People

Who was German spy Karel Richter’s Fiancée in New York

German spy Karel Richter landed near London Colney via parachute in May 1941. He was quickly apprehended by the local police and sent to MI5’s secret interrogation centre, Latchmere House (a.k.a. Camp 020 or simply Ham). During his many interrogations at Latchmere House, Richter stated that he was trying to get back to America where […]

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Charles G.L. DuCann: The Barrister who Defended a Doomed German Spy

Introduction While researching the story of my grandfather, Josef Jakobs, I have dipped into the stories of many of the other German spies who were executed by the British during the Second World War. I have always been impressed by Karel Richard Richter’s defence lawyer, C.G.L. DuCann. He had only a few hours to familiarize

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The two Ramsey Home Guard Officers who apprehended German spy Josef Jakobs

Several years ago, I wrote a blog post about two officers from the Ramsey Home Guard, Captain William Henry Newton and Lieutenant John Curedale. Both officers were called upon to apprehend German spy Josef Jakobs who had landed by parachute on the evening on 31 January 1941. Lying in a potato field all night, just

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Edward Brereton Goodacre: The Literary Historian who became a Wartime Intelligence Officer

How did literary historian, Edward Brereton Goodacre, become an intelligence officer and interrogator of spies with MI5? That’s what I want to know. Although I doubt that I will ever learn the answer. I wrote about Goodacre several years ago but I thought I might try to expand on what we know about this enigmatic

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The Hague

The Four German Abwehr Operatives who Ran the “Finishing School” for Spies in The Hague

It must take a certain type of individual to mentor and train a man as a spy. Watching them depart on their mission, knowing that the likelihood of success is excruciatingly slim. Knowing that they have essentially been sent on a one-way suicide mission. Such were the men stationed at Abteilung I of the German

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