The Book
Beating the Nazi Invader: Hitler’s Spies, Saboteurs and Secrets in Britain 1940; Neil R. Storey; Pen & Sword Books; 2020.
Summary
From there, the reader is introduced to Nazi Party activities in London prior to the war. Most of these were directed at current or former German nationals, and MI6 felt it was better to allow the Ortsgruppen to operate in the open than to ban them and force them underground. Storey then presents some cases of “Nazi vengeance.” Out of the many German refugees who had arrived in England in the pre-war years, some met with suspicious ends. The case of Dora Fabian and Mathilde Wurm is presented in detail and raises the question as to whether it was suicide or perhaps a Nazi-initiated double murder.
The narrative then turns to Nazi sympathizers, organizations that fostered Anglo-German relations, and political groups in England with fascist leanings (e.g. the British Union of Fascists, The Link, Nordic League, The Right Club). Storey also describes German youth groups who met up with the English Boy Scouts and cycled around England. Such trips were seen as suspicious by many, but the era of appeasement allowed them to continue.
Contemporary newspaper stories are also examined, some claiming there were over 1,000 professional Nazi spies in England, and many more amateurs. A few of the obvious cases (e.g. My Eriksson, Jessie Jordan) are covered in some detail. This spymania led to many false accusations and conspiracy theories, which sometimes ended sadly.
Attention then shifts across the Channel for a quick recap of the Venlo Incident and the infiltration of the SIS offices in The Hague by German agents. The discussion then moves to Operation LENA and the insertion of pre-invasion agents into England via air and sea. Storey makes the interesting claim that Lahousen, head of Abwehr II, was entrusted with espionage against the United Kingdom. Given that the LENA spies were coordinated by Abwehr I, this does not align. A number of the early spy cases are outlined (e.g. the four who landed along the coast of Kent in early September 1940). Among those profiled are Caroli, Schmidt, Drücke, Goose, and Jakobs. There are numerous errors in this section due to reliance on out-of-date information. Storey, for example, repeats outdated claims about Josef Jakobs—incorrectly placing him at the Tower of London after his court martial and misstating his execution date as 14 instead of 15 August 1941.
One chapter, entitled “The Undetected?”, presents several unsubstantiated rumours from a variety of sources. There is the story of the spy who ended up in the Manchester ship canal (although who would have been there to witness his demise?). The skeleton found at Trow Ghyll is presented as a possible undetected spy. Storey also touches on the story of Jan Willem ter Braak and notes that “after research by a family member,” in recent years, his name has been revealed as Engelbertus Fukken. This is inaccurate on two fronts: (a) the author Jan Willem van den Braak is no relation to Jan Willem ter Braak and (b) Fukken’s fiancée wrote to the War Office in 1946 seeking information on her betrothed, Engelbertus Fukken. This information came to light when Fukken’s file was released to the National Archives in the early 2000s. The activities of German spy Wilhelm Mörz are mysterious, but Storey suggests that Mörz snuck in and out of England in the spring of 1940. The date should perhaps be 1939.
After covering spies, the book moves on to Fifth Column scares in England after the invasion of France and the Low Countries. Much of this chapter is based on Guy Liddell’s diary entries. The usual stories resurface of German parachutists dressed as priests, nuns, and Allied soldiers or policemen. Storey recounts the case of Dorothy O’Grady and her adventures on the Isle of Wight, and also describes MI5 agent Jack King’s infiltration of several pro-Nazi groups. An entire chapter is devoted to the “British Black List,” a roster of British individuals who might assist the Germans in the event of invasion. These individuals were to be interned should an invasion actually take place. This was part of the government’s wider invasion-preparation plans. The discussion also extends to some of the anti-invasion defenses, such as the Auxiliary Units, meant to operate as guerrilla units behind German lines.
The book closes with Germany’s invasion plans, which Storey traces back to the mid-1930s.
Review
This book covers a lot of ground, from the history of MI5 to the Fifth Column, Operation LENA spies, and Germany’s invasion plans. Many chapters present valuable information, some of it not widely known (for example, the story of Fabian and Wurm). Each chapter, however, reads as a stand-alone section with little continuity or connection to others, making the book a disjointed read.
I found Tim Tate’s Hitler’s British Traitors to present a far more cohesive picture of spies, saboteurs, and Fifth Column activities in Britain. Robert Hutton’s book on Jack King also offers a tighter, more informative narrative. By comparison, Storey’s book may still prove useful to readers with limited knowledge of the period, but less so to those already familiar with the subject.
I noticed a number of errors in the book and there are several places were “quotes” lack footnotes.
Review Score
3 out of 5 – a broad but disjointed overview, with several errors.