NEO FASCISTS. GREEN SURVEILLANCE IRELAND, SPOOKS, MI5

THE FACE OF THE BRITISH GLADIO?
(The 'running man' of the Hilda Murrell murder)
NEO FASCISTS. GREEN SURVEILLANCE
IRELAND, SPOOKS, MI5
A2 AND THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

Journal of Parapolitics

Lobster 95 is edited and published by My apologies for the long delay in Lobster 95 individual issues:
Stephen Dorril. publishing this issue. I am still in the £2.50 (inc p&p)
process of finishing my history of MI6 and Lobster 95 subscriptions (forfour issues):
135 School Street everything takes much longer than £8.00 (inc p&p)
Netherthong expected. We also had some technical Cheques payable t o S Dom.1
Holmfirth difficulties with the scanner which put Lobster 95 USICanadalEurope: £12.00
West Yorkshire everything behind schedule. Fortunately, Cash (dollars accepted), International
' HD7 2YB I now have an abundance of materials for money orders, cheques drawn on UK bank
the next issue -watch out for the ground- (foreigncheques cost too much to convert
Tel: 01484 681388 breakingnew material on Wilson, Maxwell into Sterling).
and the Scottish League for European
1 September 1995 Freedom. LOBSTER 95
SPECIAL OFFER
The promised Lobster95meeting is still on
but not until the beginning of next year PAPERBACK COPY OF
when the book is out of the way - which
gives me time to organise it. I have a good SMEAR!
venue in Huddersfield, whichis central for
lots of people, and a number of major WILSONAND THE SECRET
speakers. The topics sofar are 'Gladio', the STATE
next election and the inevitable smear
campaign, and the new MI5 agenda. I Stephen DorrillRobin Ramsay
would welcome additional suggestions.

Ihavebeenforced to raiseprices,primarily
because of the post and packing costs - no
one makes money out of this type of
enterprise.

Allback issues are availableasphotocopies
but please allow up to 28 days for delivery.
I will, though, endeavour to get them to
you as quickly as possible.

Special thanks to John Pritchard at the £6.00 inc P&P
Stockport outpost.

All contributions are welcome and shoiild be (USAICANADAIEUROP£E8.00)
typed up on A4 pasper or, better, provided on CHEQUES PAYABLE TO S DORRIL
floppy disc (MS Dos, Windowsor Apple Mac -
wordprocessed)

8 THE GUARDIAN WEEKEND Page 2
Lobster 95

JulianPutkowski,historianandresearcher Sneering class traitors, of whom the late headquarters of the ASE [Amalgamated
for the BBC series TheMonocled Mutineer and unlamented Harry Newton is but one
publishes the third part in his series on of thebetter-known,performaninvaluable Society of Engineers]... getting no
'A2"andforthefirsttimesheds light on the service for Her Majesty's spymasters.
work of afield agent However, their anonymous contributions satisfactionthey cameaway disgusted and
to intelligence summaries are collated and went along to the Herald Office and were
then directed to the office of the ASE
-.written up by, intelli~enceofficers who London District Committee where they
received adequate satisfaction. It is our
rarely acknowledge the original sources. business to see to it that the soldiers in
mechanical units are not used to do
The text-bites thereby produced also mechanics work for soldiers pay." (2)
acquire a glossy veneer which conceals
imperfections.They are polished in order Ralph Isham, reporting about Kempton
to conformwith whatever covert editorial Park, drew particular attention to Gray's
policy demands. The original material is role. Sent to Colonel C.B. Bevis on 24
destroyed, partly to secure the identitiesof February, it stated:
the informantsbut alsotoavoidthecreation
"Everything appears to be proceeding
of discontinuities - flaws arising from normally. There is however a strong
undercurrent amongst the men of the
inconsistencies between the raw data and
the handlers' collated reports. Enemiesare R.A.S.C.... in the men's Canteen this
thereby unequivocally identified and
government policies are shaped by a morning, [sic] Grey was seated at a table,
clandestine bureaucracy and the enrolling men as members of the Sailors's,
intelligence collators' perspective usually Soldier's and Airman's Union. The fee of
prevails. 1/6 was being paid and each man who
paid was given the usual membership of
Surviving scraps of turncoats' testimony the Union." (3)
testify to class treason but also serve to
expose discontinuities which fracture the IshamalsomentionedGrayhad been active
ideological inexactitudesoften peddled as in securing legal representation for an un-
truth by militaryintelligence.What follows named soldier facing court martial for
is almostwholly unique - it is alabour spy's insubordinate behaviour. (4)
hithertounpublished record of tenmonths'
work for A2.(1) When news of Gray's posting was
announced his rebellious comrades may
On 13March 1919Routineorders for Royal have been fearful about their comrades'
Army ServiceCorps Motor Transport staff future welfare. However, their concern
serving at the Vehicles Reception Depot, would have been misplaced - for Gray had
Kempton Park, Sunbury, Middlesex secretly reversed his allegiances and the
featured the following entry: order signifiedhis debut as a British Army

"53 POSTING The undermentioned man SPY.

will proceed to General Headquarters, Gray had been recruited on February 24th.
Horse Guards, London on Friday the 14th Colonel Cecil Lucas subsequently
inst, for temporary duty, S/-420635 Pte. explained:
GRAY G."
"Acting on my instructions, Captain (now
The soldier, George Raymond Gray, had Lieutenant Colonel) R.H. Isham R.E.
been the leader of a week-long mutiny at proceeded to Kempton Park, investigated
the depot. The dispute was far from being the cause of the trouble there and made
an isolated event and occurred in the certain recommendations of action to be
aftermath the wave of demobilisation taken regarding the solution of this
mutinies that convulsed the British Army problem. Among these recommendations
in early January. Unlike the short-lived ~ o l o n e l ~ s h a m s u b m i t taepdlan to eliminate
protests elsewhere, grievances were more Gray, the instigator and leader of the
trouble, in such> way that no connection
sustained at the A F m~otor~ transport between Gray's removal and his activities

depots of Battersea, Camberwell and could be apparent. - This plan was
Kempton Park. The "Masses" explained:
sanctioned and was successfully carried
"They refuse to do mechanics work as out.Sincethistime therehas beennotrouble
conscript labour. These workers are at KemptonPark and private Grayis doing
organised into the Soldiers and Sailors very valuable work under Lieutenant
Union and most of them are also members Colonel Isham." (5)
of differentengineering unions.Efforts are
being made to extend the strike to all Ralph Isham recorded a series of cryptic
garages throughout the country. We are remarks about his initial interview with
alsogiventop understand that the Soldiers Gray on 26 or 27 February. In civilian life,
and Sailors Union are protesting against the private appears to have been a
the use of armed forces in strike areas. pickpocket and a fairground showman,
Many of the strikers visited the operating "Gypsy Gray's Carousel". He

Lobster 95 Page 3

acknowledged responsibility for having opportunity of 'letting go' at him for all I'm here just now as such important events
fomented the strike at Kempton Park but
insisted that he had kept within the law. worth on a subsequent occasion.One thing are impending and your advise and help
Gray alsoasserted that he was apatriot and
would not "play second fiddle" and seemsobviousand that is t h a t ~ h a v e a f a r would be invaluable. Any rate, I am
arrogantly declared his comrades to have
been "a lot of ignorant foolswho follow me more intelligent knowledge of the real sending you along in the course of the
blindly". Of the mutineers' sympathisers
outside Kempton Park, it was noted that history of the Union than the others... he next dayorsoafullanddetailed statement
Gray "Knows & is in intimate touch with
alllabourleaders". ThoughIshamevidently seems to have received monies ostensibly of events and all details re Donisthorpe as
considered that Graywould prove a useful
hireling he also concluded that his latest for the purpose of benefiting the Union, & our enquiries are not yet quite completed.
recruit was vain, ambitious and had a
"restless mentality". (6) hasdisposed of themina waywhich doesn't Very best wishes and rest assured that

AfterjoiningIsham, Gray's formalmilitary satisfyyou or anyoneelse.ThereforeIwould your services to 'the cause' are very
identity becamerather confusing,perhaps
deliberately so. He continued to use his be glad if you can furnish me with the gratefully acknowledged by us all. By the
RASC number and was paid accordingly.
However, his expenses were defrayed by particulars possible (not forgetting what way, for heaven's sake be careful and
A2 and he also appears to have been
identifiableasNo.16865G.R.Gray, Military amount he received fromtheShopStewards just at present." (12)
Foot Police. (7)
in the Chandos Hall meeting). I hope you
Gray's letter-writingskillswere employed
by A2 against the SSAU, fulfilling what realise the importance of getting the To the disaffected Donisthorpe, Gray
Ishamtermed, "my hope tocauseadivision
in the Unionn.(8)Gray was also deployed information because it carries far more wrote a letter on 28 March. Suggesting
on a peripatetic basis, promiscuously
spying on left wing organisations outside weight at a meeting when one is in that they meet in London, Gray had a
London. In theseactivities, Graywas closely
supervised, often on a daily basis either by possession of the facts beforehand than it proposal:
Major O.P.L.Hoskyns or by Isham himself
and reported, usually in writing, with would if we were simply there to listen
similar frequency.
indifferentlyto odd phrases caught during "I can perceivethat youwill undoubtedly
Based for a few days in the Piccadilly
YMCA, Manchester, Gray's first covert the moments when no interruption or sever your connections with the new
investigationtookonly a few days and was
directed at a person known only as "0°.(9) disordered talking takes place." (10) element that has manifested itself in the
Nothing further is known about this initial
operation but documentary evidence of Union during your absence; and I was
Gray's role in the A2's covert offensive
against the SSAU is quite complete.This is Graywroteagain toMacdonaldon17March: wondering what co-operationon my part
because Gray's contacts with A2 were
mainlyconductedby post and copiesof the could beoffered you for the furtheranceof
correspondencewere preserved by Lt. Col.
Isham. "I hope to be operating quite a few days your originalobjects. It mightbeas well to

Gray began to carry out Isham's plan to around about the various Mechanical add that this communication is in no way
fracture the SSAU leadership by writing
two letters in swift succession to the Transport Depots, and the Clubs and the known to anyone connected with the
London-basedSSAU activist, ex-Rifleman
H.T. Macdonald. The first, written from YMCA's. This will give me a splendid Union; and that any subsequent
thesoldiers' and Sailors' Club,LimeStreet,
Liverpool on 16 March, was crudely opportunity of getting amongst the acknowledgement will not be disclosed
provocative:
Tommies. Most of the MT Depots are in or to them. 1n;iew of developments, I do not
"Expect your esteemed friend [sic]
Donnisthorpe feels a bit sore after the dust adjacent to the large industrial centressuch propose to take any active part in the
up you gavehim on Fridayevening last.Of
course I've been otherwise engaged lately as Liverpool,Manchester,Sheffield etc.,etc. propaganda now adopted by the Union,
and consequently not able to come to
meetings. To my way of thinking, At present there seems to be no SSAU either on, or for their behalf; hence my
Donnisthorpe has not acted by any means
straight regarding the financial & branches or the project of them on foot approaching you to ascertain what co-
organising affairs of the Union. Friday's
meeting did not prove successful,in so far around thispart of thecountry. Iunderstand operation would be appreciated for the
that the impression created upon the new
members seemed far from favourable. it is the intention of the SS& AU to establish furtherance of any plans you have in
Unfortunately there was only yourself to
oppose the Captain with any real effect these branches and that the co-operationof view." (13)
and I suggest that you enlighten me a little
asto thereal facts,sothat it willgiveme the other bodies would be sought. So let me

know if there is anyone around about these FromDonisthorpetherecamenoresponse.

centres with whom I can get in touch. Of Gray enquired about Donisthorpe's

course I fully appreciate there are many whereabouts from Macdonald and

who would not care to be seen associating declared that Eden Paul had been sure

with a man in uniform, considering it Donisthorpe had secured substantial

disadvantageous to the carrying on of funds fromtheshop Stewards at Chandos

propaganda. I, in common with many, am Hall. Gray's letter, dated 4 April,

looking forward to demobilization, and I concluded:

shallbeglad to donmy 'civies' whichby the

way are at hand ... in order to make "There must be plenty of money

interviews successful, do you think an somewhere at the back of the movement,

introduction of some kind would be an which would readily find its way into the

advantage? and if so - do you think you coffers of the Union and enable the

could arrange it." (11) propaganda to be carried out on a large

scale.Ostracised as it were from yourself

Gray's letters arrived too late to make any and the comrades, through duty's call, I

significant contribution by way of should be glad if some particulars of the

exacerbating the abrasive confrontation actual business were communicated to

which had developed within the SSAU me, and thus enlighten me upon matters

Executive. However, they achieved an in which I still hold a keen interest." (14)

alternative objective, Macdonald's Corresponding in a similar fashion to the

endorsement of dray's radical status. The manner in which he had engaged

formerexpressedpleasure when he replied Macdonald's interest, Gray also tried to

to Gray on 18March. Writing on "Herald" tease indiscretions from Jack Byrnes, the

notepaper, he began by enthusing: newly-appointedSSAUGeneralSecretary

and (unbeknown to Gray) fellow SSAU

"You are to be heartilycongratulated on the spy. (15) On 1 April Byrnes replied to

accomplishments you have already Gray's overtures, informing the latter of

achieved. Now about Donisthorpe. he is the new Charter of the SSAU, bemoaned

stillactiveand doing us a greatdealof harm. the parlous financial state of the Union

Events are moving very rapidly now and and counselled caution:

within thecourse of thenext day or soI shall

have some very important news to send "The question of propagandising the

you. I will arrange that you have the provincesis also in my mind,but owing to

introductionnecessary, either someprinted finances, we must do what we can with

cards or letter.Which do you favour most? members already in the provinces. I am

I should very much like to have had you up sending on what stuff I have to members

Lobster 95 Page 4

already on the books. we areat the moment introduced Graytotwo localradicalorators, recommended as a real rebel deserves all
organising London, and I think J. Maddenand WilliamSorby,whoretailed
immediately we are organised here the the "Worker's Dreadnought". Then they help possible (signed) H.R. Goldstone...
funds will come in to permit us to launch all went to a midday meeting of around 70
out. You will think I am an old croaker, but men at West Bar, at which, Gray and a membership card of 'National Shop
you know the old Zulu proverb, 'softly, commented, nothing of a "startling nature' Stewards & Workers Comtees' saying it
softly catchee monkey'." (16) was said. Yet, on the basis of this two-hour would get me into any of the private
long encounter, Gray insisted he was on meetings without any difficulty."(26)
This bizarre correspondence between the "familiar termswith the 3" and concluded:
two spies, each acting out their radical Thereafter, Gray strove to become "one of
personae, continued with a further letter "These men hold very extreme [sic] the boys", spending his evenings at the
from Gray. On 3 April, he expressed Bolshevic views, and are likely to commit BSP club and attending meetings.(27)The
disappointment at not having been kept themselves by utterances in public at any apparent ease with which he consolidated
up to date with the latest SSAU activity in moment." (20) his spurious radical credentialswas assisted
London. Provocatively, Gray added: not only by the testimonials of Goldstone
Urged to join the Workers' Suffrage and Johnsonbut also via Major Maples, the
"The financial side of the Union must be Federation, Gray paid Carford a 1 / - Sheffield Assistant Provost Marshal. Early
giving you considerable anxiety; and I am membership fee and was inundated with a on the morning of April 10, Maples men
somewhat surprised that support was not mass of literature "for free distribution raided the YMCA where Gray was staying
forthcoming from those connected with amongst troops". The latter consisted of: and rounded up all the residents. Gray had
the 'Shop Stewards' movement; more 500copies of "The Truth About Russiafl;50 little difficulty in regaining his liberty after
especially as these people are directly "Workers' Dreadnought"; 6WSFleaflets, 5 his "special duties" had been verified via a
concerned with a propaganda of national "To the Toiling Masses" and (on loan) phone call to London and he reassured
&supreme moment, and the [sic]objectsof Robert Tressell's "The Ragged Trousered Isham, "Being arrested in presence of other
the SSAU are in sympathy." (17) Philanthropists". (21) men is more to my advantage than
otherwise."(28)
Gray ended with an enticement: Presumably because he felt that A2 may
have been less than impressed by this feat For the following four months, in addition
"Should there be any intention to seek co- of espionage,Graysupplemented hisreport attending meetings of the SSAUin London,
operation (financialor otherwise) from this with gossip: Gray filed a succession of rather trivial
source, please let me know; and also if I reports from the North of England. The
could be of any service in approaching "Carford States - Miss Norah L. Smyth latter included noting the rhetoric of
anyone directly connected with the 'Shop (Hon. Tres.) is living with E. Sylvia socialistspeakers at places like Liverpool's
Stewards' in the provinces." (18) Pankhurst and gives fundsliberallyto "the ClarionClub;the alleged arrival at Bradford
cause", out of her private income." (22) Reform Club of #2,000-worth of literature
Perhaps the effort of so much abortive "from the States"; a thin account of May
letterwritingfromsheffieldYMCA caused He added: Day revelry in Sheffield and gossip about
Graytoneglecthis attention tovery genuine ways in which the BSP might disrupt a
expressionsof military discontent at nearby "Carford is soenthusiasticinrecruitingme forthcoming visit by the King to Sheffield
Greenhill. At 10 a.m. on 4 April, 300-400 as a new comrade, that he has promised Royal Infirmary. With hindsight, the
NCO's and RAF men from the Greenhill more literature, introductions to 'leaders', absence of any references to substantial
Aircraft RepairDepotmarched onSheffield and any advice that may be helpful to the direct action, civilian or military, is quite
to attract publicity and present their cause." (23) striking. Instead, Gray's reports arereplete
grievances to the city's Lord Mayor. The with references to revolutionary rhetoric
protest, which wascaused by the summary Carford was as good as his word. Within expressed by speakers at gatherings of the
institution of early morning drill parades twentyfour hours, he introduced Gray to BSP, ILP, Liverpool Anti-Conscription
by the Depot's Commanding Officer, the comrades of the British SocialistParty League and other socialist organisations.
alreadyunpopular forhismiserlyallocation club at 198, West Street. These included
of home leavefor the men and his insistence two prominent left-wing activists, H.R. Not onlywasconspiratorial activitywholly
on WRAFpersonnel performing "Physical Goldstone, "a Jew, age about 36 or 37, absent from Gray's summaries but there
D-ri-ll-". speaksEnglishwell, about 5ft7in,eyes and was little upon which he remarked which
Gray's report of the incident makes no eyebrows of Chinese type (unmistakable) could not be discovered from reading the
referencetohispalpable failure toforewarn clean shaven" and J.H. Johnson, "a local press. This notion is reinforced by his
A2 of the Greenhill ~rotestN. or was he anv Bolshevicof the most undesirable type. He tendency, whenmailingreports,to append
more successful in his covert efforts to find simply breathes & emits 'poison"'.(24) news clippings from provincial
out more details than those which were Johnson, had previously known Gray as a newspapers. As a counter-revolutionary
published in the localpress. Gray managed "red hot rebel" when they had both agent combatting the Bolshevik offensive
to identify and talk to a couple of the previously been temporarily employed at in the North,Gray seems generally to have
marchers but failed to secure an interview the NationalShellFactory,Templeborough, been a failure.
with any of the men's elected delegates. He Sheffield.
promised A2 that he would forward a Of thosewhose protests hechronicled, only
detailed account of the grievances placed According to Gray, Johnson, "a fugitive one was jailed. He was a young Liverpool
before the mayor and felt consoled that, from Military Service" was, " delighted to radical pamphleteer named Arnold Yates,
"hardly a man I spoke to could quote a havemet me, and has offered everysupport who was imprisoned for printing a leaflet
sentence in the manifesto which was in my endeavours for the cause. He has entitled "To British Sailors". (29)
presented1."(19) promised plenty of literature, the 'real
stuff'(as he calls it)".(25) Goldstone Of course, Gray might have been unable to
This abject failure prompted Gray to volunteered more thanJohnson's goodwill: discover hard evidence of subversion
exercise, if not renew, his efforts in seeking becausewidespread, left-wing,subversive
out localsubversives. Thus, onthe morning "He furnished me (without any request on plots did not exist. However there was
of Sunday 6th April he visited a small shop my part whatever) with names and nothing similarly ephemeral about
owned by Mr and MrsCarford at 183West addresses of several comrades, whom he Government harassment or the spying it
Street and bought a couple of issues of said would be glad to meet me. On the orchestrated against working class
"The Worker". Mr Carford, Secretary of reverse side of card bearing names and organisations. It follows that the climate of
the Workers' Socialist Federation, mistrust thereby generated would have
addresses... he wrote: Comrade Gray created obstacles for Gray in foraging for
fresh contacts.

Lobster 95 Page 5

This is hinted at in his report about the ILP "A feeling now exists amongst the advance notice of duration of overseas'
Rally held on 4 May at St. Martin's Hall in 'comrades' that it is unwise to be seen too postings and no victimisation of strikers.
Liverpool's Scotland Road. The meeting much with me in uniform. Carford spoke
was addressed by a number of speakers, of the raid on the BSP rooms &athis house, (36)
incensed at the recent arrest of Arnold stating that a soldier had given the show
Yates. Gray referred to what the Australian away, but whilst not suspecting me, is H.T. Macdonald's "Tommy's Troubles"
socialist and Liverpool ILP organiser, J. under the impression that I was seen in his column in the "Daily Herald" charted the
Wilson had to say about secret state companyby both theMilitary &civilpolice. manner inwhichtheauthoritieshad treated
activities: This will undoubtedly handicap my the strikers:
chances of obtaining useful information."
"Wilson, in a wild and frenzied speech "June 29 - A Letter from General Murray
declared there was not a meeting but what (33)
was attended by government spies, "You read to themen. Theystillrefused toparade.
Isham evidently agreed and appeared
know" - he added - "the Alec Gordon type, ready to have Gray start up again in June 30 - NCO's and men surrounded by
Coventry. However the publication of twocompanies of the Manchesterregiment
in the Wheldon case, those nasty crawling reports by the "Daily Herald" during June and placed under arrest;250men involved.
things who got amongst us so the and July about strikes in Army camps
government know our anticipated actions. caused A2 to direct Gray's attention back July 1 - At 3 a.m. armed sentries placed
There are some in the Hall tonight; I don't tospecificallymilitaryaffairs.It seemsmost
know who they are, and I don't give a likely that A2 hoped Graywould be able to over each 'prisoner' while in bed, the
damn either, but I know they're here." (30) identify not only subversives but more strikers were turned out on to the barrack
importantly alsoestablishwhowas leaking square. Thereskeletonbattalionsof infantry
For this outburst Wilson was denounced stories about Army unrest to the "Daily numberingabout 3,000men, awaited them
by Gray as, "a most dangerous and Herald". The newspaper's almost unique in the form of a hollow square and
undesirable dissident, capable of readiness to publicise the many immediately closed in on them. Ten lorries
corrupting & disaffecting his hearers". He contemporary grievancesbeing expressed were waiting and 63 NCOs and seven
suggested that Wilson's speeches be, by soldiers had already caused the gunners were pushed into them under
"openly takenby reporters,and thussupply authorities to suppress it's circulation in strong guards, taken to Aldershot and
a reliable & accurate record of Wilson's the Army. (34) confined in the guardroom." (37)
seditious utterances, if any". Somewhat
ironically, Gray also recorded: Gray therefore found himself in Aldershot Gray arrived while the arrested men were
en route to Bordon Camp. During his brief being court-martialled for mutiny and
"Inthe courseof conversationwithWilson, stay in Aldershot he fraternised with the began eavesdropping on conversations
he (knowing that I was supplied with Assistant Adjutant General's staff, between off-duty soldiers in military
pamphlets "To British Sailors" by Yates) includingan Armyclerkand former teacher canteens. To Isham, he boasted:
advised me to 'be quiet' and 'keep my named Pte. Atherton. While reading the
mouth shut', adding that I needn't worry, "Daily Herald" on the morning of 2 July, "Have become of familiar terms with the
because Yates wouldn't 'split' on me". Atherton chatted to Gray about the 'right' sort of men, and have created a
(Gray to Isham." (31) newspaper's policies. Gray duly recorded 'friendship' with them resultant from an
highlights of the conversation for A2: intimate knowledge of Leeds; the native
Thereafter,theSSAUExecutiveCommittee town of several, who imagine I also hail
proved less trusting of Gray's radical "He has not written to the paper himself, form there.The'subject' isfreelydiscussed,
credentials than Wilson. Gray's demise as but said:- 'It's a bit extreme I know, but its and if therehasbeen any 'outside influence'
a self-appointed SSAU delegate came on just the sort of paper that's wanted, and a at work, there should not be any great
15 May. His own report of the meeting, soldier will never get his rights with the difficultyingettingright to the verybottom
which he attended at Chandos Hall, Government we'vegot innow. It's the only of the facts." (38)
London, contains no hint of unease. paper whichpublished the secretdocument
However, Gray had left the meeting, you know, and Churchill had to admit in From a subsequent report by Gray, it was
another A2 spy noted: theHousethat thedocumentwasgenuine... clearthat the Bordon mutiny owed more to
I suggested it was hardly cricket for a man boozy bravado than bolshevism:
"The opinion is freely expressed after the intheArmytobedisloyalenough todivulge
meeting that Gray is a traitor; this is such things to a newspaper. To this "Getting at the rock bottom of the cause of
strengthened by the fact that: Atherton remarked:- "Well, its the only the incident forming the subject of
way to let the public know what's going investigation, I find that a drinking bout
a)He could not give a definite statement as on, besides a clerk in the Army handles all took place at the R.G.A. wet Canteen 4 or 5
to where he is attached for pay, discipline sortsof confidentialstuff,but stillhe won't nights previously. That whilst in an
etc. be sworn to secrecy. I shouldn't be above 'elevated' condition, reckless talk flowed
doing it myself." This man is a member of freely, the party concerned banding
b)Hegaveacrackbrainedstoryof travelling the National Union of Teachers, and from themselves together as delegates, boasting
the country. the conversation he appears one of the toeach other in their semi-intoxicatedstate
"militant' members." (35) of what each dared to accomplish. The
c) During the meeting he made copious following day some of the delegates
notes. What subsequently happened to Atherton 'simmered down', but noticing the leaders
does not appear in the A2 papers but a reluctant to do so, goaded them on by jeers
d)Hewas very anxious to obtain inwriting reliable account of Gray's work at Bordon and dared them to accomplish the action
the names and addresses of the soldiers Camp has been preserved. The specific boasted about. The suggestion by Leman
present. reason why Gray was sent to Bordon was [the chief mutineer] that troops from other
to do with restive soldiers at the camp's centres were going to take sympathetic
He also offered a subscription of lo/- but Louisburg Barracks, going on a 24-hour action, appears to be without foundation,
this was not forthcoming." ( 32) strike on 28-29June. The incident involved and is considered by the men here as
1st Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery absolute 'bluff' by Leman. The 'Daily
Unsurprisingly, Gray never attended demanding a substantial increase in leave Herald' with its column 'Tommy's
another SSAU meeting. His spying career prior to overseas' service; improvement in Troubles' was talked of by Leman, and its
suffered a similar setback soon after he war gratuities' payment arrangements; vivid colouring and gross exaggeration of
returned to Sheffield. On 12 June he various incidents lent support to a rumour
reported: that "everywhere in the Army there's

Lobster 95 Page 6

trouble. There seems no suggestion that wearing the Silver Badge. The newcomer from serving men. Even though the
Leman had dealings directly or indirectly authorities have a secret service,Lansbury
with the "Daily Herald"'. (39) shewed various pamphlet to the soldier... doesn't want us to stoop to anything so
mean and despicable." (44)
Nevertheless,Gray concluded that the men whom he addressed as 'Abe', afterwards Although almosteverything Grayreported
of the brigade were "fairly contented", drawing him aside, and indulging in a suggested that the "Daily Herald" was
adding: whispered conversation." (42) simply chronicling rather than instigating
Army unrest, A2 and Field Marshal Haig
"Many of them show great resentment at Claimingtohaveheard thecivilianestablish remained unconvinced. Haig raged at:
the occurrence and feel that the right men a rendezvous outside the Trocadero,
have been 'rounded up'. General ShaftsburyAvenue andpromise toprovide "Theharm which is daily being done to the
disapproval & resentment is felt that the more pamphlets. Gray discreetlyfollowed discipline of the Army by articles which
leaders should have gone to such an "Abe" and one of the soldiers to the appear in the 'Daily HeraldU'.(45)
unwarrantableextreme inrefusingGenera1 confectioner's Necchi & Co., 6, Berwick
[sic]Murry a hearing, aprofound feelingof Street,where they picked up a mysterious He added:
respect is displayed by the men in this brown parcel and were joined by a further
brigade, to this GOC in C." (40) civilian.They went to Shaftsbury Avenue, "Such articles are practically of a daily
where Gray decided to exercise his occurrence, and much of the unrest and
But what of the reviled "Daily Herald"? deviousness, though with embarrassing dissatisfaction in the Army in the past is
Before departing for Salisbury, Gray tried consequences: traceable to the wilful distortion of official
to find out the how much influence might statements by this paper, and to the
be wielded via the local circulation of the "I got into conversationwith the soldier on dissemination of utterly false information
"Daily Herald". A straightforward enquiry the pretext of asking for a 'light' and on matters affecting Army life
revealed that W.H. Smith &Sons sold only endeavoured to find outwho he was. I told generally."(46)
him1was in Londonfora few days, shewed
sixcopiesof the "Daily Herald" - including him my pass (which he did not examine) A2 fuelled Haig's dissatisfaction by
but on suggesting he should shew him, the drawing Haig's attention to an article
one to Gray himself. second civilian took the parcel and 'made published in the "Daily Herald" on 12
off'. The soldier asked me if I was an MP, I August. Wired the newspaper's Glasgow
And undesirables? Gray mentioned two. said no, whereon the remaining civilian correspondent, the piece hinted at unrest
One was a man from Leeds, Pte. Bradley, wanted to argue with me. I left them by conscripts of 2nd Bn. Highland Light
who wisely seems to have avoided immediatelyand proceeded downcharing Infantry on hearing they were to be sent to
developing more than a passing Cross Road and was a few minutes later fight theRed Army in Russia. (47)Afurther
acquaintance with Gray. The other was an approached by a Policeconstablewho said item, entitled "Why Conscription is
anonymous postman who drove the he had received a complaint that I had Necessary", published on 19August, gave
Petersfield mail van. Though unable to asked a soldier for his pass. The constable what Field Marshal Haig insisted were:
discover the man's name, Gray stated that asked me for mine which I produced -but
the fellow was a: on askingme further questions Iwould not "False and distorted details regarding
and could not satisfy him. I accompanied promotion, leave,and theattitudeof officers
"Life-long resident of the district. Socialist. him to Vine Street Station." (43) and warrant officers towards the men,
Argues at the top of his voice in various which must be detrimental to recruiting."
public houses when soldiers are present. Yet again,ColonelBeviswascalled tovouch (48)
Frequents Station Hotel, East Liss, for Gray's credentials and the A2 spy was
considered a nuisance, treated released from police custody. After this Haig was also incensed because:
accordingly." (41) fiasco, Gray was granted a few days'
compassionate leave to visit Leeds, where "Law officers of the Crown have decided
Whether this depiction of the postman his wife, Sarah was critically ill. therearenot sufficientgrounds uponwhich
resulted in the him being barred from a prosecution could be sustained with a
playing cards and gambling with soldiers However, he was briefly back in action in certainty of success, and that, in these
at nearby Longmoor Camp, as Gray London on 6 August, when he engineered circumstances, they d o not consider it
recommended, remains unknown. a meeting with the former SSAU activist advisable to prosecute." (49)
Nevertheless, on the basis of such casually and compiler of "Tommy's Troubles", ex-
expressed opinions the unlucky target of RiflemanH.T.Macdonald.Their encounter Accordingly, Haig considered that "some
Gray's poisonous attention gained a place tookplaceduringMacdonald's dinnerhour counter propaganda should be instituted
in A2 records. and Appearsto hive been quite unplanned. without delay" and recommended that the
As far as A2was concerned.there was little Army Council publish official denials of
Having thus smeared the postman, Gray that Macdonald could relate that was new the newspaper's allegations. (50)This task
was detailed for covert surveillance in about the SSAU but what Macdonald had seems to have been taken out of A2's hands
Salisbury for a few days before being to relate about the "Daily Herald" and Gray's palpable failure to produce
whisked back to London to carry out a confirmed the success of the authorities' sufficiently potent material with which to
similar task in the East End. harassment of the newspaper: smear the "Daily Herald" appears to have
been reason enough for A2 to send him off
Heappearsto havelittledifficulty in finding "Letters from serving soldiers addressed to Scotland.
some subversives to spy on, commencing to "The Herald" are coming in less
with a suspicious quartet of soldiers, "two frequently, roughly about two-fifthsof the Gray's activitiesnorth of the border began
of whom were Jews" who were drinkingin number, four months ago. On occasional in Glasgow, from where he despatched
the "Three Nun's Hotel", Aldgate on 27 days none whatever. Nothing fresh seems reports to London during the latter part of
July: to come along, over which a 'stunt' could August. From these, it appears he was
be made. Lansbury has given instructions primarily engaged in gathering left-wing
"These men were discussing that nothing more of the 'secret circular' publications, initiating contacts with
Demobilisation,one of the Jewsremarking must be handled or sought for because (it socialists and attending radical meetings
that the activitiesin Russia were a disgrace was stated by H.T.M.) the authorities are to observe those "in the know". Those
and the British Army had no right to under the impression that we've got some whose names featured in Gray's
sort of 'secret service' amongst the troops, correspondence, bar one ex-soldier, were
interfere in purely political affairs...These and on that account we've lived a life of all civilians. They included the publisher
persecution ever since. We shall therefore
2 Jews remained for some time (after the only publish the pithof the letters received
other2soldiersleft)and were subsequently
met by another Jew in civilian dress,

Lobster 95 Page 7

of the Socialist Information and Research and willingtool forthe 'undesirables', more F00hotes:
Bureau newsletter; anarchists like Henry especiallyas he is now out of employment
Sara; Labour MP Neil Maclean MP and & drawing out of work pay." (54) Almost, because the first published reference to
James Cox, Secretary of the International Gray was made in Bemard Porter's "Plots and
Union of Ex-Servicemen.(51)All of these D~~~~~~ later introduced G~~~to a man Paranoia" (Unwin Hyman: London: 1989),p.14.
individuals were well-known public named Breen. The latter was a friend and 2. The Masses [ed.W.F. "Billy Watson] vol. 1,No. 1,
figures so even when Gray appended their fellowlodger at Dempsey's home, 32Ochil Feb. 1919, p.6. See also Daily Herald, 1.2.19, p.5;
home and organisational addresses he was 15.2.19,p.2; Memo: A2 to Field Marshal C. in C.,
hardly achieving an intelligence coup. Rosylh. Of the pair' Gray G.B., pp 2-3, Isham Papers 2/17.
commented:
Failing to discover any subversive plots, ::3. ~ 0 . t5o Bevis, 24.2.19, kham Papers 2/32.
Graywas reduced towretchedly expressing "These men are both Irishmen and are z k o : Lucas to Robertson,22.5.19,1shamPapers
assurances that there were at least some keenly bent on any mischief of a 2-,/-1.7.
vague whispers which hinted at revolutionary character. They profess an
conspiracies.On August 26 he confided to intimate knowledge of the 'doings' inside 6. Private Note, undated, Jsham Papers 2/ 17.
Isham: thedockyard, and would be themost likely 7. WO 329 Medal Roll, PRO, Kew.
ones to know of any plots or schemes 8. Memo: A2,22.3.19, Isham Papers 2/16.
"Have 'got in' well amongst the likely anticipated. I have gained their confidence 9. Possibly Sceilig (a.k.a. J.J. O'Kelly), editor of the
people along the Clydeside. The toneof the &will easilyglean anyvaluableinformation
conversation more than suggests the they possess." (55) "Catholic Bulletin",TD in first Dail Eireann spoke
probability that certain of these men take at Liverpool Irish Societies' Festival on 16.3.19.
part in some shady business. I particularly Rather more confidently, Gray was also Telegram:Gray to A2,22.3.19,JshamPapers, 1/10.
observe an occasional cautiousness and able to report on the activities of the local 10. Gray to Macdonald, 16.3.19, Jsham Papers 1/11-
loweringof voicesat moments when I most branch of BSP. He attended an open-air
expect to hear something important. BSP meeting outside Farr's provision shop l?
Patiencewill not be relaxed. The stoppage in the Garden City:
of work at several shipbuilding yards Gray to Macdonald, 17.3.19,ibid.
consequent on the Government Economy "The attendance was very poor - 19 only Macdonald to Gray, 18.3.19,ibid.
move, has given me a chance to find Gray to Donisthorpe, 28.3.19, ibid.
sympathy as an unemployed & have been attending. The speakerwas 'Dick' Symons, Gray to Macdonald, 4.4.19, ibid.
treated to an occasional drink by some of one of the oldest residents in the 'garden Bymes to Gray, 24.3.19, 28.3.19; Gray to Bymes,
the men. Will report fullest details of city', he took a principal part in the recent 31.3.19,ibid.
information immediately such come to rent-strike movement here together with 16. Bymes to Gray, 1.4.19,ibid.
hand." (52) Sylvia Pankhurst. That movement proved 17. Gray to Bymes, 3.4.19, ibid.
a failure and I find that Symonswas one of
Since it was evident that Gray was failing the first topay his rent in spiteof the policy 1--A. -h-i d
to discover anything startling in Glasgow, he advocated. This is authentic and on
A2 ordered him to go to Rosyth, where account of the fact leaking out he is now 19. Gray toA2,4.4.19,IshamPapeal/ 11-13;Yorkshire
there had been unrest amongst greatly mistrusted, even by his former Telegraph &Star, 4.4.19.
minesweeper crews of the Grand Fleet in adherents." (56)
early January. (53) However, unless A2 20. Gray to A2,6.4.19, Isham Papers 1/11-13.
was indirectiy engaged in carrying out Gray continued to scour Rosyth for 21. b i d .
work for the Directorof Naval Intelligence, evidence of subversion but was 22. b i d .
it seems that Gray'svisitwas moreliEelytd disappointed. Dempsey was, "ready for 23. b i d .
have been occasioned by the more recent anythingthat maycomealongbut confesses 24. Gray to A2,8.4.19, Jsham Papers 1/11-13.
activities of local civilians. Around five there is nothing on foot"; Dick Symons 25. b i d .
weeks before Gray's arrival there had been concurred; the Naval Ratings were 26. Ibid.
a local rent strike in Rosyth's Garden City "decidedly loyal" and nothing untoward 27. Gray to A2,9.4.19, Jsham Papers 1/11-13.
and Sylvia Pankhurst had visited the area emerged from Gray's surveillance of 28. Gray to A2,10.4.19, ibid.
to lend her support. dockyard workers.(57) By 12 September, 29. GraytoldA2aboutYates'activitiesandhisaddress
Gray concluded:
Gray acknowledged that most Dockyard but it is unlikely his was the only government spy
employees were "loyal subjects" but he "A more settled state seems to prevail, to report such information to the authorities. Gray
tried to associatehimself with "some most to A2, 15.4.19; Major GS for DAG to Director,
undesirable characters", amongst whom consequent on the good of Naval Intelligence,Admiralty, 17.4.19;Gray toA2,
was James Dempsey. Dempsey, an 1.5.19,Isham Papers 1/11-13.
unemployed crane driver who had served employment.Themalcontentsseemtohave 30. Gray to A2,5.5.19, Jsham Pavers 1/11-13.
in Army Service Corps, bulked large in 31. bid.
Gray's initial report from Rosyth: met with a reverse and are even 'infected' 32. Gray was attached to 793Coy. RAX, Kensington
forpay. Memo: A2 to OC, 793Coy. RASC, 22.4.19,
"I have been unable up to the present to get with the loyal spirit of enthusiasm which Isham Papers 1/10; Gray to A2, 16.5.19, Isham
the names and addresses of others. This Papers 1/11-13;No.5 to A2,16.5.19, JshamPapers
particular man however appears now prevails in anticipation of Admiral Sir 3/42.
particularly dangerous. I spoke to him 33. Gray to A2,12.6.19, Isham Papers 1/11-13.
quietly & showed him the pamphlet David Beattv's visit here on Sat. 13th. No 34. Gray toIsham,23.6.19,Isham1/12.InBritain3Bn.
West Yorks, Salisbury Plain and other hoops in
'Soldiers - Comrades', whereon he plots, schemes, or literature have come to Staffordshirerefused to embark for India;Gordon
Highlanders mutinied at Aberdeen;LabourCorps
expressed a most keen desire to possess my notice, and I certainly consider the at Belmont Camp struck work; Canadian hoops
one, stating that he could reproduce 'any rioted at Witley, Ripon and Epsom and there was
amount'ofcopies if unable to procure more ~ o s m o ~ o l i t acnrowd here would be trouble reported at Bordon and Aldershot camps.
than one original. The whole of his On 23.6.19Brigade Post Officesin Germany were
conversation is most revolutionary, and perfectly peaceful& contented at all times, ordered to bum the newspaper. See Daily Herald,
although not an official or active member 3.7.29; 4.7.19; 8.7.19.
of anyorganisation,would becomea ready were it not for the occasional incursions of 35. Gray to A2,3.7.19, Jsham Papers 1/11-13.
36. Daily Herald, 3.7.19.
the professional agitators, whose visits are 37. Daily Herald, 24.8.19.
38. Gray to A2,3.7.19, Jsham Papers 1/11-13.
for no other purpose than causingdisorder 39. Gray to A2,5.7.19, ibid.
40. Gray to A2,7.7.19, ibid.
and discontent." (58) 41. Gray to A2,8.7.19, ibid.
42. Gray to A2,27.7.19, ibid.
With that, Gray departed for London and 43. Gray to A2,27.7.19;28.7.19, ibid.
re-commenced undercover work within 44. Gray to A2,6.8.19, ibid.
the Army. (tobe continued) 45. Letter:HaigtoArmyCouncil,27.8.19,JshamPapers
2/16.
46. &id.
47. Officially, all British soldiers fighting in Russia
were volunteers. "Scottish ConscriptsforRussia",
DailyHerald, 12.8.19;Letter:LucastoHaig,29.8.19,
Isham Papers 2/16.
48. Letter:Haig toSecretary,WarOffice,27.8.19,Isharn
Papers 2/16.
49. bid.
50. Ibid.
51. Gray to A2.21.8.19; 22.8.19; 23.8.19, lsham Papers
mi-13.
Gray to A2,26.8.19, Isham Papers 1/13.
On 3.1.19 the ratings, principally auxiliaries
aggravated by slow demobilisation and low pay,
went on strike. Carew, T., The Lower Deck of the
Royal Navy 1900-39(MUP: 1981),p.4.
Gray to A2,4.9.19, Isham Papers 1/11-13.
55. Gray to A2,5.9.19, ibid.
56. Gray to A2,8.9.19, ibid.

57. Gray to A2,9.9.19; 10.9.19; 11.9.19, ibid.
58. Gray to A2,12.9.19, ibid.

Lobster 95 Page 8

In t w o articles which were held overfiom It's alwaysnicetoget closeto the truth. The ministers. (ST, & loS, 28.11.93)
the last issue, Steve Dorril looks a t the closing line of the chapter on Ireland in my
contacts between the IRA and the British book, TheSilent Conspiracy,whichappeared According to sources, one purpose of the
government, and more information on the in May 1993,reads'after twenty threeyears meeting was to introduce a new
activities of Brian Nelson. of intense security and intelligence representative who took over in January
operations,which have resulted in a failure 1991(G,3.12.93).ThesameMI6 officer had
Cliibs) and Noel Lyttle,former UDR soldier to defeat the terrorists. Perhaps it is time apparently been the contact both in 1974/
and DUP candidate, one of three arrested in for the "sensible chaps" in MI6 to resume 5 and in 1980/1.
Paris trying to exchange missile parts for their political initiatives'.
weapons with Soiith Afican diplomats, at an The identity of this 'Foreign Office' contact
Ulster Resistance rally. The Observer's disclosure of British had been taxing somejournalist's minds. I
governmentsecretlinkswith theSinnFein/ told the EveningStandardand SiindayTimes
IRA leadership brought forth a welter of that as far as I could see there was only one
information in the newspapers about the candidate, former MI6 officer, Michael
'clandestine corridor' which had been set Oatley. TheSiindayTelegraph(12December
up (BBC2Newsnight,29.11.93), Sir Patrick 1993) confirmed the identification the
Mayhew and 'officialsources' inattempting followingweek. As deputy toJamesAllan,
to get themselvesout of a deep holelaid the Oatley was involved on the ground in
blame for 'unauthorised' meetings on MI6 settingup the 'incident centres'whichwere
(1, 29.11.93). The sources were said to be designed to provide channels of
'unusually forthright' in commenting on communication to local IRA leaders in
MI6. 1974/5. He also made arrangements for
the house on Landside where senior
The 'clandestine corridor' had involved officials met with the IRA. Oatley was
both contacts' (a liaison to a government availablein 1980before moving to a senior
representative) and actual representatives position in Zimbabwe the following year
stretching back to the early 1970s. Sinn to play a part in the hunger strikes. Oatley
Fein's Martin McGuinness has said that retired in 1991and joined the investigation
the line of communication ran from the firm, Kroll Associates.
breakdown of the 1974/5 truce until the
IRA hunger strikes in 1980/1. The hunger Following the Telegraphdisclosure[itwould
strikes would appear to be the model for be interesting to know who disclosed
what followed. There were two sets of Oatley's name, besides myself], the
negotiations with some approaches being government once again attempted to
fairly routine through the use of West distance itself from the MI6 initiative. A
sourcemadetheludicrous claimthat Oatley
el fast priests who maintained dialogue was 'acting on this own'. 'He was retiring
and thought he'd have one more go.'
with the Sinn Fein and Catholic
businessmen (BBC Panorama, 29.11.93). The same line was broadcast on Panorama
The other channel was more covert and (21.2.94)by Peter Taylorwho did not name
involved MI6 officers. Oatley, but refered to MI6's head of
operations in Europe working without
According to the BBC's Timezuatclz official authorisation who transferred the
programme,during thehungerstrikesSinn pipeline to an 'official' and not an MI6
Fein leader, Gerry Adams, met with a officer.
contact from the Foreign Office. Through
another channel, the strikers' TheIRA'S offer of a two week cease-fire(or
representatives were meeting with 'The response to a Britishinitiative)inMay 1993
Angel', a clergyman who acted as a go- was apparently discussed at a 17 May
between with a Catholicbusinessman. He, meetingwhich included ForeignSecretary,
in turn, received instructions form a DouglasHurd, Northern Ireland Secretary,
'Foreign Office' contact known as Sir Patrick Mayhew, John Chilcot,
'Mountain Climber'. permanent under-secretary at theNorthern
Irelandofficeandsir Roderick Braithwaite,
For the next decade, the channel to the foreign policy advisor to John Major and
government remained dormant but not chairman of the Joint Intelligence
dead. AWhitehall sourcetold the Guardian Committee (G, 3.12.93). The Prime
that 'the messa"ge then from ministers to Minister's main advisor on Northern
was "Keep the channelsopen; tell us if you Ireland was, and is, Rod Lyne, his foreign
hear anything useful" (G, 1.12.93)'. policy adviser who was a Foreign Office
~ommunicationwas re-opened in mid- nominee. Lyne's line rarely deviates from
1990. McGuinness revealed that there had that of his former employers, unlike Sir
been a 'three hour' meeting in October Charles Powell under Mrs Thatcher who
1990in a 'quiet residentialarea' of Northern went native (1,29.11.93). The negotiations
Ireland 'between a representative of the with the IRA would, therefore, appear to
Foreign Office and myself. It was a havebeenlargely aForeignofficeinitiative.
discussion;itwas a meetingat their request
which I agreed to do after consultation There were apparently 'signs of tension
with my colleagues'. He said that the
contact was known to senior Cabinet

Lobster 95 Page 9

within the NIO' over this peace initiative. planted in small newspapers such as the such as Nelson - the army agent who w a s
According to the Independent, senior NIO Cork Examiner which are then picked up
officials were excluded from the process and used by the major newspapers on the intelligence officer of the banned Ulster
with only key ministers and officialsaware mainland.
of what was going on. (1,29.11.93). There Defence Association - are, ingeneral, only
are parallels with the hunger strikes and On 22 August 1993, the Sunday Times
what happened in the 1974/5 period when exposed a 'Ministers' secret IRA peace skimmed over by the British media. To his
hardliners in the army and MI5 set out to plan'. The army GOC in the province, Sir credit,Panorama'sJohn Waredid say that
break the truce which MI6 had set up with JohnWilsey, at the request of the NIO had this w a s 'one of the biggest and least
the IRA. drawn up s i ~ t ~ - ~ oplianntsetting out a publicised security scandals in recent
policy of deceleration between the IRA years'. With regard t o the shipment of
According to the recent BBC2 Timewatch arms from South Afnca to the loyalists,
programme on the 1980/1 hunger strikes, and the security forces - a step by step 'Why did not intelligence stop it?'
when it appeared that the Cabinet Office
was seen to be wavering, members of a move towards acease-fire. Communication Informal contacts between loyalists and
special committee at the NIO dealing with of these details was said to be through South Africa were first established in the
the strikes which included a senior MI5 intermediaries (G, 17.11.93). The plan had mid-1970s when some former UDR men
been drawn up in late 1992 and was went there as mercenaries.(l) By 1989,
officer - presumably Patrick Walker - intended to encourage the IRAto extend its however, the situation had changed
regular three-day ~hristrnascease-fireinto considerably "the Pretoria link with the
threatened to resign if the British a morepermanent peace. Wilseypresented Ulsterman has been developed over some
Government caved in to IRA demands. In the plan, in October 1992,to the Northern considerable time and was (sic) a well
fact, three days after the strikes ended, Ireland security minister, Michael Mates, established two-way traffic0.(2)
with little publicity, all of the demands at a meeting of senior figures in the
were conceded. However, officialsdid not province. What was interesting about the The starting point for this new relationship
resign because they believed they had Sunday Timesstory was that it said that the was thevisit to Belfast in 1985of a 48-year-
achievedtheirobjectivewhichwasto finally plan had been prepared 'following old ex-merchant seaman originally from
smash the idea that hunger strikes couldbe information from a highly placed mole Portadown, who had gone to live in South
used as a political weapon. within the IRA that its leaders were Africa.(3)
prepared to scaledown their activities'. In
The Sunday Times story came only five the light of the later revelations it is clear DickWright's Ulsterconnectionsmade him
days after the IRA met with their contact in that there was no mole; information was
London, a meeting which turned out, coming direct from the intermediaries. a useful intermediary - he was the uncle of
according to Sinn Fein, to have been
'disastrous' as the contact totally The plan was opposed by senior RUC Alan Wright, leader of the Ulster Clubs
misinterpreted what was being put officers and Northern Ireland Office civil and co-founder of Ulster Resistance. He
forward. A week later, based on this servants (G, 1.12.93) which explains its was also an agent for Armscor, the South
misinterpretation, John Major gave a talk leaking, which was no doubt designed to African state-owned company which, in
at the Guildhall which the IRA took to be a expose the then current contacts with the defiance of the 1977United Nations arms
mistake and a betrayal of the previous IRA. Two days after the Slrttday Times embargo, set about making South Africa
contacts. article, ITV's Cook Report broadcast a self-sufficientin military hardware.
programme allegingthat McGuinnesswas
According to Panorama, the IRA's army responsiblefor directingthe IRA's bombing Within a decade it had made the country
council had wanted Gerard Kelly to take campaign. oneof theworld's top ten arms exporters.(4)
apart with McGuinness in the talks with It was particularly anxious to acquire a
the British Government. Interestingly, on Who leaked the details of the 'clandestine missile system for use in Angola and
7 November 1993, before the full story of channel' to William McCrea, the Namibia. Israel (which had given South
negotiationsbroke, the Sunday Times'James DemocraticUlster Unionist MP? He later Africa its start in the arms business,
Adams wrote that'BritishIntelligence' had said that a 'very serious witch-hunt' was supplying designs for ships, missiles and
identified Kelly as the key figure behind being carried out to identifyhis source. No small arms)(5) was equally keen to get
the recent wave of IRA bombings and doubt conducted by NIO officialsand MI5 details of the most advanced missile
killings. Kelly was said to have aligned officers,was it a case of them investigating available - the Starstreak being developed
himself with 'hardliner' McGuinness. themselves? by Shorts in Belfast.
'These are the men whowill fightwhatever
the circumstances. They simply do not Thefollowing article is a reprint of part of Wright visited the home in East Belfast of a
believeinpeacewith Westminster.' Sources a pamphlet, British Intelligence: Brian senior UDA leader and offered to supply
said that the IRAhad split at the end of 1992 Nelson and the Re-arming of the Loyalist guns; the order would have to be worth at
with Adams willing to negotiate a cease- Death Squads, which w a s published in least a quarter of a million pounds, but
fire while McGuinness/Kelly were not. Northern Ireland in early 1993. It does not missile parts or planes would be an
have any publishing details (which is acceptable alternative to cash.(6)
There is some evidence that a new illegal) but because i t has a forward by
Gerry Adams, I presume that i t is a Sinn The offer was taken seriously by the UDA.
'Information Policy' - style propaganda Fein publication. Despite .itsprovenance, John McMichael sent UDA intelligence
itisworth publishingas an article because officer Brian Nelson to South Africa to
unit which, by necessity, is more i t coiitaiizs infomation which has not investigate the possibility of a deal.(7) The
sophisticatedthanits seventiescounterpart previously been mentioned on the crowds travelling from Belfast to London
has been operating at the Northern Ireland mainland. As will be seen, i t isfootnoted over the weekend of 7/8 June 1985for the
Office. Twoofficials,IanWoods and a man w i t h Irish newspaper reports and McGuigan/Pedroza boxing match
named North, where allegedly behind the illustrates yet again tlzatimportaizttopics provided cover for the firstpart of Nelson's
damaging briefings against the Box journey.(8)
Productions programme on the so-called
Inner Circle of loyalist terrorist and During the two weeks in South Africa,
businessmen. Storiesare said to have been Nelson was shown warehouse full of
weapons by Dick Wright, the Armscor

Lobster 95 page 10

agentrepresentingtheSouthAfricanstate. by the PLO in Lebanon where they had was a dummy Blowpipe, stolen form
Newtownards, where Quim served.
The conditions of the deal offered by his been captured by the Israelis and sold to
InApril 1989,thethree- Noel Lyttle,Samuel
host becamedecidedly more attractive: the Quim and James King - were arrested in
Paris along with arms dealer Douglas
loyalists were to supply South African Bernhardt and a South African diplomat,
Daniel Storm.
agents with secrets or parts - if possible, a The shipment had not been let in through
Storm claimed diplomatic immunity and
complete Shorts missile system - in return negligence, mistake or oversight. The was expelled from France. A diplomatic

for a substantial shipment of arms and decision to allow it to go ahead had been row blew up - but there was more noise

finance of up to E l million.(9) taken (presumably at the highest levels) that genuine surprise on the part of the
British authorities,who were well awareof
months before. Nelson states in a prison Bernhardt's activities. A naturalised
American citizen, born in South Africa
By 1985, Brian Nelson had been a British journal: "ln 19871 was discilssitlg with my married to an Englishwoman, he had
operated a gun dealership, Field Arms, in
agent for at least ten years.(lO) Official handler Ronnie the South African operation Mayfair for three years - it had received
assistance from the Department of
knowledge of the South African when he told me that because of the deep Employment.(22)

negotiations however may have gone far suspicion the seizure wo~lldhave arouse d, to The security services knew of Bernhardt's
loyalist connections;they knew he was the
beyond the reports of Nelsonon his return. protect me it had been decided to let thefirst US dealer involved in the January 1988
arms shipment. They would also have
Private Eye claimed in February 1992 that shipment into the c o u n t y ~lnto~lched."(20) beenaware thatArmscoragentDick Wright
had been employed as a marketing
Nelson'svisit had beencleared not only by executiveby Field Arms. Noel Lyttle later
admitted that he had known Dick Wright
the Minster of Defence by an unnamed Nelson's involvement in setting up the as Armscor agent represented the South
African state "quite afew yearsU.(23)
government minister.(ll) The DPP's deal UDA's transport system meant he, and
No request for the extradition of the three
with Nelson at his trial was intended to therefore British Intelligence, knew the was made. Although the Swiss authorities
began an investigation of Bernhardt's
ensure that no mention would be made of location of the farmhouse where the Geneva-based container-leasingcompany
Agencia Utica, the Britishmade no request
either the visit or the minister. (In 1987 a weapons would be stored initially after for an examination of Bernhardt or his
company.(24) The Ulster Resistance
US StateDepartment report named Britain landing. members were released on bail. Following
the 'revelation' of contacts between the
as one of the countries which had violated South African government and the Paris
trio the British government expelled the
the UN arms embargo.)(l2) In January 1988Davy Payne, an ex-British three South ~ f r i c a nembassy personnel.
They were Staff Sergeant Mark Brunwer,
paratrooper and a UDA Brigadier was who did not appear on the diplomatic list
and wasdescribed in thepress asa "technical
In June 1987 the robbing of the Northern arrested outside Portadown as he oflicer": the First Secretaryat the embassy,
JanCastleyn;and EtiemeFourie. Although
Bank in Portadown provided the money transported 60 assault rifles, rockets and the Foreign Office emphasised that they
had been chosen at random, it must have
for the deal to go ahead - £150,000 of the handguns - most of the UDA's portion of been just another coincidence that one of
them Etienne Fourie was considered the
£300,000 taken in the raid was spent on the shipment. At the time the arrest was 'eyes and ears' of the Londonembassy had
worked as a journalist in the North in the
SouthAfrican arms.(l3) This bought more attributed to good luck and keen 1970s.(25)

weaponry that the UDA could handle, so observation. Payne's arrest drew attention Two-thirds of the arms shipment landed,
with the full knowledge of British
the UVF and Ulster Resistance were made to Ulster Resistance - a telephone number Intelligence, on the County Down coast
almostfiveyears ago remainsunaccounted
'partners' in the enterprise. A top secret written on Payne's hand turned out to be for. The other third was seized at a road
checkpoint. The results of its arrival,
unit responsible for developing channels that of Noel Lyttle, a civil servant, former however, are unmistakable. In 1985 the
UDA and UVF between then killed only
of communication on behalf of several member of the UDR and close associate of three people. Since January 1988 more
than 160 people have been killed by
loyalist paramilitary groups were set up. Ian Paisley and Peter Robinson. Lyttlehad loyalists, The AK47 assault rifles were

stood for the DUP as a candidate in local

Roy Metcalfe, a member of the unit, government elections.

represented Ulster Resistance in the

negotiations.Whenhe and ThomasGibson Lyttlewaswarnedon twoor threeoccasions

were executed by the IRA in October 1989, thathewasunder surveillanceby thecrown

Ulster Resistance claimed that they had forces.(21)Evenhis questioningand release

been 'set up' by British Intelligence.(l4) without charge did not interrupt Ulster

Resistance's attempts to re-negotiatewith

The deal was completed and final the South Africans.

arrangements were made in December

1987. Military Intelligence had been The Starstreak, being developed under a

informed by BrianNelsonofdevelopments £225 million Ministry of Defence contract

atevery stageof theproceedings;hepassed at Shorts was what the South Africans

on all the details including the method to wanted. A fully operational unit had been

be used to smuggle in the weapons.(l5) No on display until afewhours before a raid in

action was taken. 1987in which Ulster Resistancehad stolen

a Javelin aiming unit. The extraordinary

At the end of December 1987 Joseph coincidence did not raise any suspicions:

Fawzi(l6), a Lebanese intermediiry Lyttle's questioningand thewarnings were

employed by a US arms dealer working for ignored and three Ulster Resistance

the South Africans, dispatched a huge members travelled to Paris to negotiate

consignmentof armswhichlanded without with the South Africans, who had already

difficultyinJanuary1988somewherealong made a down payment of £50,000.

the County Down coast.(l7) Twohundred

AK47automaticrifles, 90Browningpistols, They were offering not only the parts

around 500fragmentationgrenades,30,000 (which though not operational could be

rounds of ammunition and a dozen RPG7 used for research purposes) but expertise

rocket launchers disappeared without in firing the weapons - one of the three,

trace, the haul having apparently been Samuel Quim, was a senior NCO in the

divided into three parts shortly after its Ulster Air Defence Regiment of the

arrival.(l8) If discovered, the arms would Territorial Army. Quim trained recruits

not have revealed their true origin, many in the use of the Blowpipe missile. One of

were Czech-made weapons initially used the weapons offered to the South Africans

Lobster 95 page 11

used in the killing of five people at the exposing the activities of a South African theUDA,UFFand Ulster Resistance,where
Ormeau Road bookmaker's shop in police death squad, the CivilCo-operation he was introduced by Simpson to arms
February 1992;and thekillings in Murray's Bureau, with which he had worked. In dealers. Nelson was there to negotiate a
bookies on Belfast's Oldpark Road in 1991, an exiled South African academic £150,000 arms contract which involved the
December 1992; Michael Stone attacked had been the target of a botched transfer of information on the Shorts
the mourners in Milltown Cemetery in assassination attempt, in Belfast, by Blowpipe missile system and, more
March 1988 with Russian-made RPG5 gunmen belonging to the Ulster Freedom
splinter grenades and a Browning pistol Fighters. The UFF said the attack was a importantly, Starstreak - an anti-aircraft
from the same arms consignment.(26) case of mistaken identity.
missile which was desperately needed by
The weapons created a secure base for a Flores had been betrayed to British the SouthAfrican DefenceForce to combat
renewed (and sustainable) campaign of Intelligenceby Charlie Simpson,a London the Russian MiG fighters being used in
sectarian violence by loyalist paramilitary Transport manager and informantfor MI5/ Angola. SouthAfrican intelligencebelieved
groups. If his handler's explanation is tobe 6, following a tip-off to MI6 from a that Simpson was working for MI6 during
believed, Brian Nelson must have been an concerned officerwithin the SouthAfrican this period. For whatever reason, British
extraordinarily valuable agent if his safety police,. Intelligence allowed the shipment to
had to be paid for in hundreds of lives. proceed forward to Ulster.
How many more BrianNelsons does British Flores and his colleague, Captain Pamela
Intelligence have operating within the d u Randt, had arrived in London with a Thiswas unlike the major publicity coup in
various loyalist paramilitary groups? cover story, known as Project Echoes. The November 1993 when a combination of
plan was to provide information to a MI6/5, HM Customs and Poland's Office
The above chronicles one episode of Conservative MP and chairof the Northern of State Protection intercepted a huge
loyalist/British Intelligence gun-running Ireland Committee, Andrew Hunter, who shipment of arms and explosives which
activity. How many other shipmentshave was looking for information linking the was landed at Teesport. This received
been secured since then? ANC to the IRA. The MP later admitted massive press coverage, coming as it did in
that had known Simpson since 1988 and the middle of the Northern Ireland peace
1 Irish News 26 April 1989 that he 'assumed that he was providing initiative, with the implication that the
2 Observer 30 April 1989 information to the British intelligence loyalistmilitants were 'on awar footing'. It
3 Irish News 12 December 1989 services'. Hunter hit the headlines in July turned out, though, that everything was
4 Sunday Times 30 April 1989 not quite what it seemed. The whole
5 Sunday Times 30 April 1989 1992 - after Flores' departure - when he operation from beginning to end had been
6 Independent 22 October 1991 a sting operation, financed by MI6.
7 Sunday Tribune 24 March 1989 claimedtohave evidenceestablishing such Although the Ulster Volunteer Force
8 Sunday Tribune 22 January 1989 a link. A 10,000 word dossier was said to admitted that it bought the arms, a number
9 Irish Times 17July 1992 have been sent to the Prime Minister. of questions were left unanswered, such as
10 Irish Times 11January 1992 Hunter, who had made several trips to why theshipmentwas not allowed toreach
11 Irish News 10 February 1992 South Africa, said that he had received
12 Sunday Times 30 April 1989 most of the evidence from the Institute for its intended destination - an address in
13 Sunday Tribune 12January 1992 the Study of Terrorism and its research
14 Irish News 28 November 1989 director, IanGeldart. TheISTwas set up by Northern Ireland?
15 BBC Panorama quoting Brian Nelson's Lord Chalfont and Jilian Becker, a well-
known apologist for the South African David McKittrick, in the Independent,
journal regime. worried about the source of the funding -
16 Independent 29 October 1991
17 lrish Times 18March 1988 Flores and d u Randt were introduced by said to be £250,000 - because the loyalist
18 Sunday Tribune 12January 1992 Simpson to what they took to be loyalist
19 lrish News 26 April 1989 paramilitaries in London, and arranged to groups had been previously hard-pressed
20 BBC Panorama Nelson's Journal meet them in Ulster (said by Private Eye to to raise much smaller amounts. Like many
21 lrish News 12 December 1989 be 'three rogue officers form the Royal other writers, he thought that if the
22 Sunday Times 30 April 1989 Ulster Constabulary). In London they were explosive had reached the UVF then it
23 Irish News 30 April 1989 under the surveillance of MI5 and Special might have been used to bomb Dublin. He
24 Sunday Times 30 April 1989 Branch. On the way to Holyhead, the trio specifically referred to the 1974bombings
25 Independent 6 May 1989 had a crash and Simpson was breathilysed which costmore than thirty lives. However,
26 Irish Times 17July 1992 (he was later convicted of drinking and he did not mention Yorkshire Television's
driving). Curiously, Floreswas allowed to First Tiresday programme which provided
It was left to a 1993BBC Northern Ireland drive the car, although he had no licence. evidence that thebombs had been the work
Spotlight programme, Spies, Stings and In Northern Ireland, loyalistparamilitaries of British Intelligence. Despite repeated
Doliblecross, to probe some of the of the UVF demanded weapons and warnings that the loyalists had access to
background to the South African arms explosives (primarily Semtex)as the price bomb-making expertise, they have
deals. for the assassinationof Coetzee;providing singularly failed to use it and have not, as
another exampleof theUlster/SouthAfrica far as I am aware, used it since those 1974
In April 1992, Lean Flores, a member of armspipeline- in which oneof the linkmen bombings.
South African Military Intelligence, was was Charlie Simpson.
deported from Britain for his role in InJune 1995,Gerry Adams asked President
attempting to set up a contract murder As a teenager, Simpson had been involved Nelson Mandela to set up a judicial
using an Ulster loyalist 'hit team'. The with William McGrath's Tara. In the investigation into the supply of weapons
intended target was Dirk Coetzee, who seventies he spent three years in the by South Africa to loyalist paramilitary
was living in London, in asylum, after Rhodesian Army, before leaving for South groups in Northern Ireland. No doubt
Africa in 1981 to work as a transport there will be a lot of pressure on him from
manager. In 1985, Nelson made a trip to the British not to do so.
Johannesburg as part of a delegation form
Sources: 1, 15.7.92,25.11.93; G, 8.1.93; ST,
28.11.93;T,25.11.93; DT,23.11.93;TimeOut,
23.11.92. See Lobster 16 on IST. Phoenix,
17.12.93.

Lobster 95 page 12

Irecently had the opportunity togo through JCMVivian - Assistant Political Adviser to 1953.

the Foreign Office Diplomatic Lists from the C-in-C Middle East Command Aden Richard Evans - B. 15.4.28.3rdSec.Peking,

1946 to 1965 and managed to identify a [cover post], 1963-67. 1955.

large number of MI6 officers previously HJCollins- Head of Co-ordinationDivision George Harding - B. 18.1.27.2ndSec. Paris,

missed. By reading the biographies of [cover post] British Middle East Office, 1956.

officers already positively identified, I Cairo, 1952-53, Cyprus, 1954-55. Donald Gurrey - B. 15.12.19. 2nd Sec.

, spottedan easy w a y to uncovermorenames GG Cruickshank - Deputy Head of Co- Singapore, 1957
(a process which I will reveal a t a later ordination Division (BMEO)Cyprus, 1954. Ian Clunas - B. 15.3.22.2ndSec.Sofia, 1954-

date). I also uncovered a number of MI6 FW Williams - ditto, 1955. 56.

'cover posts: A Rosslyn Penny - Civil Liaison Officer DouglasBolam -B.10.10.16.2ndSec.Beirut,

[cover post] Graz, 1951-52. 1956.

One point of interest which emergesfrom Henry Rider Latham - B. 4.7.18. Economic RolandCarter-B. 29.8.24.3rdSec.Germany,

thefollowing naming of names is the large Survey Section [coverpost] Hong Kong. 1956.

percentage serving in the Far East during Derric Stopford-Adam - 2nd Sec. Saigon, David Brookfield - B. 21.8.20. 2nd Sec.

the fifties. I believe that this may have 1951-52.Resigned 1954. Singapore, 1956.

something to do with the assessment made John Debenham Taylor (OBE, 1959) - B. William Beale - B. 21.1.20. 2nd Sec.

by MI6 in the late forties that Stalin had 25.4.20.South East Asia specialist. Singapore, 1956.

abandoned the goal of Communist Anthony Russell Milne - B. 22.7.23. 2nd RH MacDonald - 1stSec. (Visa)Argentina,

domination in Europe and had decided Sec. (Visa) Brussels, 1954-55. 1956.

instead to support nationalist movements Kenneth Parsons (OBE, 1962) - B. 9.1.21. JDM Blyth - 1st Sec. Leopoldville, 1964.

in the Far East, a view which certain Two terms in Tokyo, 1953and 1963. PGB Martin-Smith - 1st Sec. Leopoldville,

members of the Service (principally John Flett Whitfield - B. 1.6.22. Junior 1965. In SOE during the war in Italy and

Oldfield) had themselves abandoned by Attache (Info) Helsinki, 1955. Resigned Austria, during period of repatriation of

the beginning of the sixties. 1957. Cossacksetc.to the Soviets.In 1947,deputy

Michael Wrigley - B. 30.7.24. 1st Sec. to George Kennedy Young in Vienna.

Singapore, 1961. (T. obit 21.2.95)

FLDempster (OBE)- 1stSec.(Visa)Madrid,

1962-64.(See Lobster 26).

David Seymour Collet - B. 14.6.24.1stSec.

Aden, 1958. One aspect of the Iraqgate scandal which

John Peter Davies - B. 26.2.23. Consul has been of interest has been the large

Munich, 1962. number of businessmen recruited by the

Noel Hedley Marshall - B. 26.11.34. 2nd security services. A new one seems to pop

Sec. Moscow, 1963. up every other week. Here are those that I

Christopher Willy - B. 12.4.29.Middle East have noticed.

Centre for Arab Studies, 1956.

Douglas Spankie - B. 20.5.29. 3rd Sec. John Taylor - Surrey businessman who

Bangkok, 1956. was involved in 'Arms for Iran' trial and

Duncan Stuart - B. 1.7.34. Senior officer eventually acquitted of the charge.

until recently served as Counsellor in Reported to MI6 (1, 13/15.5.94).

Washington. David James - head of Eagle Trust, which

Godfrey MartinEllis (CMG,1959)- 1stSec. owned Walter Somers. Involved in

Rome, 1961. Supergun Affair. Claimed to have been
reporting to MI6 (BllsinessAge, September
AT Battagel - 2nd Sec. Burma, 1957.

John McKibben - B. 17.6.22. 2nd Sec. 1993).

Belgrade, 1953-55. Frank Machon- Glasgowroad-haulier who

Peter Lloyd Morgan - B. 16.3.23. 2nd Sec. blew the gaffe on Allivane. Also informer

Bucharest, 1955-56. for MI6 (G,1.12.92).

Richard Le Sueur - B. 2.3.25.2ndSec.Rome, Paul Grecian - British Military engineering

1957. firm Ordtec which was involved in Iraq

JG Coates - 2nd Sec. (Visa)Moscow, 1957. sales. Informer for Special Branch, MI5/

John Pedler - B. 19.8.28. 3rd Sec. Phnom MI6 (Channel Four profile).

Penh, 1956. Mark Gutteridge - Matrix Churchill,

Michael Pike - B. 4.10.31.3rd Sec. Seoul. reported to MI5,1978-1991.A good profile,

Edgar Hawkins - B. 18.5.24.2ndSec.Berlin, A Good Spy, by David Leigh in Esquire,

1957. December 1993. And, of course, Paul

James Hobson - B. 20.3.24. Fifties South Henderson, whose star appears to be

East Asia specialist. rapidly falling.

PhilipHodgson-B. 24.8.21.2ndSec.Saigon, Ephraim Margulis, 'Marg' - Chair of SW

1956. Beresford, sugar group, an off-shoot

Anthony Hurt - B. 5.11.25. Vice-Consul involved in Iraqgate. Alleged to have the

Salonika, 1954. MI6 paymaster in Eastern Europe (loS,

Edward James- B. 18.1.17.1stSec.(Comm) 19.1.92).

Rome, 1955. Stuart Blackledge - SRC executive who

Ronald Kidd - B. 19.6.22. Vice-Consul provided MI6 with intelligence on the

Macao, 1956. Supergun (see m y own The Silent

John Cranmer-Byng - B. 18.3.19. 2nd Sec. Conspimcy).

Singapore, 1954. Roy Ricks - Mead International, linked to

Maurice Firth - B. 28.1.11. 1st Sec. Vienna, MI6 (ibid.).

Lobster 95 page 13

George Kieffer - senior executive of Brent a lasttour of the province.Had been passed Jack Cole (MI5). Stationed on the Isle of
overforthe DG's job becauseofthe Bettaney Manas part of the 18bepisode(TomBower,
Walker, worked for MI6 supplying fiasco. Tiny Rowland, p. 22).
information on business trips to Eastern
Europe and Libya (1987-91).Had been in Stephen Rickard, aged 35. DCI Northern Evelyn Anthony, the spywriter and now
the Royal Observer Corps (0,22.5.94). Ireland. High Sheriff of Essex, was approached by
Michael Maltby, aged 57. The key person MI5 recruiters for a career in the Serviceas
Brian Perry - Worked for Russian of the six and a totally irreplaceableloss to a young woman (DT, 6.4.94).
the Service and the countering of the IRA
,companies for ten years and at the same Tom Driberg(MI5).Accordingto Jonathan
time reported to MI6 about the Russian in particular. As I understand it, Matlby - Haslam, historian of Soviet foreign policy
Mafia (0,11.9.94) at Corpus Christi, Russian archives show
on his second tour of duty in the province that the KGB told the Comintern to warn
Jocelyn Hambro - Chairman of Hambros - ran the unit monitoring the IRA'S the Communist Party of Great Britain that
Bank, died 1994- M16. I was told that there collectingandlaunderingof funds.During Driberg was working for MI5 (1,17.6.93).
the seventies, when MI5 had no
was a secret militarysales unit at Hambros, responsibilityfor the IRA, only the Loyalist BrunoPontecorvo.Obits.DT,G &1,28.9.93.
rather like the Midland Bank, which was terror groups, Maltby ran a one man Interestingdivergenceof viewsonwhether
under the control former SAS officer operation keeping track of IRA funds. It Pontecorvowas a spy working for theKGB
Alastair Morrison but I have seen no would be difficult, if not impossible, to or simplyan ideologicaldefector.Telegraph
confirmation. replace such an institutional memory. It is - 'recent KGB defectors have insisted that
fortunate for MI5 that the cease-fire has Pontecorvo was a significant spy'. The
Sir John Stevens - Morgan Grenville, 60s - made that, for the moment, unnecessary. Independent concluded that 'theevidence is
John Haynes, aged 58. only circumstantial', with Pontecorvo not
MI6. Martin Dalton, aged 37. involved in weapons research. Letter from
Anne James, aged 42. Ted Cranshaw in the Guardian (7.10.93)
PaulineNeville-Jones.Much toeveryone's - the last three would appear to be Security stated that Pontecorvo worked on cosmic
surprise, the high-flying Ms Neville-Jones Liaison Officers in Northern Ireland. radiationwhichwas 'unclassified'and that
only lasted one month as Chair of the Joint he did not spy for the Russians.
Intelligence Committee before leaving to Richard Dennis (MI5). Dennis, who is
take up the post of Foreign Office director Welsh, is currently serving in the Director Paddy Meehan, Obit. G, 16.8.94. Petty
on Political Affairs. She was replaced in General's Secretariat. criminalwho claimed that he had been set
January1994by Paul Lever, a long-serving up for the conviction for the murder of
diplomatwho was previouslyAmbassador Laurie Mayston(MI5).Obit.Bookdealer,No. ScottishpensionerRachel RossinJuly1969.
to- the conventional arms control 1143,24.2.94-thanks to Barry Buitekart for This was undertaken, Meehan claimed in
negotiationsin Vienna, where he no doubt reference. WW2 intelligence officer a book which he published himself and
met many membersof MI6.Hethenbecame attached to General Montgomery's staff sold on the streets of Glasgow (has anyone
the Assistant Under-Secretary of State during D-Day.Served in MI5 at the end of a copy?), because of his supposed
(Defence)FCO. the war. Joined the Ministry of Health involvementin the escapeof GeorgeBlake.
endingup as anAssistantSecretary.Retired Strange case never fully explained -
GeorgeCarey-Foster.Obit.DT25.1.94.Not in 1980to deal in second-hand books. Meehan's fantasies or something else.
a spook but someone who played a key
role, in the Cold War having established John Thompson (MI5). Security Liaison Patrick Whinney (MI6).B. 1912, WW2- Lt.
thesecurity Departmentin 1946.From1953, Officer Mauritius, 1963 (Roger Faligot/ RNVR, NID2 Admiralty. Worked under
Pascal Kop, La Piscine,BasilBlackwell,1989, Deputy Director of Operations (Irregular)
a straight diplomat - though he did return p. 183.)
(DDOD(1) - Frank Slocum - in Corsica
to the Security Department in 1965. I am Lt. Col. Vivian H. Seymer (MI5) wrote
told that one of the deputies in the report on theBritishSSLegionof St.George (Whinney, Corsican Command: A Dramatic
department isalways an MI5officer- is this in 1945 (Adrian Weale, Renegades: Hitler's First Hand Account of ClandestineOperations
currently J. Kerby? Englishmen,Weidenfeld &Nicholson, 1994, in TheWesternMediterranean1943-4,Patrick
pp. 205-7). Stephens, 1989). David Herbert, another
Thedeathof six seniorofficersin thecrashed member of DDOD(1)in WW2. The second
Chinook helicopter on the Mull of Kintyre Clive Calif (MI5?).Involved in computer son of the 15th Earl of Pembroke involved
in June 1994 was indeed the 'catastrophic work and programming, trained with in 'hush hush work' - 'collecting tired spies
loss' asdescribedby thenewspapers. What GCHQ. Father worked for the service. from Franceand replacing them with fresh
the papers seemed to have difficulty with ones' (Herbert, Relations and Revelations:
was describingwhat jobs the six did inside Lt.-Col. TA Robertson (MI5). Obit. DT, Advice to Jermina, Peter Owen, 1992).
the Security Service. In particular, in 12.5.94&T, 16.5.94.Architectof the double-
discoveringwho was the Director and Co- cross system in WW2. Post-war worked in SirNevilleLeigh(GCHQ).Obit.DT, 10.8.94.
ordinator of Intelligence in Northern GCHQ as head of security.
Ireland. This was solved when someone WW2Bletchley Parkon cryptographic and
pointed out to me the simple, and glaring Lt.-Col. CAM Dunlop (MI5).Attached to other intelligence work. Treasury Solicitor
obviousfact,that the list of deceasedwas in Scotland Yard for interrogations, 1916-17. who was Clerk of the Privy Council for ten
descending order of seniority. SirEdward Radcliffe (MI5).Security Service years.
WW1. (Study Group on Intelligence
John Deverell, aged 57. Deputy Director of Newsletter, No.2, February 1990). May Nakidimon Doniach (GCHQ). Obit. DT,
the SecurityService.who was seconded to Cannan (MI5) Filing clerk at the Bureau 3.8.94. Lexiocgrapher and linguist, joined
the Province Executive Committee, Central Interallie in Paris, WW1 GCHQ in 1950 in the Foreign Office
Northern Ireland's strategic intelligence (Intelligence and National Security, Vo1.5, technical languagesectionteachingRussian
and securitycommittee.Had been involved No.4, October 1990). and Chinese, as well as producing a
incounter-terrorismsincethe early eighties,
laterhead of KBranch.Therewere rumours
that he was about to retire and was making

Lobster 95 page 14

and Chinese, as well as producing a 'John' - (BBC Radio Four, 'Call Nick Ross' The Times and Independentwere fullbut did
Russian-English military dictionary for on Intelligence, February 1994). Seventy not mention that he had been a member in
intelligencestaff.Received an OBE in 1967. year old man said that hebeen recruited in the late forties of the British League for
1947 as part of 'a group' to gather European Freedom (BLEF),a spooky outfit
Sir Leonard Hooper (GCHQ). Obits. DT, intelligenceandthen later as'anindividual'. which campaigned for the support of East
24.2.94 & T, 26.2.94. Director of GCHQ He was paid £4.00 per week for his work European exiles (see Lobster 19).A right-
from 1965. Cabinet Office Security and during the sixties. He did not say which wing Labour MP, Bulmer-Thomas grew
Intelligence adviser, retired 1978. organisation was involved but I suspect increasingly disillusioned with socialism,
that he was working for the Economic opposed nationalisation, and eventually
Air Commodore 'Tommy' John Marlow League. defected to the Tories. His membership of
the BLEF is partly explained by his strong
Thompson, airforceofficer- Obit.1,15.8.94. Four Britons of Chinese and Vietnamese advocacy of the Catholic wing of the
origin were arrested in early October 1993 AnglicanChurch (Catholicswereextremely
General Manager of Airwork Services, in Sierra Leone, accused of being spies prominent in all the campaigns in support
Saudi Arabia, 1966-68 - possible front intent on fomentinga coup.No other details of the exiles). A fluent Italian speaker, he
company. (ST, 24.10.93). worked for the Psychological Warfare
Executive during the war, feeding black
Richard Haggett - 'Literal Democrat' TheSecond Secretaryin theYemen,Gerald propaganda into Musolin's final fortress.
Ryan, was arrested in early February 1994 Hewrote abookonpropaganda, Warfarein
candidate at the 1994European Election.A by British police from the International Words, in 1942.
'spoiler' candidate against the Liberal and OrganisedCrimebranchinvestigating
Democrats,he was reported asbeing 'a one a major fraud involving the disappearance Lt. Cdr. George Martelli.Obit. DT, 12.4.94.
time intelligence officer' (1, 14.6.94). of over £500,000 and the illegal sale of visas WW2 head of the Italian section of the
and passports at a consulate in the Gulf Political Warfare Executive. Holder of
Ian Spiro, who worked for MI6 to free (Daily Mail, 4 & 7.2.94). quirky extreme right views, he had been
Terry Waite, was assassinated by former the Paris correspondent for the Morning
East German and Soviet hitmen working Professor Brinley Thomas. Obit. I, 31.8.94. Post,wherehehelped theEconomicLeague,
for the Iranians, according to Yossef Economist worked in the Political later journalist and author.
Bodansky, director of the Republican Intelligence Department at the Foreign
Party's task force on terrorism, in his book Office during the war transmitting coded CliftonJamesChild - 1eadingfigureinPWE
Terror: The Inside Story of the Terrorist messages to agents in northern Europe. in WW2 died in 1994 aged 81.
Conspiracy in America (S.Tel,19.12.93). Oh
yes! Milton Shulman, military historian, film/ Group Captain Peter Vaughan-Fowler.
TV critic. WW2 MI 14B(German order-of- Obit. DT, 27.4.94. WW2 SOE, 161 Special
Sir Michael Levt. Obit. DT, 10.3.94.Former battle), 1944Canadian Army specialist on Duties Squadron at RAF Tempsford flying
Governor of Gitish ~ u ~ a ant tahe time of Nazi Intelligenceagencies.1945Debriefed Lysanders into France.
overthrow of Dr Jagan. In Kenya 1954-57 German generals (BBCRadio Four, Desert General Sir Charles Richardson. Obit. DT,
and in 1959 was responsible for cover-up Island Discs, 10.6.94). 11.2.94.1940GSOI (Operations) withSOE.
of deaths of detainees at Hola camp. Jack Smith-Hughes. Obits. G, 21.3.94, 1,
Dennis Potter.Obit.DT,8.6.94. Playwright. 17.3.94 & DT, 15.3.94.SOE in Greece, later
Sir John Prendergast. Obit. DT, 21.9.93. Undertook National Service in the lawyer.
During WW2worked withMI5, afterwards Intelligence Corps, undergoing a Russian Robert Bayne-Powell. Obit. 1,12.3.94. SOE,
employedinnumerous counter-insurgency course and seconded to the War Office 1945 Austria, later lawyer.
campaigns as head of Special Branch with MI 3(D) at the time of Suez. James Joll. Obit. 1,14.7.94).Worked in the
Operations. The Independent obituary German section of SOE but refused 'to
(30.9.93) included a long piece from Sir ColonelPeter'Puma' Earle.Obit.DT,6.1.94. haveanything to do withcovert operations
Stephen Hastings (MI6),clearly in breach 1940,MI 14,German sectionof Intelligence whichhe regarded astotally unscrupulous'.
of the Official Secrets Act, which detailed in the War Office analysing Hitler's plans Fellow of New College, Oxford.
operations in Cyprus. to invade Britain,. 1946 posted to the Lt.-Col. Denis De Grudy Lambert. Obit.
Political Intelligence Department of the DT, 7.3.94). 1943, GSI(2), in lndia on
Colonel Sir Guy Campbell, Bt. Obit. T, Foreign Office and, in 1947, to the Joint intelligence work co-ordinating secret
21.7.93.1952.Took command of the Kenya Intelligence Bureau in the Cabinet Office. operations around the Caspian Sea of
Regiment for operations against the Mau Burma with M16, SOE and OSS.
Mau, organising 'pseudo gangs' (soldiers David Ginsburg - Labour/SDP MP, 1959- Colonel Douglas Street. Obit. DT, 20.7.93.
disguised as terrorists). Brigadier George SOE in Greece and Yugoslavia, 1944-45.
Taylor. Obits. DT, 25.7.93 & T, 20.7.94. 81. WW2 'Intelligence' specialised in Became head of the BBC's German and
Kenya, 1953-55, Commanded 'Operation interrogatingGermanPoWs.Obit.1,28.3.94. Austrian Servicebeforejoining the Foreign
Anvil' which apprehended2,OOO terrorists. Office in 1945, later freelancejournalist.
After retirement employed by Common AidanCrawley. Obit. DT,4.11.93. Member Professor JM Cook. Obit. 1, 7.1.94. Officer
Cause asafield director deliveringlectures, of the Balkan Intelligence Service in early with the BritishMilitary Mission in Greece
which 'sought to warn Western society of part of WW2. Later Labour and withboth EDES and ELAS. Director of the
the insidious threat of Communist Conservative MP of an anti-Communist British School of Archaeology in Athens,
infiltration'. bent who published a number of political 1945-54.
tracts which appear to have used material
Lt.-Col. Dudley Coventry. Obit. T, 28.9.93. from IRD. Benjamin Cowburn. Obit. DT, 21.1.94.
Long career in special forces. 22 SAS in Parachuted into France as SOE agent,
Malaya, first CO of Rhodesian SAS, in 1970 Ivor Bulmer-Thomas. Died 7.10.93., remained in France after the war where he
joined thecentral IntelligenceOrganisation journalist and politician.The obituaries in
where he formed the Mozambique-based
phantom terrorist group, Renamo. Later
commanded Zimbabwe SAS.

Lobster 95 page 15

\\ 2.i pn'niinent in Res~stancecircles. Two unconnected events, the end of
hostilities in Northern Ireland and a rise in
(;eorgt~Astley. Obit. T , 22.12.93. Junior grass roots activism and Non-Violent Direct
W E >tact ofiicer at Algiers and later Special Action (NVDA)by environmentalists, has
C ) ~ u . i t ~ ~ - r ~ ~ s A u sitnrcahl iaarg, eofdropping meant that the role of British Security
,?.:en!. ~ n t oenemy territory. services may well change in the next couple
of years. There is already a fledgling history
. - \ l t l ~ i > n~o~tfsitlri~ctly spooks the following of surveillanceand infiltration in the green
1niii\.i~l~1li~d1l1v~ork on the edges of the movement, although it has not comesolely
rn~~rk!n. ether-\vorld of spookdom and fromspecial Branchby any means. It seems
pI~!-ed a sni;lll role in influencing British as if there are several interested parties in
and \\-orld Cold LVar politics. blunting the growing influence of groups
such as Earth First!, who openly advocate
Tarzie Vittachi. Obit. 1,19.10.93.JohnTusa law breaking as a means to a more
managed to write at length aboutVittachirs sustainable future. In this article I hope to
'fearless journalism' and his 'journalist catalogue some of these incidents and try
values' without once mentioning the CIA to show that it is merely part of a very
and the various fronts towhich hebelonged. worrying trend towards the suppression
Frank Barnett. Obit. DT, 23.8.93. Cold War of environmental dissent.
warrior, head of the National Strategy
Informationcentre which he founded with "Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't
William Casey in 1962. A Rhodes Scholar,
Barnett supported pro-Americanelements mean they're not out to g-et y.ou."(l) So
in the European trade unions and social read the e-mail message I received several
democratic parties. Long association with
various CIA individuals and fronts. weeks ago. This is indeed true, especially
Anotherwarrior, editor of Survey, Leopold
Labedz, Obit. DT, 30.9.93. in the context of w h a t t h e radical

The following were not spooks at all [asfar environmental movement has been up to
as I know] but their lives were of interest in
plotting the parapolitical world of Africa. in the last three years. It remains an

Tom Kellock, died 12.1.93, a barrister who astonishing truth that a relatively small
~ v a sa fighter for justice in British colonial
c o ~ ~ r t lsa,ter president of the Liberal group of people has cost the government
International. Married to Jane Symonds,
administrator of the Africa Bureau (and many millions of pounds d u e to its
Ariel?) which, while there is no evidence
that it was a direct MI6 front, was looked activities(.2,) and has been behind such
most kindly upon by that Service (see political embarrassments for the
Anthony Verrier's book on Zimbabwe).
Eschel Rhoodie. Obit. DT, 29.7.93. The government as the roof-top occupation of
brains behind South Africa's massive
propaganda exercise in the seventies. He the Houses of Parliament (4th November
neLrerdid write that book revealing all, as
promised. 1994), and the 400 strong occupation of

Dalrid Williams, Obit. G, 17.9.93. Became Michael Iloward's front garden. (21st
the editor of the London-based newspaper
1Z'r.sf Africn when Cecil King acquired it in November 1994), as well as many arrests
1948. Remained in post until 1978.In 1975
the paper had been purchased out of around the country to herald the passing of
Rhoodie's 'information fund' though
Willinins claimed that he was unaware of the Criminal rustice Act into the statute
the South Afr~canconnection.
books. That month was by no means an
Sir Michael Blundell, the 'grand old man'
ot Kenyan politics. Obits. I & DT, 3.2.93. unusual or especially active one. Barely a

Lobster 95 month goes by without the eviction of a

major anti-roads camp or the starting up of

green grassroots activism in parts of Britain

where previously there was none. The

message is spreading. Therefore, it is of no

surprise thatthe that be" are intent

on attempting to dilute the effectiveness of

the fledgling movement with a good old

fashioned bit of Skulduggery. A lot of

what is to follow is sup.p.osed "hearsay",
but allof the accounts Ibelieve tobegenuine

and accurate.

A defining moment in the modern history
of "green monitoring" occurred at Twyford
Down from 1992-94.Officials belonging tc>
the Department of Transport hired
detectives from a firm called Brays to
compile information on protesters. It has
been revealed that two women working
for Brays were paid over £250,000 for their
services.(3) According to the Labour MP
John Denham, this hiring of private
detectives by the government had never
occurred before. There has also been major
difficulties with Brays because they refuse
to release any of the information that they
hold on individuals. Public money was

being used to film,photograph, follow and qualities of NVDA that makes it such a big of Greenpeace, (17 May 1995, following a
intimidate protesters. This seems to have potential target. Special Branch made lots direct action on the ~ t o m i cweapons
beena precedent that has continued against of mistakes and committed many abuses Research Establishment at Aldermaston),
the anti roads movement. Thereis evidence of rightswhilst monitoringthe anti-nuclear and on the offices of Green Anarchist
of Brays also being used at the MI1 and movement in the 1970'sand 1980's.A lot of Magazine in Oxford, a publication which
SolsburyHill campaigns.(4)Ithas alsobeen the systemicproblemsthat caused thishave openly condones the use of NVDA.
alleged that a sizeable and mysterious not been properly addressed. The same 7 "Ken Mutton" was at a Green Revolution
payment to the No MI1 Link Campaign mistakes will be made again this time, gathering in Bristolin 1992/3. It was a very
was made by Reliance Security guards. It although the stakes are higher now. There smallevent and all of the participantsknew
does not seem possible that this actually are many other instances of phone tapping each other. The police had earlier been
happened, but truthissometimes,ashistory and other forms of surveillance of my down to thesite to harass the party, and the
has taught us, a teller of taller stories than colleagues that have occurred, which the inspector was holding a photocopied
fiction. confines of this article do not give license itinerary of events that was stapled in the
for. Let us hope they are well collated in top left hand corner. When "Ken" arrived
Another example is London Greenpeace, future, so that the trend can be fully he was holding exactlythesame document
(unconnectedwith the "other" Greenpeace) identified, addressed and dealt with. stapled in exactly the same way.
which campaigns against the activities of Coincidence?Surely not.
McDonalds, has had a history of private Aside from the numbers of arrests under 8 Section 68, Criminal Justice and Public
detectives, hired by the multinational to the Criminal Justiceand Public Order Act, Order Act 1994. The maximum sentence
attempt to disrupt the activists' activities. there has been an increasein the number of for this offence is three months
These people followed prominent group people who have been given very harsh imprisonment and a £2500 fine.
members home to find out where they bail conditions. It is becoming
lived,importantcampaign correspondence commonplace for a campaign to have Peter Styles is an activistforManchester Earth
has been stolen from offices, and activists who are held on remand for First! and the Lloyds and Midland Boycott.
demonstrations at McDonald's branches breaking or not accepting these conditions Phone tappers shozild key in 0161 274 4665 to
have been photographed and video-taped whereas six months ago it was very rare their voice decoders to get hold of him. E-mail:
by mysterious onlookers who would not indeed. An No MI1 sympathiser, Jim [email protected].~ik.
reveal their identities. This detective work Chambers, has now been held on remand
was instrumental in the decision to for much of 1995,and is stillawaiting a trial
prosecute Helen Steele and Dave Morris date for alleged criminal damage. The
for libel. The subsequent "McLibel" trial power of the government to destroy the
has now been in session for nearly a year, lives of individuals is perhaps, even more
and some of the detectives used are due to frightening than its ability to control the
give evidence at the trial in late 1995.(5) activities of a whole movement.

The Lloyds & Midland Boycott (LAMB) My ownpersonal bail conditions (acquired Mandarin
campaign attempts to improve the ethical due to three Aggravated Trespass charges ISBN 0-7493-1094-4 (paperback)
standards and lending policies of the (8)) are that I am not to go on any
aforementioned banks. One of the tactics construction site in the country, or to go AvailableJrom all good bookshops
of the Boycott is NVDA. During a bank within 1mile of any open castmine. If these price L5.99
office occupation in November 1994, a conditions continue in this fashion, there
computer disk and an internal directory will be very little land in Britain I can
belonging to the bank allegedly went indeed traverse on!! These draconian
missing. No more was heard on the matter measures are onlybound to lead to trouble
until February 1995when twoplainclothes in the long term. If the same sentence is to
police officers went to the LAMB offices in be given for trespass as criminal damage,
Manchesterdemanding to seemembership thenwhat is theincentive for a person to do
lists and to have entry to the office. (6) the former rather than the latter. This will
Entry to the office was denied, despite the lead to an escalation of the stakes as far as
aggressive nature of the demands. LAMB violence against property isconcernedand
threatened Greater Manchester Police therefore a further increase in monitoring.
Authority with legal action and the police ISitme,orisitperhaps true thatthecriminal
demands mysteriously went ceased. Justice Bill was a neat ruse to increase the
However, LAMB activists have evidence employment of Special Branch!!
(7)that a person who calls himself "Ken
Mutton" is an infiltrator. He comes to the Notes:
campaignofficeeveryweek,on thepretence 1 Extract from an e-mail message on
that his work takes him from his home in gsn0ed.ac.uk. newsgroup concerning the
Birmingham to Manchester. He usually issue of monitoring.
sits around the office reading campaign 2 In December 1994, the DOT released
information for a couple of hours and then figuresshowing that securityon anti-roads
leaves. protests is costing £500,000 a month.
3 Road Alert Briefing paper on Brays
NVDA activists fall very much within the Detective Agency.
remit of surveillance under the Maxwell 4 Ibid.
Five directive. This is even though NVDA 5 Interview with McLibel Support
iscarriedoutwithout anythreat of personal volunteer (May 1995)
injury toanyone. It is theeconomic damage 6 In recent weeks there have also been
and awareness raising and empowerment more high profilepolice raids on the offices

Lobster 95 page 17

Thefollowing is a statement made b y an James Rlisbridger, who was an adviser to the The objectiveof these intelligenceservices
unnamed senior MI5 officerfor the trial of Smith defence team, speculated that the is to gather intelligence with the aim of
GEC employee Michael Smith who w a s ananymolls MI5 officer may have been Mollie gaining political, economic and military
eventually imprisoned for twenty-five Sllgden. In the mid-seventies, Sugden worked advantagefortheirapparent state.Included
years for offences under the Official Secrets in the Registry and waspart oftheanti-Wilson in this aim is the intention to cause short or
Act. As i t is rare t o read such statements I coterie. She apparently had possession of the long term damage not only to the Western
thoughtthatitwouldbeworthpublishing. alleged KGB photograph of Wilson in Moscow Statein which their intelligence is gathered
Also, i t so simplistic that one has t o (informationfrom David Leigh). She was still but also to other Western States.There are
question the level of intelligence which in the Service in the late eighties. a number of methods used by Soviet/
operates inside the Security Semice. Smith's Russian Intelligence Services to facilitate
defence w a s t o make much of the I have been employed by the Security such intelligence gathering activities; one
similarities between the MI5 evidence, Servicefor 23 years.I have made a study of is to seek to suborn and recruit citizensof a
which they regarded as being top secret, the techniques used operationally,by the Westernstate who have access toclassified
and The Know-How Book of Spycraff Intelligence Services of the former Soviet information and persuade them to hand it
(Usborne)fortenyearsolds availablefrom Union and of Russia whose intelligence over usually inreturn for money.It isinthe
WHSmiths.No wonderseniorMI5 oficers services have inherited most of the Soviet interest of the intelligence officer and his
have attempted to censor the report b y the intelligence services resources and assets, agent that such activities do not come to
Security Commission into the affair, which followingthe break-up of the SovietUnion the notice of the authorities in the Western
was deeply embarrassing t o the Semice. in 1991. State. To this end, Soviet/Russian
MI5 had knownfor a number of years that intelligence services have developed over
Smith w a s a member of the Communist This study includes information gained the years particular 'tradcraft' practices
Party but allowed him to carry onworking from the debriefing of defectors from the designed to ensure the security of their
in top security positions. Soviet and Russian intelligence services operations, their officers and their agents.
and from the Security Service's Meetings and other forms of
observations of Soviet and Russian communication between the officer and
intelligence officers in the UK. I am his agent are considered to be particularly
thoroughly familiarwith these techniques. vulnerable to the attentions of the security
services in the host nation and there are
many well established tradecraft practices
designed to minimise this risk. Examples
of these practices are:

- -

Silent Signals

If yo11:lnd your roiltact can see
c:lcil o t h ~brut cannot speak or
pet close e~loug'nto pass a
Ine3s;lge. signal with the Silent
;Ilpl;abe! ahown on the page on
rhe right. Or blink the Morse
Code (seepage .?(I )as shown
below. In a crowded room or
busy street you and your
contact can senciquick
nlcssagPs or warnings with
Silent Hand and Leg Signals.

Silent Hand and Leg Signals

1 One hand in pocket - yes.
2 Two hands in pockets - no.
3 Scratching head - can you
meet me at the hiding place?
4 Scratching back of neck -be
careful. You are being watched.
5 Crossing legs - leave your
message a t the 'drop'.
6 Both hands behind back - I
cannot pass the message now.
7 Scratching ear - I will
telephone you later.

Y Standing on one l e i - I'm

going home now.

Lobster 95 page 18

Instructing an agent to follow a I have familiarised [sic] myself with the THE RISE & FALL OF
particular route to a meeting. A Michael Smith case and in particular have
number of defectors have told us examined exhibits JS41-44 inclusive and THE ECONOMIC LEAGUE
that this is normal practice read the relevant parts of his interviews. I
designed to enable the officer to am able to state that the notes contained in by Mike Hughes
observe the agent and ensure he those exhibits are typical examples of the
is not under surveillance.Douglas tradecraft referred to above, designed to 1IN 12Publications is proud to introduce its
Britten, convicted under the OSA ensure the securityofclandestinemeetings latestbook in a totally new format- on DISK!
in 1968was instructed to travel to withan agent. I formed that opinionon the
meetings with his Soviet basisof the following:JS41describes,marks "Spiesat Work" tells the disturbinghistory of
controller following a pre- to indicate 'danger' a vertical lines and the employers clandestine and subversive
arranged route. 'come next day' - a horizontal line. It notes
Theuseof marksmadewithchalk, what appears tobe a meeting at Horsenden "Secret Service" - THE ECONOMIC
drawing pins, stickingplasteretc. Hill on 25 September with arrangements
on walls, posts or similar or for further meetings if that meeting is not LEAGUE. 200 pages of carefully researched
placing at a specific place a kept or contact is broken. I have visited and detailed information on a single disk.
particular object, often an item of Horsenden Hill, a popular open wooded
rubbish e.g. empty cigarette area with a large car park some 3 miles Drawing on a wealth of previously
packet,orangepeel etc.to convey fromsmith's workplace at GEC, East Lane unpublished, undiscovered and confidential
messages.Both marks and objects Wembley. It is typical of sites selected by information, "Spies at Work" traces the
are placed so as to be readily intelligence officers for intelligence Leagues origins from the anti-Labour Party
visible to the passer-by without meetings.The other notes on JS41 have no activitiesof the Intelligencemandarins in the
stopping. Different marks and intelligence significance. JS 42 contains a early 1920's,throughearlyfascistorganisations
objects indicate different notewhich appears torelate to a meetingat and the more disreputable fringes of
messages to the agent and his 'Roxeth REC' on a date in April. I have Churchill's personal intelligence service, to
controller and reduce the need visited Roxteth Recreation ground which conspiracies to undermine governments in
for personal meetings or other is situated in a quiet suburban housing the '60','70's and '80's.
communication which carry estate close to South Harrow railway
inherent risks. Dieter GEHARDT station. This is shown in exhibit PA4. It is
the South African naval officer an open park area with restricted access
convicted of espionage in 1983 and typical of sites selectedby intelligence
and Geoffrey PRIME, the GCHQ officers for clandestine meetings, this
officer convicted of espionage in exhibit also notes arrangements for
1982both received messagesfrom meetings at Perivaleor Sudbury town tube
their Soviet controllers by means stations if the contact is lost. The other
of chalk marks on telegraph poles notes on JS 42 have no intelligence
and trees.An empty coca-colacan significance.
left in a specific place was also
used by PRIME to convey JS43 contains notes which appear to relate The Disk comes complete with specially
messages.
Selecting meeting places in open toregular contacts,possiblywithaprevious developed software that will run on any IBM
areas away from city centres, compatible machine.* Everything you need
which are well used by the public unknown person - 'REC & GUARDIAN"
and where a meeting would not on one small disk - no other software needed.
attract undue attention but probably refers to using the Giiardian
surveillance would be difficult You can quickly and easily read any part of
and easily detected. I know from Newspaper as a recognition signal - the book; search effortlessly for key words,
a number of defectors and from
my service's observations of carrying a particular newspaper is a names or phrases; print out any part or all of
Soviet/Russian intelligence thebook;instantlycrosscheckreferencesand
officersthat parks, quietsuburban common recognition signal. It also notes jot your own notes on a pop-up notepad.
areas,particularly suburban tube what could be signalsforchanged meeting
or railway stations within the 25
mile limit are favoured. arrangements, 'green for next day' and
Arranging in advance regular
timers, meeting places and 'red for next Sat pm'. The other notes have
arrangements if contact is lost or
broken.Aswithmarksand signals no intelligencesignificance JS 44 contains
this is a well established method
by which intelligence officers what appears to be arrangements for a All this at only £4.99 for each registered
reduce the need for personal
clandestinemeetingor meetings; details of package. And it's FREE to copy and pass on
contact with their agents and so
signals - a vertical line for 'danger' and a to others for their evaluation!
lessenthe riskof discovery.Hugh
Hambleton convicted of Ihorizontallinefor 'comenext day to agreed
espionage in 1982 and Harry
place1-a symbol, possibly a firehydrant or * Run.ng DOS version 2 or later
Houghtonconvicted of espionage notice board, for the locationof the signal;
in 1961and Britten allhad regular
pre-arranged meeting times, details of another signal and location -
places and 'fall-back'
arrangements if contact was 'Abbotsbury Rd/Melbury coke can at
broken and lost.
bollard'. I have visited this location and it

is shown in Exhibit PA3; details of a

particular route dated 6 August, I have

visited Harrow and can say that the route

describedinJS44 'from bottom of hillwalk

up and (round Church Hill) into Church'

corresponds to the route up Peterborough

Road from the junction with Kenton Road

turning right into Church Hill which leads

into St Mary's Church, this route is shown

in Exhibit PA 1; details of meetings at

Horsenden Hill;a list 'get old projectnotes,

biosensors, micromaching, micron-valve

give details about cut-backs, HATS' which

appears to be a list of requirements on 1 IN 12 PUBLICATIONS
which information is required. The other

notes in JS 44 have no intelligence 31 Manor Row, Bradford BD14PS

significance.

Lobster 95 page 19

!Dorrilopensa veritablecan ofworms The uncovering of this bizarre story began academic, Peter Smith, who teaches
in the lateeightieswhen asolicitorcontacted International politics at the University of
Searchlight's Gerry Gable. He said that his Teesside. He had been in receipt of the
client,who was charged with involvement letter from prison and who has been
in a series of armed robberies but claimed pursuing the case for the past five years
that he had been 'fitted-up', was making with the help of two northern Labour MPs
odd and serious claims,principally that he
had been connected to neo-fascist fi"eures - Chris Mullen and Frank Cook. A Lobster
and groups. The solicitor, who appears to
have been out of his depth, thought Gable subscriber, I was aware of his interest
could make some headway with the through Robin, he remained tight-lipped
allegations. Gable cannot now remember about his own investigation. I spoke to
the details but he asked the solicitor for Peter Smithon afewoccasionsabout Gladio
more information as he felt the claims
containedlittlethatwas not already known. - as he said, I probably knew as much as
Failing to come back with what he would
regard as original material, Gable decided anyone about the British end - but he said
that the casewas not worth pursuing. In little, though he did let slip one or two
fact, he thought the whole story nonsense snippetswhich later proved to be crucial in
and continues to do so. (Telephone understanding what was going on.
conversation with Gable, 22.12.94.) Although intrigued, I did no research on
the matter.
Not long after, when the word 'Gladio'
first began to appear in the media, the The next move came in 1991from a totally
person at the centreof thiscase, then serving different direction and was to remain
a long prison for armed robbery, sent a unknown for another two years. The
letter to Granada's World in Action daughter of an old friend of the murdered
programme where it was taken up by Paul rose-grower and anti-nuclear campaigner
Lashmar, Andy Belland Ian McBride.They Hilda Murrell, Trina Guthrie (Pascal),was
carried out a short investigation intoclaims a part time unofficial prison visitor, and a
that the prisoner had knowledge of publicationsmanager for theRoyal Society
involvement in a Gladio-style outfit in the for Nature Conservation based in Lincoln.
late seventies/early eighties, which had she was also a supporter of Amnesty
links into neo-fascist groups in the North International. In November, Hilda's'niece'
of England. spoke to an ex-prisoner, who shared her
interest in the Nagas, a tribe living in the
Iremember receiving a telephone callfrom Himalayas close to the Indian border who
Lashmar, who wanted to know if Lobster had an ong- oin-g dis-pute with the Indian
had any subscribersin prison. He said that government over their right to
there was a inarked similarity between self-determination. He told her that he
what the prisoner was saying and articles knew of a current serving prisoner who
which had appeared in Lobster about links had 'considerable knowledge of the Hilda
between 'the private armies' of the early to Murrell affair'. She obtained his identity
mid-seventies and the intelligenceservices. and made arrangements to visit him.
He was concerned lest this person was (Murray, p. 201)
making up the story based on material in
Lobster. She was 'astounded when he revealed that
he had shared a prison wing with another
I passed the request on to Robin Ramsay long term prisoner who had stated that he
who dealt withsubscribers. For sometime, had been in charge of a small group
I had no further contact with the story as responsible forsurveillance of Hilda'. After
Ramsay would become all mysterious contacting a private detective, Gary
when it was mentioned, claiming that it Murray, who was particularly interested
was too sensitive to discuss. I was later to in the Murrell murder, Trina then began
learn that Bell (as far as I am aware, visiting 'George' in prison to gather as
completely separate from the Gable much.information as possible, which she
approach) and Ian McBride of WiA did over a number of weeks throughout
conducted a few inquiries into this 1991.It emerged that havingbeen moved to
'sensitive' story. Bell interviewed the a prison close to York, her informant had
person in prison and received a long letter shared a wing with a long term prisoner
detailing the claims. With his background serving 15 years for armed robbery. They
knowledge from working closely with became close friends, as a result of which
Searchlight, Bell dismissed them. He told information came into the possession of
me that the specific information provided her informant. (Murray, p. 201.)
did not tally with his own knowledge of
fascistg o u p s and figures and they decided Thereisaslight confusion inGary Murray's
that it was all a fantasy. (Telephone account of Trina Guthrie's discovery in
conversations with Bell and McBride, that he refers to her source where, in fact, it
December 1994.) is her informant's source who is
unknowingly supplying the information
to Trina. That source appears to have been
the same man who had previously
contacted WiA and Peter Smith.

Someone who did not was a north-east On 10 June 1992, on the advice of Gary

Lobster 95 page 20

Murray, Trina Guthrie signed a sixteen thiswas apparentlywas true and oneof the the police shot him to keep him quiet 'The
page affidavit at the office of Lincoln alleged abductors turned out to be a prisoner, however, refused to say anything
solicitor.It then appeared in anedited form part-time antiques dealer. (Murray, pp. about Hilda Murrell and her murder.
(Peter Smith is wrong to say 'in full' - 203 & 205.) (Murray, p. 207.)
Rarnsayhbster,28)inMurrayls1993Enemies After weeks of debriefingTrinalsinformant
of the State (Simon and Schuster), which provided further biographical details of With the release of Murray's book, West
made various allegations concerning the the team. Mercia Police announced that they would
murder of Hilda Murrell. be re-opening the investigation into the
Team member 1 - Currently in prison Murrell murder in the light of the new
'The armed robber, whose identity and information. After taking legal advice,
location have also been made known to serving fifteen years for armed robbery. Murray and Ms Guthrie wrote to Chief
Gary Murray, stated that he had been in Said to have done a deal inexchange for his Inspector Herbert on 25 September 1993.
charge of what he described to me as a silence. Has been transferred to a prison Finally, receivingan acknowledgement on
"cell", a group of four men andone woman convenient to his family, and at the time of 1November, Murray named to the police
who had been engaged in regular freelance writing (1993) refuses to talk, or even to all those allegedly involved in thebreak-in,
work for some kind of secret intelligence respond to Murray's letters requesting an theceresliaisonofficer andGuthrielsinitial
department. One of their assigmnents had interview (this was unusual as prisoners informant. (Cook, p. 144.)
been to search Hilda Murrell's house for very rarely refuse a visit but, unknown to
papers or information relating to signals Murray, this was the prisoner who Murray'sbook wassubsequentlyreviewed
intelligence,specific mention was made of contacted WiA and was in;egular contact by Peter Smith in Robin Ramsay's version
the Belgrano and the Falklands. The most with Peter Smith). of Lobster (no. 26) in December 1993. 'It
frightening aspect of the informant's story turns out that the new material on Murrell
isthat the leader of the group was said tobe Team member 2 - Now serving sixteen is based on a prison whisper. Murray is
reporting to the Cabinet Office via an MI5 years for armed robbery. Has been convinced that "the person in charge of the
Liaison Officer and that the team, in committed to a secure psychiatric hospital attack was a former MI5 agent who has left
addition to their government work, were where he has been receiving treatment for theservice to run aprivate detectiveagency
alsoengaged in allmanner of illegalactivity, severe depression after an incident that (accusationsmade in the Stainesand Eghanz
including armed robbery for which they occurred while in the same prison as team News, 12 August 1993), and works five
were arrested some time after Hilda's member 1. minutes from Marble Arch (Outlook,July/
death.' August, 1993)". Again, why not put this
Team member 3 - A violent professional interesting assertion in the book?
There followed a description of the killing criminal, who is said to have terrified all
of Murrell which occurred after a member those who came into contact with him. Smith went on, 'As to the Murrell murder
of the team of three males and one female Now deceasedafterbeing accidentallyshot "team", I smell a rat. The names and
panicked 'became very unstable and by his own gun during a police chase. backgrounds are easy enough to research
subjectedHilda toviolence and threatened and Chief Inspector Herbert will have
her with a knife, accompanied by obscene Team member 4 - 'Helga' received a tracked them down by now. I strongly
acts involving masturbation'. Hilda was suspect that thisprisonwhisper is meantto
subsequently moved from her house to two-year sentence, and after release muddy the waters and confuse the
some kind of military base known as 'little vanished without trace. investigations of two quite separate but
America', the location of which Murray still unsolved events.' Smith did not
later managed to track down on the Team member 5 - A former policeman, elaborate what was the second 'unsolved
outskirts of Shrewsbury. (Murray, p. 202.) operating under the interesting code name event'.
'Demeter' (the Greek goddess of
According to Ms Guthrie's informant, 'the agricultural fertility). Is alleged to have In February 1994, West Mercia police
other criminalactivitiesof the team resulted been the direct link with the MI5 liaison announced-after an eight month inquiry
in one of them dying of gunshot wounds officer attached to the Cabinet Office at the that 'therewasnothing~articularlysinister
during a police chase. A second male time of Hilda's murder. about this tragic crime'. The police stood
member of the team was, and still is, by their original inquiry and dismissed
incarcerated ina securepsychiatrichospital. Casual associate A 'low-life' known to Gary Murray's evidence and concluded
The team leader is currently serving 15 use German nicknames, his favouritebeing that theprisoner responsiblefor the original
years for armed robbery and is insisting he Spengler. claim (they do not specify which team
was "fitted up". The female operative member this was) 'had confessed that he
received a two-year sentence on other The overall code-name said to have been had concocted the whole thing from a story
criminal charges and has now been adapted by this fivehand team was 'Ceres' in the Independent magazine in November
released. Nothing is known about the (the Roman goddess of agriculture). This 1989, in the hope that it might help him
whereabouts of the remaining member of was said to be the northern extension of a appeal against his conviction for armed
the group, who has described as a Nazi network with the private security agency, robbery1.-1fthe team Murray named had
enthusiast in the habit of adopting names Zeus, being the London extension of it. been involved in the killing then it would
of German military colleagues of the late (Murray, pp. 105-6.) have been a relatively simple matter to
Adolph Hitler.' (Murray, pp. 202-3.) resolve since the police were possession of
Murray did manage to see 'team member 'unmatched fingerprints from the car and
Ms Guthrie gleaned further pieces of 2' in a secure psychiatric hospital who, from inside her hduse, casts of footprint,
information which suggested that her while 'apprehensive and frightened' did hair, semen, an artists impression of the
informant's sourcewasproducing evidence remember clearly the events leading to his suspect'. The only draw back being that
that could only have been known to conviction for armed robbery. He insisted Murray did not know the true identity of
someone inside Murrell's house at the time that some events had been distorted or 'Spengler', though, as Smith suggests, it
of her abduction. One piece of evidence exaggerated by the prosecution and 'he would not have given much trouble for the
was the allegation that a member of the claimed that he was persuaded to admit to police to find him. (Guardian, 26.2.94
team had removed two antique statues of offences which he and his associates had 21.3.94.)
dogs from Hilda's house at the time of the not committed. When questioned about
burglary. Although not generally known, the accidentalshootingof 'teammember 3'
by hisowngun, hereplied: 'That's not true,

Lobster 95 page 21

By the time Murray's book came out, Iwas the professional criminal, Team Member to a small circle. Thirdly, the semen found
collecting material on Gladio for a book on no. 3. It was suggested that 'his amazing apparently came from someone who had
M16. What Murray did not know, which I run of luck in not getting caught over the had a vasectomy. Finally, according to
did, were the further claimsby the prisoner years had not a little to do with the 'team member l', the end source for both
in York of involvement with a Gladio assistance he gave to well placed security Cook and Smith, 'Team member 3'
network. At least some of the people at the firms and his involvement with Ceres.' He apparently didvisit Hilda'sShackin Wales,
centre of the alleged conspiracy which was apparently useful to them as an expert though when is not clear.
Murray disclosed were the same as those breaker-and-enterer who could handle a
the armed robber in prisonnamed asbeing range of weapons. 'Subsequent In herbook, Cookalsomade someprogress
involved in a Gladio-style network. The investigation points to there possibly also on identifying the various team members
Murrell affair rumbled on and was havingbeen an electronicsexpert' with the and, in particular, the one who had died
expanded upon in 1994by Judith Cook in team sent to Shrewsbury. The leader of the following a police chase.
her second book on the Murrell murder, group of fivewas said tobe reporting to the
Unlawfill Killing (Bloomsbury), and an Cabinet Office via Demeter. (Cook, pp. The murder of Sergeant John Speed took
interestingprkisof thebookin theGuardian 139-140.) place at 8.50 in the morning on 31 October
(17.9.94),'True Lies'. 1984. Two men had been seen acting
There are already signs that the story is suspiciously near a car park next to the
It was somewhat disappointing. Given a getting elaborated beyond the original Parish Church in Kirkgate, Leeds. PC John
chance to write what will probably be the information and there is some confusion Thorpe questioned one of the men, who
last book on the subject this should have surrounding the roleof Demeter.However, pulled out a gun and shot Thorpe but did
been an in-depth look at the case covering it does not take much effort to realise that no kill him. Tackledby a secondpoliceman,
all angles. This, Cook does not do and the 'agency' referred to is Zeus Security Sgt. Speed, the gunman again used his
while the section which points toward the and that the'ex-MI5 operative1or'Demeter' gun, killing Speed in what a third
motive being the protection of signals refers to Jeremy Wetherell, though 'Nick policeman, PC John Raj, described as an
intelligence is both plausible and the Greek' Vafiadis, a private security SAS-style 'cold-blooded execution'.
persuasive, the rest is mighty thin, lacking specialist who did tapping for Robert Certainly, the gunman appeared to act in a
the necessary detail and thought to push Maxwell, has also been mentioned. I have cold,calculatingway, takinghis time tokill
the caseforward. It issomethingof a missed inserted their names because I genuinely Speed. Running away from the scene, the
opportunity. believe that these are post hoc inventions. gunman fired a third shot at Raj which
Gary Murray has certainly had a thing missed. (Thefollowingaccountof thespeed
In her defence it has to be said that some of about them and he may be right to be murder is based on BBC1, Crimewatch
the faults do not liewith Cook.There were, worried about their activitiesbut, as far as File, The Murder of Police Sergeant Speed,
Iunderstand, immense legalproblems and I can see, there was not a shred of evidence 12.10.88, and the extensive accounts in the
thebookwasbadlyedited as aresult,which to suggest that they were involved Yorkshire Post for the relevant period,
accounts for the mish-mash of some of the indirectlyordirectlyin theMurrellmurder. complementedwith reports in the Guardian
material. It was also badly promoted and As will be shown, Demeter refers to and The Times.)
appears to have vanished without trace. someone else and Zeus was never ever
(Telephoneconversationwith JudithCook, mentioned by the original source. The gunman then ran into a garage
May 1995.) forecourt where he hijacked at gunpoint a
According to the Cook account, 'only four van and made his escape. Police later
Cook does, however, add more material to of the five entered the house with Team believed that the gunman had made his
Murray's account based on further member no. 3 and the woman knowing way to a nearby Post Office where he was
information from Trina Guthrie and her exactly what they were looking for. The still, we are led to believe by the police,
informant. Essentially, the 'core story' fifth person, allegedly in overall charge of contemplating carrying out an armed
being that 'in early 1984 there was the operation, was in the area but did not robbery despite the manhunt which was
increasing anxiety in Downing Street over take part in the break-in.' At an early stage taking place.
the Belgrano leaks, culminating on 19 no. 3 discovered the existence of Hilda's
March in what can only be described as a ShackatLlanymynechand with thewoman With few leads, except a poor description
panic. At about that time, or even a little decided to leave to search it. The other two from the seriously injured Thorpe and
before, the connection between the elderly were surprised by Hilda's return and she ballistic evidence from a Remington .38
Sizewell protester, Hilda Murrell, and her was then tied up. 'Spengler' punched a bullet which had been fired from a crude,
nephew, Commander Robert Green, had grapefruit with a knife to show Hilda what roughly bored-out barrel of an old
been noted and the simplistic assumption he would do with her. He then inflicted fashioned Army-style revolver, the police
made that he might possibly have passed some minor wounds on her hand and then investigation made little progress. The
half suffocated her with a wet towel. massive inquiry eventually involved over
raw signals data on toher ...It was decided Spenglerhad been apparently aroused to a 250 officersover a period of two-and a-half
state of sexual excitement by the violence years.Therewereover 10,000suspectswith
to search her house. A high-powered and he first tried to force her to have oral over 18,000'actions'; an indication that the
operation did not appear to be required sex and having failed, masturbated over police had no real lines of inquiry.
and it seems that MI5 was bypassed and her bed where she was lying. (Cook, pp.
the work put out to a major agency often 140-1.) There was an investigation of two armed
used for official business. It was not robberies of Asda stores in Leeds in May
expected that there would be any real Afterbeingtakento'little America', Murrell 1981and September 1982which involved
problems. It was known, presumably was dumped on the following evening in similar typ& of bullets with the same
through phone taps, that Hilda would be the copse where she was found. 'By which marked characteristics.A impetus, though
out all day on 21 March, which should time the official intelligenceorganisations a false one and one costly in time, was
have given ample time for a thorough had been contacted to help clear up the given to the investigation when an
search of her house.' (Cook,p. 139.) whole mess.' (Cook, p. 14i.) anonymous informant told police to take a
look at an Irishman named Anthony Kelly,
'The agency in question delegated the job There were four interesting aspects to this who was linked to a series of armed
to its northern offshoot, which operated scenario. Wet towels were indeed robberies.
under the name Ceres. The liaison officer discoveredin thehouseafterher abduction.
between the main agency and Ceres was A grapefruit was also found in the
an ex-MI5operative alsogiven the name of abandoned car which tookHilda to her last
a Greek god: Demeter.' Ceres employed a restingplace.Thesewere'facts'only known
'number of doubtful operatives' including

Lobster 95 page 22

Kelly, who was now in Dublin, was put heard coming from the car. The occupant take a .38 bullet, which was believed to
under a four month surveillance operation crawledoutof thecar andwasimmediately have been the weapon used to kill Speed.
which involved PC Thorpe travelling to grounded by police. He was then taken to Terence Gibb-Kirk, aged 48, from York,
Ireland to try to identify him. Kelly had the police station where he became was charged with selling the gun to Willis.
been in North Yorkshire in the relevant seriously ill. When his clothes where Gibb-Kirk later received a suspended
period, visiting a man called Gerald Stone loosened, it was discovered that he had a sentence. ( T M S , 28.2.87. Y P , 14.5.88.
who, it was discovered, had been gunshot wound. PC Richardson tried to Guardian, 27.3.287.)
importing, over a period of fifteen years, revive the man but he died in custody.
Irish criminals to carry out a series of The dead man turned out tobe thirty-eight Rounding up Gricewith accomplices, the
contractcrimes in England. Circumstantial year old David Gricewith - 'team member police arrested Michael Tyreman, 'team
evidence linked Stone, and Kelly, to the 3', a garage owner of Tholthorpe, near member 2', on Valentines Day 1987, who
Asda store robberies and legalproceedings York, whom police would allege had been was found to have in his possession a
for extraditionof Kelly was launched.This involved since 1976 in twenty-one armed number of bullets of the same type as used
proved to be unsuccessful as Kelly was robberies and related incidents. in the murder of Speed and the raids on the
arrested in April 1986 for the kidnapping Asda stores. Aged 50, from Sessay, North
of the Guinness heiress. Kelly received a The police then mounted an intensive Yorkshire, Tyreman was described as a
fourteen year jail sentencewhile Stonewas investigation of Gricewith and his 'general dealer', who was said to be 'one of
sentenced in England to eight years for a associates to prove his responsibility for Gricewith's four-strong gang'.Hewassaid
series of unrelated jewellery robberies. the killing of Sgt. Speed. They soon to have lived in far of Gricewith who he
discovered that Gricewith, who had three had first met a North Yorks gun club.
For two years Kelly was to remain the previousconvictions,had been interviewed Tyreman legally held eleven guns on a
prime suspect though another line then by policeaspart of the Speed investigation, firearms certificatewhich were 'stashed in
being followed in the North East was to five weeks after the killing, but had been an isolated North Yorks farmhouse'.
lead to the real killer of Sgt. Speed. crossed off the suspects list when his Yorkshire Police said that Tyreman 'was a
girlfriend gave what appeared to be a member of more than one-gun club and
Ten months after the killing, Leeds police cast-iron alibi. Gricewith told one of held avarietyofweaponsof variouscalibres
had a lead following the robbery of an associatesthat one of the police had said to for use on approved ranges for practice
Asda store in Stockton during which a his partner: 'He doesn't sound like a cop and competition and to control vermin on
policeman tackled a man who carried a killer to me, does he to you?'. land where he had authority to shoot'. He
handgun and who made his escape on a was reported as becoming a born-again
souped-up motorcycle. Twelve days later, A divorced, 'fun-loving man', Gricewith christian after his last raid. (TMS, 3.3.87.
a robbery a Post Office in the area appeared 'was well-known,even envied in the North 27.10.87. YP. 28.10.87.)
to involve exactly the same modus Yorkshire village of Tholthorpe where
operandi. The police later discovered the women found his charismatic personality. On 17February,a lorry driver of York, Paul
abandoned motorcycle and followed the He boasted to underworld associates and Guest, had gone to the police on his own
ownership trail to Redcar. They could not the women in his life about his executionof initiative in what became clear as a
however, discover the identity of the most Sgt. Speed but no one had the courage to pre-emptive move to try and distance
recent owner. On the basis that the owner tell the police. (Guardia?~2, 7.2.87. TMS, himself from Gricewith. Guest told the
had made modifications to the bike, the 27.1.88.) police 'a pack of lies'.
police dubbed this new suspect 'the
Mechanic'. What was later to assume a greater A day later, an 'associate' of Gricewith,
importance (seebelow) was the discovery Peter Sanderson 'team member l', was
There then followed over the next 18 by the police of Gricewith's arsenal of fifty arrested. He was said to embarking on a
months a series of robberies, eleven raids revolvers and weapons, including a series ofrobberies with Gricewith and told
of Post Office's and supermarkets which machine gun and over 4/6,000 rounds of the police that Gricewith had 'boasted' of
were believed to be linked to the same ammunition. Shotguns found buried or Speed's murder.
suspect or suspects (in one raid, which hidden inriverswere linked tocrimesgoing
involved two robbers, a policeman was back 12 years. Recovered from nine Sanderson, aged 41, a builder of Fulford,
shot at). Over a period of six months, different hideaways in Cleveland, North York, was alleged to have been involved
Teesside police mounted a massive Yorkshire and Lancashire, portions of the
surveillance operation, 'Vanguard', of arsenal, which included 'military issue' with rice with in 'a crime spree in the
likely targets. It proved to be unsuccessful arms, may have been stolen from his
and police changed tactics by using police Territorial Army unit. Members of the North from 1976until 1987'. He denied all
personnel as a visible security presence Army's Special Investigation Branchwere 13charges which included four relating to
when money was being transferred, with called in and serving soldiers were to be a £223,000 robbery at the Kirkstall Post
armed units in waiting in reserve in interviewed. (YP,7,8 & 21.2.87.TDY, 24 & Office,in Leeds, in which he was alleged to
supermarket car parks. These new tactics 27.2.87.) have fired a sawn-off shotgun which
proved tobe a successwhen, on 12February wounded the Post Office employee.
1987, a PC Richardson made a suspect The haul included: Apparently, Sanderson had been
check of a suspicious lookingvehicle.Alert interviewed by the police about two of the
to the police presence the robber made an 6 automatic pistols and two replicas/9 crimes years previously and had been
escape and a police chase ensued. revolvers/ 1 pen gun/ 1 single barrel arrested on suspicion of another robbery.
shotgun/l2 double barrel shotguns/2 air One charge, on which he was found not
The occupant was corned at a playing field pistols/2 air rifles/2 silencers/9 double guilty, was possession of a revolver 'with
where he fled with a gun and shotgun. barrels/l single barrel/16 shotgun stocks. intent to endanger the life of Gricewith'.
Commandeering a police car, the robber (TMS, 22.4.88. YP. 27.4.88.)
againescaped temporarily but was chased Another York man, Frederick Willis, aged
by apolicevan which was givenpermission 48, was charged, and later released, for Sandersonlater told the Court that he'only
to ram the car. The car eventually crashed selling Gricewith a revolver. Police were co-operated with the police because of
into a wall. What happened next is open to looking for a turn of the century 8mm threats and inducements' and that he was
dispute but it appears that a gunshot was Frenchrevolverwhich had been rebored to 'punched in the kidneysby one officer near
the River Ouse at York where a search was
being made for a revolver'. (YP,28.4.88.)

Lobster 95 page 23

On23February 1987,Gricewith's girlfriend, informedus of this key player's longrecord it was, that there were similaritieswith my
Adrienne Robinson - 'Helga', aged 36, of of drug offences, and his reputation as a own proposal on the plots against ~ a r o l d
Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was Wilson.IbelievethatSmith'sproposal(with
arrested. After two days of avoiding police "grass" aftermakingdealswithboth Police Callum Macrae) failed.
questions she admitted that Gricewithhad andcustom. Nevertheless, "George" tells
told her that he had killed Speed. Ms an interestingtale.Whilesomemembersof My own interest in this story was revived
Robinsonsaid that Gricewith's accomplice this 'team' are highly unlikely choices for inearly 1995when, out of the blue, at a talk
'in the murder was Paul Guest. She was such a risky enterprise, it is just possible on the tenth anniversary of the Miners'
charged with the attempted robbery of a that one or two could have been involved, Strike, Arthur Scargill, asked what the
Post Office near Middlesborough. She audience knew about Demeter,Gladioand
received threeyears whichwas reduced on the most likely candidates being David thesetting up of minersforviolentoffences.
appeal to two. Gricewith and one of his associates. As Revealing a few more details to a
Gricewith is dead, having allegedly bewildered audience, Scargill outlined in
She had been subjected to violence on a accidentally shot himself while being extremely vague terms what Peter Smith
considerable scale by Gricewith whose arrested as a suspected armed robber, and had been researching.Suddenly, a number
ex-wifealso said that he had used violence his associate[Tyreman]- "George's"source of disparate pieces of information came
on her. His former wife said that she had together. Now that the tale was out in the
heard Gricewith,Sanderson and Tyreman - is serving a lengthy sentence for armed open, after five years I felt that it was time
plan robberies. (YP, 21.7.88.) to reveal what my own sources had been
robbery, and is presently [sic] committed telling me.
On 25 February, Guest, aged 42, was to a secureunit of a specialmentalhospital,
arrested in York where he worked as a confirmation is a touch difficult.'
lorry driver. Guest broke down and
admitted being with Gricewithbut denied There are number of points which should
any involvement in the murder. When the
shooting happened he later told the Court be made about this and criticism.
that he had been 'mortified, petrified and
welded to the spot'when hesaw Gricewith He criticisesMurray fornot naming names Among the various claimsbeing made via
killingSpeed.Thecourtwas told that there
appeared to be no explanation for Guest's but then does exactly the same himself. Trina Guthrie's informant and from
involvement as he was 'a pillar of society, Tyreman and Sanderson (I have another
a man of totally unblemished character'. Nor does Smith make clear his own sourceonsanderson),who, asIunderstand
He was a member of a clay-pigeonshoot. it claimed to have heard tapes of Gricewith
involvement in investigating the story. talking about his activities, were the
Nearly a year later, on26January 1988,the following:
charge of murder was dropped against More importantly, he confuses Guthrie's
Guestbut he was sentenced to seven years
imprisonment for robbery. At the same initial contact with her informant. He also
time, Sanderson received fifteen years for
armed robbery, while Tyreman was misleads in suggesting that 'George's'
imprisoned for sixteen years for similar
offences. In addition, charges and arrests source was solely the psychiatric patient,
involved 30people who had carried out 51
armed raids, 224 crimesunconnected with Tyreman. Demeter was not a person but the
Gricewithwere investigated.
code-name of the northern section of a
The 'casual associate' connected to
Gricewithwas also among those arrested. Conversations with Trina Guthrie about Gladio-style network known as 'Orion'
His identity is known to me; it does not her informant, reveal that he claimed that
require a great deal of effort to work out, one dav Tvreman arrived on the same which was involved in anti-subversion
however, for legal reasons, he remains
anonymous. 2, activities in the -manner of the networks in
~
It should also be stressed that the identity prisonwing assanderson. When herealised
of the team members is based on the that Sanderson was on the same win^, Italy. Based around Territorial Army
Murray/Cookbooks and was availablefor Tyreman had something approachingva
anyone to work out themselves. I have no groups, there were supposed to be nine (?)
reason or evidence to believe that they break down as he fearedhim.Theinformant
were involved in any crime connected to was asked by Sanderson find out what sections named after female Greek
Murrell. Tyreman knew and he acted as a kind of
goddesses while therewerecorresponding
Peter Smith did another review in Robin spy, trying to get information out of him,
Ramsay's version of Lobster (no. 28) in based on questionsand background which sections in Northern Ireland, named after
December 1994 in which he attempts to Sanderson provided. Thus the informant
attackthecredibilityofGuthrie's informant. had two sources. male Greek gods.

'Much of the new material in Murray and The informant was apparently unaware of Gricewith was the main member from
Cook hangs upon the reliability or thereason for~ ~ r e m a ; lf'esarof sanderson. the team and his seniorofficerwas a 'Capt.
otherwise of Guthrie's unnamed prison As Iunderstand it,Sandersonand Tyreman Holland', followed by a senior policeman.
contact. But allwe are told about "George" both claimed to have been innocent of the Gricewith had introduced Sanderson to
is that he is interested in the Nagas people chargesagainstthemand claimed that they the network.
of theHimalayas Bothwritersshould have were systematically beaten up and
ill-treatedwhilst inpolicecustodyand were The arms found following Gricewith's
death were part of the Gladio dumps and
forced to sign confessions. Tyreman hadbeen planted thereby Orion.Gricewith
appears not to have recovered mentally was the security officer for the dumps.
from his experiences. In addition,
Sanderson'sinvolvement invarious crimes There were links to Column 88 via a
was based on the testimony of Tyreman
and his apparently false confessions. relative of Gricewith's wife and to other
fascist groups. The friend of the relative
Tyreman thus had good reason to fear had played some role in the network.
Sanderson.Tyremanlatermadean affidavit
recanting his confession in relation to Sandersonwas said tobe a member of the
Sanderson. local establishment. A Conservative
counsellor,a Freemason,who had been in
Peter Smith had been quiet about his own theTA.Hewassaid to havelinks to Military
investigation but he responded to the Intelligence and had served in Aden (?)
Murray/Cookbookswithreviews andwas
privately 'hostile' to their treading on his and Germany and had undertaken
area of interest. But Smithrevealed littlein surveillance work.
the reviews about what he had been
researching.I knew in 1994,however, that A name that came up during the police
a proposal on the British end of 'Gladio' investigation into Gricewith was Barry
had been put to Channel Four's 'Secret Prudom, a fantasist who had dreams of
History' programme because the series joining in the SAS.He was gunned down -
producer had remarked to me, without
revealingany detailthough1guessedwhat by SAStrained RUC marksmen - in odd

circumstancesin Malton, NorthYorkshire,
inJune1982.Therewere a number of stories
which suggested that Prudom had links to

secret establishments. From my own
inquiries it would seem that these were the

Lobster 95 page 24

result of over zealous iournalists who had According to the various sources, a plan for the robberies.Without some real detail,
run out things to write about and had more had apparently been concocted between however - which brings us back to why
to do with rumour than hard fact. the Demeter MI5-linkman and Gricewith
to provoke an incident - two weeks after World in Action dismissed it - there is
Another name which cropped up was
Leeds arms-dealer, John Longstaff, who O'Toole's speech - in the mining areas simply not enough evidence there to
was found dead in mysterious support the assertions. However, there are
circumstances his throat had been cut, in which would cause a violent backlash, some odd and intriguing quirks in all this.
March 1984, on a plane returning from resulting in the arming of the police. The
Germany. He had links to Loyalists in original idea was that a woman police Maybe .....
Northern Ireland and had been approached officer(s)would be attacked or even killed.
by the security services for co-operation. I Suchan incident did take place but did not CODA:
actuallyrecallsuggesting Longstaffs name lead to an attack because the target was
to Peter Smith in the context of Gladio changedfor a specificreason [knownto me There was a very odd case in March 1994
following the discovery in 1991of an arms but so bizarre as defy belief and legal when an alleged burglar, Michael
dump belonging to Longstaff beneath a reason]. Instead, Sgt. Speed was chosen. Teskowski,claimed that while in prison he
garage owned by Captain Adrian Gricewith was said to have been provided had provided confidentialinformationthat
Thompson, a pilot then believed to be by his Gladio contact with £10,000 and an two men called Gricewith and Guest had
working in Libya. automatic pistol, plus a radio/telephone. killed Sgt. Speed with a gun which
originallycamefrom seniorWestYorkshire
Someoneinvolved in a was a senior level Twominers, whose identities are known to officers. In Court, Teskowski handed a
with the Gladionetwork 'Sir JohnWebster' me,whohad played a key role in organising sealed envelope to the presiding Judge in
of Naval Intelligence. the flyingpickets and whohad comeacross his case revealing the hiding place of the
Speed before, were deliberately chosen to weapon used to gun down Sgt. Speed. He
There was apparently a plan to kill John be set up for the Speed murder. Gricewith further alleged Guest's trial was 'scrapped
Stalker,the former Deputy Chief Constable was to be disguised to look like one of the because of acover-up by the WestYorkshire
of Greater Manchester, during his miners and the gun used in the killingwas serious crime squad. A disinformer? Yes,
controversial Northern Ireland enquiry. to be planted in the home of another. The but why bother with something so
There was even a connection to the killing scenario never worked out in practice ludicrous. (YP,4.3.94.)
of PC Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan because panic set in when another
embassy though I have no idea what that policeman unexpectedly turned up on the In an interesting aside and co-incidence, in
was about. scene. February 1986, Denis O'Toole, who
happened to be the police liaison officer to
The main claim was that the Gladio team Following the Speed killing, Tyreman M15, was appointed Assistant Chief
had been involved in the Miners Strike. allegedthat Sandersonhad the gun used in Constable for West Yorkshire.He soon ran
the killing in his safe. Later, Sanderson, into trouble.
Trina Guthrie's informant had told her who had a house there, and a Demeter
more than had appeared in the affidavit.In linkmanwent toSpaintolielow. TheGladio On 30 November 1986, the widow of Sgt.
particular, she was told that during the bosses, h scenariogoes, wanted to cut their Speed hit back at 'malicious gossips who
national Miners Strikethe Ceres (Demeter) ties to the group and on their return, the
team, which used members of the same linkman used Tyremantoset up Sanderson had linked her with a senior policeman' ...
cell,had been responsible for various 'dirty and Gricewith. In the case of the latter, his
tricks'. Their brief as agent provocateurs final demise had been a trap, with the 'she was amazed by the rumours'. Mrs
was 'to create scenes of such violence that police deliberately tipped-off about his Speedwasspeaking after a statement issued
the Home Secretary would authorise the whereabouts on that fatal day. by West Yorkshire Police authority Chair,
arming of police officers'. They were CouncillorKeithWilson,spokeof rumours
apparently involved in 'a number of These claims are so immense and bizarre which appeared to link Mrs Speed to a
notorious, violent incidents'. (Murray, p. that it is difficult to take them seriously. breach of discipline by an assistant chief
205. Cook, p. 140.) Are they true? I remain ambivalent about
the whole thing. It seems to me that the constable ...DenisO'Toole ...whowas tobe
SeniorWest Yorkshirepolicemenhad been Murrell allegationscan easilybe proved or
concerned about the violent turn of events disproved given the forensic evidence. If disciplinedby the chief constable,Mr Colin
during the strike. On 3 October 1984,Chief untrue, then can we take any of the other Sampson, over a "minor matter"
Superintendent Denis O'Toole, allegations seriously? The suspicion is concerninghis use of a police car, which he
commander of the Millgarth Division, strong that Sanderson, said to be an had been authorised to use after his own
Leeds,and aveteran of threeMinerslstrikes intelligent man, made up the Gladio car was damaged.' Two-and-a-half years
told a conference of the Police allegations. I think it plausible that he later, the Yorkshire Post (9.1.89)announced
Superintendent's Association annual constructed the whole thing from reading that Judith Speed was to marry O'Toole,
meeting in Harrogate that the police were the newspapers, particularly the Yorkshire who had had 'the distressing task of
being forced to increase their response to Post, but I know that others, such as Peter breaking the news to her when he was
picket-line violence, which could have far Smith, who has conducted a great deal of
reaching consequences. 'I say some people researchon thisvery question,do not. I am Chiefconstable at Millgarth ...In theweeks
who are master-minding the strike, think very sceptical, partly because of my own
where we are forcing the police to go. You research into Gladio; it just does not fit in that followed, Mrs Speed faced a press
are forcingus to become a CRS [Frenchriot with what is known either about the interviewduringwhich the thenchief Supt.
police]. If that happens, I personally want network here, or the examples abroad. It is tenderly held the shaking hands.' They
no part of it.' O'Toole urged the association to be admitted that Gladio networks did married on 1 May 1989.
to send a warning message to the people of
Britain and, in particular,to'certain political not, in fact, follow a standard pattern - the Finally, this bizarre tale has one
leaders' about the increasing police co-incidencewhich stuns.On 27November
response to picket line violence. 'It would one in Holland was based on social 1984, following the Speed killing, the
be asadday if wewere forcedintoadopting democrats not extreme right-wingers - but YorkshirePost,carried an article aboutpolice
a paramilitary role.' (YP,4.10.84.) this one if true appears to be so amateurish widows with particular reference to Mrs
as not to be plausible. There is a feint Speed. It was written by Demeter
possibility that the Gladio cover was, in Messenger!Did Peter Sanderson read it?

fact, a cover for something else - Guthrie's Tllattks are owed to variozis people who helped
openly and anonyrnotisly on this little tale. In
informant said that corrupt policemenhad partict~lar,Mike Htighes who has taken a keen
supplied Gricewith the necessary details interest in the Speed murder, noting that oneor
two things simply do not hang together. He
wo~ildbe interested in hearing from anyone
who has any information in this area.

Lobster 95 page 25

Anna Bramwell is British. However, she Powellites, includingcarthew herself, later
now lives in Paris, where she's employed joined the NF while it was under the
by the Organisation for Economic Co- leadership of John Tyndall. He, of course,
operation and Development (OECO) as has since gone on to found and run the
the co-ordinator of their Environment British National Party.
ActionProgrammefor Central and Eastern
Europe. Her latest book, The Fading ofthe During the early 1970s, Roy and Anna
Greens:The Decline Environmental Politics in were also active in other right-wing Tory
the West,was published by Yale University groups. Notable among these were the
Press inAutumn 1994toconsiderable press Society for Individual Freedom and the
coverage. There were, for example, Monday Club.
generous book reviews in the Telegraph
(2nd Oct 94) and the limes (7thOct 94) She George Kennedy Young, a former deputy
was also the subject of a flattering half- director of M16, chaired SIF's executive
page feature in the Guardian (15th Oct 94). committee during the late 1960sand early
1970s. With the influx of Kenyan and
The book roundly blames left-wing Ugandan Asians, the issue of immigration
influence and infiltration for the political was high on thepolitical agenda throughout
and ideological failings of the green this period. The Race Relations Act, which
movement. Both reviews fail to mention became law in 1965, was revised and
the right-wing politics of the author. And extended in 1968. In the Autumn of that
the Guardian piece, written by Patrick year, five leading members of the Racial
Wright'spositively misleading. It manages PreservationSocietywereput on trialunder
to leave the reader with the distinct this new legislation. They'd been arrested
impression that Anna Bramwell is for the door-to-door distribution of their
somehow associated with the anarcho-left. racist newspaper. Among the five was
We are told, for example, that "Her Edward Budden, who nowadays writes a
grandmother had been a radical feminist, monthly column for the NF newspaper,
and her mother, who came from a Russian the Flaq. Another was Alan Hancock, a
Jewish background, was a vehement former member of Oswald Mosley's British
communist ... young Bramwell read Union of Fascists, who ran a printing and
progressive tomes from the SovietUnion". publishing business producing an array of
She's portrayed as an unbiased and deeply racist and anti-Jewish literature. It
objective author " w l ~ o s einterest is was G.K. Young who set up the so-called
primarily in intellectual history". Wright Free Speech Defence Committee to fund-
makes no more than passing reference to raise on behalf of the five. This committee
what he calls "Scurrilous rumours. .. operated from the SIF office in Park Lane.
suggesting that Bramwell might be just a However, all donations were to be sent to
little partial to the black shirt". He then another address, that of the NF.
proceeds to whitewash both the shirt and
Bramwell's entire past. Anna Bramwell had become a member of
the SF executive by the Autumn of 1972.
The picture which Mr Wright paints is Roy Bramwell, whose own links with SIF
quite simply riddled with omissions. Inhis went back to the late 1960s, was already
Swiss cheese of a portrait, he can therefore associated with several racist groups. He'd
mention that "she married at 16", but say been involved with the Conservative
nothing further about either husband or Party's far-right Monday Club since the
marriage. late 1960s.He'd alsobeenanactivemember
of the Immigration Control Association, a
Anna's marriage to property developer, late 1960sorganisationsimilar to the Racial
Roy Bramwell, lasted from the early 1960s Preservation Society. In 1970, he was a
until his death in the late 1980s. Their speaker at a 'Pan Nordic' conference held
relationship was a close one, politically as in Brightonby a neo-Nazi group called the
well as personally. Indeed, anexamination Northern League. He was there again the
of the affiliations of them both sheds following year, as were three former 55
considerable light on Anna's true politics. officers.
In the late 1960sand early 1970s,they were
bothinvolved in the PowelliteAssociation. By 1972,Roy was chairman of the Monday
This was a right-wing Conservative group Club's South-WestLondonbranch.Among
formed by Monday Club activist, Bee his fellow members were several leading
Carthew,to support EnochPowell's stance racist activists. There was, for example,
on immigration. The extremism of the Ray Shenton who'd been admitted into
Powellites is indicated by the fact that Bramwell'sbranch following his expulsion
several members, among them Arthur from Chelsea Conservative Association.
Shorthouse, Kay Tomlin and N.J. Store, Unlike Roy Bramwell and co.,the CCAhad
were alsoin theNationa1Front.Shorthouse taken exception to Shenton's activities in
was even a member of the hardcore Nazi Battersea, where he'd been canvassing for
group, the British Movement. Other the NF.

Lobster 95 page 26

In Patrick Wright's Guardian articlewe are Roy produced a further six pamphlets In discussing her books, the Guardiarl piece
told that "in 1972 (Anna Bramwell) between 1976and 1979.Allwere published quite simply omits this one. It goes on,
embarked on a Kropotkinite period". This by Birdwood, and all attacked multi- misleadingly, to explain her controversial
isapatently ludicrousstatement.Kropotkin culturalism and/or government policy on reputation among greens and fellow-
was a leading Russian revolutionary non-white immigration in the UK. academics as "perhaps partly" due to her
anarcho-nihilist while Mrs Bramwell was 1989book, Ecology in the Twentieth Century,
an active and committed supporter of far- Anna Bramwell doesn't appear to have protesting that "Bramwell found it
right Tory opposition to black and Asian taken exception to her husband's extreme impossible to get the permanent academic
immigration into Britain. Indeed, her views and activities. On the contrary, she post that her book was surely worth".
chosen political environment was plainly continued to work in tandem with him.
right-wing and racist. By 1972,she was not OnSaturday25/10/86Anna Bramwellwas
merely proving this through her In the Summer of 1981, for example, Roy one of six speakers at an international
involvementwithSIF.Shehad alsoapivotal and Anna jointly submitted evidence to conference, Ecology: The Growing
force within the Monday Club's Young the Scarman Commission, appointed to Dilemma, held at the Bonnington Hotel in
Members Group, first as its membership investigate the 10-12/4/81 Brixton Riots. London.Hercontribution drew extensively
secretary and later as its chairman. Theirsishardly likelyhavebeen astatement on her Darre book. The conference
of support for multi-culturalism. organisers were two leading members of
Through her work in the Monday Club the NF, Richard Lawson and Michael
office,she soon became one of the leading Towards the end of 1981, Roy Bramwell Walker. Lawson, a member of Southwark
figures in the Monday Club's Halt attended a meeting of yet another anti- NF, was the long-time editor of the NF
Immigration Now Campaign (HINC), immigration group, WISE (which stands newspaper, BritainFirst.He'd alsoworked
which called for a programme of mass for Welsh, Irish, Scottish, English). Its on other key NF journals. Michael Walker
repatriation of non-white British citizens. meetings provided a joint forum for far- was the organiser of Central London NF.
HINC (whichwas operational 1971-3)was right Conservatives and leading figures At the 24./11/.84 AGM of the NF, Walker
founded by the Tory MP and veteran from the NF and even Hitlerian neo-Nazi had seconded a motion proposed by
opponent of non-white immigration, organisationssuchas the BritishMovement Lawson supporting the cultural
Ronald Bell. Many of its activistswere also and the League of St George. Roy preservation and revival of the native
involvedinSIF.ThusAnna Bramwellfound distributed anti-immigration literature at peoples of the British Isles. Interestingly,
herself again working alongside the likes the gathering.
of G.K.Young (HINC's prime-mover), Bee -both Lawson and Walker have. much like
Around thistimeaswell, the twoBramwells
Carthew, a i d c era id Howard MP. were attendingmeetings of the Libertarian .Mrs Bramwell, gone on to play. active roles
Alliance, an organisation which had been
Incidentally, Howarth, a mainstay of SIF, founded as the youth section of SIF, but in the field of pan-European ecological
was the son of Mary Howarth. She had had split from it towards the end of the politics. And, like her, they continue to do
helped to organise the Racial Preservation 1970s.Chris Tame has, since its inception, so without renouncing any of their
Society and had co-founded the been the LA'S main organiser. According extensive involvement with and
Immigration Control Association. to him, the two Bramwells were never commitment to racist politics.
made welcome in LA circles because of
In 1973G.K.Younglost a bitter fight for the uneasiness about the overtly far-right Accordingto RogerScruton's controversial
chair of the Monday Club. He was beaten political views of Roy in particular. right-wing journal, the Salisbury Review
by the more moderate Jonathan Guinness (to which Anna Bramwell has frequently
(son of Lady Diana Mosley, the wife of Roy's viewsshowed no signof moderation. contributed), 1986 was also the year in
Oswald Mosley). The new chairman When the revisionist historian, David which she was (briefly) appointed the
promptly set about purging the Club of its Irving,founded his anti-Jewishand overtly director of studies at the Centre for Policy
extremists. Before the year was out, a racist Focal Policy Group in 1982, Roy Studies.Thispowerful political think-tank
number of members had either resigned or Bramwell became an active member. had been co-founded by its president, the
been expelled. G.K.Young was the first to BritishPrime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
So- He set up a new ultra-right anti- The Guardian article, predictably, makes Chris Tame confirmsthis story, sayingthat
immigration group called ToryAction.Bee no mention at all of Anna Bramwell's own Anna Bramwell had been recommended
Carthew and Roy Painterwerebothousted right-wing affiliationsduring the 1980s. for the post by Max Bellof, the Principal of
and went on tojoin the NF. GeraldHowarth the right-wing and private University of
and several other long-tern~opponents of In 1985, the Kensal Press published her Buckingham. Bramwellhad beena student
non-white immigration into Britain also book Blood b Soil: Walter Darre b Hitler's there. Tame adds that she was quickly and
left. Anna Bramwell was among these 'Green Party. Darre was a leading Nazi, a very quietly replaced as soon as her far-
deportees. rabid racist, and an enthusiastic advocate right links surfaced.
of pan-Nordic Aryan purity. He stood for
In the Autumn of 1975, Roy Bramwell's areturn tothevalues of an idealised peasant The green movement has, for the past few
pamphlet The White Man's White Paper on culture. In the 1930s, he ran the Race and years, become increasingly concerned
Racial Discriminatio~lwas published in Settlement Office of the 55 for Himmler. about infiltration. However, contrary to
Londonby the Anti-Immigration Standing Hewas alsoHitler's Ministerof Agriculture the views aired by Bramwell, this very real
Committee. This was one of a host of and Peasant Leader from 193to 1942.After and growing threat has come from the far
virulently racist and anti-Jewish WWII, he was jailed as a war criminal. right, not from the left. Indeed, Anna
organisations run by veteran racist, Lady Anna Bramwell's revisionisttomeattempts Bramwell is herself a prime example. It's
Jane Birdwood. She's a Tory who had long to separate this man's green politics from extraordinarythat shecan rise to a position
been highly public in her support for the his hardline Nazism. (He actively of such influence while appearing to do a
NF and other racist organisations. In more supported and promoted the genocidal KurtWaldheimwith herpolitical past. And
recent years, she's been a BNP candidate 'final solution'). our national dailies, particularly the
and has made a number of court Guardian, should not be providing ready
appearances for her extreme racist platforms for such 'forgetfulness'.
activities.

Lobster 95 page 27

Unfortunately, Robin Ramsay has not allowed Kincoragate; Spooks Digest; The Round 17 Five at Eye: Private Eye and the Wilson
me access t o back copies of Lobster. Despite Table and Quigley; 16 pages, 1983. smears; Colin Wallace and Information
this setback, I will supply photocopies of all Special on the JFK assassination; Dorril on Policyinfiction;disinformationand thenew
back issues. Thefirst eight issues wereproduced 'terrorist threat'; the London CIA station;
inA5format. Thesewere thenaive beginnings of Maria Novotny; Permindex; Ramsay - An Crozier, Goldsmith and the Pinay Circle;
Lobster and some of the material no longer more anti-Labour forgeries; the death of
stands up; w e have moved on from then. alternative hypothesis; Epstein's Legend. Zia. 24 pages, 1988.
However, there are good articles and a mass of 34 pages, 1983.
interestingsnippetswhichIhadlargelyforgotten More Kincora; Police and computers; 18 Jeffrey Bale's Right-wing Terrorists and the
a b o u t . Please a l l o w 28 d a y s for delivery. American Friends and the anti-CND groups; Extra-parliamentary Left in Post-World War 2
Issues 1 to 10 cost fl.50 each (UK);£2.00 (USA1 Europe: Collusion or manipulation; covert
CanaddAustralasia and Europe) clippings digest and reviews. 32 pages, propaganda and the Right - more on the
11 to 28 (except 19, which is double the price) 1984. Pinay Circle; a short history of the SAS in
are E2.50 each (UK); E3.00 (USICanadal Even more Kincora; Shooting the Pope; The Northern Ireland; lnside BOSS and after -
Australasia and Europe) British in Vietnam; more on the anti-CND Gordon Winter. 36 pages, 1989.
Who's Who is 65.50 (UK); E7.00 (USICanadd groups; the CIA and Mountbatten;
Australasia and Europe) Intelligence and clippings digest; Bank 19 Thefinal testimony ofGeorge Kennedy Young;
The prices include postage. Havens. 28 pages, 1984. Common Cause; the CIA and the British
Jonathan~ a r s h a loln Secret Societies, part 1; trades unions, supplement to spooks' Who's
-NB outside the UK please send either lan MacGregor and Lnzards, part 1;The SAS; Who;HughThomasonFred Holroyd;Jeffrey
Intelligenceand clippings digest. 36 pages, Bale on Shooting the Pope; Disinformation;
International Money Orders, cheques drawn 1984. ELF; obituaries of Michael Stewart, Stanley
Secretsocieties andMacGregor,part2;Oswald Mayne, GrevilleWyme; conspiracy theories
on UK banks (made out to S D o r r u or cash - I in Mexico; The Round Table; Reading Italy; reconsidered. 42 pages, 1990.
Who's Afraid of the KGB.? 36 pages, 1984.
will acceptUS dollars. Foreign cheques will be ConversationwithPeter DaleScott;Gregory 20 Peter Dale Scott's The United States and the
returned as they cost too much to convert into Korkala's address book; JFK assassination; overthrow of Sukarno, 1965-67, Clay Shaw's
sterling. Intelligenceand clippings digest. 36 pages, United Kingdom contact analysed; Scott
1985. Newton's The Economic background to
Lobster 95 Conspiracy Theories; Airey Neave appeasenrent and the searchfor Anglo-German
assassination; Korkala; Pinay Circle. 40 detente before and during World War 2; Hugh
pages, 1985. Thomas' response to the Timewatch hatchet
Who's Whoof British Spooks, part 1;KAL 007; job on Hess; Calcutt's judgement on Colin
Watergate revisited - Jim Hougan's Secret Wallace. 36 pages, 1990.
Agenda reviewed; Trying to kill Nasser;
Falklands conspiracy theories; Jonathan 21 Jeffrey Bale's Heavenly Deceptions: the
Bloch on the overseas repression business. Moonies, WACL and the Korean CIA; Colin
24 pages, 1985. Wallace on Chapman Pincher's version of
Spooks Who's Who, part 2; Kitson, Kincora Wallace; Western Goals (UK). 28 pages,
and counter-insurgency;Anthony Summers 1991.
and 'MauriceBishop';JimHougan on Frank
Terpil and 'Deep Throat'; statement from 22 The Fall of Willi Brandt; MI5 and the British
Fred Holroyd on Northern Ireland 'dirty Fascists before WW2; A Who's Who of
tricks' and Colin Wallace. 24 pages, early Appeasement; more British spooks spotted;
1986. ELF update. 24 pages 1991.
Wilson,M15and the Riseof Tlmtcher - the start
of the 'Wilson plots' story; the first attempt 23 Mind controland the American government;
to understand and explain what Colin US Army Intelligence LSD testing; Stalker
Wallace was saying. 56 pages, published reconsidered; Britishfascisnl 1974-83,part 1;
bit and pieces on JFK and JFK; Timothy
April 1986- beforePeter Wright cameon the Good demolished;the BritishParliamentary
Lobby's rules circa 1969. 36 pages, 1992.
scene.
Peter Dale Scott on Transnational Repression 24 Larry O'Hara's British Fascism 1974-92,part
2; An Incorrect Political Memoir - Daniel
- the major, previously unpublished essay Brandt; Scott Van Wynsberghe on JFK and
occultthinking;R Ramsayon 'OurSearchlight
by thisAmericanmaster;NotesontheBritish problem'; the Gable memo reprinted in full;
Right. 42 pages, 1986. Garrisonrec0nsidered;mind controlupdate.
32 pages, 1992.
The Rhodes-Milner Group (Round Table);
Two Sides of Ireland; Colin Wallace's 1974 25 Moscow Gold; John B Alexander , the
notes on MI5's plots to smear British
politicians;morejottingsontheBritishRight. Pentagon's Penguin - Armen Victoria; Mike

24 pages, 1987. Hughes on Churchill and the Focus group;
US involvement in theFijicoup;ColinWallace Larry O'Hara's British Fascism, 1983-86,part
update- and theulster Citizens'Army smear 3; Scott Newton on Hess. 28 pages, 1993.
decoded; Irangate - the 'October s;rprisev; 26 David Teacher on Brian Crozier and the
Martin Walker on policing the future. 46 Pinay Circle; Wilsongate; Mike Hughes on
pages, 1987. 'Blinker Hall'; Iraqgate; Spooks. 36 pages,
1993.
Inside Inside Intelligence - Steve Dorril on 27 More on the plots against Wilson; election
rigging in Nigeria; Julian Putkowski on A2
Anthony Cavendish; The Independent's and political surveillance, part 1; JFK
smearing of Wallace and Holroyd; Christic assassination review; Mike Hughes on anti-
fascism. 36 pages, 1993.
Instituteon22.11.63;theTory Rightbetween 28 Julian Putkowski on A2 and Ireland; Mike
the wars - review essay; Fiji coup update; Hughes on George Makgill; Spooks - 'Alan
review essay on Geheim. 34 pages 1987. Judd'andStefanKoch;MI6andradiosignals.
Rothschild, the right, thefar-right and the Ffth 32 pages, 1994.
Man;deathof Hilda Murre1;FrenchVendetta
- the Rainbow Warrior to the Iranian Special Issue
hostages; KAL 007; Ken Livingstone's A Who's Who of the British Secret State,
questions; Philby names names; compiled by Stephen Dorril. 110 pages,
dverthrowing ~ o u W~hihtlam. 40 pages; 1850(approx) names and brief biographies.
1988. (A number of these were included in Nos 9
and 10.)

page 28