FORGOTTEN HEROES – CANADIAN ESPIONAGE IN WW2
(Based on a True Story, Canadian and USA characters are fictional)
Published by Frank Josey at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Frank Josey
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This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
The book cover is by Alexis Smith. The background flag was the official flag of Canada prior to 1965.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION
INTRODUCTION
GERMAN CUNNING – CANADIAN INITIATIVE
A NEW RECRUIT - CANADIAN SECRET SERVICE
CAMP X
RCMP AGENT IN ALABAMA
DOUBLE AGENT – MANDARIN INCREASES INFILTRATION
RAY’S INVOLVEMENT DEEPENS
SPECIAL OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE - TWO RECRUITS
ROOSEVELT – NEAR MISS
CONCLUSION
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DEDICATION
This ebook is dedicated to my Canadian brother Lawrence, whose heartfelt support through my many challenges has been exceptional. He is living proof that “the tyranny of distance” does not impede brotherly love.
The author also wishes to express his appreciation for the assistance given by a friend, the late Ray Hing (my cousin’s partner); he not only provided reference materials about Canadian espionage in WW2, but urged the author to explore this topic further to honor those agents that lost their lives in Europe.
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INTRODUCTION
The scope of this ebook
This story presents the bravery and sacrifice of the many anonymous secret service agents who served in World War 2 by chronicling the lives of two fictitious Canadian undercover agents, Natalie and Ray. Their story represents the thousands of allied operatives that served.
Apart from the German characters, all persons in this e-book are fictional, except for well known historical characters such as Intrepid or President Roosevelt.
Espionage against the Japanese Empire is the subject of a future ebook.
A Spy’s Role
“(There is) the dual aspect of the spy's role - the need to transmit intelligence, as well as to acquire it….. The spymaster's (an organization involved in espionage) difficulty was always to find the spy, and then to put him (or her) unobtrusively where he (or she) could make notes, or even take photographs, and afterwards transmit the results to where the spymaster could make use of them. In order to communicate fast, most spies needed access to a radio transceiver………It is worth emphasis that real spies, quite unlike the spies of melodrama or public myth, are as a rule inoffensive-looking, clerkly types, whose cover is so dense that they never attract a second glance from passers-by or serious attention from security officers…...” C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. “Spies” The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Encyclopedia.com.
The main goal of each country’s spymaster was to reduce the effect of the spymaster of the opposing country.
Political Climate
Hitler, who came to power in 1933, was an evil genius who convinced many North Americans that all they were witnessing in the ‘30’s was a growing German controlled European empire that would benefit everyone economically, and that he had no territorial ambitions outside of Europe.
Moreover, many people in the United States, Canada and Britain held the pathetic opinion that if tyrants are appeased, long term peace is maintained. In addition, as late as 1941, many Americans assumed Britain would lose the war.
More than a few American diplomats and politicians were sympathetic to Germany. In addition, the USA’s Neutrality Act prevented Americans from openly assisting the British war effort, or training their own intelligence staff in the USA, until the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changed everything.
If Hitler had not unexpectedly declared war on America four days after the Pearl Harbor attack, the Americans may have ignored the German threat, concentrating on defeating Japan.
Canadian Secret Service Overview
Initially, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was responsible for covert activities in Canada, until a Canadian, code name Intrepid, (William Stephenson) was asked by Winston Churchill in June 1940 to set up a North American spymaster “umbrella” organization, the “BSC” (British Security Coordination). It was headquartered in New York but covered all of North, Central and South America and the Bahamas; a training and telecommunication facility near Oshawa Ontario (known as Camp X) was an integral part of BSC activities.
Included under the BSC were the Special Operations Executive (the active spies placed “in harm’s way”) and other British intelligence organizations. Intrepid was the communications link between Churchill and the USA President, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Intrepid’s first responsibility was to ensure American opinion supported Britain through vigorous propaganda before the USA joined the war. He was also concerned about the growing Nazi influence in South America and increased liaisons with South American governments, as well as promoting anti-Nazi propaganda there.
Camp X at first trained many FBI and OSS agents before the USA became embroiled in the war. Station M was part of Camp X, involved primarily with forging documents. The link with communication centers around the world was a transmitter/receiver at Camp X called Hydra.
The organizations in Canada, and involvement by the other allied undercover groups, are discussed further as the story unfolds.
U.S.A. Secret Service Overview
The Federal Bureau of Investigation retained responsibility for covert operations within the USA. However, President Roosevelt ordered the formation of the USA Secret Service in July 1941 (name was changed to Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in 1942), to coordinate overseas covert activities, linked to the intelligence section of each of the armed forces (army, naval and air intelligence services). The OSS was the precursor of the C.I.A.
British Intelligence Overview
Reporting to the BSC in New York, Britain had three main covert groups headquartered in England. MI 5 was similar to the F.B.I. and was concerned with espionage within Great Britain. MI-6 was Great Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service comparable to the OSS. And of course, the Special Operations Executive, “the arms and legs of the secret service”, had bases in Great Britain.
German espionage overview
Typical of Hitler’s style of management, there were several intelligence and control organizations in Germany with overlapping duties. Possibly, the resulting mutual confusion actually enhanced his power.
The Abwehr was considered by British and Americans to be the key German intelligence service. However there were several other German organizations that arguably had more covert importance and influence with Hitler than just the Abwehr. Hitler lost confidence in the Abwehr when they understated Soviet military strength in 1942. The Abwehr was controlled by Admiral Canaris, who was secretly against the racist excesses of Nazi philosophy.
By 1939, Heinrich Himmler, as head of the dreaded S.S. (the personal bodyguard of Hitler, the Schutzstaffel) was appointed by Hitler to also lead the police and secret service, known as the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RHSA). Its duties were delegated by Himmler to SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich (arguably the main planner of the Holocaust).
The RHSA comprised the Geheime Staatspolizei, or Gestapo, a German secret police force, created to help enforce Nazi control by identifying and arresting anti-Nazi agents in occupied lands and facilitate intelligence work.
The RHSA also included the “normal” (criminal) police force as well.
The third part of RHSA, the Sicherheitsdienst (SD), or Security Service, employed counter intelligence agents, code-breakers and a vast network of informants in Allied countries.
Certain ideas used in this ebook were adapted from “A Man Called Intrepid” written by William Stevenson (MacMillan London 1976)
GERMAN CUNNING – CANADIAN INITIATIVE
Jet Propulsion explosion
It was a cloudy morning in Regina, Saskatchewan, where the RCMP had their headquarters. It’s 26 June 1938, Natalie Bower rolls out of bed in her 1 room apartment off Davies Street, downtown Regina.
She looks at her watch “only 6AM, damn”. As an RCMP secret agent, “Channel 1”, she has a meeting at 8AM at RCMP headquarters. She kisses Jack who she met at a hotel last night. “Wake up Jack; you’ve got to leave now!” “Can I have your phone number?” “No, you’ll get over it darling”.
“Thanks for coming in, “Channel 1”, are you on the afternoon shift?” jokes Harry, the chief RCMP undercover agent. “C’mon Harry, I’m only 5 minutes late”. Harry responds “enough of that, British Intelligence are worried about the Germans acquiring new technologies from USA industries. Channel 1, you’re off to New York to visit our contact, Lance, at the FBI; this is hush-hush as Hoover is unaware of our involvement.” “What’s my cover?” Natalie asks. “RCMP courier - we’ll have you deliver documents to FBI headquarters; oh yeh, you catch a plane to Toronto – for this evening’s train to New York. A suitcase has been prepared for you – you are to leave for the airport right away.” “Yes sir”.
Boarding the DC-3 propeller aircraft, Natalie wonders where this adventure will take her. Mid-flight she enjoys a coffee, surprised she feels no apprehension. The pilot invites her to sit in the cockpit, but she refuses, as she memorizes her orders. At the airport, she’s taken by an RCMP unmarked car to Toronto’s train station.
The train creeps out of Union Station at 8PM, the lights of Toronto dazzling Natalie. She retires to her sleeper – awoken 10 minutes from New York Grand Central Station. Lance Brook, her FBI contact, is at the station waiting for her. “Welcome Channel 1, how was your trip, pleasant I hope?” “It was OK.” Lance continues “our sources tell us something is happening this evening at the Waldorf Astoria – I’ll take you to your hotel and we can chat further”.