New Document Releases
Release of MI5 material relating to the Second World War
Released on Friday 10th November 2000, this new material consists mainly of
personal files and concentrates on British traitors, double agents and Nazi
spies. It includes material on William Joyce, 'Lord Haw Haw' and his wife
Margaret, and other renegades such as Roy Purdy, connected with the British
Union of Fascists. Other files focus on double agents working for the British
such as HAMLET, PUPPET and MULLET. Finally there is material on leading
Nazi intelligence officers and agents such as Ernst Kaltenbrunner, head of the
counter-intelligence SD (Sicherheitsdienst - origin of the security service of
the SS) from 1942, Alfred Naujocks, an SS and SD assassin and the exotic
Jose Pachecho y Cuesta and his wife. The Cuestas were former Cuban
dancers who worked for the Abwehr, German military intelligence. Some of
the material was compiled from interrogations after the war by the Combined
Services Detailed Interrogation Centre, Camp 020. In addition to documents
and numerous photographs, there are personal items such as Joyce's watch
and rings and Purdy's dogtags from Colditz which are now on show at the
Public Record Office's Education and Visitor Centre at Kew.
The next few pages have images of some of these newly-released documents
and photographs.
Document reference: KV 2/346
William Joyce was involved in the British Union of Fascists before going on to
establish the British National Socialist League. He married Margaret, a fellow
BUF member in 1937 and the two fled to Germany in August 1939 from where
they broadcast Nazi propaganda to Britain during the war. William Joyce was
nicknamed Lord Haw Haw because of his upper class accent. Margaret
Joyce prepared and presented talks for the German Broadcasting Service.
Her husband was executed after the war but she was spared for
compassionate reasons.
These photographs show the couple individually and broadcasting together in
Germany.
Document reference: KV 2/345
The first two images show code material which was taken from William Joyce
at the end of the Second World War. The second two pictures are an
explanation of how the comparatively simple cipher worked.
Document reference: KV 2/345 & KV 2/346
This page shows personal items belonging to the Joyces. The first is Margaret
Joyce's war service medal awarded in 1944. The second is the last entry
from her German diary, written at the end of the Second World War, the day
she was arrested. The final image shows rings and a broken watch belonging
to William Joyce which will be displayed at the Public Record Office.
Document reference: KV 2/346
The first three pages here contain the statement written by Margaret Joyce
when she was arrested by British forces in Germany in 1945. It outlines her
activities and why she behaved the way she had done. The lower pages are
the MI5 report on their attitude towards Margaret Joyce and how she should
be treated.
Document reference: KV 2/346
These three pages are details compiled by MI5 and Special Branch of
witnesses who heard wartime broadcasts by Margaret Joyce. As a result of
these broadcasts she became known herself as Lady Haw Haw.
Document reference: KV 2/280
The photographs are of Alfred Naujocks who was a member of the SS and
the SD from the 1930s. Under Heydrich's command he aimed to murder
opponents of the Nazi regime. He was involved in 1939 in deceptions to
suggest the Poles had invaded Germany and in the capture of British agents
at Venlo. Subsequently he produced forged documents including British
currency. He was also suspected of war crimes, especially in Denmark.
Document reference: KV 2/278
TREASURE was the code name of a double agent, Lily Segueiev. Below are
photographs of her and her German controller Emil Kliemann, known as
OCTAVE, in various locations. The final image shows drawings by Segueiev
of Kliemann and his mistress, Yvonne Delidaise.
Document reference: KV 2/256
Pearl Vardon, a Jersey school teacher who worked for a German building
company when the island was occupied in July 1940. During this time she fell
in love with a German lieutenant and travelled to Germany with him when he
was posted back there. She worked for Radio Luxembourg, then under
German control. At the end of the war she was sentenced to 9 months
imprisonment. The top image shows her German passport. The two pages
underneath that are Vardon's statement of her activities and the last is MI5's
view of her case
Document reference: KV 2/296
Featured below are show business photographs of Jose Panchero y Cuesta
and his wife, Diaz. They were dancers from Cuba and were recruited in
Belgium in 1942 by the Marine Section of the Abwehr. Their task was to
obtain information from Allied officers in Cuban bars. However, they were
captured by the British in Trinidad on their way to Cuba. Having been
interrogated in Trinidad and at Camp 020, Cuesta co-operated with the British
and was deported to Cuba after the war. The final image is of equipment
used for sending messages using invisible writing materials.
Document reference: KV 2/296
This page shows the report produced by Camp 020 following the interrogation
of the Cuestas at the end of the war, written in a disapproving tone. The
report states that deportation was the best option. The photograph shows
Jose during his imprisonment.
Document reference: KV 2/337
Frederick Joseph Rutland, was a former British Naval flying officer and World
War One hero.During the 1920's he advised the Japanese on naval aviation in
the 1920s and volunteered to help Japanese intelligence, if Japan ever went
to war with the USA. From 1922 MI5 monitored his post and movements as
he continued to have contact with Japanese officers both in Britain and
abroad. Seen as a risk he was interned between 1941-2. At the time there
was no proof he was a spy,. But a newly released file, KV 2/331 containing
decrypted Japanese cipher traffic, shows that Japanese intelligence regarded
him as an active spy.
Next to the photograph of Rutland is a request from MI5 to intercept his post,
and the third image shows gives tips on what to look out for. The bottom two
pages reveal the suspicions of MI5 and details of his career.
.
The list below contains a selection of documents recently transferred to the
PRO.
PRO reference Date
Description
AN 13/2234
1952
British Railways Board: King George VI's funeral
AN 157/224
1950
London Transport area: long term development;
double-deck trains
CUST 139/57
1854-61
HM Customs and Excise: Customs General
Orders associated with the prohibition of certain
exports in times of hostilities
DO 196/425
1964
Dominions Office: Earl Mountbatten's views on
Kashmir
DO 196/479
1964-5
Stopping of military aid to India and Pakistan
consequent to outbreak of war
DO 196/540
1965-6
Pakistan attitude towards Indian nuclear policy
DO 207/63
1965-6
Assistance to political prisoners (Rhodesia)
FCO 9/1084
1968
Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Gibraltar
dispute: British information and publicity
FCO 9/1088
1969
British diplomatic representation
FCO 44/212
1969
Anti-demonstration contingency plans for United
States bases
FO 953/2288
1966
Foreign Office: Record of meeting between
Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Foreign
Office and Director General, BBC to discuss
broadcasting and external services policy
FO 953/2289
1966
Foreign Office relations with the BBC
FO 953/2296
1966
UK action and policy in event of a country
leaving the Commonwealth
FO 953/2299
1966
Concern over Robert Maxwell's publicity tactics
in launching and promoting sales of Chamber's
Encyclopaedia by Pergamon Press
FO 953/2312
1966
UK position on EEC and French attitude
FO 953/2331
1966
Discussions on anti-Nasser publicity in the
Middle East
FO 953/2334
1966
Correspondence showing concerns among
British diplomats that claims that the 1966 World
Cup had been a 'fix' were damaging Britain's
standing abroad, particularly in Latin America
handling and arrangements for Football World
Cup
FO 953/2344
1966
UK-France relations and French attitude
towards NATO
FO 953/2349
1966
UK-Portugal relations: UK policy on Rhodesia
FO 953/2353
1966
Six month survey of US public opinion, including
unfavourable comment on Vietnam
FO 953/2355
1966
UK French allies on EEC
FO 953/2407
1966
Foreign Office comment on adverse articles
appearing in the US press on 'Swinging London'
FO 953/2460
1966
Paper on promoting Foreign Office image
FO 953/2462
1966
Meetings with ministers to improve Foreign
Office image
FO 953/2477
1966
Measures to break down communist China's
isolation
FO 953/2485
1966
Future of Singapore
FO 953/2492
1966
A M Palliser's impressions of visit to USA
FO 953/2495
1966
UK-USA balance sheet
FO 953/2499
1966
Comments on Steering Committee paper on
German reunification and security
FO 953/2500
1966
Atlantic Policy Advisory Group discussion on
Vietnam
FO 953/2502
1966
Comments on UK military strategy in 1970s
FO 953/2506
1966
Amnesty International and detainees in Aden
FO 371/36754
1943
Foreign Office: Sabotage of British ships in
Spanish ports
FO 1107/2
1968-9
Foreign Office: Student unrest
PREM
11/1582
1955-6
Prime Minister’s Office: Policy for countering
subversive activities throughout the world
T 233/479
1949-51
Treasury: Emergency powers to function abroad
T 233/2391
1960-61
Expenses incurred in Westminster Abbey in
connection with Princess Margaret’s wedding