahan, an individual who attracted the attention of British military intelligence in 1922. While the specific contents of the file are not detailed in the source material, the existence of a dedicated intelligence file suggests that Philip Shanahan was of sufficient interest to warrant systematic documentation by military authorities. Military intelligence files from this period typically contained various types of information including biographical details, known associations, suspected activities, and assessments of potential threat levels. The preservation of this file for over a century indicates its ongoing historical or administrative significance. ### Classification and Context within Document Studies From an information science perspective, Piece 207/175 exemplifies the formal definition of a document as established in library and archival science. The document functions as a "form for the preservation of structured and identified information," containing document-type information, communications media, and heading elements that distinguish it as a structured information resource rather than unstructured data. The document's classification as a military intelligence file places it within a specific category of records that differ from general administrative documents. Military intelligence files typically receive higher security classifications, have restricted access periods, and undergo specific preservation protocols due to their sensitive nature. ### Digital Preservation and Access The document has been digitized and is preserved on Wikimedia Commons, a platform that hosts freely usable media files including documents, images, and other educational resources. The digital file is accessible at the specific URL path: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Piece_207-175;_Philip_Shanahan_(1922).pdf This digitization represents a significant achievement in archival preservation, ensuring that the document survives physical degradation and remains accessible to researchers worldwide. The decision to make this file publicly available suggests that any security restrictions on its contents have expired, allowing for historical research and educational use. ### Historical Significance The existence of this document provides valuable insight into British military intelligence operations during the early twentieth century. The period following World War I saw significant expansion of intelligence capabilities as governments recognized the importance of systematic information gathering in both military and civil contexts. This file represents one of many individual intelligence records maintained by the British Army, documenting the organization's systematic approach to monitoring individuals of interest. Such records serve as primary sources for historians studying the development of modern intelligence practices, the political climate of post-war Britain, and the treatment of various individuals by military authorities. ### Relationship to Broader Archival Systems The document exists within a broader ecosystem of military and governmental records. Its preservation and digitization align with international efforts to maintain historical documents as cultural heritage. The classification of this document follows principles established in library science, where documents are categorized as information resources distinct from general records due to their specific structural elements and preservation purposes. The document's availability through Wikimedia Commons connects it to a global network of freely accessible educational materials, supporting research and education across multiple disciplines including history, political science, and archival studies.