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The Spy with 29 Names
Contents Cover AbouttheBook AbouttheAuthor AlsobyJasonWebster ListofIllustrations Dedication TitlePage Epigraph Prologue PARTONE 1.England,1941–2 2.Spain,Autumn1941 3.Lisbon,December1941 4.SouthernEngland,April1942 PARTTWO 5.Spain,1912–39 6.SpainandPortugal,1939–41 7.Lisbon,1941 PARTTHREE 8.TheEasternFront,SouthernSector,25December1941 9.London,Spring1942 10.London,Spring–Summer1942 11.Britain,Summer–Autumn1942 12.London,GlasgowandMadrid,March1943 13.London,1943 PARTFOUR 14.GermanyandtheEasternFront,July1942–March1943 15.London,March–June1943 16.Britain,Summer1943 PARTFIVE 17.London,Early1944 18.Britain,Winter–Spring1944 19.Britain,SpainandAlgeria,1936–44 20.Britain,FranceandGermany,Spring1944 PARTSIX 21.London,LisbonandBerlin,Spring1944 22.England,NorthernFranceandSouthernGermany,5June1944 23.London,1May–5June1944 24.NorthernFranceandSouthernGermany,6June1944 25.London,6June1944 26.NorthernFrance,SouthernGermanyandBelgium,6–9June1944 PARTSEVEN 27.London,9June1944 28.Madrid,GermanyandthePas-de-Calais,9–10June1944 29.London,10June1944 30.London,13June–29July1944 PARTEIGHT 31.NormandyandBelgium,8June–18July1944 32.Normandy,July–August1944 33.London,NormandyandParis,August1944 PARTNINE 34.LondonandMadrid,August1944–May1945 35.Britain,theAmericasandSpain,May–September1945 PARTTEN 36.Britain,SpainandVenezuela,1945–84 37.VenezuelaandSpain,1945–84 38.Spain,Germany,France,CanadaandBritain,1945–Present 39.LondonandNormandy,June1984 Epilogue:WhatIf? AppendixI:TheFlowofDeceptionMaterialfromtheAlliestotheGermansthroughGarbo AppendixII:The29Names PictureSection Notes Index Acknowledgements SelectBibliography Copyright AbouttheBook He fought on both sides in the Spanish Civil War. He was awarded the Iron Cross by Hitler and an MBEbyBritain.ToMI5hewasknownasGarbo.TotheAbwehr,hewasAlaric.HealsowentbyRags theIndianPoet,MrsGerbers,StanleytheWelshNationalist–and24othernames.HetrickedHitler overD-Day.Hewasthegreatestdoubleagentinhistory. Butwho,exactly,wasJuanPujol? Jason Webster tells of Pujol’s early life in Spain and how, after the Civil War, his determination to fight totalitarianism took him on his strange journey from Nazi spy to MI5 star. Working for the British, whom he saw as the exemplar of freedom and democracy, he created a bizarre fictional networkofspiesthatmisledtheentireGermanhighcommand.Aboveall,inOperationFortitudehe divertedGermanPanzerdivisionsawayfromNormandy,withapivotalmessagetransmittedfroma smallhouseinnorthLondon,throughtoMadrid,thentotheGermansecretservice,theGermanHigh CommandandthenfinallytoHitlerhimselfintheBerghof.Historiansareagreedthat,withoutGarbo, D-Daywouldalmostcertainlyhavefailed–andourworldwouldbeaverydifferentplaceindeed. Meticulouslyresearched,yettoldwiththeverveofathriller,TheSpywith29Namescomesfromone ofourleadingwritersonSpain.Ituncoversthetruth–farstrangerthananyfiction–aboutthespy behindoneofrecenthistory’smostimportantanddramaticevents. AbouttheAuthor Brought up in England, Jason Webster lived for many years in Spain. His acclaimed non-fiction booksaboutSpainincludeDuende:AJourneyinSearchofFlamenco;Andalus:UnlockingtheSecrets ofMoorishSpain;Guerra:LivingintheShadowsoftheSpanishCivilWar;andSacredSierra:AYear onaSpanishMountain.HeisalsotheauthoroftheMaxCámaraseriesofcrimenovelssetinSpain, the first of which, Or the Bull Kills You, was longlisted for the CWA Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards New Blood Dagger 2011. This was followed by A Death in Valencia and The Anarchist Detective. ALSOBYJASONWEBSTER NON-FICTION Duende:AJourneyinSearchofFlamenco Andalus:UnlockingtheSecretsofMoorishSpain Guerra:LivingintheShadowsoftheSpanishCivilWar SacredSierra:AYearonaSpanishMountain FICTION OrtheBullKillsYou ADeathinValencia TheAnarchistDetective ListofIllustrations 1.TheDieppeRaid,19August,1942 2.JuanPujol,aged21,onmilitaryservice,1933 3.ThebombingofBarcelona,1938 4.PujolandAraceliinMadrid,c.1940 5.TheGermanEmbassyinMadrid 6.ThecottagesatBletchleyPark 7.Tomás(Tommy)Harris,1942 8.PujolinLondon,1942 9.35CrespignyRoad,theMI5safehouse 10.55ElliotRoad,Pujol’shomeuntilearly1944 11.Pujol’shandwriting 12.JoachimPeiperinSpainwithHimmler,October1940 13.Joachim(‘Jochen’)Peiper,1943 14.TigerTanks,1stSSPanzerDivisionLAH,inFrance,March1944 15.ThetextofGarbo’sD+3message 16.TheBerghof,Hitler ’sAlpinehome 17.V-1flyingbomboverLondon,June1944 18.TheStanfordmapofLondon,usedtolocateV-1bombsites 19.Shermantanksofthe23Hussars,OperationGoodwood,Normandy,July1944 20.Libération,Paris,25August1944 21.Pujolindisguise,December1944 22.TomásHarris,self-portrait 23.HarrisinSpain,afterthewar 24.Pujol’sgraveinChoroní,Venezuela Sources: 1, 5, 12, 13, 14, 16 German Federal Archives; 2 misaventurasfavoritas.com; 3 Italian airforce;4laopinondezamora.es;6MattWhitby;7,21HMSO;8,11,15,18NationalArchives,Kew; 9, 10, author; 17 US Federal Archive (WM); 19 Imperial War Museum; 20 lapaseata.files.wordpress.com;22,23Privatecollection;24dir.webring.org. ForGijsandAlexvanHensbergen,withthanks TheSpywith29Names TheStoryoftheSecondWorldWar’sMostAudaciousDoubleAgent JasonWebster ‘Realityisnotalwaysprobable,orlikely.’ JorgeLuisBorges ‘Factsaretheenemyoftruth.’ MigueldeCervantes Prologue MorningofftheNormandycoast.Finally:theyhavebeenwaitingyearsforthis. AnashendawnistricklingintotheskyastheflotillaofBritishwarshipsmovesincloser.Ondeck, peeringoutoverthegrey-greensea,PrivateJackPooltonoftheRoyalRegimentofCanadaiswaiting histurntogoashore.TheChanneliscalm,thecrossinghasbeeneasy. Jack’sletterhome,tobesentifhedoesnotreturn,iswrittenandstoredaway.Hetellshismother whatisabouttotakeplace–amajorattackagainstthenortherncoastlineofNazi-occupiedFrance. Jack hopes that his generation will fight as bravely as their fathers did in the Great War. Much depends on what will happen that morning. To the east, the Russians are clamouring for this, a ‘secondfront’,tobeopenedinthewest. Heremembersthepastmonths’traininginEngland:themanoeuvresandmarches,andthechildren killedwhenaGermanFocke-WulfbombedacinemainLittlehamptonbeforetheyembarked.Tobe herethismorningJackhasliedaboutbeingabletoswim,andhashiddenthefactthathehastrench mouth,caughtfromwashinghismesstinindirtywater.Butheiskeentoseeaction.Perhaps,whenhe getsback,hewilltalkabouttoday’seventswithIrene,theWAAFgirlfromLancashirehemetwhile shelteringfromanairraidinthecellarsofBirminghamrailwaystation.Shegavehimahatbadgeto rememberherby;hermotherranapub–thebeerwouldbeonthehousewheneverhecouldmakeit. Noneofthemenareinterestedintheteaandsandwicheslaidon.Norarethereanyrumrationsor prayers:noonefeelstheneed.Thesignalcomesandtheyclimbdownintothelandingcraft.Jackisa mortarman,andsitsneartheback. The first sign that things are going wrong comes when a German convoy intercepts British commandosontheCanadians’left.Thegunfirealertsthedefenceforcesonthecoast,whofirestar shellsandchandelierflarestolightupthesky.Theattackersbecomevisible,theelementofsurprise gone.Attemptingtoavoiddetection,theCanadiansturnincircles,slowingdowntheirprogresstothe shore. Now, instead of a landing at dawn, it will be full daylight by the time their boots touch the beach. A giant firework display begins, ‘like a thousand guns firing’: they are entering hell itself, Jack thinks.Heispartofthesecondwave.Fivehundredyardsfromtheshore,hisvesselishitbyheavy fire.Abulletpassesthroughhistunic,nearhisshoulder,butmercifullydrawsnoblood. Thelandingcraftisalreadyreversingbeforeallthemenmanagetogetout.Jackjumpsinto8feet ofwatercarryingthemortar,twelvehigh-explosivebombs,hisgrenades,and250roundsfora.303 rifle. Wading ashore, he realises that they are in the direct line of fire of a machine gun, bullets kickingupstonesaroundhisfeet.Manyofhiscomradesarealreadydead.Thebeachislitteredwith theshatteredremainsofthefirstwave. Jack seeks cover behind a shallow abutment as the Germans accurately drop shells on their positions.Itis,hethinks,asifthewholethinghasbeenrehearsed.HeseesCanadiansoldierstryingto throwgrenadesattheenemy,onlytobeshotastheypullthepin,theweaponthenexplodingamong theirownmen. Highexplosivesareuselessintheseconditions.Jackdumpshisequipmentandstretchesoutforthe nearestrifleasmenaroundhimarecutdownbyenemyfire.Hetriestojoinagroupscalingcliffs nearby,butthemanaheadofhimiskilledashereachesthetop,fallingbackontoJackanddragging himtothebottomagain. Thetideiscominginandwoundedmenonthebeacharedrowning.Alandingcraftcomesashore totakethemaway,onlyfortheGermanstoplaceamortarshellinthemiddleofit.Moremenareshot deadastheyclingtothesinkingwreckage. A white flag appears – someone has stuck an undershirt to a bayonet. Most in his regiment are surrendering. Jack and his company commander, Captain Houssar, decide to fight on. Alone, they chargedownthebeacharmedonlywithrifles,butarepushedbackbymachine-gunfire. Thereisnohope:theyaretrapped.JackandCaptainHoussararethelastRoyalstoputdowntheir weapons. They are alive, but with surrender comes a deep feeling of humiliation. You can train a soldier to fight and accept death, Jack realises, but there is no way you can prepare him for being takenprisoner. Theattackhasfailedinonlyafewhours.Thousandshavebeenkilled.Thoughtsofopeningupa ‘secondfront’arenowalmostasdeadasthemenontheshore,stainingtheseawaterred.Piecesof body lie everywhere – feet with boots still on them; men stuck to barbed wire, burning where the bombsintheirpackshaveexploded.TheGermansaregivingtheseriouslywoundedcoupsdegrâce tothebackofthehead. As Jack climbs a ladder away from the beach and into captivity, an English-speaking German officersmirksandasks,‘Whattookyousolong?Wehavebeenwaitingforyoufortendays.’ Theyknewtheywerecomingallthetime. The Royals walk away from the battle, their hands held above their heads, while German photographerstakesnapsofthedefeatedenemy.Thisisgreatpropaganda.TheGermanscanrelaxin thewestnow.Europeistheirs;theycanconcentrateonfightingtheRussians. Shatteredyetdefiant,theAlliedsoldiersstartsingingLaMarseillaiseastheymarchalong.Their captorsarefurious.FrenchciviliansattheroadsidestarttoweepandshowtheVforVictorysign. For Jack there is nothing now except life in a prisoner-of-war camp. His role in the war – his Normandy–hascometoanend.Itwillbeyearsbeforeheisfreeagain. Today,on19August1942,almost4,000CanadianandBritishsoldiersoutofatotalforceof6,000 havebeenkilled,woundedorcaptured.TheDieppeRaid,asitiscalled,isamilitarydisaster,anattack whichtheGermansthemselves,withjustover300dead,considermediocreatbest.Yetthelessonsfor theAlliesareinvaluable.Jackdoesnotknowthis,butalreadytheseedshavebeensownforasecond Normandy,twoyearslaterin1944.Nothere,notinandaroundtheportofDieppe,butover80miles tothesouth-west,towardstheCherbourgpeninsula–anassaultwhichwilldrawheavilyonwhathas happenedtohimandhiscomradesthismorning,attemptingtoavoidthesamemistakes. Firstly,neverattackaport–theyareheavilydefended,andthecostinhumanlivesistoohigh. Secondly, any assault must be carried out on a much more massive scale and with greater cooperationbetweenair,landandseaforces. And thirdly, unlike at Dieppe, the enemy must not know where or when you are going to attack. Surprise,thatmostcrucialofweapons,mustbeprotectedandused. Eventhen,thereremainsthedoubt:wouldsurprisealonebeenough? OnelastscenecatchesJack’sattentionasthedefeatedAlliedsoldiersareleavingthetown.Onthe outskirtsawomanapproachesthecolumn,walkingalongsidethemforafewyards. ‘InsultmeinFrench!’shewhisperstooneofthemen. The soldier looks baffled, but something in the woman’s expression makes him wonder. At her bidding,hestartstocussandswearaggressively,shakinghisfistandshoutingobscenities. On cue, the French woman responds and starts pelting him and the other soldiers with tomatoes, launchingthemwithalookofrageonherface. Itseemsodd:thetomatoesarenothittingthesoldiershard;despitehershoutingandharshwords, the woman is actually tossing them rather gently. The defeated men are at their lowest ebb, their spiritscrushed,yetarequicktocatchon.Scoopingupthetomatoes,theyhidethemintheirtunicsfor eating later, grateful for this act of camouflaged charity. It will be a long time before the Germans offerthemanythingtoeatordrink. TheGermans,however,thinkthewomanisgenuinelyupset,andfindthesceneimmenselyfunny. Theyevenpatherontheback,praisingherforherspontaneousactagainsttheEnglischeSchweine. Theyneverrealisetheyhavebeendeceived. PARTONE picaresque,adj.oforrelatingtoanepisodicstyleoffictiondealingwiththeadventuresofarough anddishonestbutappealinghero. ORIGINfromSp.picaresco,frompícaro‘rogue’. pícaroadj.(a)crafty,cunning,sly,wily(b)mischievous,naughty,crooked. 1 England,1941–2 ALLIEDDISASTERSIN theSecondWorldWarwerenotlimitedtotheDieppeRaid.Afterthecollapseat Dunkirk in 1940 and defeat in the Balkans in 1941, many doubted whether the British Army could prevail in a straight fight against the Wehrmacht. Even with the help of the United States, with its greaterindustrialstrengthandmanpowercommittedfromlate1941,itwouldbedifficulttodefeata highlytrainedandfearsomeopponent. Othermeans–‘specialmeans’–hadtobedevelopedtoovercometheenemy.TheGermanscould pluckaseeminglyendlesssupplyoffightingmenfromaculturethatvalueddisciplineandglorified war.ButtheBritishapplaudedcharacteristicsthatwouldbecomeeffectiveweaponsagainstthem:wit andeccentricity.Intelligence,counter-intelligenceanddeceptionweretobecomevitalfortheAllied wareffort.Therewasaneedforthinkinginextraordinaryanddifferentways,fortalentedmenand womentosettheirmindsonhowtosurpriseandfooltheenemy.SomethinglikeDieppecouldnever beallowedtohappenagain. Inthisatmosphere,thecraziestschemescouldtipthebalanceintheAllies’favour.Andoftensucha schemewasthebrainchildofatinygroupofpeopleoranoddindividual. ThisisthestoryofoneofthosemenandthedecisivepartthatheplayedinthesuccessofD-Day and the Normandy campaign. The tale has been told before, even by the man himself, but only partially: gaps were left unfilled, veils drawn over uncomfortable facts. The character at the centre remainedanenigma,histruepersonalityrarelyemerging. HewasaSpaniard,fromBarcelona–adreamer,acheatandaliar,andyetthenoblestandkindest ofmen;acompulsivestorytellerwhocouldbarelytellastory,sopurplewashisprose.Ifhewerenot real, he might appear like a character from a picaresque novel – a saintly rogue and compelling fantasistwithunorthodoxideasabouttruth,someonewhodefiessimplelabelsof‘good’and‘bad’:at onceinnocent,likeDonQuixote,andwily,likeSanchoPanza. Hebecamethegreatestdoubleagentinhistory,creatinganewtruthbytellinguntruths.Thisisthe story of who he was and what he did, and of some of the many lives that were changed by his achievements.Thedetailsandquotedconversationsaretakenfromrecords,lettersandmemoirsof thosewhoknewhim. Athome,inSpain,hewasknownasJuan. Inthesecretworldsinwhichhemoved,hewentundermanydifferentnames... BletchleyPark,December1941 The‘Cottages’werealineofthreesmalladjacentbuildingsnearthemainhouse.Theyhadservedas theheadcoachman’squartersbeforethewar,butnowhousedDillwynKnox’steamofcode-breakers –mostlyprettyyoungwomenlikeMavisLever.Peoplecalledthem‘Dilly’sGirls’. KnoxwasoneofBletchley’s‘characters’,eccentricintellectualsworkingattheGovernmentCode andCypherSchool(GC&CS),tryingtocrackencryptedGermanwirelessmessages.Theywerethe lifebloodoftheplace. AclassicistfromCambridge,KnoxwasoftenlikenedtoacharacterfromaLewisCarrollnovel, longandleanand,asonefriendputit,witha‘facelikeapangofhunger ’.Nowinhislatefifties,he wouldsometimeswanderaroundBletchleyinhisdressinggown,notrealisingthathehadnotputhis clothes on that morning, frequently losing his glasses or his tobacco tin under piles of decrypted messages.Inoneabsent-mindedmomenthemistakenlystuffedbreadfromasandwichintohispipe. Mavis, still only nineteen at the time, felt a strong connection to Knox, seeing in him echoes of Alice’sWhiteKnight:‘endearinglyeccentricandconcernedaboutmywelfare’. ‘We’re breaking machines,’ he had said to her the day she first arrived in the Cottages, in 1940. ‘Haveyougotapencil?’ Therespectandaffectionweremutualandtheyoungrecruitsoonbecametheeldercode-breaker ’s protégée.MavishadbrokenoffherGermanstudiesatLondonUniversitytogetthejob,andifKnox startedquotingMilton’sLycidastohershewouldrespondwithsomethingappropriate,perhapsfrom Heinrich Heine’s poetry. There was an affinity between them; years later she would write his biography. Bletchley Park was like a small town by this point in the war, with thousands of people working intensely on the enemy’s codes, many of them in the huts that had been quickly assembled in the grounds. It got cold in winter. The Cottages were sturdier structures, better for keeping the heat in. Maviswaslucky. The work was hard and there were rolling shifts throughout the day and night. A canteen was providedinthemainhouse,butsometimestherewaslittlemoretoeatatthreeinthemorningthana handful of overcooked Brussels sprouts. There was a community spirit, however: when not codebreaking,Mavisenjoyedtheconcerts,theamateurdramaticsgroup,andtheScottishcountrydancing. Knox spent little time with them in the Cottage that December, he was seriously ill and was busy fightingabattlewithBletchley’soperationalheadAlistairDennistonoverhowtheirdecodedmaterial was handled within the intelligence services. Mavis’s work was built around Knox’s methods, however,andthethinkingrequiredforsolvingthepuzzlescreatedbytheenemy’sEnigmamachines. ‘Whichwaydothehandsonaclockgoround?’hewouldask. ‘Clockwise.’ ‘Thatdependsonwhetheryou’retheclockortheobserver.’ Theyhadalreadyenjoyedonegreatsuccesstogether,breakingtheItaliannavalcodesearlierinthe year.ThishadplayedavitalroleintheBattleofMatapaninthespring,whentheItalianNavysuffered a major defeat at the hands of the British. Churchill described it as the greatest sea triumph since Trafalgar. ‘Tell Dilly we have had a great victory in the Mediterranean,’ Admiral Godfrey rang through to Bletchley.‘Andit’sentirelyduetohimandhisgirls.’ Asareward,KnoxhadtakenMavisouttodinner,drivinginhisBabyAustintotheFountainInnat nearbyStonyStratford,andarrangedforhertogetaraiseonthe35shillingsaweekshewasthen earning. That was in April 1941. Now it was December, yet as Mavis and her colleague Margaret Rock workedtopiecetogetheranewpuzzle,itwasclearthatsomethingjustasimportant–moreso,even– washappening. Aftermonthsofeffort,carryingonfromKnox’sfirsthammerblowagainstthecipherinOctober, on8DecemberMavisandMargaretfinallycrackedthecodeusedbyGermanintelligenceandwere abletolookattheirfirstdecipheredAbwehrmessage.IftheAlliescouldlisteninonwhatGermany’s spiesweresayingtoeachother,thentheenemywouldhavefewsecretsleftindeed. Knoxwasdelighted. ‘GivemeaLeverandRock,’hesaid,‘andIcanmovetheuniverse’. Itwasagreatachievement,onewhichvindicatedhisunusualmethods–usinglinguistsandevena speechtherapisttohelphimbreak‘mathematical’codes.Yetdespiteinsistingthatthecreditbegiven to his ‘girls’, the ‘rodding’ system that they were using to break the German encryption was his making,andhenceforththedecryptedmessageswouldbearhisname–evenafter,justoverayearon, hediedoflymphcancer. Around them, the war carried on. The morning after her breakthrough, Mavis heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It seemed clear that the Americans would be joining them soon. Meanwhile,totheeast,theRedArmywasfinallystartingtopushtheGermansbackfromtheoutskirts ofMoscow.Itwasnotobviousatthetime,buttheseevents,takeninconjunctionwithherownsuccess ofthedaybefore,meantthatthosefewdaysinearlyDecemberwouldprovetobeapivotalmoment intheconflict. Afterreadingthefirstcodedmessage,theyhadmuchmoreworktodo.MavisandMargaretwere ‘in’,butitwouldtakeweeksbeforeaproperstreamofAbwehrmessagescouldbeproduced.Outofa teamofseventeen‘girls’theyweretheonlyoneswithanyGerman:morelinguistswouldbeneeded. ItwasChristmasDay1941beforethisnew,importantsourceofinformationcouldbepassedontothe rest of British intelligence, a service which, at the beginning at least, involved decoding anything between fifty and a hundred Abwehr telegrams a day. Later that figure would be multiplied several timesoverandatotalnumberof140,000messageswerereadbytheendofthewar. Maviswasonherownthatday–Knoxwasillandhadtostayathome,whereMargaretwastaking him material to carry on their work. There were no celebrations. All the same, it was a significant moment. ‘On Christmas Day 1941 the geniuses at Bletchley broke the Abwehr Enigma . . .’ Hugh Trevor-Roperwrote.‘Whenthatwasdonewereallywereinanewage.’ British intelligence officers could now read what their German opponents were saying to each other almost as easily as they read the morning newspapers. It was not Mavis’s job to analyse the messagesthatsheandhercolleaguescracked,however.Thatwastheworkoftheintelligenceofficers atMI6–ofwhichGC&CSwasapart–busyabsorbingthematerialwithwhichMavisandKnoxwere nowprovidingthem. IntheGermantextsthattheywerereading,however,onecuriousnameappeared,mentionedinthe disturbing traffic between Abwehr headquarters at 76/78 Tirpitzufer in Berlin and its Madrid spy station.Thesewerereferencestothe‘Arabalfn1 undertaking’, a mysterious Nazi spy ring operating frominsideBritainitself,headedbyanagentcalled‘Alaric’. Thethoughtcausedashudder.Aphobiaaboutenemyspieswasgrippingthecountry.Therewere rumoursofjackbootednunsparachutingintoWarwickshire,signalsploughedintoremotefieldsfor Germanspotterplanes,andchalksymbolsontelegraphpoles.Oneelderlyladyhadevenconcluded thatherneighbourwassendingmessagestotheenemythroughaformofMorsecodebasedonthe longandshortgarmentsonherwashingline.Itwashardtoknowwhototrust. TheywerelessexcitableatBletchley.Nonetheless,overthefollowingweeksandmonthsMavisand hercolleaguesweretocomeacrossmanymorereferencestothesinister‘Alaric’. Thequestionwas,whowashe? StAlbans,January1942 DesmondBristowspentmostofhisdaycheckinghotelregisterssentoverbyagentsinMadridand Lisbon.Hisjobwastolookforanyonesuspicious–anamethatdidnottally,orthathadcroppedup somewhere before. Still, he told himself, it beat being an infantryman. Back in May 1940, while waitingforatrainatOxfordstation,hehadcaughtsightofbadlywoundedsoldiersreturningfrom Dunkirk:thathadridhimofanyideasaboutfightingonthefrontline. Hehadnotimaginedthatbeingaspywouldbequitesodull,though.Bettywaspregnant,andhe missed her. Worcester was a long way from St Albans. At least he had his beloved Matchless motorbikeandcouldusesparepetrolcouponstodriveovertoseeheroccasionally.Butapartfrom theoddpintattheKingHarrypubwithhisboss,therewaslittletobreakthetedium. Aftertwoandahalfyearsofwartherewereplentyofreasonstobespyingabroad,whichwaswhat MI6 – the Secret Intelligence Service – concentrated on. But there were no foreign postings for Bristow. Not even in Spain, where he had been brought up. Yes, they valued his knowledge of the languageandthecultureandthatwaswhyhehadbeentakenon.ButhehadbeenplacedinSectionV of MI6, the branch that dealt with counter-espionage, and Section V had moved out of London to Glenalmond,anEdwardianred-bricktownhouseinthesleepytownofStAlbans. Hewasstillonlytwenty-six,tooyoungtoenjoydrinkingpinkginswiththeothersafterworkinthe conservatory.The‘snakepit’,theycalledit. AtleasttherewasPhilby. Hisbosshadabitofastutter,butknewandlovedSpainasDesmonddid,havingbeenTheTimes’s correspondentthereduringtheCivilWar.OlderthanBristowbyaboutfiveyears,hewaseasytotalk to.BeforelongtheybecamefriendsandBristowwouldtakehimaroundStAlbansonthebackofthe motorbike, heading out to the pub after work. Kim Philby made life in Glenalmond that bit more bearable. ColonelFelixCowgillwaspartoftheproblem.FormerlyoftheIndianPolice,theheadofSection VtreatedGlenalmondlikeamedievalcastle.Hewasasuspiciousmanandhadfallenoutwithmostof the other chiefs in the intelligence services. His department’s role was to work through counterintelligence reports from foreign countries – information about attempts to spy on Britain – and, where necessary, pass them on, not least to the other major counter-intelligence organisation, MI5, the Security Service. Where Section V of MI6 dealt with ‘abroad’, MI5 handled Britain and the Empire,withalargedegreeofoverlapbetweenthetwo.Thisshould,inmanypeople’sminds,have led to high levels of cooperation. But Cowgill thought otherwise: he suspected MI5 wanted to take overhisterritory.CitinganeedtoprotectMI6sources,heonlyallowedaportionofhismaterialto bepassedon. Philbyhatedhim. ‘Lackofimagination,inattentiontodetailandsheerignoranceoftheworldwewerefightingin...’ hewrote.‘Glenalmond...feltlikeahedgehogposition;Cowgillrevelledinhisisolation.’Whatwas thepointofreceivingsomuchintelligenceiftheywerenotgoingtoshareit?NowthattheAbwehr codes had been properly cracked, Cowgill was becoming more difficult than ever. Philby had to resorttopassinginformationontofriendsinMI5verbally,informally,‘toavoidneedlesstrouble’. Decrypted German messages were referred to as ISOS, standing for ‘Illicit Services Oliver Strachey’,aftertheGC&CSmaninchargeofbreakingAbwehrmessagesthathadbeenencipheredby hand.ISOShadbeenonlinesinceApril1940,beforeBristowhadjoined.Moreimportantly,though, the new German messages coming through had been enciphered not by hand, but using Enigma machines. These messages were far more complex and useful than previous ones, and had only recentlybeenbrokenbytheGC&CSteamheadedbyDillyKnox.Theyhadstartedarrivingproperly onChristmasDay1941,andwereofficiallyreferredtoasISK–‘IllicitServicesKnox’.Likemany people, however, Bristow did not differentiate between the two, and ended up referring to all the decipheredAbwehrmaterialasISOS. ThemessageswerebikedoverbyspecialcouriertoGlenalmondinthemorning,arrivingat10.30. Itwasfoggyandicythedaythattheyfirstheardof‘Arabal’.BristowhadjustlitthefireandPhilby wassittingbythebaywindowwearingascarredleatherjackethehadpickedupduringtheCivilWar in Spain. Tim Milne, one of their colleagues, read through the intercepts dealing with the Iberian Peninsula. ‘Thissoundsveryodd,’hesaid,staringatoneofthem. Bristowlookedupfromhishotelregisters.Fromthewindow,Philbyglancedover. ‘Whatdoesitsay?’ Milne handed it to him. Bristow walked across and looked over his shoulder. He saw a typed messagewrittenincapitalletters,andthere,infrontofthem,wasthetextfromtheAbwehr ’sstation in Madrid to headquarters, telling their Berlin masters about a new Vertrauungsmann – a ‘trusted man’,orspy–reportingfromLondon.Thisagent,thisV-manncode-named‘Alaric’bytheGermans, was being run by the Abwehr station in Madrid. What was worse, as Bristow and Philby read on it appearedthatthisnewenemyspywasnotalone.Alaricclaimedtohaverecruitedthreesub-agentsto workwithhim:‘SenhorCarvalho’,aPortuguesetravellingsalesmanbasedinNewport,southWales, wherehespiedonshippingmovementsintheChannel;‘HerrGerbers’,aGerman-Swissbusinessman based in Bootle, near Liverpool, spying on the Mersey; and a wealthy Venezuelan student based in Glasgow. TheGermanswerereferringtothisspynetworkas‘theArabalundertaking’. ‘Alaric’?‘Arabal’?Noneofthemhadseenthenamesbefore.Yethere,onthedecryptedAbwehr messageinfrontofthem,thisnewNazispywasreportingtheformationofashippingconvoyinthe bayofCaernarfon,clearlywithaviewtoalertingGermanU-boatsforanattack.WhatshouldSection Vdo? Philbywastednotime.HepickedupthegreenscramblerphonetowarntheircolleaguesatMI5:the spywasonhometurfandtheSecurityServiceneededtobeinformed. Bristow, like everyone else in the office, stopped what he was doing and listened in on the conversation. This was by far the most interesting thing that had happened since his arrival at Glenalmond. Philby got through to Herbert Hart, the head of MI5’s research department. Bristow noticedhowPhilbyclickedhisfingerswhilehespoke,tryingtocontrolhisstammering. ‘HaveyouseenhismessagefromM-M-MadridontheCaernarfonconvoy,Hart?’ ItappearedthatMI5hadalsoseentheArabalmessage,andwereequallyworriedandperplexed. ‘GetScotlandYardontoit,’Philbysaid. Thespieshadalead,butthepolicewerethebestpeopletostartaphysicalsearchforanyGerman agents. Meanwhile, MI5 would talk to their liaison officer at the Admiralty about the Caernarfon convoy. ‘We’llgoonwatchingandseewhatcomesofit.Byefornow.’ Philbyputdownthephone,andtheofficebecameabuzzofconjecture. Whowasthisnewenemyagent? ‘Surely he must be a Spanish sailor off one of those merchant ships tied up in Liverpool?’ Jack Ivens,anothermemberoftheteamsaid. ‘Why should he or she be a Spaniard?’ Bristow replied, playing with a cigarette. ‘He could be a Dutchmanorwoman,Swedishnationalorwhatever.’ Theyalllookedateachother.Noneofthemhadanyidea. ‘IwonderwhatmeansofcommunicationourmysteriousArabalused?’Bristowasked. Philbyshookhishead. ‘We must not get c-c-carried away on a guessing game,’ he said. ‘It wastes time, and if this characterisimportanttherewillbeanotherreferencefromISOSsoonenough.’ Bristowandtheotherstookthehint:theywentbacktotheirwork,wonderinginsilence. Thefollowingcommunicationsonlydeepenedthemystery. FirstwasawrittenreportsentthroughfromCommanderEwenMontagu,MI5’sliaisonofficerwith theAdmiralty,whohadbeenaskedaboutthereportedCaernarfonconvoy.Totheirsurprise,Montagu toldthemcategoricallythatnosuchconvoyexisted. Afewdayslater,ScotlandYard’sSpecialBranchalsoreportedback.Afterathoroughsearch,no traceofanenemyagenthadbeenfound. Therewas,itseemed,noGermanspy,andnoCaernarfonconvoy,yetthefollowingweekAlaric and the Arabal network were mentioned once again by the Abwehr in the Bletchley intercepts, the MadridstationtellingBerlinthataccordingtotheirman,‘CONVOYSAILEDFOURDAYSAGOIN SOUTHERLYDIRECTION.’ Philbybecameexasperatedwhenhesawit. ‘What’sgoingon?Weknowthereisnobloodyconvoy.’ HelookedatBristow. ‘WhoisArabal?Whyishesoobviouslylying?’ London,22February1942 Major Thomas Argyll Robertson, head of MI5’s B1A section, was a busy man. For ten days Luis Calvo,Spanishjournalistandmemberofapro-NazispyringoperatingunderordersfromMadrid, hadbeenlockedupinMI5’sinterrogationcentre,Camp020onHamCommon.Withintwenty-four hours the Spaniard had confessed. Stripped naked, he only had to catch sight of camp commander ‘Tin-eye’Stephenscrackinghisswaggerstickagainsthisridingbootstobreakdown. Therewascleaninguptodo,however,afterthepublicexposureofaSpanishreporterwithclose ties to the embassy. Staff there were anxious to avoid an escalation of the crisis. After this, other countrieswouldtakeasecondlookattheSpanishdiplomatsontheirterritory. Nonetheless, it had been a success for MI5: simple counter-espionage, stopping the enemy’s intelligenceoperationsintheirtracks.NotthatSpainwasofficiallyanenemy,butshewascertainlyno friend. The case might not have involved Robertson (he was always called Tommy, or ‘Tar ’, after his initials)haditnotbeenforthefactthatoneofhisdoubleagentshadplayedapartinexposingCalvo. GwilymWilliamswasknownbyhisinitials,G.W.,theonlyoneinthedouble-crosspacknottohavea proper code name of his own. ‘Snow’, ‘Tricycle’, ‘Tate’ – the others were all part of Robertson’s specialclub;oncetheyhadbeentakenintothefold,eitherwillinglyornot,allwerere-baptised.But notG.W. MI5hadgotG.W.intokeepawatchonArthurOwens–doubleagent‘Snow’–theshiftyWelsh nationalistwhothoughthecouldplayonesideoffagainsttheother.Thatwasnothowdouble-cross worked, however. To be on Robertson’s team, agents worked exclusively for him, only ever pretendingtobeworkingfortheGermans.Itwasasimpleandnecessaryrule.Thewholestructure, allthedoubleagentstheyhadpainfullybuiltupsincethebeginningofthewar,wouldcollapseifthe enemygotaninklingthatoneof‘their ’agentshadbeenturnedandwasworkingfortheBritish. HencetheuseofG.W.tokeepatrackon‘Snow’.TheycouldtrustWilliams,aformerpoliceman. HewasalsoaWelshnationalist,whichhelpedwiththecoverstoryofamanhappytoworkforthe Nazisinthehopeofonedayliberatinghishomeland. Nowhehadclaimedhisbiggestscalp.G.W.posedasalinkmanbetweenCalvoandtheAbwehr. His efforts had been invaluable in incriminating the Spaniard. But it meant that his MI5 work was finished.HisconnectionstotheAbwehrwerebrokenthemomentthatCalvowasarrested.Hecould nolongerworkasan‘enemyspy’.Tomaintainthepretencehewouldhavetoceaseoperationsfor fearofbeingdiscoveredbytheBritish.Anyotherbehaviourwouldbeoutofcharacter.SoRobertson wouldhavetoclosehimdownasadoubleagent. Thatwasaproblemwithdouble-cross:thepatternsofliesweresocomplexthatsuccess–aswith theCalvocase–couldalsobringloss.Usingthesystemagainsttheenemyoftenmeantthatdouble agents–sometimescarefullynurturedoveryears–hadtobediscardedlikeemptybulletcasings.You gotoneshot,thatwasit. Theotherproblemwithdoubleagentswasthatmostofthemonlyworkedunderduress.Captured Germanspies–patheticcreatures,manyofthem,tryingtomovearoundthecountrywithafewquid in their pocket and heavily accented English – were given a choice: the noose or turn against their former masters. Some chose death but plenty opted for the alternative. Robertson had been the one whosuggestedtheoptionbegiventheminthefirstplace.AdeadGermanspywasnousetoanybody. But one who continued communicating with the Abwehr yet was actually being controlled by the British?Thatwasdifferent.Usingalltheseagentsintandem,gettingthemtotellthesamestorytothe Germans,couldbeveryusefulindeed.Doubleagentswereasoldaswarfareitself,butnoonehad triedtodoanythingonthisscalebefore. Itneededcoordination,funds,organisation,cooperationandalotofman-hours.Thentheyhadto gettherightWhitehallpeopleonboard–withouttellingthemtoomuch. That side of things was John Masterman’s job. As head of MI5’s B1A section, Robertson ran the double agents, each with their minders and housekeepers and wireless operators and whole teams aroundthem,makingsuretheydidwhattheyweretold,andtoldtheGermanswhattheyweremeantto tellthem.JohnMasterman,meanwhile,atall,reedyfifty-year-oldbachelordonfromChristChurch, detectivenovelistandfutureVice-ChancellorofOxford,wasbettersuitedtodealingwiththeprocess ofdecidinghowandwhentheagentsweretobeused,workingwithrepresentativesfromthevarious government authorities. A ‘back-room boy’, Masterman later described himself, the head of the TwentyCommitteethatoversawthedouble-crosssystemasawhole–‘Twenty’becauseintheplayful mindsofthosewhoworkedonit,theRomannumeralsXXformeda‘double-cross’. MastermanhadbeeninGermanyatthestartoftheFirstWorldWarandspenttheentirefouryears of the conflict as a civilian internee, so he knew both the language and the people well. And as a former MCC player he liked drawing parallels between running the Twenty Committee and captainingacricketXI.Hisintellectandscholarlymannerwereperfectforthejob. Robertson was no intellectual, as Masterman and others commented. But he did have nous. The othersmightbecleverer,buttheydidnotalwaysseethingsclearly.TheyneededRobertsonforhis abilitytoreadpeopleandsituations.Hegotthingsright,almostalways,andsometimeswhen‘logic’ suggestedotherwise.Andhewasanaturalleader.Mastermanandtheothersrespectedhimforthat. Working for MI5 was a far cry from Robertson’s earlier, hellraising life, when the nickname ‘PassionPants’hadstuck–areferencetobothhiswomanisingandthecolourfultartantrousershe had worn as a Seaforth Highlander. The debts he had accrued back then with all the parties and nightclubsmeanthehadtoresignhiscommission.FirsthehadgoneintotheCity,beforeachangeof tackhadtakenhimtotheBirminghampoliceforceasarank-and-filecopper.Atsomepointduring this period he came to the notice of MI5, when the organisation’s founder, Vernon Kell, recommendedRobertsonbecausehehadbeenatCharterhousewithhisson,John. Charming,courteousandeasytobewith,Robertsonwaslikenedbyoneofhiscolleaguestothe actorRonaldColman,aRudolphValentinotypewho,withHungarianstarVilmaBánky,hadformeda silent-movieduothathadrivalledthatofJohnGilbertandGretaGarbo.Robertsonwasmostatease doing business in bars and restaurants: the banter over a few drinks often showed a man’s true character,broughtinthebestresults. NowhewastheheadofB1Asection,andalthoughitwasaSunday,hewasofftohaveachatwith Ralph Jarvis, MI6’s man in Lisbon, who was over in London for a few days. It would be useful to meet,toseehowthingswereoverthere. LuisCalvohadnotbeentheonlySpanishspyonRobertson’smind.Forthepastmonthorsothey hadbeenchasingthemysterymantheGermansreferredtoas‘Alaric’or‘Arabal’,withhisphantom shipping convoys. They still had not found him. Herbert Hart, the head of MI5’s research unit, had cometotheconclusionthat‘Arabel’–ashepreferredit–wasSpanish,assomehadsuspectedfrom the start. (By now most were referring to him as ‘Arabel’, choosing the more English-sounding spelling of his German code name so that he sounded more like an imp or a fairy than a spy: someone you were not sure even existed.)fn2 Arabel was reporting to the Abwehr spymaster in Madrid,soHart’stheorymadesense.YetdespitehisclaimstotheGermans,itwasclearthatArabel was not in London. No one actually present in the country could come up, as he did, with such comicalmaterialaboutlifeinBritain. Liverpool’samusementcentres,accordingtohisreports,werehivesof‘drunkenorgiesandslack morals’.Perhapsthatwasnotentirelymistaken,yetclearlyhehadnevertravelledtoGlasgow,where he claimed that owing to so much wartime hardship the local men could be persuaded to carry out actsofsabotageandterrorismforthenoveltyof‘alitreofwine’.‘Thisproductdoesnotexistonthe island,’Arabelinsisted.AlthoughRobertsonhadbeenborninSumatra,hisparentswereScottish;few understood better than he the beer-drinking preferences of his fellow countrymen. Just as surprisingly, Arabel had informed the Germans that during the summer months London effectively shutdownduetotheheat,withdiplomaticmissionstakingrefugeonthecoolershoresofBrighton. HeappearedtohavelittleideaofBritishways,orthecountryitself.Judgingbyanexpensessheethe senttotheGermans,heclearlyhadnogripon£sd(atrainjourneybetweenGlasgowandLondon cost him ‘£0 s87 d10’). By now it was obvious to the British that he was only pretending to be in London. ThequestionwaswhethertheGermansalsoguessedthat.Someofhismistakeswereamusing,but othersweremoreworrying.Hehadtoldhisspymastersthatminesweeperswerebeingusedasescorts forshippingconvoysovertheAtlantic.Thatwasbadenough,butonethathenamedasstillbeingin operation, HMS Chestnut, had been sunk in November 1940 – ‘a fact that’, a Navy representative readinghismaterialconcluded,‘theGermanscanhardlyhavefailedtonotice’. Evenifhewasmakinghisreportsup,thedouble-crosssystemwassodelicatethatMI5couldnot allow people to freelance like this. If the Germans found out that Arabel was duping them – and it couldonlybeamatteroftimebeforetheydid–theymightstarttosuspectalltheiragents.Andeven iftheydidnot,Arabel’sreportsmightcontradictinformationsentbygenuinedoubleagents.Therisk wastoogreat.Arabelhadtobefound,andstopped. Unless, of course, MI5 could get him and persuade him to join the Twenty Committee’s special team.Itwasalongshot.Evenifsuchafeatcouldbepulledoff,thechanceswerethathewouldbe compromisedinsomeway.Therewereplentyintheintelligencecommunitywhothoughthecould not be trusted, that he might be a German plant meant to infiltrate British intelligence. Others preferredtowaitandsee. Firsthehadtobelocated,though. The search was split between two sections of MI5. Robertson in B1A checked his double agents’ communications with the Germans for possible clues to his identity. Meanwhile, B1G, which dealt with counter-espionage in the Iberian Peninsula, searched through their sources. Tomás (Tommy) Harriswasinchargeofthatsection.Half-Spanishonhismother ’sside,hewasawealthyartistwho helpedhisfatherruntheSpanishArtGalleryinMayfairsellingElGrecosandGoyas.Harrisspoke Spanishlikeanative,yetneitherhenorRobertsonhadhadanysuccessinlocatingArabel. ItwasnotjustthatArabelwasaGermanagentsupposedlyoperatingfromLondon.Thefactwas, thecounter-intelligencechiefswereconfidentthattheyhadpickedupmostoftheNazispiesthathad beensenttoBritainbythispoint.Notonlythat,thankstodouble-cross,Robertsonwasonlymonths away from concluding that MI5 was running all German intelligence operations inside the country. Arabelwasananomaly,onethathadapparentlyslippedthroughthenet.Ithadbeenoveramonthnow since they had first become aware of him, his name appearing on the Bletchley intercepts. His materialmightbebogus,butitwasimperativethattheyfindhim. Sunday,22Februaryworeon,andthetimecameforRobertson’smeetingwithJarvis:aninformal chat,anMI5manandanMI6mansmoothingoverthefaultlineswherethetwoorganisationsjoined andsometimesclashed.Therewereplentyofmatterstotalkabout–Lisbonhadbecomeanespionage centrewhenthewarbegan.Butoverthecourseoftheirconversation,Jarvisthrewoutanunexpected question. ‘Do any of your double agents’, he asked, ‘write messages to their German case officers with addressesinMadrid?’ Robertsonnodded. ‘TheaddressApartado1099meananythingtoyou?’ ItwasaPOboxnumber. Robertsontoldhimitwasgenuine,thatoneofhisdoubleagentssentletterstothesameaddress. Jarvis excused himself and got up to make a phone call to his section head in St Albans, Felix Cowgill.Oncehegotthenecessaryclearance,hereturnedtoRobertson. TherewassomethingimportantthatMI5neededtoknow,Jarvissaid,somethingaboutaSpaniard inLisbonwhohadbeenpesteringMI6formonths... fn1Alsosometimesspelled‘Arabel’. fn2FromhereonwardsIgenerallyusethespelling‘Arabel’unlessindirectquotationfrom,orreferenceto,theGerman. 2 Spain,Autumn1941 FOR A TIME he had feared for his life, but the immediate threat had passed and now Karl-Erich Kühlenthalhadreasontobelievethathewasonthecuspofamajortriumph. Outside the embassy, skeletal horses pulled delivery carts up and down the Avenida del Generalísimo.Madridwasapoorcity,itspeoplesufferingafterthedestructionandpainoftheCivil War. All over the country mothers scavenged for food for their children, surviving off scraps and stealingwhatevertheycouldtostayalive,whileinprisons,tensofthousandsawaitedretributionfor havingfoughtonthelosingside.ThefiringsquadsandgarrotterswerekeptbusycleansingSpainof Reds. German diplomats had an upmarket address in the centre of the capital, not far from the Real Madrid stadium. This was the centre of the new Spanish Establishment, where the victorious made theirhomesandcametowatchtheState-favouredfootballteam.Fortheembassystaff,Madridwasan important posting in a friendly, if austere, country. Franco had defeated his Republican enemies in April1939,justfivemonthsbeforethenewworldwarbegan,andhehaddonesothanksinlargepart tohelpfromMussoliniandHitler. Sincethen,andagainsttheGermans’bestefforts,hehadresistedcallsforSpaintojointheAxis. Franco was a Galician, from the north-west, where caution and inscrutability were applauded. Exhausted after so much fighting, Spain could not, he told his ally, become a full player in a new conflict.Itwouldremainofficiallyneutral,butitwouldstillbeHitler ’sfriend. Big and important as it was, the German Embassy was more than a symbol of this amicable arrangement.Aswithmanyforeignlegations,itwasalsoanespionagehub,withanactiveAbwehr stationattheheartofit,thebiggestinanyneutralcountry.AndKühlenthalwasbecomingoneofthe mostimportantofficersofthehundredsonthepayroll. HisconnectionwithSpainwentbackyears.Inthe1930shisfather,GeneralErichKühlenthal,had beenmilitaryattachétobothFranceandSpain,andhadmadefriendswithmembersoftheSpanish armedforces.Asaresult,whenFrancohadjoinedthemilitaryuprisingagainsttheSpanishRepublic in1936,heturnedtoGeneralKühlenthaltoseekGermansupportforhiscampaign–whichquickly turnedintotheSpanishCivilWar. TheupshotofHitler ’ssubsequentdecisiontohelpFrancowasthecreationoftheCondorLegion,a unit of several thousand military volunteers from the German armed forces sent to fight alongside Franco’sarmy.Spainbecameatestinggroundfornewmilitaryideas,conceptsthatwouldlaterturn intothe‘blitzkrieg’tacticsthatwontheGermanssuchrapidvictoriesacrossEurope.Despiteefforts tocoveritup,mostblamedtheCondorLegionforthemassacreatGuernica. TheLegionhadalsohadanintelligencecorps,headedbyJoachimRohleder.In1938,Kühlenthal, theninhislatetwenties,becameRohleder ’ssecretary. Kühlenthalwastallandslim,withlightbrownhairsmoothedbackwithapartingontheleftside. His nose was thin and ‘hawk-like’ according to those who met him, while his eyes, a typically German blue-grey, were described as ‘piercing’ and ‘searching’. He dressed well, usually wearing double-breasted suits, and had the appearance of a German of ‘the better class’. As a young man, Kühlenthal had wanted to follow his father into the army, with dreams of reaching high rank. But therewasaproblem,onewhich,afterHitlercametopowerin1933,madehisentryintotheGerman armed forces impossible: his grandmother on his mother ’s side was Jewish. Under the Nuremberg Lawspassedin1935,inwhichtheNazistategavelegaldefinitiontoitsanti-Semitism,aquarter-Jew was regarded as a ‘second-degree mongrel’ (Mischling zweiten Grades), and while not persecuted quiteasheavilyasthoseconsidered‘moreJewish’,wasstilldeniedcertainbasicrights. Kühlenthal had initially come to Spain to escape the pressure of his racial ‘impurity’, and for a whileheranabusinessinMadridsellingradiosimportedfromtheUnitedStates–‘Elcar ’hecalled it,thenamecomingfromacombinationofhiswife’sfirstname,Ellen,andtheSpanishversionofhis ownname,Carlos.ThentheSpanishCivilWarbrokeoutandhewasforcedtoreturntoGermany.But shortly afterwards he was back in Madrid, this time in German intelligence through his father ’s militaryconnections. DuringtheFirstWorldWar,hisfatherhadbecomefriendswithadiminutivenavalofficer.Admiral WilhelmCanariswasnowtheheadoftheAbwehr,andhadbecometheyoungKühlenthal’smentor.A formerU-boatcaptain,CanarishadbeenmadeheadoftheGermansecretserviceafterHitlercameto power.Hewasaconservative,aright-winger,buttherewasmuchabouttheNazisandtheirideology that Canaris did not agree with, including their ideas about race. Kühlenthal was one of many Jews whomheassisted;untilHimmleroustedhiminFebruary1944,theAbwehrchiefhelpedsavethelives ofhundreds,sometimesnamingthemashisagents,sendingthemabroadashedidwithKühlenthal, gettingthemoutofsight. Ironically the threat of persecution only seemed to make Kühlenthal work harder, running spy networksfromMadrid.In1941hewasthirty-threeyearsold.Hewasindustriousandhispassionfor his job had, with time, made him one of the most important figures in the Abwehr station, to the annoyanceofsomeofhiscolleagueswhoresentedthefactthat,despitehislackofmilitarytraining, hehadbeenmade‘specialist-captain’andputinchargeofthesectionrunningsecretagents. Peopleregardedhimasstand-offishandserious.AndwhilemanyintheAbwehrweredrawnbythe excitementandadventureofespionage–themoneyandsex–Kühlenthal,marriedwithtwochildren, was noted only for his passions for tennis and for cars, of which he owned two: a brown French coupéwithchangeablenumberplatesfordaytimedriving,andablackGermancarforcruisingthe streetsatnight. And yet, despite his invaluable work for the Reich, he could not be entirely at ease. Since the previoussummerGermanyhadbeenatwarwithitsformerally,theSovietUnion.ThekillingofJews was now a large-scale enterprise with special murder squads – Einsatzgruppen – sent in behind the front-linetroopstoexecuteJewishpopulationsinnewlyconqueredterritories.Kühlenthalcouldbusy himself with work, show that he was a useful intelligence officer, but how much longer could he survive,eveninMadrid?Whenwoulditbehisturn,theknockonthedoorinthemiddleofthenight? For the Abwehr was not the only covert German organisation operating from the embassy in Madrid. Himmler ’s secret police, the Gestapo, and his Nazi-controlled intelligence body, the SicherheitsdienstorSD,alsohadagentsonthegroundthere.Himmlerhadmadeanofficialvisitto SpaininOctober1940,meetingFrancotopavethewayforhismentoenjoyfullcooperationfrom theGeneralísimo’spolice.Thiseffectivelygavethemafreehand. Kühlenthalcouldnotfeelsafe.PerhapsSpainwasnotthehaventhathehadimagined.Francowas sitting out the world war, yet had quickly set up a special military force for Spanish young men wishingtohelptheFührer.OncetheinvasionoftheSovietUnionhadbeguninJune1941,theSpanish BlueDivisionrecruitedtensofthousandsofeagervolunteerstobesenttotheEasternFront. ThetruthwasthatSpainwasbecomingevenfriendlierwithGermany,whichwasfineforordinary embassy employees, sharing in the glory of the Reich’s victories against the Reds; they went down wellinFranco’sMadrid.ButKühlenthalneededsomethingtomakehispositionmoresecure. Andsalvationhadcome–notonce,buttwice. Himmler ’sNazispies–theSD–hadbeenontheprowl.TheirMadridofficehadfoundoutabout Kühlenthal’sgrandmother.Butthenhelphadarrived.Canaris,hismentor,hadalmostcertainlyhada handinit.ApieceofpaperthatcouldsaveKühlenthal’scareer–perhapsevenhislife–landedonhis desk:hehadbeenofficiallycreatedanAryan.Atthestrokeofapen,likethewavingofamagician’s wand,hisJewishnesshadbeenmadetovanish. TheSDhadqueriedthemeasure.Theywerefurious.Therewas‘nolegalauthorityforsuchanact’, theyinsisted. Dropit,camethereplyfromBerlin. Thefactwas,Kühlenthal’shardworkwaspayingoff.Hewasbecomingtooimportantapersonto lose.Forthenetworkofspieshehadpatientlybeenbuildingupwasbeginningtoshowrealpromise. Not all of them, certainly. The British were skilful adversaries when it came to espionage. Yet Kühlenthal had high hopes for a new network at the heart of enemy territory. Since the summer of 1941,oneofhismenhadbeenreportingdirectlyfromLondon,writinglettersinsecretinksentvia courier to Lisbon. He had a keen eye, this one, even if he did get muddled about English ways sometimes. No matter, he would learn. The information he had sent about troop movements and shippingconvoyswouldraiseKühlenthal’sstockinBerlin. Hehadfirstmethisnewspyashortwalkfromtheembassy,attheCaféCorreos.Atfirstthelittle Catalanhadnotimpressedhim–SeñorLópez,hehadcalledhimself.Afalsename,ofcourse,justas Kühlenthal had introduced himself as ‘Felipe’ – later he would also use his preferred pseudonym ‘Carlos’. The new agent was inventive, a problem solver: through some clandestine means he had managed to get himself a passport and exit visa for travel abroad, no easy task for an ordinary Spaniard then. And his political leanings were in the right direction. Plenty of Spaniards wanted to helpdefeatcommunism.Theyhad,afterall,donesothemselvesathome.Nowtheiranti-Redfervour needednewbattlefields. Gradually,Kühlenthalhadbeenwonover.Allright,hesaid,showuswhatyoucando.You’reofno usetoushereinMadrid.WhatwereallyneedisforyoutogetyourselftoLondon.Thenwemightbe interested. He and his subordinate gave the man training in secret inks, some money, and a code name: ‘Alaric’, after the Gothic chief who had sacked Rome. Could his new agent help bring down the BritishEmpirefromwithin? Hehadhadhisdoubts.WouldAlaricevengettoEngland?Thenthefirstletterarrived.Hismanwas inLondon,passingonhiscorrespondencetoaKLMstewardflyingthecivilianroutefromPortugal toBritaininordertobypasstheenemycensors.Itwasaclevermove,ifexpensive–thecourierwas demandingadollaraletter.Butitwasworthittohaveanewagentontheground. Intheirreplies,Kühlenthal’sofficehadtoremindAlarictonumberhisfutureletters,andhisnew agent’sbaroqueprosestylemadehismessageswordierthannecessary.Butitwasagoodstart.Better eventhanKühlenthalmighthaveimagined,foralreadyhisV-mannhadtakenhisadviceandrecruited threeothersub-agentstoworkunderhim.Abwehrheadquarterswouldbepleased. Kühlenthal was calling this network, with Alaric at its head, ‘Arabal’, the name of a gushing waterfallinBritish-heldKashmir. FirstthecertificateofAryanisation,andnowanewintelligenceoperationinLondonitself. Itwasjustthebeginning. 3 Lisbon,December1941 ARACELIWASWORRIED.ThetrainjourneyfromtheirhomeinEstoriltocentralLisbontookalittleover halfanhour.Beforelongherhusbandwouldbeinthecitylibraryagainconsultingreferencebooks and the day’s newspapers. Just a few more reports for the Germans, he insisted, and he would shut everythingdown. The emigration paperwork from the Brazilian Consulate was almost complete. Soon they could booktheirpassageandgetaway.Buttheywereindanger,andtimewasrunningout. She had reason to be frightened. What if it went wrong, if someone found out? Little Juan was barelyfourmonthsold. Theyhadnotmeantforthingstoturnoutlikethis.NeitherofthemreallywantedtogotoBrazil. OrtobeinLisbon,forthatmatter.BackinMadrid,justaftertheCivilWar,whentheyhadmanaged theMajesticHoteltogether,thedreamhadbeentogettoLondon,orperhapsAmerica,toabetterlife, away from the misery and austerity of Franco’s Spain. Once the world war had broken out, they eschewedtheofficialreportsfromtheSpanishmedia,whichwerecarefulnevertosayanythingthat mightoffendtheirGermanfriends.InsteadtheylistenedtothenewsinSpanishbroadcastbytheBBC. Fewpeopledidthat:itwasrisky. London appeared like a beacon of a better world, a place of higher values, even opportunity. Germanbombsmayhavebeenfallingonit,butitwaspreferabletothegreylimitationsofFranco’s National-Catholicism,thepovertyofadeeplywoundedcountry.Salazar ’sPortugalwasjustasbad. Withcurlyblackhairandfinefeatures,Aracelihadadark,seductivebeautynotuncommontoher nativeGaliciainnorth-westSpain.Shehadcertainairs–whichwouldlatercausefrictions–andwas convincedthatshewasdescendedfromaristocracy.Butlikeherhusbandshewasintelligentandhada tasteforadventure:shehadmadethefirstexploratoryapproachtotheBritishonherhusband’sbehalf inJanuary1941withanoffertohelpinthestruggleagainstHitler.Ithadbeenafailure,however:the staffhadbarelygivenherthetimeofday.Later,herhusbandhimselfhadtriedtotalktotheBritishon numerousoccasions,alltonoavail. Nowitwaslate1941.InMadridacoupleofweeksearliershehadbeenhopeful:apassportofficial attheembassyhadfinallyagreedtomeetherhusband.Butyetagainthepeopletheyweretryingto helpturnedthemaway,uninterestedinwhathehadtooffer.Therewasnochoice,herhusbandsaid, buttoreturntoLisbonandpreparetoleaveEuropealtogether.IftheGermansdiscoveredthetruth theirliveswouldbeindanger.AndeveryapproachtotheBritishonlyexposedthemevenmore. PerhapsherhusbandwasrightaboutmovingtoBrazil.Theywouldbesafethere,andcouldstarta newlife.Buthewouldalwaysbeartheweightoffailure.Hehadsetsomuchonthis,hispride,his self-esteem.Hewasmorethanjustadreamer.Hisimaginationwasevenmorepowerfulthanherown, buthecouldworkthingstomakethosedreamscomealivethroughhisscheming,hissleightofhand, hisabilitytoliewithastraightface.Neitherofthemhadthoughtthingswouldgothisfar,orgetquite sobad,buttherejectionsfromtheBritishauthorities–itwaseasytolosecountofthembynow:five? six? seven, even? – had driven them here, to the far edge of Europe. Brazil, far across the ocean, seemedtheonlyescaperouteleft. Therewasonelastthingshemusttry,however.Everythinghadtobepreparedbeforeshetookher next move – the right papers and proof to take with her, someone to look after the baby for a few hours.Herhusbandmustneverfindoutthatshewasmakingherownplans. Germanmoneywaspayingforallthis–thegrandhouse,theirLisbonlife.Germanmoneypaying for the false reports her husband was now working on at the library, pretending to be based in LondonbutactuallygatheringinformationfromaBlueGuidetoGreatBritain,Frenchnewspapers,a PortuguesebookontheBritishfleet,aFrench–Englishdictionaryofmilitaryterminology,andamap ofBritainthathehadbeengiveninMadrid.NothavinganyEnglishmadeitmoredifficult. At home, he would write a cover letter, ostensibly to her, Araceli, detailing his experiences as a novelistinEngland,wishingherwellandhopingthathemightseeherandtheirbabysonagainsoon. OtherlettersmightbeaddressedtoasupposedCatalannationalistfriendoramistresshehadinvented inMadrid.Inbetweenthelineshewouldwritetheintelligencereportsinsecretink,basinghisstories onmaterialinhisreferencebooks.Twoworksoffictiononthesamepage,runninginparallel.One visible,theotherhidden.Withnowordoftruthineither. The Germans had no idea that he was really in Lisbon, and not in London: the letters were forwardedtothemfromaPortugueseposterestanteaddress.Butthemoneycouldnotlastforever. Theirsituationwasalltooprecarious:theGermanswouldnotbeunderstandingiftheylearnedabout herhusband’sruses.Anewsolutionwasneeded. Shecheckedherbagtomakesureshehadeverything.TheniceAmericanhadsaidhecouldgeta Britishmantocomealongaswelltoday. It had taken a while for Theodore Rousseau Jr, assistant naval attaché at the US Embassy, to consider her proposals seriously. She had first approached him the month before with stories of a SpanishspyworkingfortheGermansagainsttheAmericans.TheUSwasnotinthewar,notyetat least,butshehadthoughtitbettertomakeoutthattherewasadirectthreattothem. And she had been bold, asking for 200,000 dollars for her precious information. Her husband wouldhavebeenproud.ThatmadeRousseaustarttakingherseriously.Intheendshehadgivenhim prooffornopaymentatall:amessagewritteninsecretink,statingthat‘Agent172’inChicagowas readytostarthissabotageplans. ItwaswritteninFrench.AracelididnotspeakFrench.Shethoughtthatproducingamessageina languageshecouldnotwritewouldhelpherstory.AllittookwastoaskaFrenchfriendtojotdowna short note for her, then she changed some of the key words. So ‘Paris’ became ‘Chicago’, and the ‘publication’of‘journals’intheoriginalbecamethe‘sabotage’of‘factories’.Shehadlearnedalot overthepastmonths. AfterthatRousseauhadbecomeveryinterested.ButinNovember1941theUSwasnotacombatant inthewar:thatwouldcomeafewweekslater,oncetheJapaneseattackedPearlHarbor.Atthisstage, hedecidedsheshouldtalktoarepresentativeoftheBritishgovernmentaboutherGermanspy. Andsonowhereshewas,abouttomeetRousseauforathirdtime,withhiscounterpartfromthe British Embassy in Lisbon, Captain Arthur Benson, who was, Rousseau told her, a member of the Britishintelligenceservices. She started her story, repeating what she had told Rousseau before: she had information about a Spanish spy working for the Germans. To prove it she opened her bag and pulled out a piece of microfilm, a flask of secret ink, and a letter from the spy’s German controller. She thought for a moment of her husband’s reaction: he would be annoyed if he found out what she was doing. Not angry,orfurious.Heneverspokeharshly,thatwasnothisway.Butshehadnootherchoice. Benson glanced briefly at the ‘proof’ she had brought with her, but his expression and manner suggestedthathewasnotimpressed.Whatdidhethink?Thatthesewerefakes?Shewasriskingher life,andherfamily’s,bycominghere. Butyes,thatwaspreciselywhatBensonthought.Therewasnothing,hetoldher,ofanyinterestin whatshehadtosayorshowhim. AwholeyearofhavingdoorsshutintheirfacesbytheBritish,bothinLisbonandinMadrid.She hadputeverythingonthisonelastchance,hopingthatbycomingthroughtheAmericansshemight haveagreaterpossibilityofbeingheard.ButinBenson’seyesshewasamereadventuress,tryingto grabsomequickmoneyorexcitement. She had had enough. This last-ditch attempt had come to nothing. Her mind should turn to other things: to little Juan, and the emigration papers. They would have to move quickly. If the Germans everfoundout... Shemadetoleave.Seeingherstandup,Bensonhimselfgottohisfeet,andwithacruelgrin,leaned overtoplacea20-escudocoinonthetableinfrontofher. ‘Hereyouare.Takethisforyourtroubleandyourfare.’ Afinalinsult. Rousseaucouldonlyapologise.Hewasconcerned.Therewasnoneedforascene.Yettherewasa questionintheair:whatwasreallygoingonhere? Araceli realised that she had no choice: she would have to tell them everything, to explain to Rousseau–andtoBenson–therealreasonwhyshewasthere,thereasonwhyshehadgotintouchin thefirstplace. Thisman,shestartedsaying.ThisGermanspy... RousseauandBensonlistened. Thisspyismyhusband. Later,Bensonpassedtheinformationon–totheAdmiraltyinLondon,andtotheSectionVmanin Lisbon,RalphJarvis. TheSpanishwomanhadbroughtalongGermansecretinksto‘prove’herstory,andtheAmericans seemedtobegoingalongwithwhatshehadtosay,buttheBritishhadmoreexperiencedealingwith theAbwehr–appearanceswere,moreoftenthannot,misleading.AndLisbonwasadenofspies,or peopletryingtobecomespies. ASpaniardworkingfortheGermans,pretendingthathewasinLondonspyingforthem.Whenall thetimehewasinLisbon.And,accordingtohiswife,thepeoplehereallywantedtoworkforwere theBritish.Soshesaid.Whocouldtell?ThechanceswerethathewasaplantbytheGermans,trying togetoneoftheirmeninsideBritishintelligence. Shehadgiventhemherhusband’sname:JuanPujolGarcía.Itsoundedplausibleenough.Benson wouldpassiton. Butmakingupanamewaseasy. 4 SouthernEngland,April1942 APAINTERANDacircusimpresariowerechosenforthepick-up. Tomás Harris sat in the back of the car. They had a long drive ahead and he made himself a cigarette,flatteningthepapersmoothbeforeaddingblacktobaccoandrollingitintoacylinder.Slim andelegant,withpushed-backblackhairandapenetratinggaze,therewasararepoweraboutHarris, anenthusiasmandloveoflifethatfewfailedtonotice. ‘He was ebullient and vibrant,’ recalled a close friend. ‘Everything fascinated him. He was magnetic,unpretentious,andpassionateabouteverythingthathedid.’ Amulti-talentedartist,HarrishadwontheTrevelyan-GoodallscholarshiptotheSladeSchoolof Fine Art when he was only fifteen. He went on to study sculpture at the British Academy in Rome beforereturningtoLondon.TherehesetuphisownartbusinessonBrutonStreet,butlaterjoinedhis fathertoruntheSpanishArtGallery,whichsoldworksbytheSpanishmasters.LionelHarriswasa Jewish businessman who had worked in Spain. He married a woman from Seville – Enriqueta RodríguezLeón.Oftheirsevenchildren,Tomáswasthefourthandlastson. WhentheSecondWorldWarstarted,‘Tommy’–ashewasusuallycalledbycolleagues–tooka jobwithhiswifeHildaattheSOEtrainingfacilityatBrickendonburyHallafterarecommendation fromhisfriendGuyBurgess.In1940hemovedtoMI5. Hisself-portraitsshowadark,intenseside,butoutwardlyhewasawarm,sociablecharacter. ‘Hewasawonderfulraconteurandwasneverhappierthanwhentellinganecdotesandstories.’ Otherswerestruckbyhisstrengthofcharacter. ‘Tommy was a very, very strong personality,’ one colleague said. ‘He was a very persuasive person.Ifyoulookedatapicturewithhimyoufoundattheendoftwentyminutesyouwerethinking thesameashim.’ AnthonyBlunt,alsoworkingatMI5atthetime,wasafriend–Blunthadreviewedanexhibitionat theHarrisgallery–andhe,too,heldHarrisinhighesteem. ‘TomáswasoneofthemostcompletehumanbeingsIhaveeverknown.’ Harris’sSpanishbackgroundgavehimatouchofexoticism(hismaternalgrandfatherhadbeena distinguishedbullfighter)andlabelledhimassomethingofanoutsider–despitehisconnectionshe never felt completely at home in British upper-class society. Yet apart from his painting and art dealing,hewasalsoapianoandsaxophoneplayeraswellbeingatalentedMI5intelligenceofficer: therewasawhiffofgeniusabouthim. CyrilMills,fromMI5’sB1Asection,wasnexttohimastheysetoff,headingoutofLondonalong theA4.MillswasfortyandolderthanHarrisbyaboutsixyears.Beforethewarhehadbeenafamous circus manager and used to fly a de Havilland Hornet Moth around Europe looking for new acts. Thenoneday,soaringoverGermanyin1936,hehadcaughtsightofatrainlinedisappearingintoa mountainside. Mills had studied engineering at Cambridge, and to his technical eye this looked suspicious, not unlike a secret military factory. He told MI5, who asked him to keep snooping for them.Whenthewarstarted,itwasobvioustherewouldnotbemanymorecircusesforawhile,so Millsswappedhisimpresariolifeforafull-timeMI5position. The two men sat back in the car. It would be late afternoon before they reached Plymouth. Jock Horsfallwasreliable,aformerracerandthebestdriverintheservice.Theycouldthinkandtalkfora while. At long last they had found their mystery Spaniard. ‘Arabal’, ‘Alaric’, ‘V-Mann 316’, ‘V-Mann 319’: the Germans gave this new man and his supposed sub-agents many names. MI5 had been chasinghimformonths.NowhehadbeenlocatedinLisbonandwasbeingflownovertoBritainfor interrogation. Some of their questions would be answered on his arrival, but new queries would inevitablyarise.Wouldtheybeabletotrusthim?Washereallyasgoodasheappeared? MI6 had first heard of him way back in December: a Spaniard asking to become a British spy, claiming that he had already fooled the Germans into thinking he was working for them. And it lookedasthoughthesamemanhadmadevariousapproaches,notonlyinLisbon,butinMadridas well.Oneachoccasionhehadbeenshownthedoor,whileallthetimehewassendingfalsereportsto theMadridAbwehrclaimingthathewasactuallyinLondon. Now it was late April. Four months had gone by trying to find the new enemy ‘spy’, wondering how he had escaped detection, while all the time he was in Portugal trying to work for the British. Harrisrepeatedthephrasethatkeptrunningthroughhismind:itwasaminormiraclehehadsurvived thislong.Whichonlymadethescepticssuspectevenmore.Themanmustbeaplant,otherwisethe Germanswouldhaveliquidatedhimbynow. Yet Dilly Knox’s decoded Bletchley transcripts of Abwehr traffic clearly showed the trust the enemyhadinArabelastheirmaninLondon.Therewasnohintthereofaset-up. For MI5 this was a great opportunity. The double-cross system was working well – a nest of GermanspiesnowsafelyworkingonbehalfofHisMajesty’sGovernment,feedingliestotheother side.Couldtheytakethisnewmanonboardaswell? MI6 were calling him ‘Bovril’ because, they said, like the drink, he helped ‘avoid that sinking feeling’. All those messages to Madrid about non-existent convoys had something to do with it, perhaps.Itwasnotclearwhohadcomeupwiththecodename.ItwassaidthatMI9’smaninGibraltar, Donald Darling, who helped Allied soldiers escape from behind enemy lines, had given it to the Spaniard when he arrived from Lisbon a couple of weeks before. But ‘Bovril’ had been used to describehimearlierthanthat–atleastamonthbefore.WereMI6tryingtowashtheirhandsofhim, knowingfullwelltheywereabouttolosehimtoMI5? PerhapsPhilby,Harris’sclosefriendinSectionV,hadsomethingtodowithit.Philbywasoneof the regulars at Harris’s grand Mayfair home, using number 6 Chesterfield Gardens as a kind of privateclub,asdidVictorRothschild,AnthonyBluntandGuyBurgess–asmallsetenjoyingoneof thebestwinecellarsinLondon. Arabel might never have been brought to Britain had it not been for Philby, often acting behind Cowgill’sback.ItwasnowbecomingclearquitehowmuchBletchleymaterialonhimCowgillhad beenkeepingfromMI5.TheheadofSectionVsawathreat,knowingperfectlywellthattheSpaniard mightbeperfectdoubleagentmaterial.WhichiswhyhehadtriedtohidehimfromMI5forsolong. ‘I do not see why I should get agents and then have them pinched by you,’ he told Guy Liddell, Harris’s boss and the head of MI5’s B section. As far as Cowgill was concerned, ‘the Yanks’ had broughtArabeltohim.IfhewastobelongtoanyoneitwastoMI6–hewouldbetheirmanworking fromLisbon. But double-cross was not about winning battles, it was about winning the war itself. And from operatingasameansofcontrollingandcurtailingGermanespionageworkinsideBritain(whysend anynewagentsoverwhentheonestheyhadwereworkingsowell...?),itwouldeventuallymove intoanew,moresignificantphase,thatofactuallydeceivingtheenemy. ThecarhaddrivenfarfromLondonnow,withfewerremindersaroundthemofthewar,exceptthe militaryvehiclesandlackofroadsigns.TheflyingboatfromGibraltarwasscheduledtoarrivejust before sunset. The flight lasted twice as long as in peacetime as they had to fly so far out into the AtlantictoavoidGermanfighters. Iftheycouldjustmakethingswiththisnewmanwork... Thedouble-crosssystemwasnotwithoutitsproblems.Manycapturedspieswhowere‘turned’to workfortheBritishhadtobethreatenedtoassuretheircooperation.Fewwerewillingdoubleagents, andthebusinessofbuildingthemupintheGermans’eyes,makingthemincreasinglycrediblesothat eventuallyfalseandmisleadinginformationcouldbefedthroughthem,wasfraughtwithdifficulties. With Arabel, however, if he was who he said he was, some of the teething problems might be avoided. If he was already trusted by the Germans, MI5 had a chance to use a fully fledged double agentwhohadbeenwillingtoworkfortheBritishinthefirstplace. Theywouldhavetoproceedcautiously.Inthepastdoubleagentshadshownpromiseandthenhad tobedroppedoverfearsthattheymightbecompromised.Securitywasparamount,andaswiththe Bletchleymaterial,double-crosscouldonlyworkiftheenemysuspectednothing. Butstill,Arabel,orBovril,orwhatevernametheygavehimintheend,hadpromise.Hehadmade it this far on his own. And after the Malta convoy message, what might he be capable of once they finallygothimundertheirwing? ItstillwasnotclearifArabelhadbeenbehindthereportontheconvoytothebesiegedisland.The Abwehr report had not said, putting it down to Kühlenthal’s ‘V-Mann 372’. It was one of the many pointsthatwouldbecoveredoverthecomingdaysofquestioningandinterrogation.Bletchleyhad pickeditupon2April,overthreeweekspreviously.Bythenthedecisionhadalreadybeentakento bring Arabel over to Britain. In the meantime, however, while the would-be British agent waited in LisbonfortheterritorialbattlesbetweenMI5andMI6tobesorted,hewasstillsendingmessagesto hisAbwehrcontroller. Thatlastonehadcreatedripples–inmorewaysthanone.Therewas,itsaid,aconvoyoffifteen ships, including nine freighters, heading from Liverpool with relief supplies for Malta. Not only food,butwarmaterielincludinganti-aircraftammunitionandRAFpersonnel,werealsoonboard. Previous aid convoys to Malta had sailed from Mediterranean ports with the loss of many ships, sunkbytheGermansandItalians.ThiswasthefirstsuchconvoyreportedtobesailingfromBritain itself.Theenemyrespondedtotheintelligencehandsomely.GermanU-boatsweresenttoambushthe convoyasitpassedclosetoGibraltaronitswayintotheMediterranean,whileItalianplanesarmed withtorpedoeswereamassedinSardiniaforlaterstrikes. Alltonoavail.TheconvoytoMaltaneverappeared.TheGermanswereangry–theyblamedthe Italians.Agreatdealofwareffort–manhours,fuel,supplies–hadgoneintotheoperation,withno result. FortherehadneverbeenaMaltaconvoy.Itwasmadeup. Amazingly,nooneontheGermansideblamedtheintelligenceortheagentwhohadsuppliedit.As far as the enemy were concerned, the convoy had existed; they had simply failed to find it. So whoeverhadsentthatreport–andtherewerestilldoubtsaboutwhetherArabelwasbehindit–had not only proved his credentials with the Germans, but had single-handedly had an important, if relativelyminor,effectonthewaritself. It had been enough to tip the balance in favour of those wanting to get Arabel to London. Even Cowgillgaveineventually.Hecouldstillclaimitwashisideatobringhimover,butnoonefrom MI6wouldbethereforthereception. TheyfinallyreachedPlymouthandJockHorsfallpulledthecarinbehindtheMountBattenflyingboatterminal.Roomshadbeenbookedatanearbyhotelwheretheycouldhavedinnerandspendthe nightbeforedrivingbacktoLondonthenextmorning. It was sunset when the launch finally brought the passengers over from the flying boat. Harris watched as a short Spanish man stepped on to British soil. He looked older than his thirty years – prematurely balding on top – although his small yellow-brown eyes had a keenness about them, mischievous almost. It was extraordinary that someone so unassuming and humble in appearance couldhavecausedsomuchtrouble,forboththeGermansandtheBritish. Harrissteppedforwardandheldouthishandingreeting.ThenspokeinperfectSpanish: ‘Bienvenido a Inglaterra, señor Pujol. Welcome to England. My name is Tomás Harris, and my colleaguehere–’heusedthefalsenametheyhadagreedforMills–‘isMrGrey.Wewillbothbe takingyoutoLondon.’ JuanPujolsmiledpolitelyatthem.Hehadfinallymadeit–inBritainatlast,withthepeoplehehad been trying to work with for a year and a half. He shivered, and made a comment about the cold. HarrisandMillsgrinned.No,Harrissaid,thiswasnotsouthernEurope.Hewouldhavealottoget usedto. Pujolchuckledwithhischaracteristiclaughter,likea‘slyrabbit’. Days later, in London, when they had heard and been amazed by Juan Pujol’s story, Mills spoke to Harris. The code name Bovril did not fit. Besides, Pujol was their man now, he belonged to MI5. Mills proposedanewcodename,onewhichsuitedhimbetter.Pujol,hesaid,mustbethe‘greatestactorin theworld’tohavefooledsomanypeopleandsurvived.Theyshouldnamehimafterthatothergreat actor:GretaGarbo.Afilmofherswasshowing,Two-FacedWoman,aboutacharacterlivingadouble life.Whatcouldbebetter? Yes, it was ideal. Not only because of Pujol’s acting skills, but, Harris also knew, because of an intelligence and liveliness about the man. The Spanish word garbo had no direct translation into English, but it could mean ‘graceful’, or ‘panache’, with connotations of perfectionism and generosity. MillshadnoSpanish,buthehadfoundtheperfectcodename. PARTTWO ‘One’sreallifeisoftenthelifethatonedoesnotlead.’ OscarWilde 5 Spain,1912–39 THE ORIGINAL BUILDINGat70CarrerMuntanerwaspulleddownintheearly1980sandreplacedbya modernblockofflats,butmostoftheneighbouringstructuresfromtheendofthenineteenthcentury still stand, and the character of the street, in the heart of Barcelona’s modernist Eixample, remains virtuallyunchangedfromwhenitwasfirstconceived.Itwasandremainsaresidentialandshopping districtforthewealthymiddleclasses,Catalanmerchantsandtraders.ThePujolfamily,ownersofthe JuanPujolyCompañíatextile-dyeingfirm,celebratedforthequalityofitsblacksilkdyes,hadmade theirhomehere. Anditwashere,onValentine’sDay1912,thatJuanPujolGarcíawasborn. Oratleastthatwaswhathealwayssaid,and14Februarywasthedaythathecelebratedhisbirthday. HisbirthcertificateintheBarcelonacivilrecord,however,tellsadifferentstory.There,hismother Mercedesregisteredhisbirthon1March1912,statingthathehadbeenborntwodaysearlier,on28 February(itwasaleapyear).ThesurnamesthatshegaveherbabyboywereGarcíaGuijarro–her own.OnlyfouryearslaterdidJuan’sfatherlegallyadopthim,andhissurnamechanged:Pujolfrom hisfather ’sside;Garcíafromhismother ’s,asisSpanishcustom. Forthefirstfewyearsofhislife,Juan’sparentswerenotmarried,andallfouroftheirchildren werebornoutofwedlock.Itwasacurious,evenscandalous,situationforareligious,middle-class family,particularlyinsuchconservativetimes. TheproblemwasthatalthoughhewasinarelationshipwithMercedes,Juan’sfatherwasalready married–toawomancalledTeresaLlombartPuig.Teresa’sstorywithPujolSrdidnotendhappily. Itisnotknownwhatseparatedthecouple.Theyhadnochildren–perhapsthatwasareason.Teresa was born around 1870. Before she turned forty her husband had started his relationship with Mercedes, a younger woman who worked for them as a cleaning lady. Mercedes gave birth to her firstchildbyPujolSr–Joaquín,Juan’selderbrother–in1908. At that point Juan Pujol Sr and Mercedes became, to all intents and purposes, ‘married’, living togetherandraisingafamily:Juanwastheirthirdchild.Therewasnodivorceatthetime.Perhaps theyerasedTeresafromthestory,pretendingtotheirbourgeoisneighboursthattheyhadtakentheir vows. Teresawasstillaround,however.WhilePujolSrandhisnewfamilylivedcomfortablyinoneof thecity’sbetterquarters,herlotwasconsiderablyworse.ShewaslivinginthePoblenoudistrict,to the north-east of the port, not far from her husband’s factory. The area had been the centre of Barcelona’s industrial expansion from the end of the nineteenth century and had even been dubbed ‘the Manchester of Catalonia’. Yet as in Britain’s industrial north, living conditions were appalling. TeresalivedonthegroundfloorofasmallbuildingatCarrerSantPereIV58–todayanabandoned formertruckdepot. Itwashere,at2.00intheafternoonon10August1915,thatTeresadied.Herdeathcertificategave causeofdeathas‘mucomembraneousenteritis’,anacuteinflammationofthegutproducingcolicand diarrhoea. There is no indication of how she became ill, but sanitation in the area at the time was minimal, resulting in numerous cases of typhoid and cholera – both illnesses that can cause acute enteritis. Thousands were dying from drinking dirty, bacteria-infected water – an epidemic in the second half of 1914 had infected over 9,000 people, killing around 2,000. Teresa may have been a victimofasimilaroutbreak.ItisperhapsnocoincidencethatshediedinAugust,whenthesummer heat made such cases more common. Her death was brought to the attention of the authorities by a man called Agustín Cádiz, described as a married carpenter who lived nearby on Carrer Mariano Aguiló. ForJuanPujolSr,hisestrangedwife’sdeathremovedaproblem:hewasnowfree,andlessthan threemonthslater,on3November1915,heandMercedeswedattheChurchofLosAngeles,afiveminutewalkfromtheirupmarkethome.Nowtheprocessoflegitimisingtheirchildrencouldbegin. JuanPujolwasthreeandahalfyearsold. Itseemsaptforsomeonewhowouldlaterplaysuchanimportantroleinhistoryasastoryteller, moulding, turning and shaping the truth for great effect, that there should be uncertainty and subterfugeconcerninghisentryintotheworld.Inspiteofthereligiousandsocialmoresofthetime, hismotherandfatherraisedafamily–forthefirstfewyearsatleast–withouttheofficialblessingof eitherChurchorState.Itshowedbloody-mindednessandanabilitytoshapetheworldratherthanbe shapedbyit–bothattributesthatcharacterisedPujolinlaterlife. Pujolhimselfnevermentionedthecomplicationsinhisparents’maritalaffairs.Hisautobiography portrays his father as an upstanding character: ‘the most honest, noble and disinterested man that I haveeverknown’.Hewasarolemodel,someonewhotaughtPujolthevaluesoftoleranceandnonaggressionthathefollowedthroughouthislife.‘Hedespisedwar,andbloodyrevolutions,scorning thedespot,theauthoritarian...Sostrongwashispersonalityandsopowerfulhisholdovermeand mybrotherthatneitherofuseverbelongedtoapoliticalparty.’ Later,duringthemostintenseperiodofhisadultlife,Pujolwoulddomuchtoliveuptotheideals ofliberalisminstilledinhimbyhisfather. Despite their secret, the family was otherwise respectable and well-off: they never suffered the kindsofprivationsofthecity’spoorerinhabitants.Politicallyandsocially,however,itwasadifficult timeinBarcelona,withgrowingworkers’movements,socialunrestandassassinations.Therecently formedCNTanarchisttradeunionwasengagedinfrequentbattleswithgangsorganisedbycompany directors.Duringtheworstperiod,between1916and1923,27bosses,27managersand229workers werekilledintheviolence.OneofPujol’searliestmemorieswasofhisfatherleavingforworkinthe morningsduringthesetroubles,sayinggoodbyetohiswifeandeachoneofhischildrenasthoughhe mightnevercomeback. Mercedes, the mother, was more of a disciplinarian than Pujol Sr, instilling in her children the strictCatholicideasthatshehadinheritedfromherownAndalusianfamily–LosBeatosastheyhad been known in Motril for their rigid adherence to Church doctrine. Yet despite this the young Juan wasadifficultchild,unruly,headstrong,whimsical,andhewouldfrequentlybreakallhisowntoys, as well as those of his brothers and sisters. His father may have tried to teach him the values of pacifismandtolerance,butbynaturehewasrebelliousandcombative. ForatimehewassentwithhiselderbrothertoaCatholicboardingschoolinthetownofMataró, tothenorthofBarcelona,inanattempttodisciplinehim.Itworked,toadegree,buthisadolescence was marked by frequent radical changes of direction. He left school aged fifteen to become a blacksmith’sapprentice.Afteramatterofweekshedecidedthathewantedtogetaplaceatuniversity studying philosophy and literature instead. There followed a period in which he read almost every bookinhisfather ’samplelibrary,fascinatedbyhistoryandetymology.Atthistimethefamilymoved houseastheirfortunesrose,firsttoCarrerdeSeptimania21,thentoamagnificenthomeinthesame neighbourhoodonCarrerdeHomero.AllthechildrenreceivedprivateFrenchlessonsthreetimesa weekwithatutorfromMarseilles. In 1931, when he was nineteen, Pujol’s intense self-education was cut short by an acute case of appendicitis.Thewoundbecameinfectedaftertheoperationandhecameclosetodeath,passingin and out of consciousness and suffering a high fever. His father held his hand through the night, weepingatthethoughtthathemightlosehisson. WhenPujoleventuallyrecoveredsomeweekslater,heemergedintoachangedcountry:duringhis illnesstheSpanishmonarchyhadfallenandarepublic–theSecondRepublic–hadbeenproclaimed initsplace.Whetherthiswasthecauseofhisnextchangeofdirectionisunclear,butfromphilosophy henowdecidedthatchickenfarmingwaswherehisfuturelay.Onfinishinghisstudiesinavicultura, he carried out his military service, being drafted in 1933 into a light artillery regiment where he learnedtorideahorse,althoughonlyafterseveralbeatingsfromhiscommandingofficer. Hisfather ’sdeathfromfluinJanuary1934cameasasevereblow,andseemedtopresageanew phase in which the comforts of his middle-class life were exchanged for intense hardship and suffering.Atfirst,theshiftwasgentle:hismothersoldthefamilyshareinhisfather ’scompanytothe otherbusinesspartners;atransportcompanythatPujolsetupwithhisbrothersoonfolded,asdida chicken farm they established together. In later life almost every business that he set up – from cinemastofarmsandhotels–endedinfailure.Yethewasanimpresariobynature,neverhappierthan whenengagedinanewproject. Moreseriousproblemsaroseacoupleofyearslater. TheCivilWarbeganinJuly1936.LikemanySpaniards,Pujolheardthenewsofamilitarycoup overtheradio,apparentlystartingintheSpanishterritoriesinnorthernMorocco.Hehadplansfora tripwithfriendstothenearbyMontsenymountainsthathotday,butasthenewsseemedtogetworse witheachbulletin,andtherewastalkofbarricadesbeingerectedinthestreetsandpeoplebeingshot, he headed over to his fiancée Margarita’s house, also in the Eixample area, on Carrer Girona. Margarita’s parents were old family friends. Around them, neighbours were hanging white sheets fromtheirbalconiestoshowthattheywerepeacefulandwantednotrouble,butsooneventswereto changeeveryone’slivesdramatically. AtthestartofthecoupBarcelona,likemostofthemajorcitiesexceptSeville,failedtofallintothe hands of the rebel generals and remained under government control. Barcelona, however, quickly becameacentreofaradicalcounter-coupmovement.Anarchistsanddifferentleft-winggroupstook over: checkpoints were established in the streets, curfews imposed; people were shot for suspected sympathywiththemilitaryrebels.Overnightthecitybecameadangerousplace. Pujol’s family was caught up in the chaos. His sister and mother were arrested as ‘counterrevolutionaries’ because their names were on a parish list for a visit to the monastery at nearby Montserrat.Anti-clericalfeverwasatitsheight,andtheywereonlysavedbyafriendintheanarchist tradeunion,whomanagedtogetthemreleased.Theirjailersneverfoundoutthatduringthosefirst few days of the conflict, Mercedes had been hiding other Catholics in her home, including a priest calledCeledonio.HewouldlaterplayanimportantroleinPujol’sstory. Meanwhile,Pujol’sbrotherJoaquínwaspress-gangedintothearmytodefendtheRepublicagainst therebels.Hemanagedtoescapefromthefront,crossingagreatdistancealmostnakedthroughthe snowbeforefindingrefugewithfamilymembersinthePyrenees.Theexperiencetookaheavytoll, andyearslaterPujolwouldblameitforhisbrother ’sdeathattheageofsixty-two. Elena, Pujol’s younger sister, was even less fortunate. Her boyfriend was arrested by the city’s revolutionariesasasuspectedFrancosympathiser,takentothehillsnearbyandshot. Duringthesedifficultfirstfewdaysandweeks,Pujolremainedinhisfiancée’shouse,notdaringto walk out into the street, too frightened to try to get out of the city, where the danger was greatest. Patrols and checkpoints were everywhere on the lookout for ‘fifth columnists’ – a phrase recently coinedbyoneoftherebelgenerals–andhelackedanyforgedpaperworkthatmightaidhisescape. Theweeksturnedintomonths.Hecouldnotappearatthewindow,orspeakinaloudvoiceforfear of being heard by the neighbours. Whenever anyone knocked at the door he had to hide in a back room. ShortlybeforeChristmasarmedmenburstintotheflat.Pujolwasinthekitchenbreakingnutswith ahammer,butheheardthenoiseasthemilitiamenbegantheirsearch.Asthingsturnedout,theywere notlookingforhim,butforvaluablesleftinsafekeepingwithhishostfamilybyotherswhohadfled thecity.Someone–theydidnotknowwho–hadtippedtheauthoritiesoff.Itdidnottakelongforthe searchpartytofindwhatitwaslookingfor–goldandjewelsstuffedinsideadoorframe.Butasthe menpassedthrougheachroomintheflat,theyalsodiscoveredPujolwiththehammerinhishand. AlongwithMargarita’sfatherandbrother,hewaswhiskedaway. PujolwasrelativelyfortunatethathisdestinationthatnightwasthePoliceheadquartersontheVía Laietana. It offered some minor guarantee: had he been taken to one of the less formal ‘police’ stations – chekas, they were referred to, after the kangaroo courts of the Russian Revolution – he mightwellhavebeenkilledoutofhand.Asitwas,hewasplacedonhisowninadarkcell,unsureif thesemomentsweretobehislast. Heremainedthereforaweek.Thenonenight,intheearlyhours,hiscelldoorwasopenedandhe wasaskedtostepout.Amysteriousmantookhimthroughalabyrinthofemptyofficestoasmallside doorwhichopenedoutintothestreet,thrustapieceofpaperinhishandwithanaddressonit,and senthimonhisway. Confusedandfrightened,Pujolsetoff.Itwascold,butthankfullyheonlyhadashortdistanceto go:theaddressscribbledonthepieceofpaperwasintheBarriGòtic,themedievalpartofthecity betweentheCathedralandtheport.ArrivingatalittlestreetjustbehindtheTownHall,notsurewhat hewaslettinghimselfinfor,hewalkedupthestairsinthedarkandknockedsoftly.Awomanopened andsilentlylethimin. PujoldiscoveredlaterthathehadbeenhelpedbyanorganisationcalledSocorroBlanco,asecret Catholic group operating in Republican territory which rescued people who had fallen foul of the authorities.Fearfulforhissafetyinprisonasadraft-dodger,Margaritahadgotintouchwiththem and they had made efforts to get Pujol freed, using one of their operatives – a woman posing as a ‘revolutionary’whowashavinganaffairwithanofficeratthepolicestation. All this would become clear later. For now he was in hiding again, living in the home of a taxi driver who had been forced to drive soldiers to the Aragón front. His wife and nine-year-old boy offered Pujol what security they could. Again Pujol was reduced to silence, to living inside, never showing his face at a window. Conversations, for example when the taxi driver returned with news from the front, could only take place with the radio on, drowning out any sound of his voice that mightbepickedupbyneighbours. Monthspassed.Inthemorningsthewifewentoutinsearchoffood,leavingPujolwithherlittle boy. Oneday,whileshewasgone,thepoliceraidedtheflat.Inthesecondsbeforetheymanagedtoget inside,Pujolindicatedtotheboythathewasgoingtohideunderhisbed. Theboyshowedthepolicearoundwithunusualsangfroid,tellingthemthathismotherwasoutand that his father was at the front fighting the rebels. The policemen looked carefully in each room, finding nothing. When they were about to enter the room where Pujol was hiding, the boy himself openedthedoorforthem,switchedonthelightanddeclareditwashisownroom.Atwhichpointthe policementurnedandleft.Pujolhadbeensavedonceagain. Hewassogratefulthatforthenextfewmonthshedidhisbesttoteachthelittleboywhateverhe could:theschoolshadclosedandhiseducationhadsuffered.ItwasanewformofstimulusforPujol aswell,helpingtopassthetime.Butlifeinthecitywasgettingworse:itwasbeingbombedbythe Francoistsandthequeuesforfoodweregettinglonger.Bythemiddleof1937thetaxidriver ’sfamily couldstandnomore,anddecidedtoleavetheflattostaywithrelativesoutoftown. Pujolwasonhisown.SocorroBlancoorganisedthrice-weeklyvisitstobringhimfood,butnow, withnocompanyatall,Pujolwasforcedtoliveinablackenedsilence,unabletoturnonthelightsor makeasoundofanykind.Hebecamedepressedandwithdrawnandhishealthstartedtodeteriorate. The visits became less frequent, the food rations smaller and smaller. He lost a lot of his hair and over20kilosinweight,lookingmorelikeamaninhislatefortiesthanhismid-twenties. Heknewthathecouldnotremainlikethisindefinitely.Bynowitwasearly1938andhehadbeenin theflatforoverayear.Fearingforhisphysicalandmentalhealth,hedecidedthathehadtogetout. Again,SocorroBlancohelped,providingfalseidentitypaperswhichmadehimouttobeamantoo oldformilitaryservice. When he stepped out into the street, not only had the city changed thanks to the bombs and revolutions, but so had he. He had been in self-imposed captivity for a year and a half. Through a contactintheSocialisttradeunion,theUGT,hegotajobrunningachickenfarminSanJuandelas Abadesas,innorthernCatalonia,neartheborderwithFrance.Itseemedaperfectplacefromwhichto completehisescape. Slowlyhegothisstrengthback,takinglongwalksoncehisdailyworkwasdone,calculatinghow farhewouldhavetogotogetacrosstheborder.Oncehispreparationswerefinished,however,and he was about to leave, another group of would-be escapees were involved in a shoot-out near the borderwithpolice,andseveralwerekilled.Asaresult,patrolsintheareawereintensified:justasit hadopened,thedoortofreedomhadbeenclosedagain. With the route to France now cut off, Pujol had to think of other ways to get out of Republican Spain.Thefarmwasnotasuccessandmadenomoney,owingtoalackofinvestmentfromtheunion. Afteranumberofargumentsovertherunningoftheplace,Pujolhandedinhisresignationandweeks laterwasbackinBarcelona.Thistimeitseemedtherewasonlyonewayout:tojointheRepublican armyandtrytocrossovertotheFrancoistsideatthefrontline. Hedecidedtochanceitandpresentedhimselfatarecruitmentcentre.Itwasironicthataftersolong heshouldvolunteertojoinupintheveryarmyhehadbeentryingtostayoutof.Yetwithhisfalse identity and older appearance, he was greeted with open arms. It was the spring of 1938 and the RepublicansidewasclearlylosingtheCivilWar.Pujolwasgivenbasic,two-weekinfantrytraining andsenttothefront,nearthetownofFlixontheRiverEbro. Lifeintheinfantrydidnotappealtohim,andhewasdeterminednottobecome‘cannonfodder ’, so he lied to his officers, telling them that he knew about telegraphy and Morse code. He was duly senttoasignalsunitattachedtotheInternationalBrigades,buthisignoranceaboutthejobwasalltoo evident and eventually he was ordered to lay cables between the trenches and the command post. Finally,hisunitwassenttothefrontline,relievingaforcethathadlost50percentofitsmen,largely throughdesertionstotheotherside.MoraleontheRepublicansidewaslow,nothelpedbythefact thatalltheyhadtoeat,foreverymealofeveryday,waslentilstew.Atnight,Francoisttroopswould call out mouth-watering details of the food that they enjoyed on their side, encouraging the Republicansoldierstotrytocrossthelines. Pujoldidnotneedanypersuading–thatwaspreciselywhyhewasthere.Soonhediscoveredthat others were thinking of attempting the same thing. It was risky. If they failed and were caught they wouldbeshot.Ononeoccasionthecompany’sbarberwasexecutedinfrontoftheentirebattalionfor anunsuccessfulescapeattempt.ThiswastheonlydeadmanthatPujolsawintheentireCivilWar. TheFrancoistlineslay200metresawayacrossavalleywithastreamrunningatthebottom.One clear evening, Pujol, ‘starving and disenchanted with life’, decided to make a run for it. Later he wouldclaimitwasthecraziestthingthatheeverdid. Justashewasleavinghistrenchtoheadoutacrossno-man’s-land,armedwithacoupleofhand grenades, two of his colleagues jumped out of their position to escape as well, causing a small landslideofstones.Thesentrieswerealertedbythenoise.Pujolhesitatedforamoment,butthiswas, hetoldhimself,hisonlychance,andhesetoffwiththepatrolhotonhisheels.Atthebottomofthe valleyhehidinapatchofpinetrees,butquicklybecamedisoriented.Oncethe patrol had gone, he startedheadingupahill,thinkinghewasinchingtowardstheFrancoistside,onlytodiscoverthathe wasgoingthewrongway–backtotheRepublicanpositions. ‘Halt!’cameacry. ‘Don’tshoot,’Pujolrepliedcoolly.‘I’maRepublicanpassingovertotheotherside.’ Shots rang out. Realising his mistake, Pujol raced once again into the valley, while the patrol rusheddowntotrytoroothimout. Sneakingthroughthepinegroves,hereachedastream,wherehelaydowninareedbed,covering himself as best he could with leaves. The patrol came very close, pushing at the undergrowth with theirriflebutts.Atonepointtheystoppedforasmoke.Thefullmoonappearedfrombehindacloud andPujolcouldseetheirsilhouettes,onlymetresawayfromhim. Hestartedasilentprayer,callingouttotheVirgendelPilar,theMadonnaofthePillar,tosavehim. Hewould,hesaid,payhomagetoherinthecathedralofZaragozaifshesavedhimthen.Heclungto the two grenades he had brought with him, wondering if he would have to use them. Just at that moment,themoonwascloudedoveragain,thenightbecamedarker,andthepatrolmovedaway. Pujol stayed where he was for a while, and shortly afterwards the Francoists began their usual banter, calling out to the Republicans on the other side. Pujol decided to use their voices to orient himself,andhegotupoutoftheriverbed,tookhisbootsoffsothatthesoundofhisfootstepswould notgivehimaway,andstartedthelongclimbuptheslopetotheotherside.Eventuallyhemadeitand, exhausted and suffering from his shredded feet, he was hauled over into their trenches, almost passingoutwithfright.‘Don’tworrynow,’heheardthemsayashemadeafinalefforttoreachthem. Bleedingandhungry,hehadcrossedthelinessuccessfully.Hespentthenextcoupleofdaysinthe Francoisttrencheseatingasmuchashecould. Yet if he thought that his life was about to improve having finally made it out of Republican territory, two years since the Civil War had begun, he was sorely mistaken. Long, tiring interrogations soon began, before he was finally sent off in a goods train to Zaragoza along with other ex-Republican soldiers. From there they were taken to a Francoist concentration camp in Deusto, in the Basque Country. Once again, Pujol, as a former Republican soldier, found himself a prisoner. Thecamphadbeentheuniversitybuilding,yetconditionswereharsh.Licehadinfestedtheplace, while the men had to sleep on the bare floorboards of the lecture halls. During the day, they congregatedaroundafountaininthecampus,whichwastheonlyplacetheycouldwash.Topassthe time,someofthemenwouldconductliceraces,bettingtheirrationsontheresult.Pujolhadnoteaten properlyforalongtime,andhefoundthathecouldnotholddownhisfood.Forawhilehewasputin theinfirmary,wherehewasgivenadietofmilkandbrothtohelphisdigestivetractrecover. By now he had gained some experience in survival: he sold a Parker fountain pen that he had managedtokeepholdof,andwiththemoneyboughthimselfacheaperpen,somepaperandstamps. Withthesehewrotetoeveryfamilymemberandfriendthathecouldthinkof,askingforhelp.Some answered,othersevenwithsmallamountsofmoney,buttheresponsewasnotenoughtogethimout. Buthelpdidfinallycome.Celedonio,thepriestwhomhismotherhadshelteredinBarcelonaatthe startofthewar,hadmanagedtogetacrosstoFrancoistterritoryandwasnowtheheadofahospital inPalencia,nearSalamanca.HetravelledtoseePujolinDeusto,insistingtohiscaptorsthatPujolwas honest, apolitical and Catholic. He then went one step further and called in at the Francoist capital, Burgos, on his way back to Palencia, where he personally vouched for his family friend and made suchanoisethatwithinthreedayshewasreleasedfromtheconcentrationcamp. At first Pujol was sent to Celedonio’s hospital to recover for a week. By now he was suffering fromacutebronchitis,yethewasstillobligedtojointheFrancoistarmy.InBurgosheenlisted,this timeunderhisownnameandgivinghistrueage. Itseemedasthoughhisproblemsmightfinallybeover.Livingthelifeofajuniorofficerinthe conservative, traditional city of Burgos, he made friends and found a new girlfriend, despite strugglingtogetbyononlyone-third-pay.ThenonedayinDecember,atavictorycelebrationafter the Francoists had won the Battle of the Ebro, Pujol was caught by his commanding officer exchanginghissoldier ’scapwithaCarlistmilitiaman’sredberet.Theofficerwasinfuriated–such an act was strictly forbidden. Summoning Pujol to his office the next morning, he struck him hard acrosstheface,rippedthebraidoffhisuniformandsenthimdowntothecells. Pujolwasincarceratedonceagain,andsoonhefoundhimselfbeingsentwithothersoldierstothe frontlinesinAragón.TheCivilWarwasabouttoend,yetPujolwasindangerofbecomingoneofits lastcasualties. Whenhegotachance,hecalledhisgirlfriendinBurgos,askinghertopullstrings:sheworkedin theMinistryofWarandwasfriendswithaninfluentialgeneral.Theplanworked.Threeweekslater Pujolwascalledbackfromthefrontandreinstatedasajuniorofficer,workingwithtelegramsand communiquésinsidetheFrancoistGeneralHeadquarters.Itseemedthatfinally,aftersomanyyears ofhardship,hecouldrelax.PujollivedoutthelastweeksoftheCivilWarinBurgos,stayingatthe Condestable Hotel. There, two days before it ended, he met another young woman, a beautiful and seductive black-haired Galician who had a nursing job. Araceli González would later become his wife. Curiously,atthattimeKimPhilbywasalsoinBurgos.AccreditedtotheFrancoistside,hewasThe Times’s correspondent in the Civil War, and had already been secretly recruited by the Soviets. By now it was early 1939; the Civil War ended on 1 April. Three years later, Philby would be leading attempts from within MI6’s Section V to find a man who had also been a regular face at Franco’s GHQ.DidheandPujolevermeetinSpain?Thereisnoevidencetothefact,yetthecoincidenceis curiousenoughforoneSpanishwriter,RafaelFraguas,toconcludethatPhilbyandPujoldidgetto knoweachotherduringthistime. DidPhilbyevenrecruitPujolasaSovietagent,asFraguassuggests?Thisisaconspiracytoofar, onethatturnsPujol,history’sgreatestdoubleagent,intoatripleagent,whowassecretlyworkingfor Moscowallalong. Fraguas’s theory is based on conjecture and nothing has emerged from the Russian archives or anywhereelsetosupporttheidea. ButthetemptationtospeculateaboutPujolandhismotivesisunderstandable,becauselittleinhis storyiseithersimpleorstraightforward. 6 SpainandPortugal,1939–41 THECIVILWARwasoverandPujolhadsurvived,proudofthefactthatdespiteservinginbotharmies, hehadnotfiredasingleshotinbattle.YetSpainwasinadesperatesituation.Tothisday,thepost-war years–LaPosguerra–holdaplaceinpopularSpanishconsciousnessasanemblematictimeofwant andsuffering. PujolwasstillaCatholic,butifhehadhadanyidealisednotionsaboutwhatlifewouldbelikeon theFrancoistside,thesewerequicklyundermined.Nowthewarwasover,hesufferedmuchlessthan manyofhisfellowcountrymenthankstohispositionasademobbedjuniorofficerfromthewinning side.YetattemptsbyfriendsandcolleaguestogethimtojointheFalange,theSpanishfascistparty, weremetwithfirmrefusals.HereactedtotheideologyofFranco’sSpainashehadtothatof‘Red’ Barcelona: he wanted nothing to do with it: it clashed with the ideas of liberalism and tolerance handeddownbyhisfather. More important than the matter of party membership, however, was that of making a living. Answeringanadvertinanewspaper,hegotthejobofmanageroftheMajesticHotel,intheupmarket CastellanadistrictofMadrid.Thebestdaysofthehotelwerebehinditbythispoint,however.Owned byaGypsywomancalledSeñoraMelero,ithadenjoyedsomethingofareputationduringthe1920s and1930s,buthadbeenusedaslodgingsfortheInternationalBrigadesduringtheCivilWar,andhad becomealmostaruin,afarcryfromthe‘majesty’ofitsname.TherewaslittlethatPujolcoulddoto helpitrecoveritsformerglory:rationingandausterityseverelycurtailedhisefforts. Pujolwasneveramantogiveup–somethingthathedemonstratedtimeandagaininthefaceof setbacksanddisasters–andaroundthistimetheideabegantoforminhismindofabetterlife,of gettingoutofpost-war,FrancoistSpainandmovingtoacountrymoresuitedtohisideas:Britainand theUnitedStatesbothappealed. HestartedlisteningtotheSpanish-languagebroadcastsfromtheBBC,tohearwhattheBritishhad tosayaboutHitlerandtheGermans.ThroughtheBBCheheardaboutthebeginningofthenewworld war.Thatinitselfwasunusual.Spainisnot,ingeneral,acountryofAnglophiles–theexploitsof‘the pirateDrake’andhumiliationoverGibraltarcanstillrankleeventoday.Intheearly1940s,whenNazi GermanyandFascistItalywerethecountry’sclosestfriends,tohaveapro-Britishattitudewaseven stranger.YetadesireforfreedomanddemocracyweresuchapartofPujol’scharacter,havingbeen passed down from an early age by his father, that an image of Britain became a beacon for the politicalideasthathevalued. In April 1940 he married Araceli, the ambitious Galician beauty he had met in Burgos. By now Pujol was making some progress in his plans to leave the country. It was very difficult to get a passport–theFrancoistauthoritiesdemandedgoodreasons,orgoodcontacts,beforehandingover such documents to ordinary citizens. An opportunity for Pujol arose, however, from an unlikely quarter:ayoungguestatthehotelcalledEnriquewhostyledhimselftheDukeofLaTorredeSanto Domingo, was friendly with a couple of aristocratic ladies in the city who were known as ‘the PrincessesofBorbón’.Thesegrandesdameshadbeencomplainingaboutthedifficultyofgettingany ScotchinSpain,andhowimportantitwasforthem,intheirposition,tohaveafewbottlesathome for entertaining. The ‘Duke’ turned to Pujol, who saw his chance and came up with a plan: if they couldgethimapassport,hecouldtakethemalltoPortugaltopickupsomewhisky.Withindaysthe passport was in his hands. With Pujol at the wheel, the ‘Duke’ and his friends drove to Évora, just overtheborderfromBadajoz,loadedthecarup,andheadedback.Impressedbytheladies’titles,the borderguardsdidnotevensearchthecarastheypassedbackintoSpain. AndnowPujolhadapassport.Itwasafirstandimportantstep,usingguileandimagination–his key strengths – to get past a seemingly impassable bureaucratic hurdle. He was soon to use them manytimesoverinthefaceofsimilarobstacles. AwayfromSpain,theworldwarhadmovedintoamoreactivephase:overthepreviousmonths France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark and Norway had fallen to Hitler. Pujol began to link his ideas aboutleavingSpainwithadesiretohelpBritain,thenstandingaloneagainsttheNazis,inwhatever wayhecould.HewasapproachingaRubicon,thecrossingofwhichwoulddeterminethecourseof therestofhislife.Howgreatarolewasplayedinhisdecisionbytheshadowofhisfather,urging himtoactfrombeyondthegrave? PujolwasnohesitatingHamlet,however.InJanuary1941hemadehisfirstmove:anapproachto theBritishinMadridofferingtoworkforthem. Thedetailsofthisfirstcontactarehazy:PujollaterclaimedthathehadgonetotheBritishhimself. TheMI5accountofhisstory,however,writtenjustafterthewarandbasedontheinterrogationsPujol underwent on his arrival in London, states clearly that his wife went to the British Embassy on his behalf.Pujol’sdomesticsituationwhenhewrotehisautobiography,inthemid-1980s,aftermorethan thirty years of estrangement from Araceli, can account for the discrepancy. What Araceli told the Britishonherhusband’sbehalf,however,remainsunclear.Washeactuallyofferingtospyforthem, as the MI5 version has it? Or was he thinking more in terms of a job with the BBC, as Pujol later claimed? ‘Iwasn’tthinkingaboutspyingatthebeginning.Notatall.’ WhateverAraceli’sexactmessagewas,theresponsefromtheBritishwasaresounding‘no’. QuestionsoverPujol’smotivesandreasoning,particularlyatthiscrucialfirststageofhiscareer, haveneverquitegoneaway.Inhisautobiographyhewouldlatersaythathisideals,hisfather ’smoral values, drove him to help Britain in her time of greatest need. Fascism appeared all-conquering in Europe, and Pujol, who had suffered under both communism and fascism during the Spanish Civil War,wasdeterminedtodowhathecouldtostopit. Isthatbelievable?ThereareinconsistenciesinPujol’sstory,aswellasdetailsthatdifferbetween hisownaccountandtheMI5version.Inhismemoirs,DesmondBristowsaidthatPujoljustifiedhis desiretoworkagainsttheNazisbecauseonce,whileinFrance,hisbrotherhadwitnessedatrocities beingcarriedoutbytheGestapo.Yearslater,BristowlearnedthatPujol’sbrotherhadnevercrossed intoFrance,andcouldneverhaveseensuchanevent.Muchofthis,however,canbeseenmerelyasan attempttogivebelievableexplanationstotheBritish–nottodupethem,buttoconvincethemofhis loyalties.Pujolhadasubtlerunderstandingoflies,whereanuntruth,onoccasion,maybetoldtoget closertotherealtruth. ButwhatwasdrivingPujol?Whatofhismotives?Hehimselflaterwrotethathisplansatthisstage were‘fairlyconfused’. He thought about becoming a spy because he was a dreamer. But unlike many dreamers, he was alsopractical,aproblem-solverandsomeonewhocouldplaythesystem–attributesthathadhelped himsurvivetheCivilWar.Hisimaginationconjureduptheideas,thevisions,buthisguilemeantthat he could navigate his way through the world in order to make those dreams manifest. In time he would make an excellent double agent, the most important in history. For the time being, his mind filledwithstoriesfromfilmsandnovels,espionageseemedaperfectwaytocombineanurgetoget outofSpainwithageneraldesiretodosomegood–howevervaguethatideamightbe. Later he said that the possibility of espionage emerged in his mind as a result of his initial rejection.TheBritishmightnotwanthim,hethought,butwhatabouttheGermans?Iftheytookhim oninsomecapacity,thenperhapsitwouldbeeasiertoreturntotheBritishandpersuadethemthathe wasserious:hecouldspyforthemfrominsideGermandiplomaticcircles.Hewasstubborn,andhis amourproprehadbeenstungbytherejection.Itseemedanobvioussteptotake. This time he made the approach himself. After putting through a number of calls to the German Embassy,insistingthattheylistentohim,afterseveralweekshewaseventuallytoldtovisittheCafé LyononCalleAlcaláat4.30thefollowingafternoon,whereamanwearingalight-colouredsuitand witharaincoatoverhisarmwouldbewaitingforhim. ItwasFebruary1941.PujolgavehisnameasSeñorLópez. PujolhadbeenexposedtoenoughfascistrhetoricwhileservingontheFrancoistsideintheCivil War.NowhestudiedtheNaziversionofit,learningthesetphrasesandformulae,beforeheadingoff forhiscaférendezvous.TheGermanwhogreetedhimworeadouble-breastedgreysuitandspoke perfect,unaccentedSpanish.Blond-hairedandwithblueeyes–a‘classicAryan’inPujol’smind–he gave his name as ‘Federico’. In fact he was Friedrich Knappe-Ratey, a member of the German AbwehrworkingunderKarl-ErichKühlenthal. Pujol later remembered the first meeting between himself and Knappe as being a little strained. Getting into character, he started ranting in the manner that he had perfected, talking of a ‘New Europe’ under the glory of the Führer and the Third Reich. Knappe was happy to hear of his enthusiasm,butkepttryingtobringPujolroundtowhathewasactuallyofferingthem.Finally,Pujol said he wanted to work for them, inventing off the cuff some ‘contacts’ in diplomatic circles with accessto‘information’.Knappesaidhewouldtalkitoverwithhissuperiors,andgetbacktohim. Knappewasfriendlierattheirnextmeeting,twodayslaterattheCaféCorreos.Pujoltookitasa goodsign:heknewthateverythingdependedonhimbeingabletoconvincetheGermansthathewas genuine. Knappe told him, however, that they were not interested in extending their network of collaboratorsinsideSpain.IfPujolreallywantedtobeofusetothem,hewouldhavetogethimselfto Britain. Pujoldidnotbataneyelidandacceptedthechallenge.Britainhad,afterall,beeninhismindasa possibledestinationinhisattemptstoleaveFrancoistSpain.Butheknewthatsuchamovewashighly complicated – not only because of the war, but because of the paperwork that he would need from boththeSpanishandBritishauthorities:hehadapassport,buttheSpanishwouldhavetoprovidean exit visa with permission to travel to Britain, while the British would have to issue a visa allowing himentry.KnappemadeitclearthatPujolwasonhisown,thathewouldhavetosortthesemattersout forhimself. OverthenextfewweekstheymetseveraltimesinthecafésofMadrid–theAquarium,theMaison Doréeandothers–asPujol’simaginationproducedanotherstory.Hehadacontactinthesectionof thepolicethatdealtwithcurrencyscams,hesaid.ThispolicemanwantedhimtogotoLisbon,and thentoLondononhisbehalf,chasingasupposedlead.Thatway,PujoltoldKnappe,hewouldbeable to get the right paperwork. But the Germans did not like the sound of this complicated story. He shouldtrytogetanaccreditationwithanewspaperandgetsenttoLondonasajournalist,theysaid. Meanwhile, behind the Germans’ backs, Pujol attempted to get a visa through legitimate means fromtheBritishConsulate.Hewastoldthatnonewaslikelytobeforthcoming. TherewerefurthermeetingswithKnappe,eachmanstickingtohisposition,Pujolwithhisstoryof working for the police, the German insisting on journalism being the better route. Eventually they cametoacompromise:PujolshouldleaveforPortugal,wherehewastocontinuehisattemptstoget therightpaperworkfortravellingtoLondon. Again, there are differences between Pujol’s account and MI5’s. According to the official report Knappehandedover1,000pesetasforexpenses;PujolclaimedthathetravelledtoLisbonwithagold chainsmuggledonhisperson,sellingitandusingthemoneytokeephimselfalive.Whatisclearis thaton26April1941,heleftMadridforthePortuguesecapital. OncethereheregisteredattheSpanishConsulateasaresident,hisoccupationgivenaswriter.This wasnotentirelyfalse:withinashorttimehehadmetanotherSpanishex-patriot,apoetbythenameof Luances,andbetweenthemtheywroteanumberofpamphletsinsupportoftheAlliedcausewhich weredistributedforpropagandapurposesatvariousembassies.Pujoldidnotsignthem,however,not wantinghisnametobespreadaround. HealsowenttotheBritishConsulatetotrytosecureavisa.Hewasnotsurprisedbythesubsequent refusal,buthefeltitimportanttokeepuppretences,incasetheGermanswerewatchinghim.Hewas stuck,however.HehadsoldalietotheGermans,andnowhewasinLisbonwithnowayofbacking uphisstory,letaloneofgettingtoLondon. Thenluckplayedahand.AfellowguestattheHotelSuisso-AtlánticowasaSpaniardcalledJaime Souza.Pujolfellinwithhim,andoneevening,Souzahappenedtoshowhimhisdiplomaticpassport, whichhewasintendingtousetocarryoutanofficialmissioninArgentina.HewasinLisbonwaiting foraseatontheflyingboattobecomeavailable. Pujolwasveryinterestedinthisspecialpassport–withsomethinglikethathecouldnotonlytravel muchmoreeasily,butalsoimpresstheGermans.Anewplanquicklyformedinhismind.Onenight, asheandSouzaweregamblingattheEstorilcasino,justoutsidethecity,Pujolfakedstomachcramps andwentbacktotheirsharedroom,wherehetookphotographsofthepassport. Soonafter,Souzawasgone,boundforSouthAmerica,butPujolusedenlargementsofthephotos toproducehisownfakeversionofhisvaluabletraveldocument,posingasamemberoftheSpanish EmbassyandaskingaLisbonprintertoproduce200copiesforhim.Suchalargeordermeantthatthe printersuspectednothing,andbyMay,PujolwasbackinMadrid,havingsmuggledseveralcopiesin withhimanddiscardedtherest. Onhisarrival,hecalledtheGermanEmbassytoaskforameeting.Atthesubsequentrendezvous Knappewasangry–Pujolshouldnevercalltheembassy,hesaid.Pujolexcusedhimself,sayingthe matterwasurgent,ashehadmanagedtoobtainthenecessarypaperworktotraveltoLondon. BythistimePujolhadlefttheHotelMajestic,establishinghimselfinasmallpensiónontheGran Vía.Araceliwasalsoheavilypregnantwiththeirfirstson. Several more meetings followed with Knappe. Pujol insisted on his story about working for a Spanish policeman in Lisbon, called Varela, who was trying to bust international currency scams. Slowly,Knappebegantobelievethetale.ThenPujolofferedhimsome‘proof’.Tellingafriendin LisbonthathewantedtoreturntoPortugaltovisitamistressthere,butwithoutarousinghiswife’s suspicions, he asked him to send a telegram with the following message: ‘You must come here urgently.Theaffairhasbeenarranged.Signed:VARELA.’ Pujol duly showed the telegram to Knappe at their next meeting. Knappe kept the note and when theysaweachotherthenextday,hetoldPujolthatheshouldgoimmediatelytoLisbonas‘Varela’ asked,handinghim500pesetasandtellinghimtocontacttheAbwehrinPortugalwhenhearrived. ThisPujoldid,gettingmorefundsfromKnappe’sLisbon-basedcounterparts,beforereturningonce againtoMadrid. HenowtoldKnappethat‘Varela’hadmadeallthearrangements,andthatsoonhewouldhavehis finalpaperworkfortravellingtoLondon,allissuedthoughthepolice.Theyagreedtomeetagainthe followingafternoon.Earlythenextmorning,however,PujoltelephonedKnappeinanexcitedstate, sayingthathehadtomeethimimmediately.Annoyed,Knappeagreed.AtthecaféPujoltoldhimthat hehadfinallybeengivenhisnewpassportandthathehadtogoimmediatelytotheForeignMinistry forittobestamped.Thefactwas,Pujol’sfakediplomaticpassportlackedthenecessarystampstobe takenasgenuine,anditwasarusetoletKnappeseehistraveldocumentswithoutgivinghimthetime toinspectthemproperly.Itworked.OnseeingthepassportKnappe’smoodquicklychangedandhe slappedPujolonthebacktocongratulatehim.Pujolthenhurriedlybidhimgoodbyeanddashedoff inataxi,askinginaloudvoicetobetakentotheForeignMinistry. TheGermanswerenowconvincedbyPujolandhisstory.TheyaskedforinstructionsfromBerlin, and over the next few days gave him a crash course in how to become a spy, teaching him about secret inks and handing over questionnaires for him to study, giving him an idea of the kind of intelligencefromBritainthattheywereexpectinghimtoprovide. At the last meeting, Knappe’s Abwehr superior appeared – Karl-Erich Kühlenthal. He gave Pujol hisfinalinstructions:hewastotrytopickupasmuchinformationaspossible,Kühlenthalsaid,andto recruitsub-agentstobuildupanespionagenetwork.Inaddition,Kühlenthalhandedoversomemore moneyandcoveraddressesforPujol’sletters,withinwhichhismessagesweretobewrittenusingthe secretinks. Knappe told Pujol that he envied him, that he would like to be in his position, travelling on a dangerousmissionintoenemyterritory. Kühlenthalwasmorecircumspect.Pujolshouldnot,hesaid,underestimatetheBritish.Theywerea formidableenemy. FouryearswouldpassbeforePujolwouldseeeitherKnappeorKühlenthalagain.Bythenthewar would be over and their circumstances would be very different. But for now, armed with the Germans’inksandfundedbytheirmoney,hepickedupAracelifromherparents’homeinGalicia beforetravellingontoLisbon. Scheming,rejectedandalone,JuanPujolwasnowafullyfledgedNazispy. 7 Lisbon,1941 ITWASJULY.PujolwasinLisbon,pretendingtotheGermansthathewasinLondon. Livinginthecitycentrewasrisky–peopleknewhimthereandmightthreatenhiscoverstory,so hetookasmallfisherman’scottagealongthecoastinCascais,whereAraceligavebirthtotheirfirst son,Juan,shortlyafter.Afewweekslatertheymovedintoanother,largervillainnearbyEstoril,at RuadoPorto14,closetothecasino. Knappe and Kühlenthal had given Pujol 3,000 dollars, which he had smuggled over the border hiddeninsidetwocondoms–onestuffedinsideatubeoftoothpaste,theotherinatubeofshaving cream,bothopenedatthebottomandresealed. His first move, once established back in Portugal, was to approach the British again. His hopes werenothigh,andindeedhefailedeventogetahearing.Hewouldhavetocollectmoreproofthat theGermansconsideredhimoneoftheirspiesbeforehecouldmakeanotherattempt. Hethereforesatdownandwrotehis‘firstletterfromLondon’tohisGermancontrollers.Dated15 July,hesentitfromLisbononthe19th.TogetaroundthefactthatitclearlydidnothaveaBritish postmarkontheenvelope,hecameupwithanelaboratetale.Hehad,hesaid,madecontactwithan officialintheairlinecompanyflyingfromLisbontoPortugal,whichhehadusedonthe12thtofly outfromthecountry.ThiswasBOAC,butthestaffontheflightswereDutchas four of the planes used were KLM DC3s. The official, Pujol told the Germans, thought that he was a Catalan exile sending urgent letters home, and agreed to take them on the flights, charging a dollar each time, posting them from Lisbon and so bypassing the British censors. The Germans were to send their return letters to an address in Lisbon, where the airline official would pick them up and take them backtoPujol‘inLondon’.Thiscourier,code-namedJ(1),wasthefirstmemberofalargenetworkof collaboratorsandsub-agentsthatPujolwouldeventuallyinvent,becomingintimewhattheGermans wouldrefertoasthe‘Arabalundertaking’.Someappearedaswillinghelpers,awareofPujol’swork fortheNazis,othersaidedhimunwittingly.Allofthem,however,weremerefigments,thefruitsof hispowerfulimagination. Sending and picking up letters from the poste restante office in Lisbon, by the end of July he receivedhisfirstreplyfromtheGermans,confirmingreceiptofhislettersandstatingthattheywere eagertohearfurthernewsfromhim. Pujol now thought that he had all the proof he needed, and he made yet another approach to the British in Lisbon. After some difficulty he was interviewed by someone in the Military Attaché’s office.PujolexplainedthathecouldprovidesecretinksandquestionnairesfromtheGermanstoback uphisclaims.Hepointedout,however,thatitwasextremelydangerousforhimtokeepcomingtothe BritishEmbassy,andthatshouldhehandoverthematerialhementioned,hewouldneverbeallowed back into Spain, and would probably have to leave Portugal as well. So he insisted that the British couldonlyhavethematerialwhichwouldexposetheGermanspynetworkinMadridinexchangefor helpinghimleaveandgettotheUnitedStates. TheBritishofficialsaidhewoulddiscussthematterwithhissuperiorsandagreedtomeetPujol thefollowingdayattheEnglishBarinEstorilat7.00intheevening.Pujoldulyshowedup,butaftera longwaititwasclearthattheBritishwerenotcoming.Furious,hereturnedtotheBritishEmbassy, wheretheofficialtoldhimthathehadnotbeenabletolocatethesuperiorwhomhehadintendedto bringalongforthemeeting.EventuallyPujolleftindisgust.Therewasnoone,heconcluded,among theBritishdelegationinLisbonwhowasatallinterestedinwhathehadtooffer.Ifhewastomake anyprogressatall,itcouldonlybethroughtheBritishEmbassybackinMadrid. Pujol was in a difficult situation: the Germans thought he was in England and were demanding intelligencereports.YettheBritish,thepeoplehewastryingtohelp,wantednothingtodowithhim.If the Germans found out that he was lying, and worse, that he was trying to make contact with the British,hislifewouldbeforfeit.Hewastwenty-nineyearsold,livinginaforeigncountry,andhis wife had just given birth to their first child. Resourceful and imaginative as he was, the danger involvedwasalltooclear. He had to do something, so he fell back on Kühlenthal’s orders – to build up a network of subagents.HehadalreadystartedwithhisKLMcourier.Nowhewouldbegincreatingnewcharacters.In hissecondletterbacktoMadrid,heintroducedthefirsttwo.Agent1wasaPortuguesecitizenliving inNewport,SouthWales,calledCarvalho,whohadagreedtowatchtheshippingconvoyscomingin and out of the Bristol Channel. Agent 2 was a German-Swiss named Gerbers, based in Bootle, keepinganeyeontheMersey.Inalaterletter,hecreatedathirdsub-agent,aVenezuelanstudentbased in Glasgow who eventually became known as Pedro. These were the characters appearing on BletchleyinterceptsreadbyPhilbyandBristowatSectionV,whowouldcauseBritishIntelligenceso muchconcern. The invention of the sub-agents had a double benefit: firstly, by passing on information to the Germansashavingcomefromthem,Pujolputinasafeguardshould‘their ’intelligenceprovetobe wrong:anymistakesandhecouldeasilyliquidatethem.Secondly,theseagentsdemandedmoneyfor theirreports:Gerberswanted2dollarsaday,plus25dollarsforanyimportantinformationthathe passedon.Themore‘sub-agents’hehad,themoremoneyPujolcouldaskoftheGermans. Kühlenthalwasdelighted.ButstillthedemandcameforrealinformationthattheGermanscould use.Frommakingupcharacters,Pujolhadtostartinventing‘intelligence’. By now it was September 1941. Pujol did not have any English, but he could check newspapers written in French. He travelled into Lisbon city centre, visiting libraries to pick up whatever information he could from reference works about shipping and military matters. From British newspapershegleanedinformationaboutcertainfirms–theirnamesandaddresses–withwhichhe couldpepperhisreportstoaddtotheirrealism. HisletterstotheGermanswereverbose–arusethathelaterclaimedtohaveadopteddeliberately inordertosayaslittleaspossiblewithamaximumnumberofwords.Thetruthwasthatitwashis naturalprosestyle. I had an agent near Avonmouth. Unloading was mostly of foodstuffs. This I gathered from a dock worker who said: ‘Fortunatelyahungrywinterisfinishedforus.’FromtheinformationfromNorthAmericaitisjudgedthatthisconvoyisthat indicatedbyChurchillwhenhereferredinhisspeechtothelargestconvoywhichhasevercrossedtheAtlantic... NumberThreeagentreportsthefollowing:ThelatestrecruitscalledupafewdaysagointheGlasgowareagooutevery morninginformationtoeffectmilitaryexercisesontheRangersfootballground.ThisgroundisontheleftbankoftheClyde nearBroomstownStreet[sic]... In his third letter he talked about convoys arriving in the Clyde. The last thing he wanted was to unintentionallyendangeranyrealconvoys,sohesaidthatbeforedocking,theconvoybrokeupand dispersedallaroundthecoast,thusmakingthemselvesmoredifficulttargetsforGermanU-boats.It wasagoodplan,sogoodthatacoupleofyearslatertheAdmiraltyinLondonadopteditinallreports aboutconvoysfedbacktotheGermansthroughdoubleagents. For the time being, however, Pujol was on his own and living by his wits. He made a further attempttoapproachtheBritish,thistimethroughapassportofficialinMadrid.Araceliwentwithhim, butagainitcametonothing:MrThompson,hewastold,wasaway. It was even more dangerous for him to be in Madrid than in Lisbon; he would have to return as soonaspossible.Inthemeantime,hewantedtoconfirmthattheGermansbelievedinhimastheirspy inLondon.Whatiftheyweredeceivinghimjustashewasthem? Heconcoctedanotherplan:AraceliwastodeliveraletterbyhandtoKnappeinMadrid.Thisshe thendid,andatthemeetingshestartedquizzingtheGerman,wonderingaboutherhusband’sunusual behaviour.Whatwasthisletterabout?Whatwasgoingon?Whywasshepassingitontohim,aman shehadnevermetbefore?Eventuallysheconfidedthatshethoughtherhusbandwashavinganaffair. Knappe,anxioustogethishandsonPujol’sletter,toldhereverything.Hewasactuallyworkingfor them, he said, spying for the Germans from inside Britain. Feigning doubt at first, Araceli finally acceptedthestory,handingaphotoofherlittlesontoKnappetopassontoherhusband. AraceliwasasgoodanactorasPujol,andhadsecuredtheproofthattheGermansdidindeedthink thatherhusbandwasgenuine.Theirmindscouldbeputatrestonthatpoint,atleast.YetstillPujol wasgettingnowherewiththeBritish,andstillhehadtoproduceintelligenceforhiscontrollers. InLisbonheboughtaBlueGuidetoGreatBritainandaPortuguesebookontheBritishfleet.The reportsbegantoflow–oftenconcentratingonshipping,butalsotalkingabouttroopmovementsthat heobservedashepretendedtotravelaboutthecountry: AlongtheWindermere–Barness[sic,presumablyBowness]road,andalongtheroadwhichfollowstheshoresofthelaketo where it crosses the Windermere – Ambleside road (at a point called the Wood where there is a small chapel of Santa Catalina)therearecampsfulloftroops.Theseforcesareexcellentlyequippedandhavemodernweapons. The Germans swallowed it all, even the pieces about non-existent minesweepers and the summer heatinLondon. Monthspassed,andPujol’ssituationbecamemoredesperate.Hewouldnotbeabletosustainthe pretenceindefinitely,yetalready,inoneoftheirreplies,hiscontrollershadtoldhimthathismission inBritainwouldbealongone,andthatonnoaccountshouldhetrytoreturntoSpain.Therewasno optionbuttocarryon.EventuallytheBritishwouldhavetolisten. InOctoberhemadealastattempttomakecontact.AgaininMadrid,hegotthroughtothepassport officialnamedThompson,producingGermanquestionnairesandpromisingtoprovideevidenceof Germansecretinksandothermethods.ButThompson,likesomanyotherBritishofficials,refusedto believe him. He failed to even take note of the questions asked of Pujol by the Germans. They includedmanyonthesituationinthePacific,including:‘HowdoesEnglandexpecttoresistJapanese aggression?WhathelpisexpectedfromtheUSAincaseofwarwithJapan?’ Alittleoveramonthlater,on7December1941,theJapaneseattackedPearlHarborandtheworld warextendedintotheFarEast. Meanwhile,inLisbon,Araceliwasworried.Therehadbeensomanyrejections.Herhusbandwas atalowebb.HestartedtalkingaboutemigratingtoBrazil.Theyhadtogetout:therewasnowaythey couldcarryonastheywere. Hewasclosetogivingup.Hewould,sheknew,makethemostofanewlifeinLatinAmerica,but thisfailurewouldhangoverhimfortherestofhislife. Itwasatthispointthatshedecidedshewouldhavetoactalone,withouthisknowledge:alast-ditch attempt to make this work before either the Germans discovered the truth, or circumstances forced themtoleaveEuropeforgood.InNovembershewenttotheUSEmbassyinLisbon,askingforan interviewwiththeassistantnavalattaché,amancalledRousseau.Shehadinformation,shetoldhim, about a man spying for the Germans from within the United States itself. She had a telegram from himtalkingaboutsabotageplansinChicago. WouldRousseaulisten...? PARTTHREE ‘And,afterall,whatisalie? ’Tisbutthetruthinmasquerade.’ LordByron 8 TheEasternFront,SouthernSector,25December1941 ITWASCHRISTMASDay.AtBletchleyParkMavisLeverandDillyKnoxwerestartingtostreamthefirst decodedAbwehrmessagestoBristow,PhilbyandothersinBritishintelligence.Atthatmoment,far fromLondonandtheHomeCounties,theheaviestfightinginthewarwastakingplaceintheSoviet Union, where, on the shores of the frozen Azov Sea, at the southern tip of the Eastern Front, the temperaturewasdroppingtominus40degrees. TheretheSStroopswhosefightingliveswouldintimebeprofoundlyaffectedbyPujol’sstories wereexpectingaspecialvisitorforlunch,flyinginfromBerlintocelebratewiththiseliteunit.To insiderslikeJochenPeiper,theirguestwasknownasKingHeinrich–‘K.H.’–thereincarnationof Germany’sfirstking.Othersreferredtohimbyhisofficialtitle:Reichsführer-SSHeinrichHimmler. The advances of the summer and autumn had now ended, yet vast areas of the Soviet Union had beenconquered.Tothenorth,Moscowitselfhadbeenwithinreachonlyweeksbefore,whileinthe south,Rostov-on-Donhadbrieflybeentheirs.TheSovietshadfoughtbackandpushedthemoutof the city, westwards to Taganrog, Chekhov’s birthplace. Yet the thaw of spring would see another Germanoffensive.InashorttimetheywouldpushtowardstheCaucasusagain,withitsmineraland oilwealthsoimportantfortheReich. Conditionsatthefrontlinehaddeterioratedoverthepastweeks:rationshadbeenreducedto150 gramsoffoodaday.Atthewinterheadquarters,however,noeffortwouldbesparedtomakethebest Christmaslunchpossiblefortheirguest. ThereweremanysectionsoftheSS,actingasfront-linetroops,concentration-campofficersand death squads. Yet within the Nazi Praetorian Guard, one unit was held higher than any other, a privilegedinnercorps:themenoftheLeibstandarteAdolfHitler–theLAHfn1–wereproudtobear ontheiruniformsthenameoftheFührerhimself,whoselifeitwastheirmissiontoprotect.Noother bodywasclosertothetopranksoftheNaziParty. Despite the brutalising experiences that he had already lived through, Jochen Peiper still had a boyish face, with pushed-back dark-blond hair, pink cheeks, heavy eyebrows, pale eyes, a long straight nose and cleft chin. He had turned eighteen on the day that Hitler had come to power, 30 January1933.WeekslaterhejoinedtheSS.Theofficertrainingprogrammewasinfamous:people claimedthatarecruithadtostandstillwhileagrenadewasletoffontopofhishelmet.Thestorywas untrue,butcontainedatruthnonetheless–aboutthecommitmentrequired,theimportancegivento followingorders,andacavalierattitudetophysicalinjuryanddeath.OfficersoftheWehrmacht–the traditionalGermanarmedforces–mightfrownatthemethodsandhighcasualtyratesofSSsoldiers, theWaffen-SS,butforPeiperandhiscomradestheirswasawarofWeltanschauung,ofideology,of buildingthedreamoftheReich.TheywereanewOrderofTeutonicKnights,menwhooneday,in the hall of Valhalla, would reminisce about the battles they had fought and the sacrifices they had madeforGermany. PeiperwasnoordinarymemberoftheLAH.Frombeforethewar,andduringthefirstyearsofthe conflict,hehadbeenadjutanttoHimmlerhimself,andtheReichsführerhadcometovaluetheyoung manwhowasbright,ideologicallypassionateandobedient.‘MydearJochen’,hecalledhiminhis letters. Peiper had married Sigurd Hinrichsen, one of Himmler ’s secretaries, who was best friends withHedwigPotthast,Himmler ’smistress,andwithReinhardHeydrich,hisdeputy. WorkingsoclosetoHimmlerwassecondonlytobeingadjutanttoHitlerhimself.ButPeiperhad craved the life of a soldier from a boy, inspired by his father ’s experiences as an officer in the ImperialArmy.HimmlerhadallowedhisadjutantabriefstintawaytofightwiththeLAHduringthe conquestofFrance.Now,however,PeiperhadbeenontheEasternFrontformonths,provingthathe was more than a mere desk officer, that he could also fight and lead men. And his superiors were pleasedwithhim.HauptsturmführerJoachimPeiper–Jochentothosewhoknewhim–wasstillonly twenty-six,yetwasalreadyacaptain,decoratedwithanIronCross,FirstClass. NowitwasChristmas.HiswifeSigiwaspregnantwiththeirsecondchildandanewyearwasabout tobegin,onethatwouldputthefailuresof1941behindthem.TheyhadnottakenMoscow,butonce theRussianwintercametoanendtheywouldstrikeagain. AndtheyhadsomethingimportanttotellHimmler. HeinzSeetzenwascommanderofEinsatzkommando10a,asub-unitoftheSSdeathsquadssentin behindthefront-linetroops.HewaswinteringneartheLAH,andwhilethefightingcontinuedheand his men were kept busy. The LAH had helped where it could: tank-trap ditches were useful for disposingofcorpses.Seetzenwasevenusinganewmachinetocarryouthiswork–aGaswagen, a truck on which the exhaust was piped back into the body of the van. The screaming could still be heard from outside, and the truck had to drive a few kilometres around the city before everyone insidewasdead,butbythetimeitreturnedtoTaganrogthejobwasdone,anditpreventedsomeof the stress that the task could cause Seetzen’s men. Thousands had already been killed using this method:CommunistPartymembers,thementallyill,andparticularlyJews.Thefactwas–andthis wasthenewstheycouldtellHimmleronhisarrival–withtheworkoftheGaswagen,Taganrogwas nowJudenfrei–freeofJewsentirely. PeiperhadnotseenHimmlersincethelatesummer.Itwaspossible,heknew,thattheReichsführer wouldaskhimtoreturnashisassistant.Thetwomengoton,andhehadheardthathisreplacement was not doing well. He enjoyed soldiering, yet being next to Himmler allowed him to witness the inner workings of state. There was little he did not know about the Reichsführer ’s plans for their struggle against international Jewry and communism. And it had allowed this Berlin boy from a middle-classfamilytoseemoreoftheworldthanheotherwisemighthave:therehadalreadybeen official visits to France, Greece, Norway, Italy and Spain. Franco had treated them to a bullfight in Madrid,beforeHimmler ’sentouragehadmovedontoBarcelona.Theyhadvisitedamonasteryinthe mountains – Montserrat. Obsessed with his search for ancient sacred relics, Himmler thought he mightfindcluestheretothelocationoftheHolyGrail. Nowtherewastalkofanewmove,anewchapter.NotjustGaswagen,butother,biggermachines that could do the work of thousands of men. Heydrich would be put in charge; it would only be a matteroftimebeforetheirfinalobjectivesweremet. Peipertookhisplace,readytowelcomehischiefandmentor. Asalute:HeilHitler.Armsoutstretched. AndHimmlerinfrontofhim,thinmouth,weakchin,eyesblackandstillbehindcircularglasses. Asmile. ‘MydearJochen.’ fn1LaterrenamedtheLeibstandarteSSAdolfHitler,LSSAH.ForthesakeofsimplicityIrefertoitastheLAHthroughout. 9 London,Spring1942 THE CHANGE FROM sifting through hotel registers was more than welcome. Bristow spoke fluent Spanish,andalthoughMI5wastakingoverthecase,MI6stillneededamantherebeforehandingover ‘Bovril’. Besides, there was plenty of legwork to be done, translating messages to the Abwehr into EnglishfromtheoriginalSpanish–copiesthatPujolhadbroughtwithhimfromLisbon.Thenthere wouldbemanydaysofhearingtheman’sstoryoverandoveragain,cross-referencing,lookingfor possibleinconsistencies. Bristow,posingas‘CaptainRichards’,caughtthetraindownfromStAlbansearlyinthemorning on28April1942,beforetakingtheTubetoHendon,and35CrespignyRoad. The MI5 safe house was an unremarkable late-Victorian place, painted white and with brick-red roof tiles, on a street of houses all quietly distinct yet essentially the same. Inside, behind the lace curtains, it was sparingly decorated: chairs and tables had been set in a back room where the interviewstookplace.Thewindowlookedoutontoasmallgarden.MrsTitoff,anelderlyRussian émigréandMI5employee,wasthehousekeeper. Cyril Mills, from MI5, had been named the new man’s case officer, and made the introductions. Bristow’simpressionofPujolwasfavourablefromthestart.ThesmallCatalanappearedrelaxed.His browneyeshadawarmthaboutthem,withsomethingofamischievousglint. AfterthefirstdayatHendon,BristowrushedbacktoGlenalmondfromthetrainstation,wantingto tellPhilbyandtheothersaboutthemysteriousNaziagentwhohadkeptthemguessingforsomany months. ‘Well,Desmond,h-howisourfriend?’Philbyasked. Itwasgettinglate,andhiscolleagueswerealreadyinthesnakepit,sippingafter-workcocktails. ‘Verywell,’Bristowsaid.‘Surprisinglyrelaxed.SeemstoenjoyansweringanyquestionsIputto him.WithoutanydoubtitishewhosentthenotestoouropponentsinBerlin.HeisArabel.’ ‘Nodoubtinyourmindatall,Desmond?’Philbyasked. No,therewasnone. ‘Heknowsthedatesandthecontentsofthemessages,’Bristowsaid.Pujolcouldrecitealmostword forwordthereportshehadwritteninsecretinkinthelettersforwardedtotheAbwehrspymasterin Madrid. ‘AndIdon’tthinkheisaGermanagent,’headded.‘Itseemsasthoughhehasinventedhimselfout of some romantic notion about spying, or else just for the money. Apparently the Germans were payinghimquitewell.’ Everything pointed to Pujol being who he said he was: a Spaniard, pretending to work for the Germans,whoreallywantedtoworkfortheBritish. Forthefollowingfewdays,BristowcontinuedhisnewroutineofheadingdowntoHendoninthe mornings.CyrilMillswasalwaysthere,buthedidnotspeakawordofSpanishandcouldnotmake anythingoftheman.Toopompousbyhalf,Bristowthought;itwasnotthebestofarrangements. And then, on 1 May, as he turned up for another day’s interviewing and debriefing, a different, happierfaceopenedtheHendondoortohim. TherewassomeoneelseinMI5muchbettersuitedtothejobofrunningthispotentialnewagent,a Spanish speaker, a good friend of Philby and the man who had been with Mills to pick Pujol up at Plymouth:TomásHarris. Bristow had met Harris a couple of times before, the first a few months previously when Philby had invited him down to London for dinner. Driving in the dark after the headlights on Philby’s Vauxhall car fused, they had arrived at Harris’s Mayfair home. Tommy and his wife Hilda – an attractiveandimpulsivewomanwhobecamerenownedamongtheirfriendsforhercookingskills– were wealthy, and the food and wine they served were of a quality that was becoming increasingly rare in wartime. Philby had spoken openly about service matters in front of them, which had perplexedBristowuntilitwasexplainedthatHarriswasinMI5.HismotherwasfromSeville,andhe had spent a good deal of time in Spain collecting works of art. Much of the collection was in the Mayfair house. Bristow ended up staying the night, sleeping in a room with a seventeenth-century Spanish wardrobe, brass-studded latticework decorating the doors. Much of the furniture on the landingsseemedtohavecomestraightfromamuseum. HelikedHarris;hewasatalentedandcharmingman.LikePhilby,HarrissharedaloveofSpain, which felt so far away as the snow began to fall on London and Philby drove Bristow back to St Albans. Now,though,alittlepartofSpain–acuriousSpaniard–hadcometothem.Bristowwasdelighted thatMillshadsteppedaside.Harriswouldbetheperfectcaseofficer. At Hendon, the two men greeted each other warmly. Bristow had heard most of it already, but HarrisneededtolistentoPujol’sstoryinfull. Pujol was in the back room, waiting. After drinking some of Mrs Titoff’s coffee, Harris and Bristowwentthrough,andtheinterviewbegan.Pujolwascold,unusedtotheBritishclimate,andMrs Titoffmadesurethefirewaslit.HewasenjoyingherEnglishbreakfasts:hehadnoteatenbaconfor years. Ittookseveraldays.BristowandHarriswereinandoutofCrespignyRoadforoveraweek,going overthestorytimeandagain.HarriswassoonconvincedthatPujolwasindeedwhohesaidhewas, thathewas,atleastintheGermans’eyes,agenuineagent. ‘Desmond,’hetoldBristowafterhisfirstdaywithPujol,‘heisobviouslyArabel,butIdofindit hardtobelievesuchanoutwardlysimplemanstillhastheGermansfooledandhadusworriedforso long.Heissuchadreamer,andsowilling,heisgoingtobeamarvellousdoubleagenttooperate withaslongastheGermanscontinuetoswallowhiscommunications.’ The MI5 man and his Section V colleague were convinced. The job now was to persuade those abovethemthatPujolwasworthaddingtothedouble-crossteam.Bristowwasaskedtoreportfirst, joiningtheThursdayafternoonmeetingsoftheTwentyCommitteeatMI5headquartersonStJames’s Street.Later,onhisrecommendation,Harriscamealongaswell,soonbecomingaregularmember. BristowwouldleaveshortlyaftertobecomeMI6’smaninGibraltar. Theroomwherethemeetingswereheldwas‘square,bareandcold’.ThechairwasheldbyJohn Masterman,withJohnMarriot,aformersolicitor,assecretary.TarRobertsonwaspresent,asheadof MI5’sB1Asection,aswerevariousrepresentativesofMI5andMI6,directorsofintelligenceforthe Army,NavyandAirForce,anddelegatesfromtheHomeForcesandHomeDefence. Harris and Bristow had heard Pujol’s long and involved tale: they also studied the copies of the lettersthathehadbroughtwithhimfromLisbon,replicasofthemessageshehadbeensendingover thepreviousmonthstotheGermans.ThankstotheBletchleyintercepts,theywereabletocross-check whatPujolshowedthemwithwhattheAbwehrinMadridwerereportingbacktoBerlinaboutArabel. Thetextsmatched. TherewasalettermissingfromPujol’scollection,however,theoneabouttheMaltaconvoy.When it was mentioned to him, Pujol wrote out the letter again, matching the original almost word for word.Thiswasproof,asfarasHarriswasconcerned,thathereallywaswhoheclaimedtobe.Later, theoriginalletteremerged–ithadbeenmislaidbyMI6whentheytransferredPujolandhismaterials fromPortugal. The question was whether Harris and Bristow could convince the members of the Twenty CommitteeofPujol’susefulness.Theywouldbetheonestodecidetotakehimonornotfordoublecrosswork.TheproblemwasthatnoteveryoneonthecommitteehadaccesstotheBletchleydecoded transcripts,orwereevenawareoftheirexistence.TheTwentyCommitteemayhavebeenoneofthe secretservices’mostsecretorganisations–the‘club’,asMastermancalledit–butsecretswerebeing keptfromatleastsomeofitsmembers;notleastthefactthattheBritishhadcrackedagoodnumber oftheGermanEnigmacodes,includingthatusedbytheAbwehr. Nothavingaccesstothismaterialmeantthat,onhearingPujol’sstory,manycommitteemembers refused to believe it. It was, quite simply, preposterous. How on earth could they take such a man seriously?Surelyhewasafantasist,oraGermanplant.Itwouldbeimpossibletousehimasadouble agent. Onlyahandfulofmembers–thosefromtheAdmiraltyandMI6–knew,thankstoDillyKnoxand MavisLever ’sdecodingworkatBletchley,thatalmosteverythingthatPujolsaidcouldbeconfirmed bywhatGermanintelligencewasreportingabouthiminitsinternalcommuniqués. Thesituationbecameuntenable.TheTwentyCommitteewasclosetorejectingamanwhohadthe potentialtobecomeaninvaluabledoubleagent.MembersfromMI5hadsomeknowledge,atleast,of Bletchley, but representatives from the Services were in the dark, and if they could not believe in Pujolitwouldbeimpossibletocomeupwithfalseormisleadingmaterialforhimtopassontothe Germans.Finally,indesperation,MastermanwrotetoMI6chiefSirStewartMenziesexplainingthe situation.AfewdayslaterMenzieswroteback,reluctantlyclearingallmembersofthecommitteeto receive Bletchley material relevant to the work of double-cross. The doubters could finally see the proof:Pujolwasgenuine. NowwordquicklycamebackfromtheTwentyCommittee:yes,theywouldtaketheSpaniardonas adoubleagent. Atlonglast,underHarris’sguidance,Pujol’sworkasGarbocouldbegin. 10 London,Spring–Summer1942 GARBOISCOMMONLYthoughtofasoneman–JuanPujol.‘Garbo’wasthecodenameMI5gavePujol andthatwashowhewasreferredtoinofficialdocuments–alwaysinthesingular.Yetinrealitythe double agent was a double act: the character of Garbo was forged by two men. Putting Pujol and Harristogethermighthaveappearedtheobviousthingtodo,giventheSpanishconnection,butitwas aninspireddecisionby‘Tar ’Robinson. ‘HarrisandPujolworkedverywelltogether,’saidSarahBishop,wholateractedastheirassistant. The little Catalan and the brilliant, half-Spanish half-Jewish artist were an ideal, Quixotic match, withechoesofCervantes’sduoinbothofthem.Hands-onandhighlycreative,Harrishadtheflairto mouldtherawmaterialofPujolintowhatGarbowouldeventuallybecome.Andbothofthemwere keenstorytellers. YettheirrelationshipwasnotbuiltsimplyonthefactthattheyspokeSpanish.Theyalsoshareda commonlanguageofmischief.PícaroisacommonwordinSpain,oftenusedtodescribesomeone whoisbothsharp-wittedandatroublemaker.Itismorallyneutral–youmaycriticisethepersonone minuteandadmirethemthenext.Theretendstobesomethingslipperyaboutthem,hardtonaildown, almostasthoughtheywereobeyingsomeothercodeofconductormorality–onewhichisinvisible or unknown to ordinary society. The ‘bandidos’ of the Spanish sierras, colourfully depicted by writerssuchasMériméeinCarmen,belongtoasimilartradition. In Spanish literature, ‘picaresque’ novels were stories published during the sixteenth and seventeenthcenturies,inspiredbytheclassicMaqamattalesof‘rogues’inmedievalArabicliterature. ThewriterGeraldBrenansummedupthepicaresquegenre: These novels depict as a rule a child growing up under sordid conditions and making his way through the world where everythingishostileanddangerous.Hehasnoarmsbuthismotherwit:byusingithebecomesacriminal,butessentiallyhe isinnocentandwellintentionedanditisthewickednessoftheworldthatcorruptshim. Theyaresatiricalandfunny,commonlyepisodicalanddepictingarealisticviewoftheharshness ofeverydaylife.Hypocrisyisafrequenttarget,whilefateandchanceactasapermanentbackdrop. Most striking, though, is the insistence on the need for cunning, a sense that only a fool takes the world at face value, playing by its rules and following its logic. Be smart and be light, the stories seem to tell us – almost as though imparting a teaching – otherwise the world will lock you in its jaws. ‘Garbo’ may have worn a suit and spent most of his time in central London offices rather than beggingonthestreetsofToledo,butthereisaparallel.PujolandHarriscouldnothavecreatedtheir character had it not been for a shared world view born from Lazarillo de Tormes or El Buscón – classicsofthepicaresquegenre. Pujol was no mere ‘front man’ for Harris. In the official account of the Garbo operation that he laterwroteforMI5,HarriswasatpainstopointoutthatPujolwashard-workingandimaginative,and wasvitaltothefunctioningoftheGarbooperation.Innowaydidheact‘purelyasascribe’,asmany of the other double agents did. ‘On the contrary, his entire existence remained wrapped up in the successfulcontinuationoftheworkwhichhehadsoskilfullyinitiated.’ NordidPujolsitbackorslowdownoncehearrivedinLondon.Hisworkloadincreasednowthat hewasofficiallyemployedbytheBritish.Overthecourseofthenextthreeyearshewouldwrite315 letters, some of which were up to 8,000 words long. Each one of these letters not only contained writinginsecretink,butaplausiblecoverletteraswell–twotextsonthesamepage. ‘Therewasalotofwork,’SarahBishopremembered.‘Thereweresomanythingstodo–writing letterstotheGermans.Garbowouldchangethemandwritetheminhisownstyle.Thentheyhadtobe writtenoutagain.’ Later, his communications with Madrid included wireless messages, and he produced the final version of around 1,200 of these, dressing the dry communiqués in his own unique style. Were anythingtobesentinhisnamewithadifferentvoice,questionsmightberaisedattheotherendand hiscoverblown. ‘Hejealouslyexaminedthedevelopmentoftheworklestweshouldchoosetopassmaterialtothe enemy through his medium which should result in discrediting the channel with which he had suppliedus,’Harriswrote. Inadditiontherewerebureaucratictaskstoperform,suchassendinghisaccountseverymonthto Kühlenthal,andkeepingadiaryofthemovementsofeachofhisimaginaryagents. Once Harris got the green light, he rented a tiny office for their joint use near the Piccadilly Arcade,onJermynStreet.ThiswasveryclosetotheMI5buildingat58StJames’sStreet,andHarris couldcrossfromonetotheotherinashorttime:atabriskpaceittakesjustoveraminutedoorto door. Theofficehadlittlenaturallightandjustenoughspaceforacoupleoftablesandsomechairs,and a lamp that was almost always switched on. Pujol would tend to sit next to the wall, sandwiched betweenadeskandafilingcabinetwherecopiesofhismessageswerekept. Harriswasnotthereallthetime,butPujolwaskeptcompanybyanMI5employeewhobecamean integral part of the Garbo team. Sarah Bishop had worked previously in the War Cabinet before movingtotheFrenchsectionofMI5.ShespokefluentSpanish,andbumpingintoheronthestairs one day, Harris asked her to join him on the Garbo team. Soon she became Pujol’s translator, assistantandclosefriend. It was clear that the best arrangement would be to have Pujol stay in London for the long term. Pujolwillinglyagreed,butonconditionthathiswifeandsonbebroughtoverfromLisbontojoin him.Araceliwasnowexpectingtheirsecondchild. Thecouplehadbeencommunicatingbyletteroverthepreviousweeks–alwayspassingthrough the wartime censor first. Pujol was clearly anxious for news from his wife, and wrote in his usual style: Iamwritingtoyouagaintodaywiththenaturalsurprisecausedbymynothavingyetreceivedanyletterfromyouinreplyto mine, and my surprise is the greater since my letters asked you for particulars which I am particularly interested in receiving;IhopethereforethatwithoutfurtherdelayyouwillreplytothisletterandwillgivemesomemorenewsaboutJuan Fernandoandaboutyourself,Iwanttoknowhowyouare... HetoldAracelithearrangementsforherleavingLisbon:shewastotellhermotherthatshewas travellingwithPujoltoAmerica;andshewastoleavesummerclothesbehind–theywouldnotbe needingtheminLondon. Pujolclearlymissedhiswifeandson,butthelettersshowhowhappyandrelievedhewastohave finallyreachedEngland: I am feeling quite well and getting better acclimatised than I thought I would to the country in general, which to me is charmingandsmiling,andaboveallonebreathestherealairofliberty,whichIneverthoughtoreversuspectedwouldbe possible.Ipromiseyoumanypleasantsurpriseswhenyoucomeandgettoknowthecountry. Forherpart,Araceliwrotebacktellinghimhowtheirson’sfirstteethwerecomingthrough,how thedoctorhadtoldherthathernewpregnancywasgoingwell,andassuringhimthattheywereboth well,butmissinghimtoo. You cannot know, my dearest Juanito, how I long to be at your side. I cannot imagine life without your affection and attention.IwouldtellyousomanythingsrightnowifMr.Censorweren’tsocurious...Justtosaythatbeforefinishingthe letterIwillgivethebabylotsofkissesfromyou,andtellhimthatDaddyloveshimandwillseehimsoon,right? Andyoubecarefulwiththeprettygirlsoverthere.Youknowhowmuchitwouldhurtyourlittlewifey.Ibelieveyoutobea goodmanandyouwouldn’tdoanythinglikethatforanythingintheworld.YoujustrememberhowmuchIadoreyouand concentrateonworkinglikeamadmanagainstthatgentlemaninCentralEurope,thatnomatterhowmuchisdoneagainst himcanneverbeenough. AraceliclearlythoughtitwisernottorefertoHitlerbyname.Bytheearlysummerof1942,after somecomplications,theBritishauthoritiesfinallybroughtherandhersonovertoLondontobewith Pujol.JorgewasborninSeptember1942. To allow Pujol to move freely in wartime London, Harris arranged some identity papers in the nameofJuanGarcía–Pujol’ssecondsurname,thatofhismother.Healsoarrangedforhimtohavea nominal posting within the BBC as a translator, as well as a job in the Ministry of Information’s Spanishsection. Pujol’smorningsatthisearlystagewerespentintheoffice,workingonnewlettersandmessages tobesenttohisGermancontrollers,thenatlunchtimeheandHarriswouldeatatanearbyrestaurant –eitherGaribaldi’sonJermynStreet,orMartínez,justacrossPiccadillyonSwallowStreet,where theyservedSpanishfood.TheintenseGermanbombingoftheBlitzwasoverayearinthepastnow andairraidswerelessfrequent,butdamagedbuildingsintheareawereavisualreminderofthewar. Just across the street from the office, the crooner Al Bowlly, the world’s first ‘pop star ’, had been killedwhenaGermanparachutemineblewupoutsidehisflat.Somestructureshadbeenpulleddown completelyandvegetablepatches–‘VictoryGardens’–plantedintheirplace. IntheafternoonsPujolwenttoEnglishclassesatanearbyBerlitzschool,beforeheadinghometo Hendon. The Crespigny Road address was soon swapped for another, very similar house a twominutewalkaroundthecornerat55ElliotRoad.AlthougharelativelysafepartofLondon,thearea hadsufferedsomedamageduringtheearlierpartofthewar,whenhigh-explosivebombshadbeen droppedonnearbystreets.ItwasashortstrolltoHendonCentralUndergroundstation,fromwhere the Northern Line went straight down into central London. MI5 paid Pujol £100 a month for his services, which he considered more than enough – his rent cost £18 per month, while lunch in a restaurantcostaround6shillings. HarrisandPujolcombinedbrilliantly,withPujol’simaginationandeagernesssculptedbyHarris’s intuitive brilliance and inside knowledge. Later, Pujol would commonly refer to Harris as ‘always smiling’andhis‘bestfriend’.Harriswasheldinhighregardbyhiscolleagues:Mastermanwrotethat he was ‘the most remarkable’ of all the people he collaborated with during his time on the Twenty Committee. ButwhiletheycouldcommunicateinSpanishandquicklydevelopedapersonalrapport,security measuresstillhadtobeenforced.PujolwasneveramemberofMI5,asaresultofwhichmuchof whatHarrisknew–forexampletheexistenceoftheBletchleyintercepts–couldneverbepassedon to him. Trust in Pujol strengthened over time, but for the first five months in London he was accompanied twenty-four hours a day by an official, his personal phone was tapped and his letters backtofamilymembersinSpainwerecensored.Itwasneverproperlyexplainedtohimwhohewas workingfororhowthingswereorganisedaroundhim.Overthemonthsandyearshegainedasense ofsomeofthis,butthefactthatherarelyaskedanyquestionshelpedtodeepenthetrustinhim,andin particulartheesteeminwhichHarrisheldhim. OneofthefirsttasksfacingGarbo,oncePujolwasestablishedinLondon,wastoaccounttohis Germancontrollersforthelonggapinbetweenhisletters.ThejourneyfromLisbontoGibraltarand thentoBritainhadtakenseveralweeks,duringwhichtimehehadnotcommunicatedwiththem.Itwas vitalthatheresumehismessageslesttheGermansconcludethathehadbeencaught.TheLuisCalvo affair was still fresh: the Spanish spy formerly working for the Germans was now languishing in Camp020.TherewasadangerthatKühlenthalmightconcludethatPujolhadsufferedasimilarfate. Pujolhadhadtheforesighttobringthesamestationerywithhimthathehadusedforhismessages writteninLisbon.Also,intherun-uptohisleavingPortugal,hehadmentionedthathewassuffering frompneumonia–arusetogivehimthealibiofillnesstoexplainawaywhathealreadyimagined wouldbealengthyperiodwithoutcorresponding. OnceinLondon,hemadeupforsomeofthetimegapbypre-datinghisfirstletter,andsendingit alongwiththesecond,claimingthathehadgonetoseehisKLMcourieronlytodiscoverthathehad leftforLisbonthepreviousnight.Thustwoletters,thefirstandsecond,wouldbesentsimultaneously onhisreturn.Inthiswayhewasabletocoverupalmostaweekofsilence. ThefirstletterfromLondon–thefirst‘Garbo’letter–wasdated12Aprilandsenton27April, only three days after his arrival. Pujol continued sending more, all in the same style, as though nothing had changed. The important difference was that now, rather than having to make up the information,hewasbeinggivengenuinematerialbyHarris.Itwasall‘chickenfeed’,butatleastit wasaccurate.Nomore‘chapelsofSantaCatalina’ornonsensicalexpensesaccounts. GiventhatPujolwasnotsendingthelettershimselffromLisbon,MI5hadtocomeupwithanew wayofgettingthelettersthere.Itwasdecidedtosendthembydiplomaticbagatfirst,withMI6’sman inLisbonforwardingthemonandpickinguptheGermans’replies. Thenewletterhadbeensent,andthesystemtomovetheGarbooperationforwardwasputinplace. Yet,puzzlingly,nowordcamebackfromtheAbwehr.TheGermans’lastletterwasdated2March. SincethenPujolhadhadnowordfromthem,despitecontinuingtosendfurtherlettershimself–a totalofseventeenintheend.Whatwasgoingon? Justwheneverythingshouldhavestartedoperatingsmoothlytherewasnothingfromtheotherend butsilence. 11 Britain,Summer–Autumn1942 THEFIRSTLETTERfromtheGermansfinallyarrivedinthesecondhalfofMay,amonthafterPujolhad landedinBritain.Init,hisAbwehrcontrollersexplainedthattheyhadbeendisturbedbytheiragent’s silenceandhaddecidednottowriteforawhilesoasnottoattractanyattentiontohim;theyfeared that he had been caught or was being watched by the British. Now, however, they felt confident enoughtocarryonthecorrespondence,providingnewcoveraddressestosendhislettersto,along withpromisesofmoremoney. Harris and Pujol were delighted. The final step in setting Garbo up as a double agent had been completed and the channel between MI5 and the Germans was open. Kühlenthal himself was becomingmoreinterestedintheGarbomaterial,andfromnowonsomeofthelettersweretobesent directly to a cover address of his in Madrid, to a Don Germán Domínguez. When signing his missives, Pujol was also to adopt certain pseudonyms: Germán Domínguez was to receive letters from‘JaimeMartínez’or‘JorgeGarrigan’,whileforhislettersto‘ManuelRodríguez’Pujolhadto signas‘Rodolfo’. The German’s choice of pseudonym is interesting. The writer Ben MacIntyre has described Kühlenthalas‘aone-manespionagedisasterarea’who,amongotherblunders,playedanimportant partintheGermans’fallingforthe‘Man-who-never-was’hoax.Kühlenthalappearedfullyconvinced thathisnewspyinLondonwasworkingforhimandwassendingovergenuineintelligence.Thatthe Britishshouldhavefooledhimmightbeunderstandable–itwasmoreatestamenttotheirskillsof deception than to his credulity – yet his choice of pseudonym seems positively reckless. ‘Germán’, pronouncedkherMAN,isabona-fidefirstnameinSpanish.Italsomeans‘German’,plainandsimple. NotthebestcovernameforanAbwehrintelligenceofficer,onewouldimagine. Nonetheless,fromnowonKühlenthalwastoplayagreaterroleasPujol’sAbwehrcontroller. AlineofcommunicationthroughGarbowentdirectlytotheAbwehr.IntimetheBritishwouldtry tousethatconnectiontoitsfullestcapacity,stretchingitalmosttobreakingpoint,butforthemoment the emphasis was on making it stronger – building up German trust in their ‘Arabel’ to the point where not only the Abwehr might be fooled, but perhaps even the German High Command. This chain of possibility could, if it worked, lead from a cramped office off Piccadilly, through the GermanespionagecentreinMadridtothehighestlevelsoftheenemy’smilitarystructure. Inthesummerof1942,allthiswassomewayoff.FornowHarris,PujolandSarahBishophadto laydownthefoundationsforwhatwouldbecome,inKimPhilby’swords,‘oneofthemostcreative intelligenceoperationsofalltime’. Muchofthatcreativitycameintheformofthevariouscharactersthatwereinventedtopopulate Garbo’snetwork:‘notional’agents,touseMI5’sparlance,bona-fidesub-agentsintheGermans’eyes. AlthoughnoneofthesepeopleexistedoutsidePujol’simagination,realpeoplewouldeventuallyplay thepartsofsomeofthemasthenetworkgrewandbecamemorecomplex. Carvalho,GerbersandPedrohadallbeeninventedinLisbon.InhisfirstmessagetoMadridfrom London,Garbomentionedanewcontact–anRAFofficerwhotoldhimaboutanti-aircraftbatteries inHydePark.UpinScotland,PedrowasalsoallowedtomakefriendswithanNCOintheRAF. TheideawastospreadGarbo’scontactsasfaraspossible,withpotentialsourcesofinformationin various key points of the country, as well as in the various wings of the armed services, and even within government itself. Some information might be handed over knowingly by ‘traitors’, other material might be passed over unwittingly by people unaware that Garbo was ‘spying for the Germans’,whileyetmoremightbeoverheardinconversation. Tothislastend,Fredwascreated–Agent4.FredwasaGibraltarianwaiter,amanwholoathedthe British,notleastbecausehehadbeenforciblyevacuatedfromtheRock,andnowfoundhimselfin Britain.Hatinghisnewhome,hewasaconvincedsupporteroftheGermancauseand,asawaiter,was ideallysuitedtopickinguptitbitsofconversation,particularlyattableswhereofficerswereseated. Garbo claimed to have become friendly with him and made him a fully fledged member of his network.Andgiventhattherewasashortageofwaitersthankstothewar,Fredcouldfindworkinany oneofseveralareas:betweenHullandNewcastle,aroundMaidstone,orinColchester. Garbo sent the Germans a message telling them about Fred and asked where they themselves preferredhimtobebased.IntheHull-to-Newcastlearea,camethereplyfromKühlenthal.Sothere Fredwent,onthedirectrecommendationofhisnewGermanmasters.Withoutrealising,by‘sending’ himthere,theGermanshadtoldtheBritishwhichpartofthecoastlinetheyweremostinterestedin, andasaresultdefencesystemsintheareacouldbebuiltup. One of the most important unconscious sources of information for the Germans was created shortly after Fred. Working at his new job at the Ministry of Information, Garbo claimed to have become friendly with his boss, the head of the Spanish Department who thought that Garbo was a Republican Spanish refugee. With time, this man became more indiscreet, so that he even allowed GarbotoseeTopSecretmaterial.GarboreferredtohimasAgentJ(3)–the‘J’standingfor‘Juan’,in that he was one of Juan’s (i.e. Pujol’s) direct sources. No name was ever given for him, but the GermanswereforwardedenoughinformationtodrawtheconclusionthathewasW.B.McCann–the realpersoninchargeoftheSpanishsectionattheMinistryofInformation.McCannhimselfwaslater informed that a notional agent had been built up around him and he was obliged to ‘play’ his own alteregoononeoccasionaspartofthedeceptionplan,ajobthathewasdelightedtocarryout. The next new sub-agent to be created was Agent 5, the brother of Agent 3, Pedro. Agent 5 was never named, although the Germans gave him the code name ‘Moonbeam’. He was recruited by GarboinJune1942anddescribedasanambitiousyoungmanofindependentmeanswhowouldtake any risks for the Germans. At that time MI5 was trying to find out if the Abwehr had any agents operating in Northern Ireland, and if it was an area that they were interested in. To this end Garbo suggestedthatAgent5besentthere.Yes,cameKühlenthal’senthusiasticreply. With that, MI5 had their answers: yes, the Germans were interested in Northern Ireland; and no, theyalmostcertainlydidnothaveanyoneworkingthereforthem. IntruththeBritishdidnotwanttosendanyoneovertoUlster–fictionalornot–soGarbohadto backtrack,makingtheprocessofcrossingtheIrishSeasocomplicatedthatitprovedimpossibleto get Agent 5 over there. Thankfully, the Germans did not seem to mind too much. They were also interested, they said, in finding out about the Isle of Wight – then, in wartime, a virtual fortress. Gettinganyonethere,letaloneayoungVenezuelan,waspracticallyimpossible,butGarbolandedhis manontheislandnonetheless,inventingastoryabouthisadventuresthat,asHarrisdescribedit,read like something out of ‘any spy novel’. The Germans believed it, and Agent 5 rose greatly in their estimation. Finally, in midsummer of 1942, Garbo recruited a South African into his network – Agent 6, knownasDick.Dickwasavirulentanti-CommunistwhowasmorethanhappytoworkfortheNazis. Garbo promised him an important role in the New World Order when the war was over. Clever, capableandatop-classlinguist,hehadanumberofcontactsingovernmentministries,andwasthe personwhohadoriginallyputGarbointouchwiththemanwhobecamehisbossintheMinistryof Information.DickhatedBritainandwasdeterminedtogetoutofthecountry.Hischancewouldcome somemonthslater,whenanopportunityarosetosendhimtoAlgiers.EventuallytheGarbonetwork wouldstretchoverhalftheglobe,withspiesbasedfromCeylontoCanada. Alltheseagents,andthemanythatcamelater,wereGarbo’spuppets,creationsinahighlycomplex performance that was played out over the following years. Each one had to speak his or her own lines, in an authentic voice, never falling out of character as they slowly concocted a narrative causingtheaudience–theGermans–toreachconclusionsthattheAllieswantedthemto.Intheeyes oftheAbwehr,thespectaclethatGarboputonforthemwasreal–thelivingoutofactualevents.Any slip-up–anagent’smessagestrikingadifferent,wrongnote,forexample;acontradictionbetween onecharacterandanother–andtheGermansmightstarttosuspectthatwhattheytookasrealwas anythingbut,andthewholefragileedificewouldcollapse. It was imperative, therefore, that verisimilitude be the watchword for the entire operation. John Mastermanlaterdescribedhowdoubleagentswereencouragedtolivealifeascloseaspossibleto the one that they were putting across to the enemy. So, for example, if an agent was asked by the Germanstogoandvisitsuch-and-suchafactory,MI5wouldarrangeforhim–oratleastasubstitute –totravelthereinpersonbeforereplying.‘Ifanagenthadnotionallyasub-agentorcut-outinthe country,heoughtactuallytohavemetsuchaman.’Otherwisethedangerofgettingfactswrong,of contradictinghimself,wastoogreat. AnotherpotentialriskwasthepassingonofinformationthatcouldbeharmfultotheAlliedcause. Nothing of this kind would willingly be sent over by MI5. But what if an agent – even a fictitious agent–wasideallyplacedtoreportonsomethingwhichtheBritishdidnotwanthimtoreport?The characters had to perform as real people at all times. Failure to send information could be just as damagingtothecredibilityofanetworkassendingwrongorfalseintelligence. In Garbo’s case, it became clear over the summer of 1942 that Herr Gerbers – Agent 2 – the German-SwisslivinginBootle,wouldbeideallyplacedforreportingonthebuild-upinMerseyside fortheeventualAlliedinvasionofFrenchNorthAfrica–OperationTorch,scheduledforlaterthat autumn.ClearlytheAlliesdidnotwantsuchinformationtobepassedon.YetforGerberstoremain silent about these shipping movements, or for that silence to go unexplained, was not an option. A solutionhadtobefound. Asitturnedout,Gerbershadfailedtofileanyreportsforsomeweeks.Garbothereforetravelled toLiverpooltocheckuponhim.TherehefoundthatHerrGerbershadfallenseriouslyillandwas abouttoundergoanoperation,meaningthathewouldnotbeabletosendanyinformationforsome time.GarboreportedthistoMadridandtheGermansrepliedthatheshouldcontinuetopayGerbers throughhisillness;thathewouldbeabletorepaythemwithmoreshippingreportsoncehegotbetter. Sadly, however, Herr Gerbers never did get better. In fact he got steadily worse, his silence continued through the autumn and on 19 November, eleven days after the Allies had successfully landedinMorocco,AlgeriaandTunisia,hedied. Garbo did not get to hear about this straight away. In early December, wondering what had happenedtohissub-agent,andastonishedthathehadnotevenacknowledgedreceiptofhispayment forthepreviousmonth,GarbotookthetrainbackuptoLiverpool.ThereadistraughtMrsGerbers told him of her husband’s demise, showing him the obituary that MI5 had had inserted in the the LiverpoolDailyPostwhichread:‘GERBERS–November19atBootle,afteralongillness,aged52, WILLIAMMAXIMILIAN.Privatefuneral.(Noflowers,please.)’ Garbo sent the obituary notice to the Germans, who replied with condolences for his wife. Mrs Gerbers – ‘the Widow’ – would later reappear in the Garbo story, and become a fully paid-up memberoftheorganisation. OperationTorchwasnotonlyusedtokillofftheunfortunateHerrGerbers:Garbotookadvantage ofittobuildhisreputationfurtherintheGermans’eyes.On1November,aweekbeforetheinvasions started, he wrote a letter which included information from Pedro in Glasgow that a convoy of battleshipshadlefttheClydepaintedinMediterraneancolours.Inthesameletter,Garboclaimedto haveseenasecretfileintheMinistryofInformationcontainingcertaindirectivesintheeventofan AlliedinvasionofFrenchNorthAfrica.Therewasclearlyaconnection,hesaid,betweenthisandthe rumourscirculatingofactionsoontocomeinNorthAfrica. Despitebeingdatedthe1stofthemonth,theletterwasnotsentontoLisbonuntil7November–the day before the invasion. Thus it did not arrive in the Germans’ hands until after the initial Allied assault had already taken place. It was too late for them to act on the intelligence that Garbo had providedthemwith,butthefactthathewastryingtotellthemaboutthelandingsbeforetheyactually happenedwasamajorstepinbuildinghimupasasourceofvaluableinformation. Not only had Garbo shown that he had access to good intelligence, the time delay in getting his material to the Germans meant that, in their eyes, he should have a wireless transmitter. Garbo had suggestedthistoKühlenthalbackinAugust,afterFred,theGibraltarianwaiter,toldhimheknewa maninSohowhocouldprovidehimwiththenecessarykit.Kühlenthalhadturnedtheofferdown,but now,aftertheOperationTorchletter,hewascomingroundtotheidea. It would not only mean that he could receive his agent’s intelligence faster. Garbo’s wireless messageswouldhavetobelesswordythanhisinterminablelettersandbecomeconsiderablymore concise. Indeed,Kühlenthal’sspyinLondoncouldshowhimselftobemoody,evenpetulant,attimes.Inhis firstproperlettersenttohisAbwehrcontrollersafterarrivinginLondon,Garbohadcomplained,not unlikeajiltedlover,thathewasnotbeingvaluedenough,andtoldthemsoinnouncertainterms: I have often wondered whether you are satisfied at your end with my class of work, as in spite of some comforting letter whichyousentmeonceinawhile,Ibegintosuspectthattheyareintendedtopaymecompliments.Ifthisweresoitwould greatlydisillusionmeformyworkasIamonlyheretofulfiladutyandnotforpleasure.YoudonotknowhowhomesickI sometimesfeelformyowncountry.YoucannotimaginehowmiserablelifehereisformesinceIarrived.SinceIarrivedI havemadeapointofavoidingallcontactwithSpanishsocietyorindividuals,thisintheinterestofourwork.MyCatalan character does not adapt itself to casual friendship more so when it concerns Spaniards who talk through their arse and compromiseoneforlessthannothing. Theletterwaspageslong,hiddeninsideatinofAndrewsLiverSaltsandsentviatheKLMcourier intheusualway.ItwasinkeepingwiththemessagesPujolhadsentfromLisbon,butnowthathewas inLondon,itwasalsopartoftheMI5plan.InHarris’swords,‘Kühlenthalwasencouragedtoregard Garboasaquixotic,temperamentalgenius,whomhelearnedtobecautiousnottooffend.Hecameto regardGarboasafanatic,preparedtoriskhislifefortheFascistcause.’ Overtime,HarrisandPujolnoticedthatthemoreinsultedandspurnedGarboappeared,thedeeper Kühlenthalfellintotheirtrap. InMadrid,Kühlenthalwasbecomingincreasinglyreliantonhisagentasasourceofintelligence. TheSpaniard’seccentricitieswere,inhismind,asmallpricetopayforhavingaspyoperatingfrom theheartofenemyterritory. Yetitwouldbeworthgettinghimaradioset,ifonlytoforcehimtowriteshortermessages. 12 London,GlasgowandMadrid,March1943 WINTER WAS COMING to an end. Weeks before, the Germans had suffered their first major military defeatontheEasternFront,atStalingrad.Thecourseofthewar,solongintheGermans’favour,was slowlyandpainfullybeginningtoturn. In Glasgow, Pedro – Garbo’s Agent 3 – had found something that would interest the Abwehr. During the spring of the previous year he had become friendly with an NCO in the RAF, a man of ratherweakcharacterwhowasoftenshortofmoney.InconversationwithPedrooneday,theNCO happenedtoshowtheVenezuelanacopyofanRAFaircraftrecognitionhandbook.Theairmandid notknowthatPedrowasaNazispy,andallowedhimtoflickthroughtheloose-leafbookletwithits illustrationsandspecificationsontheplanesthenbeingusedbytheBritishAirForce. Howinteresting,Pedrosaid,handingitbacktotheRAFman.Wouldhebepreparedtosellit?It wouldbenicetohaveasasouvenir.TheNCOagreed,butbeforenegotiatingaprice,Pedrodiscussed thematterwithhischiefinLondon–Garbo. Garbo–Alaric–putthematterthroughtohismasterinMadrid,Kühlenthal.Hewould,Garbotold Kühlenthal, authorise Pedro to buy the booklet for a maximum of £100. Would Kühlenthal be preparedtopaythatamount? Yes,camethereply.TheAbwehrthoughtitafairpriceforanRAFrecognitionguide. GarborelayedthisinformationbacktoPedro.Butwait,saidtheVenezuelan.IfIofferthismanas muchas£100hemightbecomesuspiciousandstartsuspectingmymotives.Farbetter,hesaid,topay himamerepoundortwo.Garboagreed. Intheend,theRAFmanwashappytosellhisguidebookfor£3.Pedrotookpossessionofitand sentitdowntoLondon,toGarbo. Garbowasveryimpressed–hisagenthadshownhisintegritybyrefusingtotakethelargesumof moneysuggestedbytheGermans.Hewasamanwhocouldbetrusted.Garbomentionedthisinhis messagestoMadrid,andhowAgent3hadriseninhisestimation.TheGermansconcurred.Theytoo wereimpressed,notonlywithAgent3,butalsowithGarbo,whohadlikewisedemonstratedhisown integrity. NowthatGarbohadthebookletinLondon,therewasthesmallmatterofgettingittoMadridto dealwith.Itwasdecidedthatthebestoptionwastosenditbakedinsideacake.MrsGerbers–‘the Widow’ – was now part of the network and working as an assistant at Garbo’s home. The poor woman had been left penniless after her husband’s death and had sent an urgent message to Garbo only a few weeks earlier pleading for help. Garbo’s answer had been to head up to Liverpool and bring her back down to London with him, taking her on as a housekeeper – she was someone he couldtrustinsidehishome. NowhelpingtolookaftertheGarbohousehold,withGarbo’swifeandtwosmallboystotakecare of, Mrs Gerbers baked the cake that the RAF booklet would be sent inside, sealed in greaseproof paper.Garbohimselfwrotewithchocolateicingonthetop:‘WithgoodwishestoOdette’.Insidethe packaginghewroteacoverlettertoaMissOdettedaConceição,makingoutthatitwasabirthday giftfromaseaman,sendingapresenttohisgirlfriendinLisbon.Theninsecretink,inbetweenthe linesoftext,hewroteadifferentmessagetotheGermans: Insidethecakeyouwillfindthebookonaviationwhichwasobtainedby[Agent]Three[Pedro]...Thecakeitselfwasmade formebytheWidowandIdidtheletteringmyself.IhadtouseseveralrationedproductswhichIhavegiveninagoodcause ...ifitdoesnotarrivetooharditcanbeeaten.IhopeyouappreciatetheculinaryartoftheWidow.Goodappetite! Sometimelater,havingbeensentviaLisbon,thecakearrivedinMadrid.Kühlenthalwasdelighted with the contents. He was becoming increasingly happy with his London agent, whose occasionally odd behaviour merely added a certain charm to the excellent intelligence that he was starting to provide. It made Kühlenthal look good, and he was proud to be able to share stories about his spy withhissuperiors. Admiral Canaris, the head of the Abwehr, even got to hear about the story of the cake. He made frequentvisitstoSpainduringthewar.OnthisoccasionhewasinMadrid,meetinghisintelligence officers at the Abwehr station, and each one was able to regale the chief with stories about their agents. Kühlenthal stole the show, however, with tales of his man in London – Alaric, head of the Arabalnetwork.Alaric,hetoldCanaris,wasnotonlyaspy,hewasalsoachef.Butdespitethefact that the cakes he sent them through the post were not great for eating, their contents were of the highestpossiblequality. The story did the rounds within the Abwehr, and came back to the British more than once in decodedBletchleytranscripts. InLondon,HarrisreadtheAbwehrmessageswithgreatinterest,watchingas,throughGarbo,he himselfsetsomethinginmotion,passeditontotheGermans,andthenmonitoredthereactioninthe Germans’ comments. Kühlenthal was the closest he had to a personal adversary – Pujol’s other spymaster,hisGermancontroller.Part-Jewish,likeHarris,yetworkingforaregimethatwasstarting tomurderJewsintheirhundredsofthousands.DoubtsabouthiminBerlinpersisted,notleastbecause of his Jewish blood; some within the Abwehr counter-espionage section suspected that he might be workingforBritishintelligence. TheRAFaviationguidewasgenuineenough,butthemostrecentinformationhadbeenremovedto leaveitseveralmonthsoutofdate.Indeed,itwasidenticaltoasimilarguidethattheBritishbelieved hadfallenintoGermanhandssomemonthsbeforeduringtheNorthAfricacampaign. ThetruthwasthattheBritishweremerelyfeedingtheenemywhattheyalreadyknew.Theyhadno needtobuyoffKühlenthal.Byhisowneffortsandblunders,andthankstoGarbo,hewasbecoming MI5’sownmouthpiecewithinGermanintelligence. 13 London,1943 THENATIONALARCHIVEatKewhasawealthofmaterialonGarbo.Someofthefilesareseveralinches thick, their tattered, ageing pages delicate and fraying, often scribbled with pen and pencil marks from the various people through whose hands they passed before being filed: ‘Tar ’ Robertson, ‘Tommy’Harris,GuyLiddell. The papers are now available to the public and shed a clear light on one of the most fascinating chapters of the Second World War. Details are given of the hundreds of messages that Garbo sent, how they were then reported by the Abwehr, and subsequently spread through the German military system. There are delightful titbits of information about certain individuals – for example, Kühlenthal’s passion for tennis, and his attempts to have one of his agents send him a racket from London.Hereceivedaracketallright,butnotofthetenniskind. Much as I searched, however, there was one file that I could not find, the file that might give a windowontolifeinsidetheGarbooffice,ofhowHarris,PujolandSarahBishopworkedtogether.In hisaccountoftheGarbooperation,HarrisoftencomparesPujol’simaginationtothatofanovelist. ‘Itread’,hesaidofastorythatPujolfedtotheGermansaboutasub-agenttryingtoblackmailhim, ‘like a scene from a commonplace detective story in which the hero outwits the less subtle, though cunning,crook.’ Indeed,Pujol’soriginalcoverstoryhadbeenthathewas‘awriter ’basedinBritain.Hisprosestyle may have been wordy and baroque, but time and again Pujol comes across as a storyteller, even a compulsive one: a fantasist who could change the world around him by the tales he told – often to deceivepeopleormakethemthinkwhathewanted,orneeded,themtothink. Notleastwashisabilitytocreaterich,colourfulcharacters.Intheend,hedreameduptwenty-seven fictionalsub-agentsinhisnetwork:fn1theybecamevitalelementsof‘Garbo’itself,asEwenMontagu, theRoyalNavyrepresentativeontheXXCommitteedescribed. ‘Tommy and Garbo “lived the life” of all these imaginary sub-agents,’ Montagu wrote, ‘rememberingalltheircharacteristicsandfoibles.Forexample,ifIsuggestedthat[Agent]No.1at, forinstance,Bristol,shouldreportsoandso,itmightbethathewasnouseasheneverreported“I believe”or“I’veheardthat”.Healwaysreportedsomethingasafact,butTommycouldgetNo.3toa suitableportinacoupleofdaysandhecouldreportarumour.OntheotherhandNo.4whoknew aboutasubjectIwantedreported,couldnotmakethejourneybecausehiswifewasill.Everyoneof these notional sub-agents was like a close personal friend of Tommy and Garbo and lived in their minds.’ AnthonyBluntpaintedasimilarpicture. ‘[Harris]“lived”thedeception,totheextentthat,whenhewastalkinginthesmallcircleofpeople concerned, it was difficult to tell whether he was talking about real events or one of the fantastic storieswhichhehadjustputacrosstotheNaziIntelligenceService.’ ButhowdidHarrisandPujolconjureuptheirfictitioussub-agents?Whatwouldithavebeenlike tositinthatcramped,darkofficeonJermynStreet,andwatchthemworktogether? Letusimaginetheminarealsituation.Itistheautumnof1943.TheAlliedinvasionofFrance,they know, will be coming at some point over the following year and the Garbo network will soon be needingnewsub-agentstohelpfooltheGermans. Harris had concluded that an entire, ready-made organisation should be created, a small group of potentialsub-agentswhoseloyaltiescouldbereliedonfromthestart,astherewaslittletimetobuild up trust in them before a deception plan covering the invasion had to be implemented. Everyone at MI5feltthepressure:theyknewthattheGermanswereaformidablefoe.‘Theenemyisstillproud and powerful,’ Churchill had said a few months before. ‘He still possesses enormous armies, vast resourcesandinvaluablestrategicterritories.’MemoriesofDunkirkandDieppewerefresh.Schemes tohoodwinktheGermanmilitarywouldbevitaliftheAlliedlandingsontheFrenchcoastwerenotto resultindisaster. Stepping into the office one morning, Harris outlined his ideas to Pujol and Sarah Bishop. He suggestedapro-Aryanorganisationofsomesort,peoplewhofeltanaffinitywithNaziideologyand whocouldthereforebeeasilyacceptedbytheGermans. Sittingathisdesk,hishandsilluminatedbythepooloflightfromthetablelamp,Pujollistenedand quicklyputhismindtothetask. ‘Aren’ttherepeopleinWaleswhofeelstronglyanti-English?’heasked. Harrisgrinned.Pujolalreadyknewtheanswer.Theyhadbeenworkingtogethercloselyforayear andahalf,andhecouldalreadysensewherethismightbegoing.HisfriendwasCatalan,andknew howregionalresentmentscouldsimmerformanyyears,evencenturies. ‘Wouldthatbeausefulstartingpoint?’ ‘Yes,’Harrissaid. Pujolshuffledinhischair. ‘TheWelshareCelts¿verdad?Andaren’ttheCeltsalsoconsideredoneoftheAryanpeoples?’ ‘TheywerethelasttimeIchecked.’ ‘PerhapswecouldaskHerrHitlertoconfirm,’saidSarahBishop. Pujolsmiled. ‘AgroupofWelshAryannationalistsmightprovideausefulsourceoffuturesub-agents,’hesaid. Harris placed his fingertips to his forehead and closed his eyes. Pro-Nazi Welsh Aryan nationalists?Couldtheyreallygetawaywithit?Andyetheknewbynowthatthecheekierandmore bizarretheideawas,thegreaterchanceithadofsuccess. ‘It’s perfect,’ he said, looking up with a grin. His opponents in the Abwehr were unlikely to question the existence of such a maverick group. In fact he felt sure that they would happily accept ‘intelligence’fromanti-EnglishWelshmenwithdreamsofaidingtheReich. What was more, he knew that they already had a Garbo character who could help them build up these new recruits. Stanley, Agent 7, was Welsh, a former merchant seaman who was acting as a militaryreporterafterbeinginvalidedoutoftheMerchantNavy. Sarah Bishop was one step ahead of him. She went to the cabinet and pulled out the detailed informationthattheyhadbuiltuponAgent7. Harristookthefilesandthankedher.Glancingthrough,herememberedthatStanleywasinterested mostly in money, and had pestered Garbo many times for payments. But he also had nationalist leaningsand,assuch,wasanti-English. HedroppedthefileontoPujol’sdesk. ‘IthinkweneedStanleytomakesomenewfriends.’ Pujol’sfantasticalimaginationwasalreadyworkingonit.Harrisknewthatitwasbestnowtohold backandwatch. ‘Welshnationalists,likehim,’Pujolsaid,hiseyesfixedonHarris’s,‘butevenmorerevolutionary intheirthinking.Moreradical.Andtheyneedaname.’ Harriswaited.FromthelookonPujol’sface,heknewthathisfriendwasonthebrinkofdreaming oneup. ‘I’ve got it,’ Pujol said. Harris and Sarah Bishop leaned in. ‘The Brothers in the Aryan World Order.’ Theyalllaughed,butPujolcarriedonspeakingasthecharactersinthegroupbeganpoppingupin hismind. ‘They’re former members of the Welsh Nationalist Party,’ he said, still giggling. ‘And they left becausetheywantedtocreateamoreradicalgroupoftheirown.They’vebeenactingclandestinely forthepastmonths,maybeyears,gatheringnamesofCommunistsandJewstheywantexterminated oncetheirgoalshavebeenachieved.’ HarrisandSarah’slaughterdieddown. ‘Yes,’Harrissaid.‘Ithinktheywouldprovideanexcellentsourceofsub-agents.’ Inamatterofmomentstheyhaddreameduptheorganisation,thenameandthemotivesfortheir wanting to help the enemy. Now they needed to create the characters who would become Garbo’s agentswithinthegroupitself. PujolpickedupapaperandpencillyingonhisdeskandstartedtoscribbledownnotesasHarris andSarahwatched.Hishandmovedquicklyoverthepageas,inamatterofminutes,hebuiltupalist of members, complete with how each one had been recruited, physical characteristics and their relationshipstooneanother. ‘Thiswouldbethefirstone,’Pujolsaid,lookingup.‘AmancalledDavid,aboutthirtyyearsold. HewasanoldschoolmateofStanleyandwasreleasedfrommilitaryservicebecauseofhisasthma, whichwasalsothereasonwhyhelefttheMerchantNavysixyearsago.’ SarahBishopsatdownatherdesktolisten,whileHarrisremainedstanding. ‘Stanley found David after searching around the Swansea area for sub-agents of his own,’ Pujol continued.HepointedatAgent7’sfile.‘Aswealreadyinstructedhimto.Stanleywasnervouswhenhe approachedDavid,ashethoughthemightalreadybeworkingfortheGermansthroughsomeother organisation,givenhispolitics.Butonceherealisedthatwasnotthecaseandtheygottalking,David told Stanley about his small radical group and how they’ve been working for years, building up a dossierofinformationinthehopeofonedaypassingitontotheGermans.’ ‘That’sgood,’Harrissaid.‘Davidcanbethefirstofthegrouptoberecruited.’ ‘Stanleyalreadyhasonesub-agent,’SarahBishopsaid.‘Agent7(1),thesoldierinthenotional9th ArmouredDivision.DavidcanbeAgent7(2).’ Pujoloutlinedothermembersofthegroupforthem.Itwasstraightforwardfromthere,hesaid,to get more Welshmen from within the Brotherhood to act as sub-agents. But while the next three characterswereallWelshandmoreorlessofthesametype,Pujolhadasurpriseforthemwhenhe mentionedthefifthmember. ‘ThereisalsoanIndian,’hesaid. Harristriedtostiflehislaughter.Atherdesk,SarahBishopwasshakingherhead. ‘ArenotIndiansalsoconsideredAryans?’Pujolasked. ‘Theyare,’Harrissaid. ‘Thisman,’Pujolsaid,‘isadreamer,apoet.’ ‘Iknow!’Sarahcalledout.‘We’llcallhimRags,orsomething.’ ‘Ragsitis,’Harrissaid. ‘Right,’ Pujol continued. ‘Rags joined the Brotherhood to uphold his fanatical belief in the superiorityoftheAryanrace.’ ‘Naturally,’Harrisgrinned. ‘Andwhat’smore,he’sfalleninlovewiththegroup’ssecretary.’ SarahBishopthrewhimaglance. ‘Whois...?’Harrisasked. ‘AnEnglishwoman.’ ‘English?’ ‘She’sbecomeRags’smistress,’Pujolexplained.‘Andnowshe’sjoinedtheBrotherhoodbecause she’sattractedtoIndianmen.’ ‘AllIndianmen?OrjustRags?’Sarahasked. ‘SomethingaboutthephysicalandmoralsupremacyoftheAryanraces,’Pujolsaid. ‘She’d be very useful,’ said Harris. He knew that someone like this could be sent to India. There wasanopportunityheretospreadtheGarbonetworkintoAsia. ‘Sheneedsaname,too,’saidSarah. ‘TheresaJardine,’ThenamehadpoppedspontaneouslyintoHarris’shead. There was a moment’s pause before they all nodded. Yes, it worked. It was so mad there was no chancethatitcouldnotwork. ‘We might want to conscript her into the WRNS.’ Harris looked across to Sarah and she began takingnotes.‘AndonaccountofherpredilectionforIndians,sheshoulddoeverythinginherpower togetapostingtothesubcontinent.’ Harrischeckedthetime:hehadameetingtoattend.HeleftPujolandSarahintheofficetofleshout moredetails.TheAlliedinvasionofFrancewasonlymonthsaway–theirnewadditionstotheGarbo networkcouldcomeinhandy.HewouldmentionthemtoTarRobertsonandMastermanwhenhesaw them.Hissuperiorswouldwelcomethenewrecruits,hefeltsure.David,RagsandTheresaJardine were typical Garbo characters, existing in some borderland between the unbelievable and the credible,sooddthattheyhadtobereal.OratleastintheGermans’minds. AndwasitreallysostrangetodreamupsomethingliketheBrothersintheAryanWorldOrder? Reallifecouldthrowupequallycuriousorganisations.InfactitwasalmostasiftheGarboteamhad clairvoyant powers. Later, in his offical report, Harris would write the following conclusion to his chapteraboutthisparticularepisodeoftheGarbostory: Lestthereadershouldconsidertheserecruitmentstoofantasticheshouldberemindedthatthetruthisoftenstrangerthan fiction. This was subsequently to be proved to us, for several months later the activities of a Welsh seaman who had been arrestedwerebroughttothenoticeofM.I.5.Ittranspiredthathehadbeendetainedforspreadingsubversivepropaganda amonghisfellowseamen.Hehadbeencirculatingsubversivetypewrittenleafletsandhadspreadanti-Semiticpropaganda in the name of a small organisation which, from the material discovered amongst his property, ornamented with swastikas andotherNaziemblems,wasthe‘ARYANWORLDORDER’. fn1Thetwenty-sevenfictionalmembersofthenetwork,alongwiththeGermancodename‘Alaric’andtheBritishcodename‘Garbo’, makePujol‘thespywith29names’. PARTFOUR ‘It’snowonderthattruthisstrangerthanfiction. Fictionhastomakesense.’ MarkTwain 14 GermanyandtheEasternFront,July1942–March1943 FARFROMJERMYN Street,thewarontheEasternFrontgroundon. After guard duties on the Azov Sea came to an end in July, the men of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler – LAH – were sent to France, where their swelling numbers were converted into a PanzergrenadierDivision–motorisedinfantryequippedwitharmouredpersonnelcarriersandhalftrackfightingvehicles. JochenPeiperdidnotrushtorejoinhismen,spendingtimewithhiswifeinGermanyandvisiting hismentor,ReichsführerHimmler,athisheadquarters.Itwasanimportantmomentfortheheadof the SS. His leading subordinate, Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, the architect of the Final Solution, had recently been wounded in an assassination attempt in Prague by Czechoslovak resistancefighters.Heydrichhadnotbeenkilledintheattackitself,butdebrishadbeenblownintohis abdomenandhewouldlaterdiefromhisinfectedwounds. It was a questionable victory for the Czechoslovaks. Nazi retribution for Heydrich’s death was massiveandbrutal,and,ifanything,hismurderspeduptheprocessoftheHolocaust.IntheMayof 1942thegaschambersatAuschwitzbecamefullyoperationalandHimmlerspentpartofthesummer visitingthesitetoensurethathisnewinstallationswererunningasefficientlyaspossible. Stayingclosetothecentreofthesedevelopments,PeiperdidnotmakeittoFrancetojoinhisunit until August. There, in September, he was made commander of the III Battalion – a fighting unit comprising almost a thousand men organised into five companies. It was an important step in his alreadyrapidrisethroughtheranks. OneofhisfirstactsascommanderwastoforbidhismenfromhavingrelationshipswithFrench girlsorvisitingthelocalbrothels.Itmadeapoorinitialimpressionandlater,ontherecommendation ofamedicalofficerconcerned,perhaps,bytheconsequencesofimposingmonasticrulesonfighting men,Peiperrescindedtheorder. The autumn was spent getting used to the division’s new military equipment. The armoured personnelcarrierscamewithmachinegunsoranti-tankguns,andcouldtraveloff-road,transporting anentiresquadronandprotectingitfromenemyinfantryfire.Bythewinter,theywerereadytobe used. Thingsweredevelopingrapidlyintheeast.Thesituationinthesouthernsectorofthefront,inand around Stalingrad, was becoming desperate: it was time for Hitler ’s crack troops of the SS to be broughtintoshowtheirworth.On30December,theLAHreceivedorderstopreparefordeployment totheUkraine. The first units were already heading east when, still in France, Peiper was promoted to Sturmbannführer – the equivalent of major. It was 30 January, the tenth anniversary of Hitler ’s comingtopower,andPeiper ’stwenty-eighthbirthday.Thenextdayhisbattalioncaughtthetrainand headedeast,justas,inStalingrad,GeneralFriedrichPaulussurrenderedtheGerman6thArmytothe Soviets. ThedefeatatStalingradwasashockingblowfortheGermans.The6thArmy,afightingforcethat hadoncenumbered300,000men,hadbeendestroyedandtheWehrmacht’sairofinvincibility,earned afteryearsofspectacularvictoriesacrossEurope,hadbeenlost. TheLAH–nowalsoknownasthe1stSSDivision–wasjoinedbythe2ndSSDivision,DasReich, onthesouthernsectoroftheEasternFront,andtogetherwiththe3rdSSDivision,Totenkopf(Death’s Head),theymadeuptheSSPanzerCorps.Theirobjectivewastoretaketerritorylostinthewakeof theStalingraddefeat. Peiper and his men were in action as soon as they got off the train, arriving near the city of Kharkov. It was cold and many Wehrmacht units were demoralised. The German 320th Infantry Division – which had once numbered some 20,000 men – had become trapped behind enemy lines. Peiper ’sIIIBattalionwasgiventhejobofrescuingit,andwithonlyafewhundredsoldiersunderhis commandhecompletedthejobinlessthantwodays,destroyingtheSovietforcesheencounteredand fightinghiswaybacktotheGermanlinesthelongwayroundbecausetherivericecouldnotholdthe weightofhisequipment. TheactionwonhimtheGermanCrossinGold,oneofthehighesthonoursintheWehrmacht.But asifrescuinganentireinfantrydivisionwasnotenough,Peipercontinuedoverthecomingdaysand weeks with more heroic and daredevil exploits, punching deep into enemy territory and inflicting heavy losses. He gained a reputation for leading from the front, issuing orders calmly and with tacticalprecision. Yet there was a price to be paid for his style of leadership – Peiper was becoming known for suffering high casualties among his troops. He admired commanders like Georg Preuss, a first lieutenantwhobecamecompanycommanderunderhim.Preussnotonlyobeyedorderstotheletter, healsousedtocommentwithagrinthatthemoreofhismenwerekilled‘themorewomenwillbe leftforme’. Peiper ’sscantregardforhumanlifewasextendedmanytimesoverwhenitcametotheenemy– both soldiers and civilians. The Germans had abandoned Kharkov on 15 February, yet fighting around the city continued as they tried to retake it. On 3 March, Peiper ’s battalion invented a new weapondesignedforcombatinenemy-heldvillages:theblowtorch. Taking the heaters that were used to warm the engines on their vehicles in the sub-zero temperatures,Peiperhadthemmodifiedandturnedintoflame-throwersthatcouldspewoutajetof fireofupto15metreslong.Hesoonhadachancetotestthemout.Thenextdaytheywereusedfor the first time when the village of Stanichnoye, and anyone left inside it, was reduced to ashes. The nearbyvillageofStaraverovkasoonsufferedthesamefate.Anything–andanyone–thatgotinthe battalion’swaywasincinerated. The SS was no stranger to atrocities, but this was eye-catching even by their standards. Peiper ’s cachetwasraisedevenmorebyhisinnovationandhisunitearneditselfthenicknamethe‘Blowtorch Battalion’ – a moniker his men were proud to bear, painting blowtorches on their vehicles as an unofficialsymbol. Meanwhile,Peipercontinuedinhisrelentlessprogress,oftenreachinghisdailyobjectivesearlyin the morning and then continuing further into enemy territory on his own initiative. Such an action wonhimanothermedal–thistimethehighestinGermany:theKnight’sCrossoftheIronCross. Hisgreatestmoment,intheThirdBattleofKharkov,wasyettocome. Again on his own initiative, by 9 March Peiper ’s Blowtorch Battalion had reached the western outskirtsofthecityastheGermanspushedtoretakeitandthestagewassetforafullassaultagainst the Soviet positions, using all three SS divisions available. At the start of the offensive, Peiper was ordered to advance along the main street and reach Red Square in the centre. After seizing a small bridge of the River Lopan, he used his new heavy Tiger tanks with their powerful 88mm guns to achieve his objective. Fighting was fierce and the losses, again, were high, with over 4,500 LAH casualties,butby14MarchPeiper ’smenhadpushedthroughandthedefenderswerebeaten.Kharkov wasbackinGermanhandsandtheWaffen-SShadachievedoneofitsgreatestvictories. Thecitymayhavebeenrecaptured,butPeiperwantedmore.Actingindependently,andturningoff theradiosoasnottoheartheorderscallinghimback,hecontinuedtopushrepeatedlyagainstSoviet positions, breaking through with no protection on his flanks or to the rear. He did not care: Peiper was racing north from Kharkov at breakneck speed, pushing through towns and villages without stopping. Theresultwasthat,at1135hourson18Marchhewasabletodeclarethathehadsingle-handedly takenthenearbycityofBelgorodaswell.TheThirdBattleofKharkovhadended. The Germans were ecstatic. After the disaster at Stalingrad only weeks before they now had somethingtocelebrateontheEasternFront.Andvictoryhadcomethankstothefearlesseffortsofthe three Waffen-SS divisions of the SS Corps. Of these, the LAH, the 1st SS Division, received the largestshareofthemedalsthatweresubsequentlyhandedout. Triumphant, they carried out a massacre of Soviet prisoners, murdering hundreds of wounded soldiersinKharkov’shospitals.Officersandcommissarswerealsoexecutedasamatterofcourse. JochenPeiper,meanwhile,thegloriouscommanderoftheIIIBattalionandthevictorofBelgorod, wasnowaherooftheReichandoneofthemostdangerousmenintheGermanarmedforces. 15 London,March–June1943 AFTER MONTHS OF hesitation, Kühlenthal finally gave permission for Garbo to communicate with MadridbywirelessinMarch1943.PujolwassenttheAbwehrcyphertable–onethatBletchleyhad alreadybroken–andwasabletoputthemachinehehad‘boughtontheblackmarket’intooperation. A friend of Fred the Gibraltarian acted as wireless operator, thinking, as Garbo explained to the Germans,thathewassendingsecretmessagesonbehalfofaclandestineSpanishRepublicangroup. In fact, the man tapping away in Morse code was a real, not fictional, new member of the Garbo organisation: Charlie Haines, a former bank clerk who had failed to get into the armed services owingtoalimpbroughtonbypolio. Harris and the Twenty Committee were pleased: the transmissions and codes that the Germans providedwereaclearindicationofthevaluetheyputonGarbo’smaterial.Andthemoretheytrusted him,thegreatertheopportunitiesforMI5tousethechanneltodeceivetheenemy. The Garbo operation appeared to be going very well. A plan for the Germans to pay Garbo throughSpanishfruitmerchantsasintermediarieswasupandrunning,andseveralthousandpounds had already been received. By June the figure had reached £7,000, with the added irony that the Abwehrwaseffectivelypayingtobedeceived. MeanwhiletheGermanshadfallenforanewstorythatGarbohadbeenworkingon–asecretarms depot being set up in the Chislehurst Caves, in the south-eastern suburbs of London. From his waitering duties, Fred had been transferred to a job helping to dig and expand the underground chambers as ‘all Gibraltarians should have a natural aptitude for tunnelling’. The arms and ammunitionstoredtherewould,accordingtothestory,beusedoncetheAlliesopeneduptheSecond Front, and by the speed at which the caves were opened and filled, it was hoped that the Germans wouldcometoanerroneousconclusionastothedateofsuchanoperation.Thefactwasthatthere werenoweaponsbeingkeptintheChislehurstCaves.Thetunnelshadservedasanarsenalduringthe FirstWorldWar,butwerenowactingasalarge-scaleair-raidshelter. TowardstheendofMay,anevengreatersuccesscameforGarbo.Someweeksearlier,suspecting that the British might have broken them, the Abwehr had changed their Enigma codes. The codebreakers at Bletchley thought they could crack the new ones eventually, but that it could take some considerabletime.Inthemeanwhiletheyweretemporarilyblind,unabletoreadtheAbwehrtraffic. Help came, however, when Kühlenthal sent Garbo seventeen miniature photographs containing the newcyphertables.TheseweresenttoBletchleyandwithinacoupleofmonths–afarshortertime thanitwouldhavetakenotherwise–thecode-breakerswerebackin,readingtheGermans’messages oncemore. Onsendingthecyphertables,theGermanswrotetoGarbo:‘Wetrustthatyouwillbeabletoguard allthismaterialwhichweconfideinyouconscientiouslyandpreventitatanytimefromeverfalling intothehandsoftheenemy.’ ThewordcamebackfromadelightedBletchley–itwasthehighest-gradecypherusedthusfarby theGermansecretservice.Harriswasinnodoubtthatitwas‘themostimportantdevelopment’yetin theGarbocase. Garbowasprovingusefulinotherareasaswell.On1JuneaKLMplaneonthecivilianroutefrom LisbontoBritainwasshotdownbytheLuftwaffeovertheBayofBiscay,killingallseventeenpeople onboard.OneofthepassengerswastheactorLeslieHoward,whohadstarredinfilmssuchasGone withtheWindandTheScarletPimpernel,andwasreturningtoBritainafteralecturetourinSpainand Portugal. TherehavebeenmanytheoriesabouttheshootingdownofFlight777,includingthattheGermans mistakenlythoughtthatChurchillwasontheplaneandweretryingtoassassinatehim.FromGarbo’s point of view, however, the event was significant – his fictional courier, taking his letters back and forthtoLisbon,workedonthatroute.HehadnotbeenonHoward’sflight–luckily–buthemight havebeen. The Germans were putting a line of communication with Kühlenthal at risk. There could be no moreattacksonthesecivilianplanes,Garbotoldhisspymaster.Theyhadtostop. Andstoptheydid.WhetherornotbecauseofGarbo’sinterventionisnotcertain–theplaneswere re-routedaftertheattackandhenceforthonlyflewatnight.Garbo’smessage,however,maywellhave influencedtheGermandecisiontoleavetheplanesalone. ItwasclearthatwithinayearofarrivinginBritain,Garbohadbecomeastarplayerinthedoublecross system. Some of those involved were even beginning to think that Prime Minister Winston Churchillmightbeinterestedtohearaboutthisnew,veryusefulagentoftheirs.Butthen,justasthe operationwasstartingtoshowrealpromise,acrisisemerged. Araceliwasunhappy.BroughtovertoLondonshortlyafterherhusbandhadfinallybeentakenon byMI5,shestruggledtosettleinhernewhome.Shehadtwosmallboystolookafternow–Juanand Jorge–andwasforcedtolivelargelyisolatedfromtheSpanishcommunityforfearofinadvertently givingtheGarbosecretaway.Thelanguage,theweather,separationfromhermotherbackinSpain, the domestic arrangements at their house in sleepy Hendon, her husband’s long hours – all these becamesourcesoftensionandstress. SheandHarrisdidnotgeton;infacttheydislikedeachotherintensely.Frombeingherhusband’s collaborator in Spain and Portugal, Araceli had now been reduced to the role of supporting housewife, Harris taking over her position as Pujol’s partner in deceit. For his part, Harris appreciatedthatAraceliwasintelligentandastute,butalsocondemnedheras‘hysterical,spoiltand selfish’. Deeply homesick and unhappy with her new life, Araceli longed to go back to Spain, even for a shortvisit.MI5refused,fearfulforthesecurityoftheGarbooperation. Aftermanyargumentsandtensewords,thingscametoaheadon21June1943. PujolandAraceliusedtospendtimeoccasionallywithoneSpanishcouple,knowntoMI5asMr andMrsGuerra.TheyweremembersofasocialgroupcalledtheSpanishClub,andinvitedthePujols to join them one evening at one of their functions. There was a problem, however: staff from the SpanishEmbassywouldalsobethereforthedinner–peoplewhoworkeddirectlyforFranco,neutral yet still friendly with the enemy. It would be far too dangerous for Pujol to show his face in such companyandhehadtoinsistthattheycouldnotgo. ItwastoomuchforAraceli–shewasperfectlyawareofherhusband’srealworkandthereforeof thedangers,yet,lonelyandisolated,shefeltthatthiswasarefusaltoofar.Aviolentargumentbegan duringwhichshethreatenedtogotheSpanishEmbassyandtellofficialsthereallaboutPujol’swork fortheBritish.SuchamovewouldnotonlyhavebroughttheGarbooperationtoaswiftend,butalso most,ifnotall,ofthedouble-crosssystemitself. Tryingtoavoidacrisis,Pujolmanagedtogetoutofthehouseforafewminutesanddashedtoa phoneboxtoputacallthroughtohisoffice.Hiswifewasinahighlyexcitedframeofmind,hesaid. Ifsherangupandwasoffensivetheyshouldnottakeanynotice. Ashepredicted,laterthatnightAracelicalledHarrisathishome.Harrismadeanoteofwhatshe said: ‘Iamtellingyouforthelasttimethatifatthistimetomorrowyouhaven’tgotmemypapersall readyformetoleavethecountryimmediately–becauseIdon’twanttolivefiveminuteslongerwith myhusband–IwillgototheSpanishEmbassy.Asyoucansuppose,goingtotheSpanishEmbassy maycostmemylife–youunderstand?Itwillcostmemylife–sobytellingyouthatIamtellingyou everything...IshallhavethesatisfactionthatIhavespoilteverything.Doyouunderstand?Idon’t wanttoliveanotherdayinEngland.’ Years later, Harris was able to write with English aplomb: ‘Whilst we were not unaccustomed to suchoutbreaksthepresentcrisisseemedparticularlyserious.’ Thefactwas,Araceli’sthreatwasamajorproblemforMI5andtheyhadtocomeupwithaplan quickly.Unfortunately,intheirview,therewasnowaythattheycouldlockherupasthelawatthe time would not allow it. As a first step, Tar Robertson went over personally to Hendon the next morning to give her an official ticking-off, warning her that she had already committed ‘an act preparatorytoanact’withherthreat. Meanwhile,twoproposalswerediscussedwithinMI5.ThefirstwasintendedtodistractAraceliand give her something to do: a bogus side-story to the Garbo set-up would be arranged, involving a notionalGestapoofficerwantingtogetintouchwithherhusband.Theywouldletherrunthisminioperationinthehopethatitwouldcureherofherobviousboredom.Thesecondplanwastowarnthe Spanish Embassy that a woman of Araceli’s description was planning on assassinating the ambassador – the hope was that she would be thrown out of the building before being able to tell anyoneaboutherhusband’sespionageactivities. Intheend,however,boththeseideaswereshelvedwhenPujolhimselfcameupwithaveryGarboesquesolution. Aracelihadbeenstalledforawhilebybeingtoldthatananswertoherrequestfortravelpapers would come the following evening. Shortly before the appointed time, however, after the Spanish Embassy had closed for the day, two police officers knocked on her door. They told her that her husbandhadbeenarrestedandthattheyhadcometocollecthispyjamasandtoothbrush. Aracelireactedexactlyasexpected.HerhusbandwasloyaltoBritain,sheinsisted.Therewasno way that he could have been detained. In tears, she called up Harris to find out what had happened. HarristoldherthestorythatPujolhadconcoctedforthem: Pujol, he said, had been asked to meet section chief Guy Liddell that afternoon. Liddell had told him that he was agreeing to give Araceli and the children their travel papers, but that Pujol would havetogowiththemaswell,andthattheGarbooperationwasbeinghenceforthshutdown.Liddell askedPujoltowritealettertotheGermansexplainingawaythesuddennessofhisdisappearance. Pujol,accordingtothestory,refused.HehadcometoBritaintocarryoutthiswork,andhiswife could leave if she wanted to, but he wanted to stay. But Liddell explained to him that his wife had threatenedtobetrayeverythingandsotheyneededtheletterfromhimtoprotectthemselves. Attheword‘betrayal’Pujolhadlosthistemper.Itwasimpossible,hesaid,forAracelitodosucha thing.Herefusedtobelieveit.Thediscussionhadbecomeheated,Pujolhadbecomeaggressive,and thepolicehadbeencalledtotakehimawaytoCamp020,wherehewasnowbeingheld. AracelilistenedtoHarris’stale,believingeverywordofit.Pujol,shesaid,hadactedexactlyasshe wouldhaveexpected–defendingherhonour,preferringtogotoprisonratherthanwritetheirletter forthem. She seemed a little pacified, and the conversation ended. A short while later, however, she called Harris back, this time in a more belligerent mood, threatening to take the children and disappear. Puttingdownthephone,shecalledCharlieHaines,theGarbowirelessoperator,inadesperatestate, askinghimtocomeroundtothehouse.Whenhegotthere,HainesfoundadistraughtAracelisitting inthekitchenwiththegastapson.Shewasincoherent,andalittlelatershemadeasecondattempton herlife. Hainesconcludedthatshewasmostlyplay-acting.Butwitha10percentpossibilityofanaccident, heandHarrisarrangedforHarris’swifeHildatogoandspendthenightwithher. Thefollowingmorning,weeping,AraceliwastakentoseeTarRobertson.Shewasmorerepentant now,andtoldRobertsonthatshewastoblameforthesituation,thatherhusbandwasnotatfaultand pleadedthathebepardoned.Inexchangeshepromisednevertointerferewithhiswork,misbehaveor asktoreturntoSpainagain.Agreeing,aspertheplan,Robertsonmadehersignastatementtothat effectandtoldhershewouldbeallowedtovisitherhusbandlaterthatafternoon. At 4.30 she was taken under escort to Kew Bridge. There she was blindfolded and driven in a closed van to Camp 020. When she arrived an officer told her in no uncertain terms that she had escapedbeingarrestedherselfbyonlyahair ’sbreath. Pujolwasallowedtoappearbeforeherwearingprisonclothing,andclearlyunshaven.Heasked hertotellhimonherwordofhonourwhethershehadbeentotheembassy.Shesworethatshehad notandthatshewouldneverbehavelikethisagain,ormakeanythreats. Pujolwastakenbacktohiscell,toawaita‘tribunalhearing’thefollowingmorning.Araceliwas takenhome,‘morecomposedbutstillweeping’. ThefollowingmorningshewassummonedtoafurthermeetingtobetickedoffbyMI5staff,this timeattheHotelVictoriaonNorthumberlandAvenue.Shewastoldthatthe‘tribunal’hadclearedher husband, but she was warned once again never to repeat her recent behaviour. As a sop, she was informed that Harris had been taken off the Garbo case. This was untrue, but the plan was that henceforthAraceliandHarriswouldhaveaslittlecontactwitheachotheraspossible. The plan had worked. Pujol returned home later that evening for a reconciliation with his wife, shakenbythewholeepisode,eventhoughthemeansofresolutionhadbeenhisownidea.Itwas,he toldHarris,oneofthemostdistastefulthingshehaddoneinhislife. WithinMI5thereweresighsofrelief.Thecrisis,whichhadbeenplayingoneveryone’smindsfor thepastcoupleofdays,hadbeen‘liquidated’andthingsacrosstheentiredouble-crosssystemcould gobacktonormal. ThankstoPujol,theylearnedthatAracelihadneverintendedtocarryoutherthreattogotothe embassy,thatitwasmerelyaploytomakethemtakeherrequesttoreturntoSpainmoreseriously. AndPujolhadrisenevenhigherintheirestimation.HehadplacedhisworkwiththeBritishabove his marriage, playing out on his wife the kind of ruse that he usually concocted for the Germans. Surprisinglyperhapsforsomeonewhoknewhimandhiswayssowell,Aracelinevertwiggedthat shewasbeingduped. Therelationshiphadreceivedabodyblowandproblemsinthemarriagecontinued,butafterthe crisisofJune1943,asHarriswrotesomewhatwearilyinhisreport,AraceligaveMI5‘noparallel troublethereafter ’. 16 Britain,Summer1943 FOR GENERATIONS BROUGHT up on war films depicting great British espionage triumphs, it is easy to concludethattheGermanswereabitdimwhenitcametospying.TheManWhoNeverWasandIWas Monty’s Double show brilliant, creative Brits consistently outwitting the more powerful yet not-sobrightBoche. This is not simply a rosy take on events years after the Allies won the war. Even at the time, members of the secret establishment were labelling the Abwehr officers as ‘the most inefficient, credulousgangofidlers,drunkardsandturncoatsasevermasqueradedasasecretservice’. In the immediate aftermath of the conflict, Tomás Harris and John Masterman, separately and secretlywritinguptheiraccountsoftheGarbocaseandthedouble-crosssystem,portrayedanenemy that had been no match for British secret services. In hindsight, they both concluded, much more couldhavebeendonetofooltheGermansgiventheirgullibility. Easytosay,perhaps,intheinitialglowofvictory.ThetruthwasthattheGermanswerenoeasy opponents in the secret war, and the British were cautious throughout precisely because they knew how formidable they could be. The Venlo Incident, towards the start of the conflict, when German spies had fooled and captured two MI6 agents on the Dutch border, had demonstrated that. Subsequently the limited success of SOE operations in occupied Europe, and the capture by the Gestapoofmanyoftheiroperatives,continuedtomakethepoint. Germanexpertisewasnotlimitedtocounter-espionage.Theycouldcarryoutdeceptionplansof theirown,astheSovietshaddiscoveredinthesummerof1942.OperationKremlinfooledtheRed ArmyintothinkingthattheGermanswouldrepeattheirpushonMoscowthatyear,havingfailedto takethecitythepreviouswinter.TheLuftwaffeincreaseditsreconnaissanceflightsovertheSoviet capital,andmapsofMoscowweredistributedwithintheWehrmachtinpreparationforthesupposed offensive. All this filtered back to Stalin and his generals, who readied themselves for the attack. When,instead,theGermanslaunchedOperationBlauandpushedsouthtowardsStalingradandtheoil fieldsoftheCaucasus,theRedArmywascaughtbysurprise. Overthesummerof1943,oncethecrisiswithAracelihadbeendealtwith,theGarbonetworkalso hadatasteofdisappointment. August 1942 had seen the disaster at Dieppe, when Jack Poolton and most of his comrades had eitherbeenkilledorcaptured.Thatattackhadbeenlaunchedwithneithersurprisenordeception,and with inevitably poor results. ‘It is sad, but interesting,’ Masterman wrote, ‘to speculate whether the Dieppe Raid might not have been more successful, or at least less costly, if it had been effectively covered[byadeceptionplan].’ InSeptember1943,ayearlater,theAlliesattemptedthereverse:aplantodeceivetheGermansinto thinkingthatanattackwascomingwhentherewasnoneatall. Intheeast,StalinwasstillurgingfortheSecondFronttobeopened,buttheBritishandAmericans were holding back, waiting until they were fully prepared to launch an assault on what Hitler describedas‘FortressEurope’–thevastnetworkofdefencesbeingerectedonthecoastsofFrance andotheroccupiedcountries.Inthemeantime,however,inanattempttotakesomeofthepressureoff the Soviets, fake landings would be staged at various points to keep German troops tied down, therebypreventingthemfrombeingsenttotheeast. The plan was called Operation Cockade and it marked a shift in the Garbo story, in which the network moved fully into what Masterman described as ‘deceiving the enemy about our own plans andintentions’–thefinalandculminatingreasonforrunningthedouble-crosssystem. The idea for the operation came from the London Controlling Section (LCS), the highly secret committee based in the underground Cabinet War Rooms that was now coordinating all deception plans.HeadedbyformerstockbrokerColonelJohnnyBevan,theLCSwasusingMI5’sdouble-cross system directly to influence enemy thinking, with Garbo as one of its main players. The Spanish doubleagent,Bevanalreadyforesaw,would‘haveaveryimportantroletoplayinthefuture’. It was August 1943. Pujol-as-Garbo had been in Britain for almost a year and a half, but for the Germans, as Arabal, he had been spying for them for two whole years. True to character, he sent Kühlenthalalong,moodylettertomarktheanniversaryofhisarrival: Afewdaysago[hewroteon2August]Icompletedthesecondanniversaryofmystayhere,fulfillingfromthestartthesacred duty of defending the ideals which inspire me so profoundly against our common enemies, disturbers of justice and social order. I have accomplished a great deal since then, always without thought for the dangers through which I must pass, leapingallobstacleswhichtheyputinmyway... Don’tyourealisethatthisisasacrificeformetowritetheselongletters?Myworkweighsonme,Godalive!ButIknow, althoughattimesyousmileatmyhumour,youappreciatethecontentsasmorevaluablethanifyoureadahundredEnglish newspapers and heard a thousand Anglo-American radio transmissions, because through those you would only hear lies, andmywritingsonlytellyouconcreterealities... My cool head and effrontery with which I defend the democratic-Jewish-Masonic ideology have opened many doors to me,andfromthereIhavedrawnopinions...Iamnotthereforegenerallytakenbysurprisebyallthemovesofourenemy. Heiscunningandhasambushesfitforbandits... Englandmustbetakenbyarms,shemustbefallenupon,destroyedanddominated,shemustbesabotaged,destroyingall herpotentialities... I love a struggle which is hard and cool, difficult and dangerous. I am not afraid of death, because I am a madman convincedbymyideals.Iwouldratherdiethanseemyselfcalleddemocratic... WitharaisedarmIendthisletterwithapiousremembranceforallourdead. Mastermanalwaysemphasisedtheneedfordoubleagentstolivealifeascloseaspossibletothat oftheirsupposedcharacters.WhetherornotPujol,standinginhistinyJermynStreetoffice,actually didaHitlersaluteashewroteoutthefinallinesofhislettertoKühlenthalisnotknown. OverthefollowingweeksGarbo’sletterstoMadridfocusedalmostexclusivelyonthebuild-upto OperationCockade. The principal agents used for the deception plan were Senhor Carvalho (Agent 1), Pedro the Venezuelan(Agent3),FredtheGibraltarian(Agent4)andStanleytheWelshnationalist(Agent7). Carvalho and Stanley got things started in August by separately reporting to Garbo on military exercisesinsouthernWalesinpreparationforalanding,probablyinBrittany(OperationWadham). Thus the two reports confirmed each other and Garbo was able to pass their information on to Kühlenthal. NextcamereportsinsupportofasupposedattackonNorway–OperationTindall.Garbohimself travelleduptoGlasgowtoconsultwithPedro,learningthatcommandosinScotlandweretrainingin mountain warfare, while new camps were being built near aerodromes for airborne troops who would be used in the attack. Other observations included the use of new cranes and unloading equipment at the docks, an increase in RAF personnel, as well as a general rise in the amount of troopsandmaterielfromhispreviousvisitstothearea. TogiveasensethattheGarbonetworkwassendingovermoreinformationthantheGermanswere actuallyreceiving,theenvelopeswerepaintedwiththecensor ’sstripes,indicatingthattheyhadbeen testedforsecretinksinBritainbeforebeingsenton.Thelettersthat‘gotthrough’werenumberedin a way to make the Germans think that some of them had indeed tested positive for secret inks and beenconfiscated.InthatwaytheGarbonetworkwasseentobedoingagoodjob,whileleavinggaps in what it actually reported. The result was that the Abwehr began to rely even more on Garbo’s wirelesstransmissions–somethingtheyhadbeenreluctantaboutforsecurityreasons,butwhichMI5 werekeentoencourage. TowardstheendofAugust,thenetworkbeganpassingonreportstobackupOperationStarkey,the mainplankofCockade,involvingan‘attack’onCalais.Troopswerereportedtobeamassingonthe south coast. As a result, Garbo told the Germans that he had called Stanley and Pedro urgently to Londonwithaviewtosendingthemsouthtofindoutwhatwashappening. Meanwhile, Fred the Gibraltarian, digging away in the Chislehurst Caves, had enjoyed a lucky break, and had been transferred to canteen duties in the NAAFI – the armed services recreational organisation. Sent down to Dover for a while, he was able to report that a large number of assault craftandtroopsweregroupinginthearea.Overthenextfewdaysandweeks,Carvalho,Pedroand StanleyconfirmedthiswithmorereportsonforcesandequipmentamassingalongtheKentcoastline. Everythingwasset,itappeared,foranattackofsomekindagainstthePas-de-Calais. It was around this time that Garbo introduced a new source of information in his expanding networkofagents,acharacterwhomPujollaterdescribedas‘withoutadoubtthemostimportant’in thenetwork.KnownonlyasJ(5),shewasasecretaryintheMinistryofWar,‘farfrombeautifuland rather dowdy in her dress’, as Garbo described her (Kühlenthal christened her ‘Amy’). She was, however,inneedofattentionfromtheoppositesex,aroleGarbowashappytoplayinexchangefor herunwittingindiscretionsaboutthingsshehadheardandseenatwork. ‘Youmustletmeknow’,GarbowrotetoKühlenthalshortlyaftermeetingher,‘whetherIhavecarte blanchewithregardtoexpensesincurredinhercompany,foritisnaturalthatwheneverItakeherout Ihavetoinvitehertodinneranddrinksandgiveherpresents.IamcertainthatwiththisgirlIcan obtaininformation.’ ImaginingGarbotobeanexiledSpanishRepublican,J(5)becamehismistressandbeganpassing overmoreinformationaboutthetroopmovementsonthesouthcoast.Theywere,shesaid,intended toprobethecoastaldefences,andifpossible,penetrateintoenemyterritory,butonlyusingasmall force.Eitherthat,shetoldhim,ortherewasalargerforceelsewherepreparingfortheattackaswell. Itwasaclevermove,designedtocoverGarbo’sbackoncetheoperationhadbeencarriedout.For Starkey was never going to be a full-scale invasion and Garbo would need something to keep his reputationintactoncethatbecamecleartotheGermans. Finally the day for the ‘attack’ came. In a further boost to his reputation as spymaster, Garbo actuallyreportedthenightbeforethatitwasgoingtotakeplace.Thatevening,Pedrohadcomeupto Londonfromthecoasttoreportthatsoldiershadbeengivenironrationsandconfinedtobarracks. Theoperationwouldbeginthatsamenight. Hours later, on 9 September 1943, Operation Starkey finally took place. The battleships and troopshipssailedout,completewithalargeescortofRAFfighterplanes,towardstheCalaiscoast. There they waited, expecting the Germans to react in some way, particularly to send over the Luftwaffesothattheycouldbeengagedinbattle.ButoverinFrancetheGermansmerelygotonwith theirday,untroubledbythearmadasittingimpatientlyonthehorizon. Theyhadnotfallenforanyofit. Allthebuild-up,thetroops,equipment,theshipsandfighters,andthedeceptionplan,hadcometo nothing.Theboatsandplaneswereobligedtoturnaroundandheadbackhome. German High Command did not believe that the Allies were going to invade in the summer of 1943, and they were right. The only exception was Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, the commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht’s western forces. He did think an invasion was coming, but hadbeenoverruled.Inthebuild-uptoStarkey,GermanHighCommandhadeventakentendivisions outfromFrancefordutiesinotherareas.TheAllies’plantogettheGermanstoconcentrateforcesin FranceandthuskeepthemawayfromtheEasternFrontwasacompletefailure. Cockadewasinevitablyrenamed‘cock-up’. Important lessons needed to be learned, and fast, because the Allies were now committed to launchingaproperinvasionofFrancethefollowingspring.IftheirlackofsuccesswithStarkeywas anythingtogoby,D-Daywasgoingtobeadisaster. FortheGarbonetwork,allenergieswereengagedindamage-limitation.Therewasadangernot onlythatGarbowouldlosecredibilitywithKühlenthal,butthatKühlenthalhimselfwouldgodownin hismasters’estimation.RejectingofficialAlliedstatementsthatStarkeyhadmerelybeenanexercise, Garboinsistedthatafullattackhadbeenenvisagedfromthestart,butthatithadbeencalledoffatthe lastminuteowingtotherecentarmisticeinItaly.TheItalians,nowthatUSandBritishtroopsinSicily threatened the mainland, had deposed Mussolini back in July and on 8 September announced their surrender.AccordingtoGarbo,officialsinLondonwerenowspeculatingwhethersomethingsimilar mightnothappeninGermany,hencethelast-minutedecisiontocallofftheCalaisattack. Thestoryappearedtohavethedesiredeffect.KühlenthalreportedthistoBerlin,whocameback withmessages,pickedupbyBletchley,thattheywereveryhappywithGarbo’sintelligence. InJermynStreet,theGarboteamcouldheaveasighofrelief.Itwasclearthatdespitethelackof Cockade’s success, they still had a channel for passing over deception to the Germans. In the postmortem,though,thereweremanymistakestobepickedover. Militarily,itwasclearthatallsectionsofthearmedforcesneededtobeworkingincloserharmony –theRoyalNavyandRAFhadonlyplayedreluctantpartsintheplan. As far as MI5 were concerned, other conclusions were reached. The first was that being overly subtle, trying to make the Germans reach their own conclusions, was not always a benefit in the GarbotrafficsenttoMadrid.Infact,itbecameclearthatthemorespecificandsensationaltheywere, the more attention they were given. By tracking how the Garbo material trickled through to the Abwehr via the Bletchley intercepts, Harris could see that extremely urgent messages from Garbo reachedBerlinwithinanhour.Thiswasausefulobservationforthemoreimportantdeceptionplans tocome. AnotherproblemwasthebureaucracyinvolvedindrawingupamessagethatGarbocouldsend.So manyauthoritiesneededtocheckanddouble-checkthebogusreportsthatitslowedtheprocessdown considerably,totheextentthatsomemessageshadtobecancelledaseventsonthegroundchanged andrenderedthemoutofdate.Thiswouldbeamendedtosomedegreeintherun-uptotheinvasion, butcontinuedtobeaproblem,muchtoHarris’sfrustration.Thesedifficulties,helaterwrote,‘always constitutedbyfarthemoststrenuousandexasperatingworkintherunningofthecase.’ AfinallessonfromCockadewastheneedforcoordinationwiththemedia.Justafewdaysbefore Operation Starkey, the BBC French Service had been about to broadcast a coded message to the Resistancethatthecomingattacksonthecoastdidnotconcernthemandthattheywerenottoriseup inresponse.ThetextcouldhaveseriouslyunderminedGarbo’scredibilityhaditgoneout,andwas onlyexchangedatthelastminuteandaftermuchwranglingforsomethinglesscompromisingtothe deceptionplan. Ingeneral,OperationCockademighthavebeenamessandafailure,but,liketheDieppeRaida yearbefore,itaffordedtheAlliesimportantlessonsfortherealinvasionninemonthslater. Theywerestillquiteunprepared,theirarmiesmannedlargelybyinexperiencedconscripts.Against them,ontheothersideoftheChannel,stoodavastforceofhardenedsoldiers,manyofthemwitha fanaticalbeliefintheircause. WouldtheAlliesbeabletolearnthoselessons? Wouldthelessonsinthemselvesbeenough? PARTFIVE ‘...Iexpectthereadertoexpandhisconceptoftruthtoaccommodatewhatfollows.’ AnthonyBurgess 17 London,Early1944 AFTER MORE THAN two years nurturing and expanding his fake Nazi spy network, strengthening the Germans’trustintheir‘man-in-London’,thetimehadcomeforGarbo’smostimportanttask. FromFebruary1944onwardsPujolandHarrisfocusedexclusivelyondeceptionpreparationsfor OperationOverlord–thecodenameforthefull-scaleAlliedinvasionofGerman-occupiedFrance. Across southern England, British, American and Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen were preparingfortheamphibiousassaultontheNormandycoastline,waitingtotakepartin‘thegreatest combined operation in history’. On the first day of the invasion alone – D-Day – 150,000 men and 1,500tankswerescheduledtobelandedonthebeachesbyafleetofalmost5,500ships,escortedby 12,000planes.Almost3millionmoreservicemenwouldthenjointhemoverthefollowingweeksas subsequentwaveswereexpectedtopunchdeepintoNazi-heldterritoryandfinallyopenupthemuchawaitedSecondFront. Deception was vital for the success of Overlord. Without it, the US, British and Canadian troops landing on the Normandy beaches were likely to be massacred, and the invasion would fail. Amphibiousoperationswereextremelyriskyandnothinghadbeentriedonthisscalebefore. The Normandy coast around Caen had been chosen for the invasion because of its wide, open beachesandgapsinthesanddunesthroughwhichtheAlliescould–intheory–pourmenandarms withouttoomuchopposition.YetthefailureoftheDieppeRaidwasuppermostinpeople’sminds,as werethepainfulmemoriesofGallipoliintheFirstWorldWar–anamphibiousassaultthathadended indefeatandover200,000casualties.SinceDieppe,theAllieshadlaunchedamphibiouslandingsin SicilyinJuly1943,andatAnzioandSalernoonthesouthernItaliancoastinJanuary1944.Inboth instances the invasions had been chaotic and had nearly ended in disaster. At Anzio, Allied troops werestuckinaconfinedareaformonthsasresilientGermanforcescounter-attackedtheirpositions. TheseexperiencesweighedheavilyontheAlliedcommanders,particularlytheBritish,whowere reluctanttolaunchafull-scaleinvasionofFrance.Atbest,itwasfearedthehumancostwouldbevery high.AtworsttheAlliesmightevenbedefeated.ThisatatimewhentheSovietsweremakingclear,if bloody,progressintheeast. Intheorythesuccessofaseaborneassaultdependedon‘theabilityoftheattackertosustainamore rapid rate of reinforcements by sea than the defender is able to do by land’. The words ‘sea’ and ‘land’arekeyhere.Unlessthedefenderwashamperedbydifficultterrain,hewouldalwayshavean advantageovertheattacker.TheflatplainsandgentlyrollinghillsofNormandy,wheretheinvasion wastotakeplace,innowayconstitutedaproblemfortheGermans.Thepressurewasalwaysgoing tobeontheAlliestosendovertroopsandmaterielfastenoughovertheoftenturbulentwatersofthe ChannelbeforetheGermanscouldconcentratetheirownforcesintheareaofthelandings. OnthefaceofittheAllieshadmuchtobeworriedabout.ForcenturiesBritainhadboastedofthe naturaldefencesprovidedbythesea;nowitwaspreparingtoturnthetables,tocrossthewatersand invadeattheverypoint–Normandy–fromwhichthelastsuccessfulinvasionofBritainhadbeen launched,900yearspreviously. Geography and the technicalities of an attack from the sea were not the only considerations. A major worry, particularly for the British, was the German Army itself. The collapse of the British ExpeditionaryForceandtheevacuationfromDunkirkin1940hadcausedsomethingofatraumafor the British armed forces. The Wehrmacht, with its modern blitzkrieg techniques, had clearly demonstrated what Max Hastings describes as its ‘institutional superiority’. A sense of military inferioritytowardstheenemyhaddeveloped,whichvictoryatElAlameinin1943hadonlypartially cured. DespitereversesagainsttheSovietsandinNorthAfrica,theGermanArmywasamightyopponent, onewhichfewlookedforwardtoengaginginopenfield.Ithadbetterdisciplineandmotivationand, apartfromitsartillery,wasalsobetterarmed:GermanPantherandTigertanksweregreatlysuperior totheShermansandChurchillsoftheAmericansandBritish. The Americans were slightly less nervous about engaging the Wehrmacht – they had more men available,couldabsorbmorecasualties,andhadsufferedlessatthehandsoftheGermansinthewar sofar.Nonetheless,nooneineithertheUSorBritishcommandswasunderanydoubtastothescale oftheriskthattheNormandylandingswouldentail. It was to make up for some of the Allies’ military weaknesses that the deception plan was conceived. It was called ‘Bodyguard’, after a comment Churchill made to Stalin at the Tehran Conference in November 1943 that ‘In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attendedbyabodyguardoflies.’ WithinBodyguard,thedeceptionrelatingspecificallytoOverlordandtheinvasionofNormandy was called ‘Operation Fortitude’. This was then divided in two: ‘Fortitude North’ and ‘Fortitude South’. The first dealt with plans to fool the enemy into thinking that an invasion of Norway was imminentandtherebyholdGermantroopsinScandinavia;thesecondwastodeceivethemoverwhen andwherealongtheFrenchcoastthemainassaultwastotakeplace. The key to a successful invasion would be to prevent the Germans from quickly sending reinforcementstoNormandyfromotherpartsofwesternEuropeoncethelandingsbegan.Largely stationary infantry divisions were dotted in and around the coast in preparation for the coming assault.Theywouldberelativelyslowinresponding.Therealdangercamefromthereserves–the highlymobilePanzer,orarmoured,divisions–whichwouldbeabletodescendontheAlliedforces at great speed. Particularly feared were the Waffen-SS Panzer divisions, filled with true fanatics, brutal and ruthless defenders of Nazi ideology armed with powerful mechanised weaponry. ‘They were convinced of Germany’s rightful dominance and in “final victory”,’ historian Antony Beevor writesofthem.‘ItwastheirdutytosavetheFatherlandfromannihilation.’ The Waffen-SS divisions had already shown their capabilities in various theatres during the war, not least in the Balkan campaign in 1941 and in the German recapture of Kharkov on the Eastern Front in 1943. Slowing them down in their response to the Normandy landings would be crucially important. The Allied deception plan, therefore, needed to achieve three things: firstly, to keep the enemy guessing about when the landings would take place; secondly, to make them think that the invasion wouldoccuralongthePas-de-Calaiscoastline;andthirdly,oncetheassaulthadbeguninNormandy, the Germans needed to be convinced that this was a feint, intended to draw their best forces away fromtheCalaisareasothattheAlliescouldsubsequentlylaunchthemainforceoftheinvasionthere. Thefirstoftheseobjectiveswasrelativelystraightforward,acaseoffoolingtheGermansabout theAllies’stateofreadiness.Theothertwoweremorecomplicated. The deception planners were assisted, however, by the fact that the Germans themselves thought that the invasion would come in the Pas-de-Calais. Militarily it made sense: providing a shorter distancetocrossbysea,andachanceforgreatercoverfromairforces.Itwasalsoabetterposition forstrikingintoGermanyitselfonceafootholdhadbeenestablished. Calaiswasalsotheobvioussiteforalandingbecauseofitsmajorseaports.TheGermansknew that one of the Allies’ main difficulties would be to send in men and materiel fast enough once the invasionhadstarted.Whichwaswhy,theyreasoned,theywouldhavetoattackandcaptureaport. ButheretheAllieshadamajorsecretuptheirsleeve:theMulberryharbours. AnotherofthemanylessonslearnedfromDieppewasthenearimpossibilityofcapturingaport fromtheGermans.Evenifonecouldbetaken,thethinkingwent,itwouldsuffersomuchdamagein theattackthatitwouldtakemonthstorepairandbereadyforuse.Theanswer,therefore,wastomake a floating harbour in various pieces, drag it over the Channel and construct it off the Normandy beachesreadyfordisembarkingthemenandequipmentneededforcontinuingtheinvasionafterthe initial attack. In the end, two such secret harbours were made, and they were given the code name ‘Mulberry’. TheexistenceoftheMulberriesmeantthattheAlliescouldlaunchtheinvasionwheretheGermans did not expect them. The Normandy coast from Caen stretching west towards the Cherbourg peninsulaisasleepy,ruralstretchofshorelinedottedbyahandfulofvillages.Mostofitisquiteflat, whileasectioninthemiddlerisesuptoclifffaceswithgrassyfieldstumblingdownbehindthem.It liesroughly100milesfromthesouthernEnglishcoastline.Therearenoportsand,apartfromCaen, nomajorcitiestospeakof. The Germans had built powerful defences along the entire French coastline, even in Normandy: theyknewthattheinvasionwascoming.Thestrongestofthesedefences,however,wereinthePas-deCalais. Again,convincingtheenemyofsomethingwhichtheyarealreadyconvincedof,whilehavingits owncomplications,isrelativelyeasy.TherealsuccessorfailureofBodyguardwoulddependonthe accomplishmentofthethirdobjective:makingtheenemythinkthatNormandywasafeint. DeceivingtheGermansaboutthetimingandtheplaceoftheinvasionwas,ineffect,aboutcreating thesurprise.Butoncethelandingshadbegun,thequestionsofwhereandwhenwouldbeanswered, and the Germans could then respond. Surprise itself was not enough. The enemy’s strength and capabilitywassuchthattheycouldstillbeattheAlliesoncetheirpowerfulPanzerreserveshadbeen mobilisedandbroughtintodealwiththeinvasion. For Normandy to succeed, the surprise had to continue well beyond D-Day, which was where deception really came in. How could the Allies keep the Panzer divisions and other units from descending on them once the assault had begun? The answer, they hoped, would be to make them thinkthattheinvasionwasatrick. Itwas,infact,atrickwithinatrick,adeceptionwithinadeception.TheGermansneededtobelieve that the Allies were trying to fool them. Which indeed they were. But not in the way the Germans thought. 18 Britain,Winter–Spring1944 OVER THE COURSE of the war, MI5 ran almost forty double agents. Many of them were reluctant collaborators,foolingtheirGermanmasterstosavetheirskins.Otherswereinitforthemoneyor thesenseofadventure,orwerejustbarkingmad.Agoodnumberhadtobe‘liquidated’–theircases closed–beforetheendofthewarowingtoweaknessesintheircoverstories,orbecausetheyhad beencompromisedinsomeway.Intheend,ofthedozensofsuchagents,onlythreeweretoplaya criticalroleintheD-Daydeception–thecrowningmomentofthedouble-crosssystem.Theircode nameswere‘Brutus’,‘Tricycle’and‘Garbo’. Brutus was a diminutive Polish former fighter pilot called Roman Czerniawski who had escaped Poland after the German and Soviet invasions in 1939 and made his way to France, where he independently set up an intelligence-gathering organisation known as the Interallié. Betrayed by an associate,hewasimprisonedbytheGermansinNovember1941.Heledthemtobelieve,however, that he would be willing to change his allegiances, so in the spring of 1942 he was released – the Germanspretendingthathehadescaped–andsenttoBritain.Soonafterhearrived,hegotintouch withBritishintelligence,offeringtoworkforthem,andwastakenonbyMI5underthecodename Brutus. Tricycle was a gregarious, womanising Yugoslav lawyer named Dusan ‘Dusko’ Popov who was recruitedintotheAbwehrinAugust1940.Hissympathies,however,alwayslaywiththeAlliesandhe immediatelytoldtheBritishthathehadbeentakenonbyGermanintelligence.Fromthenonheacted asadoubleagent,passingbetweenLisbonandLondon,tellingtheGermansthathewasworkingon an escape route for Yugoslav airmen, when the truth was he was handing over their secrets and passing back deception material dreamed up in London. He was given the code name ‘Tricycle’ because,ithasbeenclaimed,ofhisfondnessforménagesàtrois.MI5regardedhimastheirsecondmostvaluabledoubleagent;hehasbeennamedasoneofthepossibleinspirationsforIanFleming’s JamesBond. Of the three agents, however, Brutus’s loyalties were always first and foremost to Poland, while TricyclehadeffectivelybeentakenoffFortitudeinthemonthsbeforeD-Dayowingtodoubtsover hiscover.Garbowasthemostimportant. ‘Garbowasthemanwhodevelopedintoourrealstar,’wroteEwenMontagu,‘probablyout-doing evenTricycle.’ The official historian of MI5, Christopher Andrew, agrees: ‘The double agent who contributed mosttothesuccessoftheFortitudedeceptionswas...Garbo.’ Afanofcricketinganalogies,JohnMastermandescribedGarbointhefollowingterms,comparing himwithoneoftheearlier–andultimatelydisappointing–doubleagents,‘Snow’:‘IfinthedoublecrossworldSNOWwastheW.G.Graceoftheearlyperiod,thenGARBOwascertainlytheBradman of the later years.’ International cricket was suspended during the war, but Australia’s Donald Bradman was the leading batsman of the day. Today, he is not only regarded as the finest cricketer ever,butpossiblythegreatestathleteofanysport.Mastermanwasdescribinghisdoubleagentinthe mostflatteringtermshecouldthinkof.TheGarbocase,heconcluded,wasnothingshortof‘themost highlydevelopedexample’oftheartofdeception. Byearly1944theGermansknewthatsomekindofAlliedinvasionwouldbeforthcomingoverthe courseoftheyear;whattheydidnotknowwaswhereorwhen.InJanuarytheyinstructedGarboto findoutasmuchashecouldabouttheAlliedplans,suggestinghesendsub-agentsfromhisnetwork tocoverareasaroundthesouthcoast.Whichwasjustaswell,becausethatwaspreciselywhatHarris and Pujol were intending to do anyway. Not in order to tell Kühlenthal what was really going on there, but gradually to feed disinformation that would seep into the German military command structure. Harris later described the process: ‘The procedure at the beginning was to ensure that the percentageofcheckabletruthshouldbehigh,sothatthefalsehoodsinsertedintothereportswould, ontheprincipleofallIntelligenceappreciation,havetobeaccepted.Graduallyweweretoincrease thepercentageoffalseinourmixtureuntiltheentiresubstanceofourreportswouldbebasedonthe falseorthenotional.’ Andtherewerenowplentyoffictionalsub-agentstosendaroundthecountrytokeepaneyeonthe relevant patches of coastline. In Scotland, Garbo’s deputy, Agent 3 – Pedro the Venezuelan – was keeping an eye on movements in and around the Clyde. One of his sub-agents – Agent 3(3), a CommunistGreekseamanwhothoughtPedrowasworkingfortheSoviets–waslookingafterthe eastern Scottish coast. Between them they reported material to back up Fortitude North – the supposedly imminent invasion of Norway that was holding down around half a million German armedforcespersonnelinScandinavia–afigurethatneverdroppedbelow400,000duringtherestof thewar. Meanwhile, the bulk of the Garbo network was based in southern England, backing up the deceptionforFortitudeSouth.Agent4–FredtheGibraltarian–wassenttoworkinacanteenina sealedmilitaryareaaroundSouthampton. By this time Fred had recruited some sub-agents of his own. The most important – Agent 4(3) – wasanAmericansergeantintheUSArmyServiceofSupply.FredhadmethiminSoho,wherethey hadendeduptalkingabouttheSpanishCivilWar.TheAmericanwasdescribedas‘sociable,jocular and fairly talkative’ and was virulently anti-Communist. He was also an admirer of Franco, and he and Fred had established a friendship based on their shared anti-British sentiment. Never given a namebytheBritish–althoughtheGermansreferredtohimas‘Castor ’–Agent4(3)wouldbethe mainsourcethroughwhichGarbopassedonmisinformationabouttheUSmilitary–evendetailsthat a mere sergeant would almost certainly never have been privy to. The Germans, thankfully, never questionedthis. Garbo himself stayed in London as the head of the network, where he was also gathering intelligencefromhisunconsciouscollaborators:J(3),Garbo’ssupposedboss,wasstillasourcefrom theMinistryofInformation,whileGarbo’smistress,J(5),continuedunwittinglytogivehimmaterial directfromtheWarOfficeitselfintheirpillowtalk. The final part in the Garbo jigsaw puzzle was played by members of the recently created BrotherhoodintheAryanWorldOrder.Stanley–Agent7,themanwhohadrecruitedthemoriginally – was moving back and forth between south Wales and London, acting as a contact. Agent 7(2) – David–wasstationedinDovertocoverKent.Agent7(3)–TheresaJardine,thegroup’ssecretary– hadbeentransferredtoCeylontocoverthewareffortintheeast.Herlover,RagstheIndianpoet– Agent7(4)–wasnowinBrightoncoveringtheSussexandSurreycoasts.Agent7(5)–anunnamed Welshman – was sent to cover Exeter, Devon and Cornwall. Agent 7(6) – also unnamed – was stationed in Swansea to cover south Wales. And Agent 7(7) – the group’s treasurer, unnamed but knowntotheAbwehras‘Dorrick’–wasinHarwichcoveringthecoastsofEssexandSussex. BythistimeAgent5–Agent3’sbrother–wasworkingforGarbofromCanada,apartthatwas being played by Cyril Mills, Pujol’s first MI5 case officer, who had gone to liaise with the intelligenceagenciesontheothersideoftheAtlantic. Agent 3 – Pedro (a role played by Harris) – was now acting as Garbo’s deputy and sending in reports of his own in English directly to Kühlenthal. Written in a much more concise style than Garbo’s,theyoftendetailedsupposedtrooppositionsandmovementsaroundsouthernEngland. AtypicalPedromessageofthetimewentlikethis: Area west of Stifford closed to civilians, including Grays by pass. Very large vehicle park at Belhus Park, has special new roadbuilttoit...Hordon-on-Hill,sawlargeNFSHQanddepot.AtGravesend,sawmen,vehiclesof47LondonDivision, 61Division,EastandSoutheasternCommand,andmen,9ArmyDivision. Kühlenthalcouldnotgetenoughofthiskindofthing.Hestillhadoneeyeoverhisshoulder,and needed good intelligence to strengthen his position within the Abwehr – a hotbed of professional jealousyandback-stabbingatthebestoftimes.Ambitiousandhard-working,byearly1944hehad becometheheadoftheMadridstationinallbutname,buthisJewishbloodmeantthatthereremained the threat of being sent back to Germany to join one of the workers’ group battalions supporting front-linetroops.HerepliedtoGarbo,praisinghisVenezuelansub-agent: Weareverysatisfiedwiththewaymessageshavebeensetoutby[Agent]Three.Theyareveryclearandefficient. Arecommendationfromhisdirectopponent,thesamemanhewasdeceiving–Harrismusthave allowedhimselfasmile. Communicationbythispointwasalmostexclusivelythroughwirelesstransmissions–aset-upthat MI5washappierwith,andhadmanagedtoarrangebymakingtheGermansthinkthatmostoftheir cover addresses in Lisbon had been blown. The amount of material being sent over was now very high,withfiveorsixmessagesbeingbroadcasteveryday.FromJanuarytoD-Dayon6June1944, some 500 wireless messages were exchanged between Garbo and Kühlenthal in Madrid. The only letterswerethefewthatGarbowroteaccompanyingthosethatheforwardedfromAgent5inCanada andTheresaJardineinCeylon,aroleplayedbyPeterFleming,theelderbrotherofauthorIan. KühlenthalwouldimmediatelyretransmittoBerlinanyinformationonmilitarymatters.Attimes Garbowouldaddapersonalappreciationtothemessages,akindofexegesisontheinformationthat hewasreceivingfromhissub-agents.Inthepastthesemighthavebeendroppedorrewordedbefore beingsentontoBerlin,butfromnowontheywouldbebroadcastoverwordforword.TheGermans werenotonlyrelyingonGarbo’sinformation;theywerealsostartingtovaluehisopinionsonthe AlliedpreparationsfortheinvasionofFrance. And as ever, thanks to the material from Bletchley, MI5 were fully aware of these developments. Whenthetimecametheywouldprovetobeveryimportant. Asluckwouldhaveit,theGermanssentinrequestsforinformationonpreciselywhatMI5andthe deception planners were intending to give them. One of the key pieces in the puzzle was the Allied Order of Battle for the landings. These were largely supplied by the US sergeant, Agent 4(3). Unfortunately for the Germans, the details he gave of the Allied formations – the divisions, their commandersandhowtheywouldallfittogether–boreonlyapassingresemblancetoreality. A central plank of Fortitude was making the Germans think that the Allies had far more troops availabletothemthantheyactuallydid.Thiswasnecessaryforpullingoffthestuntofpretendingthat themainforceoftheinvasionwouldcomeoverthePas-de-Calais,evenaftertheNormandylandings hadtakenplace.Tothisenddummytanksandlandingcraftwerebuilt,dottingtheEnglishcountryside and port areas to fool German spy planes. Meanwhile phantom divisions were created, with fake insignia and other paraphernalia. The biggest element of all in this was the creation of an entirely fake army group – the First US Army Group – or FUSAG, based in the south-east of England and supposedlyheadedbyGeneralPatton. PattonwastheAlliedgeneralthattheGermansfearedthemost,withhisivory-handledpistoland ruthlessmilitaryvision.Controversialandconfrontational,hehadbeentemporarilysuspendedfrom duty after slapping a battle-weary soldier in Sicily in the face. There was, he had asserted, no such thingasshellshock;itwasaninventionoftheJews.NowonderHitleradmiredhim. ThedeceptionplannersknewthattheGermansheldPattoninhighregard,sohewastheobvious choicetocommandwhatwasmeanttobethemaininvadingforce.FUSAG,centredaroundKent,was madeupoftheCanadianFirstandUSThirdArmies,butwasfictitious.Garboandtheotherdouble agentssentinreports–suchasPedro’squotedearlier–givingdetailsofthevariousformationsof FUSAGthatweresupposedlystationedinthearea.Meanwhile,upanddownthesouth-eastcoastline wentradiotransmissiontrucks,simulatingthevolumeoftrafficthatsuchalargemilitaryformation wouldhavecreated,whichwaspickedupbytheGermanslisteninginacrossthewater. Dover,meanwhile,wasfilledwithshipsandlandingcraft,whichwereeasilyvisiblefromGerman spy planes. The spotters were allowed to fly high over the port to take their shots, but were immediatelyattackediftheytriedtogetbetter-qualityphotosfromlowerdown.Hadtheymanagedto do so their images might well have shown that those ‘battleships’ in the harbour were no more threatening than pleasure cruisers: almost all were dummies made to look as though the Allies had moreweaponryandresourcesthantheyactuallydid.Dover,duringthisperiod,ratherthanamilitary HQ,wasmorelike‘anenormousfilmlot’. Allthis,andthehundredsofotherdetails,requiredenormouscooperation.Thecentreofitwasthe areaaroundStJames’s,incentralLondon.GeneralEisenhowerwasnowtheoverallcommanderof Overlord and his HQ – the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force, or SHAEF – wassetupinNorfolkHouseinStJames’sSquare.HisdeceptiongroupwasknownasOps(B)and worked in close and sometimes informal collaboration with MI5, the Twenty Committee and the London Controlling Section, which was the coordinator of the deception plan as a whole. It was a smallgroupofpeople,allworkinginofficesashortwalkfromoneanother.Thefactthatsomany different bodies were involved in the planning and executing of the deception might have caused seriousbureaucraticproblems.Thankfullyitdidnot,largely,asonehistorianofthetimehasputit, ‘because responsibility still lay with a handful of men who knew each other intimately and cut corners’. Tar Robertson, John Masterman and Tommy Harris were in constant touch with Noel Wild and RogerHeskethatSHAEFandJohnnyBevanandRonaldWingateoftheLondonControllingSection, allowingthemtoconductbusiness‘withspeedandinformality’. AndinthemiddleofallthesescuttlingfeetpacingupanddownthestreetsofLondon’ssecretheart, satPujolinhisJermynStreetoffice,dreaminghisdreamsandwritinghisstories. BynowGarbo’sdisinformationwasbeingused,oftenverbatim,intheDailyIntelligenceReports sentoutbyGermanHighCommand. Everythingwassetforhimtohelpcarryoutthegreatestactofmilitarydeceptioninhistory,one thatcoulddecidetheoutcomeofthewar. Whatcouldgowrong? 19 Britain,SpainandAlgeria,1936–44 IT WAS A time of suspense, expectation and excitement. People were intent on having fun while they could. ThefirstsignthatthelongwaitmightbecomingtoanendcamewhenMontyvisitedtogivehis set-piecepeptalk.Itwasearlyin1944.The23rdHussarshadonlybeeninexistenceforafewyears, anarmouredregimentbornby‘thestrokeofapen’intheWarOfficeinlate1940.CecilBlackerhad joinedshortlyafterwards,ajuniorofficerandveteranofDunkirkbroughtintohelpturnacollection of civilian men – farmers, businessmen, the unemployed, cobblers, clerks and carpenters – into soldiers, keen operators of the US-built Sherman tanks with which they were now carving up the Englishcountrysideonmanoeuvres. DuringhisofficertrainingatSandhurst,BlackerhadbeengiventhenicknameMonkey–oneofthe witstherethoughthelookedlikeanapeandscratchedhisarmpits,shouting‘Monk,Monk’,whenever Blackerappeared.Itwaspartofacustomofgivingnewofficersembarrassingnicknames–‘Ugly’, ‘Crackers’, ‘Splosh’ – and Blacker thought he had got off lightly. But the name stuck, perhaps on accountofhissmiling,circularface,andhewas‘Monkey’thenceforth. His passion was horses. Brought up in Oxfordshire, where his father had been secretary of the BicesterHunt,Blackerhadenjoyedtheworldofstablesandliveryyards,ofcubbingandthethrillof thechasefromayoungage.Nowanofficerinthe23rdHussars,commanderofitsCSquadronand with sixteen tanks under him, he did his best to combine his duties with his first love. But it was getting harder now: the moment was soon coming when the years of training would show as they weresentintobattle. Tanks, of course, were not horses, but it had fallen to the lot of the former cavalrymen of the BritishArmytotakeonboardthisstillrelativelynewweaponry.TheBritishmaywellhaveinvented the tank in the First World War, but the Germans had taken the technology on much further. The BritishMarkVIBlighttank,whichBlackerhadbeenfightingwithinFrancein1940,beingrapidly pushedbacktotheChannel,waslittlemorethanatruckwiththinarmourplatingnailedonthesides. Uncomfortable and offering little protection, it had been no match for the German Panzers and the blitzkriegtacticsoftheWehrmacht. Now,veteransofthedesertcampaignandMonty’svictoryatElAlameinwereswanningaround, fullofthemselvesandtalkingcondescendinglyabouthowtowinatankbattle.Blackerandhismen had their doubts as to whether the sands of North Africa were really comparable with the mud and fieldstheycouldexpectinnorthernEurope.Nooneknewexactlywheretheywouldbegoingwhen D-Dayfinallycame,butitwouldnotbeEgypt,thatwasforcertain. AndthenMontyhimselfshowedup.Theyhadreadthesamespeechseveraltimesinthenewspapers ashetravelledaroundthecountryaddressingthetroops.ButBlackerfounditinterestingtoseehimin theflesh. ‘The performance was impressive, mainly for the remarkable self-confidence and bounce which thelittlemanexuded,’heremembered. Monty performed his usual ritual, looking at the men intently, then summoning them to form a squarearoundhimwhilehestooduponhisjeeptogivethemanaddress. ‘Iwantedtohavealookatyou,’hesaid,‘andforyoutohavealookatme–wehaveajobtodo together–hittingtheBocheforsix...’ Blacker ’ssergeant,aYorkshireman,commenteddrilythat‘thegeneralseemedtohaveaverygood opinionofhimself’. The 23rd Hussars had been shunted around the country several times, from Whitby to Sussex to Norfolk,Newmarket,Bridlington...NowcamethefinalchangebeforebeingsentovertoFrance: Aldershot.ItwasconvenientforgettingintoLondonandtheytookadvantageofthepleasuresthatthe capital offered. Blacker was in his late twenties and had a girlfriend, but the atmosphere was licentiousandsexuallycharged,manylivingtothemottoof‘eat,drinkandbemerry’withthespectre ofsuddendeathhangingoverthem.TheBerkeleyHotelinPiccadillyactedasanofficers’clubwhere champagnecocktailsfuelledtherevelry.OtherpartyvenuesincludedtheFourHundred,theEmbassy ortheCafédeParis,wherecouplescoulddancecheektocheekinsemi-darkness. ‘Emotionalstresswasbynomeansconfinedtothesingle.Manymarriedcouplesbecameinfected by the prevailing mood of “anything goes” and danced off into the night with a new partner, for good.’ ForBlacker,themoodwassummedupbytheColePortersong‘JustOneofThoseThings’withits messageofquick,uncomplicatedsexualencountersandone-nightstands. Once the parties ended, however, and lovers pulled themselves free of each other ’s embrace, the senseofpurposeacrossthecountrytodefeattheGermansandseethewarthroughtotheend,was almostpalpable. ‘Although we were on the threshold of what might be a terrible and for many a terminal experience,wefeltupliftedandcarriedawaybythemoodofthemoment.Therehadbeensomuch suffering, so much heartbreak, so many tragedies and sacrifices, so much disruption, and now the time was at hand when we were to rise up and strike the blow which could end it all. The British people,foroncetotallyunited,heldtheirbreathandwaited.’ ThemenofLaNuevecompanylikedandrespectedLieutenantAmadoGranell;hehadbeenasoldier for longer than most. Now, very soon, the Spaniards under his command would be heading for FrancetofightalongsideotherAlliedtroops.Itwasthenextstep–perhapsthefirstofmany–butthe dreamofaSpainfreefromfascismkeptthemgoing.Hitler,Mussolini,Franco–theywouldallfall intheend.AndnowtheyhadAmericangunsandtankstogetthejobdone. Granelllikedsoldiering:asayoungman,inthe1920s,hehadjoinedtheSpanishLegión–aforce basedinSpanishMoroccoandmodelledontheFrenchForeignLegion.Itsfounder,ColonelMillán Astray, was a one-armed, one-eyed maniac and devotee of the Japanese ‘samurai way’. His ‘legionarios’ were expected to embrace a heroic demise; not for nothing were they dubbed the ‘bridegroomsofdeath’.Toughconditionsandharshpunishmentsformisbehaviourwerethenorm– unlikeotherunits,themembersoftheLegiónwereoftenbearded,wearingtheirshirtsunbuttonedto thebellyandsniffingatthewayothersoldiersmarched–alegionarioalwaysran. MillánAstray’ssecond-in-commandinthe1920swasayoungmajor–FranciscoFranco.Millán Astray revered his protégé and thought he was destined to be the saviour of Spain. Franco, a conservativeCatholic,didnotdisagree.AmadoGranellhaddifferentpoliticsfromhiscommanding officer,however,andoncehisserviceintheLegióncametoanend,hereturnedtocivilianlifeinhis native Valencia and joined the Republican Left Party, becoming an active member of the socialist UGTtradeunion. WhentheSpanishCivilWarstarted,GranelljoinedtheRepublicanarmytofighttherebels–orthe NationalistsasFranco’scoalitionofmonarchists,fascistsandCatholicscametobeknown.Withina shorttimeGranellhadrisenuptherankstobecomeanofficer,andcommandedaunitequippedwith armouredcarsandmotorcycles–shocktroopstobeusedatvariouskeypointsoftheshiftingfront lines.HespentmuchoftheCivilWardefendingMadrid,ridingupanddownthestreetswhere,only three years later, his compatriot Juan Pujol would meet at cafés with his Abwehr controllers to discussplansforspyinginLondon. Butaftertwoandahalfyearsoffighting,andhalfamilliondeaths,theRepublicanslosttheCivil War.AsFranco’stroops,helpedbyhisGermanandItalianallies,conqueredtheremainingareasof Republican territory, in late March 1939 Granell was one of the last left-wingers to get out of the country,securingaplaceonHMSStanbrookasshesailedoutofAlicantetowardsAlgeria.Manyof hiscomradesleftstrandedonthedockscommittedsuicidewheretheystood. TheFrenchinOranwereuncomfortablewithsomanyarmedSpaniardsturningup.Theystripped thenewarrivalsoftheirweapons,puttheminconcentrationcamps,orderedsometojointheFrench Foreign Legion. Granell held on for over three years. A new world war started, France fell to the Nazis, and the French soldiers now watching over him shifted their allegiance to Pétain and the regimecollaboratingwithHitler. Granell and the other defeated Spanish Republicans never stopped dreaming that a moment of redemptionmightcome. Andthen,in1942,atlonglasttheAmericanslandedinOran.AstheywerebeingshotatbyFrench defenders,GranelltookhischancesandhelpedtheGIsmovearoundthecity,givingthemdirections, tellingthemwherethedefenderswerestakedout.Hehadbeenwaitingforthismoment.Nowother kindsofFrench–theFreeFrench–wereincontrol.Heandtheothersquicklyjoineduptohelp,and theybecamesoldiersintheFrench2ndArmouredDivision,ledbyGeneralPhilippeLeclerc. Spaniards were scattered throughout the unit – over 2,000 of them. The largest concentration, however, around 150 men, was in the 9th Company, which soon became known as ‘La Nueve’ in Spanish.ThecommanderwasCaptainDronne,aFrenchman.Underhim,andtheeffectivecompany commander,wasLieutenantGranell.HisyearsintheLegiónandthentheSpanishRepublicanArmy countedformuch. GranellhandedoutSpanishRepublicantricolourflagsofred,yellowandviolettosewontohis men’suniforms.TheywereunderFrenchorders,buttheyknewwhotheywere,andwhattheywere fightingfor. They had been stationed in Rabat for a while, where they had been fitted out with US Sherman tanks, armoured cars and Jeeps. The Spanish gave each vehicle a name, often the name of a battle fromtheCivilWar–wordslike‘Brunete’or‘Teruel’wouldbepaintedinwhiteontheside.Agroup ofanarchistswantedtocalltheirarmouredcarBuenaventuraDurrutiaftertheircharismaticleader, killed during the siege of Madrid in 1936, but the French would not allow it. They called it Les Pingouïnsinstead.Granell’scargotthenameLosCosacos–‘theCossacks’. In the run-up to D-Day, La Nueve was transferred along with the rest of Leclerc’s division to Britainaspartofthetroopbuild-up.BilletedinPocklington,westofYork,thecompanywaitedfor themomentwhentheinvasionwouldbegin,itchingtobeapartofthenewchapterinthewar. 20 Britain,FranceandGermany,Spring1944 ONTHEEVEoftheNormandylandingsGermanyhadoveramillionmenavailabletofightinFrance. Even after three years of heavy fighting in the east the Wehrmacht was still a large, powerful and well-equippedmilitaryforce.ManyontheAlliedsidewereanxiousaboutthesuccessofthelandings. JusthoursbeforeD-DayBritishChiefoftheImperialGeneralStaffFieldMarshalSirAlanBrooke wrote in his diary of his concerns. ‘At the best’, he said, ‘it will fall so very very far short of the expectation of the bulk of the people, namely all those who know nothing of its difficulties. At the worstitmaywellbethemostghastlydisasterofthewholewar.’ On the German side, by contrast, many thought they would win once the Allies finally landed. Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein, commander of the Panzer Lehr Division, was convinced that what hadhappenedatDieppein1942was‘proofthatwecouldrepelanyinvasion’. Hitlerhimselfwasconfidentofsuccess,bettingonthedestructionoftheAlliedforcesinFranceso thathecouldgetonwithfightingtheSoviets.Hehadadoptedadefensivestanceinthewest,which went against the grain of German military thinking. A vast ‘Atlantic Wall’ of reinforced coastal positions had been erected from Norway down to the French border with Spain. Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne,LeHavre,Cherbourg,Brest,LaRochelleandBordeaux–allports–hadbeendesignated ‘fortresses’whichwouldbedefendedtothelastman. Along the northern French coast – the most likely target for invasion – the German 15th Army, withatotalofeighteendivisions,andthebestmenandmaterielthattheWehrmachtcouldmuster,was stationedaroundthePas-de-Calais.Toitsleftwasthe7thArmy,lesswellequipped,settodefendthe Normandysector. Despitetheoptimismofsome,therewasadegreeofnervousnessaboutthecominginvasiononthe Germanside,however.OverallcommandwasheldbyFieldMarshalGerdvonRundstedt,basedatSt GermainjustoutsideParis.Hewasunimpressedbythecoastaldefences,regardingthemas‘justabit ofcheapbluff’.Themainassault,hewasconvinced,wouldcomeoverthePas-de-Calais,hencethe positioningthereofthe15thArmy. Von Rundstedt was not a lone commander in total control of his forces, however. The German command structure in the west was complicated, following Hitler ’s liking for arrangements where morethanoneagencywasperformingthesametask–acompetitiveset-up,accordingtoNazipostDarwinianthinking,broughtoutthebestinpeople. UndervonRundstedt,innominalcontrolofthePanzerforces,wasGeneralLeoFreiherrGeyrvon Schweppenburg. Meanwhile, in command of Army Group B, the German forces grouped across northernFranceandthemanresponsibleforthecoastaldefences,wasFieldMarshalErwinRommel. Rommel wanted the Panzer divisions to be kept close to the seaboard for a quick response to the invasion.Hewas,however,onlygivencontroloverthreeofthetotalsixPanzerdivisionsavailable. Oftheremainder,twowereoftheWaffen-SS:the12thSSPanzerDivisionmadeupofboysofthe HitlerYouthandwithanaverageageofabout18;andthe1stSSPanzerDivisionLAH.Rommelhad nosayoverhowthesekey,crackformationswouldbedeployed. The three-way split of authority between von Rundstedt, von Schweppenburg and Rommel was furtherexacerbatedbythefactthatHitlerhimselfinsistedonhavingfinalcommandoverthePanzer divisions,convincedthattheAlliedlandingswouldbe‘thesoledecisivefactorinthewholeconduct ofthewar ’. RommelandHitleragreed,unlikevonRundstedt,thatNormandymightbeatargetfortheinvasion. In the weeks leading up to the assault, Rommel reinforced his units there, his intuition, like the Führer ’s,tellinghimthatlandingsofsomesortmighthappenalongthesebeaches. ThisconfusionatcommandlevelsmightfavourtheAllies’chancescomeD-Day,butontheground at least German soldiers were better equipped and in general more experienced than any of the ‘citizensoldiers’thattheAlliescouldsendagainstthem.Akeyelementinthissuperioritywasthatof theGermans’tanks. By this point in the war the basic German workhorse tank was the Mark IV. It had a 75mm gun, armourupto80mmthickandatopspeedofjustunder40kph.Intermsofnumbersproduced,itwas the most important German tank in the conflict, and was equal, if not considerably superior, to the ShermansandCromwellsoftheAllies.TheMarkIVwasalreadybeingsupersededbyanevenbetter tank, however, one that is commonly regarded as the best produced by any country in the war: the Panther.Thistankhada75mmgunliketheMarkIV,butalsohadthreemachineguns,armourupto 110mmthickandatopspeedof46kph. Inaddition,theGermanshadTigertanks–heavierandslowerthanPanthers,butwiththickarmour andamassive88mmgunthatcouldeasilytakeoutanyAlliedopponent. Bycomparison,Shermans,whichwereproducedingreatnumbersbytheAmericansandwereset tobeusedbyallAlliedforcesinNormandy,hadashort75mmgun,armouronly51mmthickatits strongestpoint,andatopspeedofjust38kph.Theywerealsotall,whichmadethemrelativelyeasy targets.Soldiersusedtocallthem‘RonsonLighters’owingtotheirunfortunatehabitofcatchingfire oncetheyhadbeenhit. After the landings had begun, Allied tank crews became all too aware of the superiority of the Germans’tanks. ‘Therewas,Ithink,noBritishtankcommander ’,oneofficerwrote,‘whowouldnothappilyhave surrenderedhis“fringebenefits”foratankinthesameclassastheGermanPantherorTiger.’Oncea Sherman, Churchill or Cromwell had been hit by one of these steel monsters, the results were commonlyfatal. Eveninlighterweaponry,theGermansoldierenjoyedaclearadvantage.TheMG42machinegun– the ‘Spandau’ – could fire 1,200 rounds per minute, compared to an equivalent 500 rpm from a BritishBrenorBAR.Meanwhile,theGermananti-tankweapon,thePanzerfaust,wasalsosuperiorto theAmericanbazookaorBritishPIAT. OnlyinartilleryandairpowercouldtheAlliesclaimsuperiority. Battle hardened from the Eastern Front, the best fighting unit within the German military forces now based in the west – the 1st SS Panzer Division LAH – was regrouping in Belgium having finished its tour of duty in the Ukraine. Fighting the Soviets it had been reduced to a mere Kampfgruppe–anill-defined‘fightinggroup’–afterheavylosseshadreduceditfromafulldivision. Now, however, its numbers had swelled once more to around 20,000 men, and it had been reequipped,reachinganear-capacity103MarkIVtanksand67Panthers. The LAH was part of the 1st SS Panzer Corps, which also included the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Youth. The Corps was led by former LAH commander General Sepp Dietrich, a one-time petrol-pumpattendantandHitler ’serstwhilechauffeurandbrutalsidekick.HisplaceintheLAHhad beentakenbyGeneralTheodor‘Teddy’Wisch. Attheageoftwenty-eight,JochenPeiperhadbeenpromotedtoObersturmbannführer–Lieutenant Colonel–inchargeofthe1stSSPanzerRegiment.Hisbrutalityhadcontinuedinthesameveinafter thevictoryatKharkov.InoneencounterwithSovietforceshismenkilledatotalof2,280RedArmy menandtookonlythreeprisoners.ThecompleteannihilationofthevillageofPekarshchinausingthe nowfamousblowtorcheswasalsoaddedtohistally. Hitler himself awarded Peiper his latest decoration and the following notice was published in Germannewspapers:‘Ingratefulrecognitionofyourheroicactionsinthestruggleforthefutureof ourpeople,IawardyoutheKnight’sCrossoftheIronCrosswithOakLeavesasthe377thmemberof theGermanWehrmachtsohonoured.AdolfHitler.’ ThefightingintheeastwastakingitstollonPeiper.Fuellinghimselfwithcoffee,cigarettesand Pervitin,aGerman-manufacturedamphetamine,hadcausedhishearttosuffer,leadingtoexhaustion andfaintingspells.Atthestartof1944hebeganalengthyperiodofleave,stayingwithhiswifeand twoyoungchildrenattheirhomeinBavaria.Sigiwasheavilypregnantwiththeirthirdchild. Late April saw Peiper back with his regiment, stationed in the Belgian town of Hasselt. The new recruitsbroughtintofilltheLAH’snumbersneededtobetraineduptothehigh,fanaticalstandards demandedbytheWaffen-SS.Aswellasthehardtrainingandfamiliarisationwithweaponry,twoonehoureducationsessionswereheldeachweektoteachthetroopsabouttheAmericanforcestheywere expecting to face. The USA, Peiper ’s men were told, was a decadent country ruled by Jews, made morallycorruptbyJewishartistsandBlackmusic. Peipertookthisseriouslyandupheldthe‘moral’valuesoftheSSmorethanothercommanders. Sexualrelationswereonlyforbreedingpurposes,topreservetherace.ForPeipertherewasnoneof the ‘Jewification’ – Verjudung – of the soul by giving in to the sex drive. He was even abstemious towardsdrink,followingHimmler ’sexampleofavoidingalcoholandprostitutes.TheReichsführer hadtrainedasayoungmaninaJesuitseminaryandhadtakenmanyoftheideasoftheSocietyof Jesusandappliedthemtohis‘BlackOrder ’. But the pep talks and air of monasticism were not enough for Peiper. Some of the new recruits werenotuptostandard.Theyneededteachingalesson,anexperiencethatwouldturnthemintothe ruthless, brutal and indoctrinated fighters that the SS expected them to be. An opportunity arose in May.Fiveyoungnewsoldierswerecaughtshirkingtheirduties.Theboysadmitted,inaddition,that while away from their posts they had stolen food, including some chickens and a ham. It was a relativelyminoroffence. Nevertheless,acourtmartialfoundthemguilty,andPeiperwasmerciless.On28Mayhehadthe five recruits executed by firing squad in front of the entire regiment. Afterwards, every man in the unitwasforcedtowalkpastthedeadbodieswheretheyhadfallentotheground.Someofthem,then stillintheirteens,neverforgottheexperience. It was an important moment for Peiper. When the war had started five years earlier, he had witnessedmassshootingsinPoland.Nowhewasgivingthesamelessonstohismen.Theboyswho had been shot were, in his mind, mere schlechtes Menschenmaterial – ‘bad human material’. They couldbedispensedwith.Meanwhilehehadshownhissoldiersthekindofmentalitythatwasexpected ofthemnowthattheywereintheWaffen-SS,nowthattheywerePeiper ’smen. Fullyarmedandpsychologicallyprepared,the1stSSPanzerRegiment,theleadingtankformation withintheLAH,withPeiperatitshead,wasnowreadyforanythingthattheAlliescouldsenditsway. PARTSIX ‘Aliegetshalfwayaroundtheworldbeforethetruthgetsachancetoputitspantson.’ WinstonChurchill 21 London,LisbonandBerlin,Spring1944 IN THE SPRING of 1944 Pujol and Araceli were keeping their marriage going, but only just. Sexual fidelity had become a problem, with Araceli forming an attachment to an Allied naval officer later captured in action and made a prisoner of war. Pujol himself may also have been unfaithful. Real peoplewerenowplayingtherolesofsomeoftheGarbonetwork’sfictionalcharacters:Harriswas effectivelyPedro,Agent3;CyrilMillswasAgent5inCanada;andCharlieHaineswasAgent4(1)the radiooperator.WasthereanyparallelbetweenGarbo’smistressAgentJ(5)andSarahBishop?Both of them were former War Office secretaries. Certainly Pujol had never had any difficulty finding girlfriendsbeforemeetingAraceli.Hiswife’slettersfromLisbonshowedajealoussidetoher–did Pujolgiveherreasontosuspecthim? Thecomplicationsoftheirsexlifeaside,PujolandAraceliwerenolongerlivinginHendon.In December 1943, after rumours had circulated of new secret German weapons designed to terrify Allied civilian populations, Kühlenthal warned his London agent to move out of the capital. No reason was given, but MI5 assumed that it was a reference to the imminent arrival of whatever the Germanshadbeencookingupoverthepastmonths.Pujolpackedhisbagsandtookhiswifeandtwo boysdowntoahotelinTaplow,Buckinghamshire. Otherstookthehint,andmovedoutofthecentre,includingHarris,wholefthisMayfairhomefor LoganPlace,ahousewithalargegardeninEarl’sCourt.Butsofar,nomysteriousnewbombshad fallenonLondon,andeverythingappearedsetforOperationFortitude. SomethingwasbotheringHarris,however,aniggleinthebackofhismindthatrefusedtogoaway. TherewasaweaklinkintheGarbochain,indeedintheentiredouble-crosssystem.Inabizarrerole reversal, in 1943 Dusko Popov – MI5’s agent Tricycle – had asked his own Abwehr case officer, Johannes ‘Johnny’ Jebsen, to work for the British with him. Jebsen was an old friend of Popov’s, based in Lisbon, a chain-smoking, champagne-drinking devotee of P.G. Wodehouse who shared Popov’spenchantforthehighlife. Like Popov, Jebsen was also anti-Nazi. It was becoming increasingly evident by this stage which waythewarwasgoing,soheagreedtoPopov’sproposal–hetoowouldbecomeadoubleagent,still workingfortheAbwehr,butinrealityactingforMI5withthecodename‘Artist’. Itseemedagoodidea,butbroughtanewproblem:Jebsen’srecruitmentmeantthatforthefirsttime a fully paid-up member of German intelligence knew that Popov was a double agent. In addition, Jebsen had given indications to MI5 through Popov that the Abwehr in Madrid had a large spy networkoperatingacrossBritainwithitshead–aSpaniard–basedinLondon. This was a clear reference to Garbo. Yet MI5’s failure to act on Jebsen’s intelligence meant that Jebsen would now have deduced that Garbo as well as Popov – Tricycle – was a front man for a British scheme to fool the Germans. In March 1944 he told the British that he thought that all of Kühlenthal’s‘spies’wereinrealityBritishdoubleagents. Jebsenknewtoomuch.Hemighthavechangedsidesbythisstage,butheposedathreat.Couldhe reallybetrusted?WhatifheletslipapieceofinformationthatledtheGermanstounravelthevastly complexdeceptionpuzzlethatMI5hadbuiltup?Hisownpositionwasunderthreatattimes.Whatif heweresuspectedbytheGermansthemselvesandforcedtotalk,perhapsunderduress? The British had to limit any potential damage, but there was not much they could do. They tried telling Jebsen that Kühlenthal was the kind of spymaster who frequently made up much of his ‘intelligence’.ItwasnotMI5whowasfeedingdisinformationtohim,buttheAbwehrofficialhimself whowasliberallypepperinghisreportstoBerlinwith‘facts’drawnfromhisownimagination. It worked, to a degree, but there was no guarantee that Jebsen would believe them. Harris in particularwasnervousaboutthethreatJebsenposed. ‘Unless steps are immediately taken to cease contact with Artist completely or evacuate him forthwithfromSpain,thengraverisksofblowingtheGarbocaseareinevitable.’ SomuchwasridingonthesuccessofGarboandthedouble-crosssystemasawhole,thatheeven suggested‘liquidating’theGarbocasebeforeitwastoolate,otherwiseallthedoubleagentsmightbe indanger. Themeninchargeofdouble-cross–JohnMastermanoftheTwentyCommittee,TarRobertsonof B1A,andtheheadofMI5’sBsectionGuyLiddell–refused.Theyshouldwaitandsee,theysaid.Best notbetoohasty. TheblowcameinearlyMay. JebsenwasnotfeelingcomfortablewithhisAbwehrmasters.Doubtshadbeenraisedaboutsome ofhisfinancialdealingswhilehehadalsobeenputtinghisnoseintointernalaffairsthattheythought did not concern him. So when he was asked to travel to Biarritz to meet a superior officer for a meetingaboutPopov’sexpenses,hesmeltaratandmadehisexcuses. Soonafter,however,stillinLisbon,JebsenvisitedtheGermanEmbassytocollectamedalforhis war work – the Kriegsverdienstkreuz First Class. This was meant to be a moment of vindication, when all doubts about him within the service were expelled. Instead, once inside, he was punched unconscious,sedatedandthrownintoatrunkplacedinthebackofacarwithdiplomaticplates.The carwasthendrivenovertheborder,acrossSpaintoFrance.FromtherehewastakentoBerlin,and placedintheGestapoprisononPrinzAlbrechtStrasseforinterrogation. MI5 first became aware of Jebsen’s disappearance on 6 May, when Bletchley transcripts showed thattheotherGermanintelligenceagencyinthecity,theSD,wasgettingworriedaboutthefactthat theycouldnotfindhim.Thefollowingday,theBritishlearnedthathehadbeenkidnappedandtaken toBerlin. For MI5 it was a crisis: their worst fears had come true. Johnny Jebsen, the man who knew too much, was now in the hands of the Gestapo, almost certainly being tortured to make him talk. The questionwas,wouldheblowTricycle,Garboandtheentiredouble-crossoperation? Harris was beside himself. After years of preparation, and less than a month before D-Day, everythinghunginthebalance.HesuggestedliquidatingTricycleimmediately.Thatway,hesaid,a cut-out could be placed between Popov and Garbo. The assumption was that Jebsen would betray Tricycle at the very least. And once the Germans started comparing Tricycle and Garbo’s intelligence,theywouldquicklyseethatthetwoagentsweresayingvirtuallythesamething–namely thatthebuild-upofAlliedtroopsinsouth-eastEnglandwasforamajorassaultonthePas-de-Calais. The natural conclusion, according to Harris, would be that if Popov was feeding them misleading information,thensowasGarbo. There was a long meeting in St James’s Street involving John Masterman, Tar Robertson, Guy LiddellandHarris.Harrisputforwardhisact-nowproposals,butMastermanandLiddellweremore circumspect. Better, Masterman said, to carry on as if nothing had happened. Only if and when concreteevidencecamethroughthateitherTricycleorGarbohadbeenblownshouldtheyclosethose agentsdown.Inthemeantime,itwasbettertoleavethemalone.Liddellagreed.Therewasastrong chance that Tricycle might be blown by the Germans, but then again Jebsen may simply have been takeninforquestioningabouthisirregularfinancialdealings. But,Harriscountered,BletchleyhadnotbeenabletowarnthemthatArtistwasabouttobearrested; the code-breakers might not give them any forewarning that he had told his interrogators what he kneweither.ArtisthadinformedtheBritishthathethoughtallofKühlenthal’sspiesinBritainwere doubleagents.Everything,thewholeofdouble-cross,wasatstake.TheycouldnotwaitforJebsento breakundertortureandfortheGermanstoworkthingsoutforthemselves;MI5hadtoactnow. Harrishadoversteppedthemark.HewasGarbo’scaseofficer,butnowhewasmakingsuggestions abouttherunningofotherdoubleagents.Liddelltoldhimasmuch. ‘Don’tendangeryourpositionbypokingyournosetoomuchinotherpeople’saffairs,’hesaid. Carryonlikethatandhewouldbesacked. Harris could do nothing. This time his famed powers of persuasion were not enough. He was outnumberedandoutranked.Alltheycoulddowascontinueasbefore,monitortheinformationfrom BletchleyforanysignthatJebsenmighthavetalked,andthentakethingsfromthere. MI5wouldadoptacalm,steadyBritishapproachtotheproblem. ButHarriswasstillconcerned. WhatiftheGermansstartedplayinggameswiththeAllies?IftheyextractedthetruthfromJebsen, they might keep running Pujol as their agent in London, now aware that he was working for the British.Thentheywouldsimplytakewhathesaidandbelievetheopposite. ThepotentialfordamagetoOverlordwasimmense.IfGarbowastellingtheGermansthatthePasde-Calaiswasthemaintargetfortheinvasion,theWehrmachtwouldinevitablyenduptakingitsbest forces, including the feared SS Panzer divisions, away from the area to make them available for actioninNormandy.ThefutureofEuropeandtensofthousandsofliveshunginthebalance,yetthe deceptionplanonwhichtheAlliedassaultdependedwasunderthreat. D-Daywasimminent.EverythingnowlaywithJohnnyJebsen.Wouldhebeabletowithstandthe horrorsthathistorturerswouldinflict? 22 England,NorthernFranceandSouthernGermany,5June1944 MAVISRARELYREADthefulltextsofthemessagesthatshedecipheredatBletchleyPark.Asentence,or half-sentence–thatwasenoughtobreakintothecodedtextandthentherestwouldbepassedonto theanalysts.Andshedidnotaskquestions:itwasnothowthingsweredone.Butshesawenoughto getsomeideaofwhatwasgoingon–aspectsofthewarthatordinaryciviliansandeventhemajority offightingmenwereunawareof. ItwasthefirstweekinJuneandtheweatherhadbeenniceovertheweekend,althoughstormswere predictedforthecomingdays.Shewasonatrain,headingtoLondonfromthestationthatsatatthe bottomofthehillfromBletchleyPark. Dilly Knox, her beloved mentor, had died a year before, shortly after Mavis had married. Keith Bateywasoneofthecode-breakersinHutSixworkingontheGermannavalEnigma.SheandKeith had tried to hide their relationship from the others at Bletchley for as long as possible, until some sharp-eyedcolleaguenoticedthat,mysteriously,thetwoalwaysmanagedtocoincideformealtimesin thecanteen.Dillyhadjokedthatmathematicianswerenotmuchfun,butMavishadgoneaheadwith theweddinganyway.ShewasMavisBateynow,sharingapassionforcrosswordsandpuzzleswith herhusband. There were plenty of people in the carriage that Monday, gazing out at the budding green countryside through the grimy windows: mothers, businessmen in suits, servicemen and women in uniformsofmanyshades,frommanypartsoftheglobe.Thewarwasnowinitsfifthyearandthe worldhadchanged–evenhere,rollingoverthequietfields.TheLuftwaffewasnotdroppingquiteso many bombs over English cities as it once had, but there were rumours of a new terrifying Nazi weapontocome.Sheworriedaboutherparents;theirhousetothesouth-eastofLondonwasinthe directfiringlineofwhateveritmighteventuallyturnouttobe. The Germans were no longer triumphant as they had been, however. In North Africa, on the EasternFront,andnowinItaly,theywereslowlybeingpushedback. ButtherewasmorethanenoughfightleftinHitler ’sforces.ThecallfromMoscowforaSecond Front – a real second front; what was happening in the Mediterranean did not count – was finally beingheard.BritainwasawashwithUSsoldiers,shippedovertheAtlantictohelpfighttheNazis.A newattackwasimminent,almostcertainlyinFrance.Whatnooneexceptavery,veryfewcouldsay, however,waswhereinFrancetheattackwouldcome,ormoreimportantly,when.Certainlynothing wasbeinggivenawayontheradioorinthenewspapers.ButjudgingbythenumbersofGIsaround, andtheendlessmanoeuvresandexercises,eventheleastobservantwouldconcludethatitcouldnot betoofaroff.Sometimeoverthesummer,perhaps. Mavisdidnotgettoreadentiremessages,butshedidknowthings,importantthings.Itwaspartof herwork. Asshelookedaroundthecarriageatherfellowpassengerssherealised,withajolt,thatshewas almostcertainlytheonlyonetherewhoknewtheactualdateofD-Day.ThisquietcornerofEngland wassoonabouttobedrawnmuchclosertotheactualfightingofthewar;thebattlefieldswouldno longerbeindistantlandsbutjustacrosstheseaonthebeachesofFrance. Anditwascomingmuchsoonerthananyonethought.Tomorrow,infact. Woulditbeenough?Wouldtheseyoungmeninuniformbeuptothejob?Beforetoolong,some ofthesoldiersnowsharingthecarriagewithhermightbedead. ThetrainheaveditswaydowntoLondon.Onceagain,everythingwasabouttochange. FieldMarshalErwinRommelwasanearlyriser.Dawnhadbrokenandtheclear,hotweatherofthe previousfewdayswasturningintoastormovernorthernFranceandtheChannel.Thecommanderof GermanArmyGroupB,withspecialresponsibilityforthecoastaldefencesagainstanAlliedattack, wasconfidentthathewouldnotbemissedforafewdays.Eisenhowerwouldbeinsanetoattempta crossinginthefaceofsomuchwindandrain.Thewavesbreakingonthebeachesthatmorningwere wellovertwometreshigh. RommelhaddecidedtotakesomeleaveandheadbacktoGermany.ItwashiswifeLucie’sbirthday thefollowingday,andhealsowantedtogotoBerchtesgaden,intheAlps,whereHitlerwasstayingat his mountain retreat. There were matters that he needed to discuss face to face with the Führer – a strengtheningoftheAtlanticWalldefencesalongtheFrenchcoastline,andanappealfortwomore PanzerdivisionstohelpfightofftheAllieswheneventuallytheycame. Not that any such move was imminent. The Luftwaffe meteorologist had predicted that the bad weatherwastocontinueforthenextfewdaysatleast,withwindsinexcessofforce6,thuspreventing anAlliedlandingwhilethetidesandmooncyclesuitedthem.Itwouldbeanotherfortnightbeforethe conditionswouldonceagainbefavourable. Rommelwasanythingbutcomplacent.Heknew,likeeveryone,thatanattackwascoming.Onlythe day before he had urged for more reconnaissance flights over southern England to gather new informationontheenemy’sintentions.Butthestormmeantanysuchactionwouldnowbeimpossible. TheAllieshadalsoimposedradiosilence–astheyhaddoneprevioustoalltheiractionsinNorth Africa,whenRommelhadfoughttheBritishacrossthesandsofLibyaandEgypt.Yettherehadbeen otherinstancesofradiosilencesinceMarchthatyear–attemptstothrowtheGermansoffguard,no doubt. Andso,at6.00inthemorning,hesetofffromhisheadquartersatLaRoche-Guyon,aneighteenthcenturychateaubuiltintoaclifffaceoverlookingtheSeine.Accompaniedbyhisaideandhisdriver, he began the long journey to his home in Herrlingen, a small village outside the southern German cityofUlm.Itwouldtakehimmostoftheday. HewashappyforotherstolowertheirguardthatblusteryMondaymorning.Ashespedawayin his open-top Horch car, his chief of staff told the German armies in France and Belgium that they mightstanddowninthelightofthebadweather.Theyneededabreakaftersomuchtimespenton alert,watchingforsignsoftheAlliesapproachingfromoverthenorthernhorizon. OfficersandcommandersoftheGerman7thArmy,stationedinNormandyaroundtheCherbourg peninsula,decidedtogoaheadwithsomewar-gameexercisesinRennesthefollowingday,6June. They did not consider themselves to be in the main firing line in any case. If Allied air operations wereanythingtogoby,thetargetforthelandingswasalmostcertainlythePas-de-Calais,wherethe bombinginpreparationforanassaultwasheaviest. Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt agreed. On 5 June he wrote a report on the prospects of an Allied landing: ‘The main front between the Scheldt [River in Belgium] and Normandy is still the mostprobableplaceofattack.’ Like Rommel, he foresaw no imminent danger. ‘As yet there is no immediate prospect of the invasion.’ There is a cloying beauty about Berchtesgaden. Set near the Alpine Austro-German border, it is a place of wide green valleys banked by high mountain walls, sweeping pine forests of uniform perpendicular trees and spotless timber-framed houses with overbearing roofs and carved wooden eaves. According to legend, Frederick Barbarossa is buried inside the nearby peak of Untersberg, waitingtoreturn,Arthur-like,tosavetheGermanpeoplesattheirhourofneed. Hitleradoredit,andturnedthiscornerofsouthernGermanyintobothaplaygroundandaspiritual homelandfortheNazielite.Hisownhome,theBerghof,wasagrandvillacommandingimpressive views over the surrounding landscape, while Goering, Himmler, Goebbels, Bormann and other dignitariesalsohadretreatsbuilttheretobeclosetotheFührer. Thiswasnomereholidayresort.HitlerspentagreatdealoftimeattheBerghof,andasheadof state and commander-in-chief, whenever he decided on an Alpine sojourn the machines of governmentandthemilitaryhadtotravelsouthwithhim.AsthewarragedontheEasternFront,he wasusuallytobefoundattheWolf’sLair,hismilitaryheadquartersinmodernPoland.On5June, however,hewasbackwherehefelthappiest,deepinthesouthernGermanmountains,nowfilledwith thedelightsofspring. Thedayhadbeendevotedtodealingwithanumberofmatters.RomehadfallentotheAlliesjust thedaybefore,althoughtheGerman10thArmyhadmanagedtowithdrawsuccessfully,abandoning theEternalCitywithlittlefighting.MeanwhiletherewasthematterofPortuguesetungstenimportsto deal with, as well as a meeting with Albert Speer to discuss plans for creating smokescreens on bridgesalongtheRhine.Thenhehadamedicalexaminationwithhispersonaldoctor:theFührer ’s flatulence was causing him problems again and a stool examination was performed. He was in bad shapebythisstage,bothphysicallyandpsychologically. It was a starlit night, and after the matters of state had been attended to, Hitler listened to some music and chatted with Eva Braun and Goebbels about cinema late into the night, before taking a sleepingpotionandgoingtobed. Intheearlyhoursof6June,havingfinallyreachedhishomeinHerrlingenanddinedwithhiswife andson,RommelwasbusywritingamemorandumtoHitlerabouttheneedtobolsterthedefencesin FrancewithmorePanzerdivisions. Meanwhile, in Normandy, British gliders carrying paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Division circledoverbridgescrossingtheCaencanalandRiverOrneinpreparationforlanding. AsthefirstshotsofD-Daywerebeingfired,Hitlerwasfallingdeepintoadrug-inducedsleep. 23 London,1May–5June1944 PEOPLE WHO WORKED with him commonly regarded Harris as one of the most talented officers involvedindouble-cross.EwenMontagudedicatedhisbookBeyondTopSecretUtothememoryof his colleague, describing him as ‘the greatest deceptioneer of us all’. Today, a sense of his genius comesacrossfromthemovementsandmessagesofGarboaroundD-Day. ItwascleartothoseinvolvedthatGarbo’sgreatestimportanceasadoubleagentandpurveyorof falsenotionstotheGermanswouldcomeoncetheAlliedtroopshadactuallylandedonthebeaches of Normandy and established a bridgehead. Getting ashore would be hard in itself, but their vulnerabilitywouldcontinueforseveraldaysthereafter.TherewaseverychancethatiftheGermans hit back hard, using their best troops and Panzer reserves, thousands of British, US and Canadian soldierswouldbepushedbackintothesea,andthemuch-neededSecondFrontwoulddiewiththem. KeepingthosecrackGermantroopsawayfromNormandy,therefore,wasofparamountimportance, andGarbowastoplaythemostvitalpartinattemptingtoholdthematbay. Harrisknew,thankstotheBletchleydecrypts,thatGarbowasheldinhighregardbyhisAbwehr masters in Madrid. Only a few weeks before, as part of his supposed work for the Ministry of Information in London, Garbo had ‘signed’ the Official Secrets Act, meaning that he was now in a position to receive information unavailable to ordinary civilians – and of course pass the contents overtotheenemy. Much had been achieved with the set-up for Fortitude. Enigma traffic showed that the Germans thoughttherewereatotalofeighty-ninedivisionsinBritainon1June,whileinactualfacttherewere only forty-seven – the fictional troops that largely made up Patton’s FUSAG in south-east England wereveryrealfortheenemy.Buttheplan’ssuccessrestedonthemisinformationthatGarbowould besendingoncetheNormandycampaignhadactuallybegun,soitwasvitaltocementhisreputation in all German eyes – not just the intelligence gatherers in Madrid, but all echelons of the secret serviceaswellasthemilitarycommanders.TheyweretheoneswhosedecisionstheAlliesneededto influence. The question was, how? How could they turn Garbo from being simply a respected master of a spy-ringbasedinBritaintosomeonewhosereportsandanalysesfrominsideenemyterritorywould bereadandtrustedbyallconcerned? TheanswercametoHarrisonefineMaymorningashesatinthegardenathisnewhomeinEarl’s Court.D-Daywasamonthaway.TheonlywaytheAlliescouldensurethatGarbowouldbelistened tobyeveryoneoncetheinvasionhadbegun,Harrisrealised,wastogivehimanincrediblescoopasa spy. While every effort had been made to conceal the actual date of the attack from the Germans, GarbowouldgoonairsometimebeforethefirstsoldiershittheNormandybeachesandwarnthem thattheassaultwason.Itwouldbeaspectacularcoup,andraisehimsohighlyintheGermans’esteem thattheywouldsubsequentlyhangonhiseveryword. Needlesstosay,itwasacontroversialidea.WarntheGermansthatwe’recoming?Somebaulkedat it. But unlike many US commanders, General Eisenhower was in favour of deception: he had seen how useful it could be while campaigning in the Mediterranean the year before. In the end he gave Harris’splanthego-ahead.Yes,getGarboontheairtotelltheenemytheattackwasunderway,but onlysolateinthedaythatitcouldnothaveanyrealeffectontheirdefences.Thefirstlandingcrafts oftheassault,carryingmenoftheUS4thInfantryDivision,wereduetohitUtahbeach,atthewestern endoftheinvasionfront,at0630on6June.Garbo’smessagecouldgooutnosoonerthanthree-anda-halfhoursbeforehand,at0300. HarrisandPujolweresatisfied,buttherewasaproblem:theGermanradiotransmitterinMadrid wentoffairjustbeforemidnight.HowcouldtheyengineeritsothatKühlenthalwaslisteningatthe otherendinthemiddleofthenightwithoutalertinghimthatitwassomethingtodowithD-Day? The Germans themselves provided the answer. On 22 May Kühlenthal told Garbo that he was particularly interested in the movements of Allied troops in Scotland, whose manoeuvres Garbo’s sub-agentshadreportedafewdaysearlier.ThishadbeenpartoftheFortitudeNorthdeceptionplan, aimedatmakingtheGermansbelievethatanattackofsomesortwasimminentagainstNorway.Any developments,Kühlenthalinsisted,shouldberadioedthroughtohimassoonaspossible. HarrisandPujolthereforesetupthefollowingstory.Theonlyremainingsub-agentinScotlandat thatpointwasAgent3(3),thecommunistGreeksailorwhothoughthewashelpingtheSoviets.Hegot word to Garbo that the Clyde fleet was about to set sail at any moment and that he would phone throughwithacodewordoncethisoccurred.GarbothereforetoldtheGermanson5Junethatthey should be listening at the agreed emergency night-call hour of 0300 in case he had urgent news to passon. Everythingwasset:withouthavinganinklingofwhatwasreallyinstore,theGermansweredueto be on air at the appointed time to receive news – not about the Clyde, but about the beginning of OperationOverlordandtheinvasionofFrance. TherearetwoaccountsoftheGarboteam’sactivitiesonthenightbeforeD-Day.Yearslater,Pujol himself described how he, Harris and Charlie Haines had been stuck all night in their little office, having forgotten to bring sandwiches or even a flask of tea to keep them going, as Harris popped backandforthfromtheCabinetWarRoomsbringingnewsofdevelopmentsontheground. The author Sefton Delmer, however, who worked in intelligence during the war, gives a slightly morecolourfulaccount.Herelateshow,ontheeveningof5June,Pujol,Harris,MI5’sdouble-cross chief Tar Robertson, and SHAEF deception planner Roger Hesketh, all met at Harris’s house for dinner.Itwasamodestaffair,accordingtoDelmer,butinlightofthehistoricmomenttheydrankthe lastremainingmagnumofChateauAusone1934fromHarris’sfamouswinecellar(today,ordinarysizedbottlesfromthatvintagesellforover£800). As H-Hour and the official start of D-Day approached, they poured out into an official car and drove across blackout London to 35 Crespigny Road in Hendon – the house where Pujol had first beeninterviewedbyHarrisandBristowonhisarrivalinBritaintwoyearspreviously.Itwasherethat theGarboradiohadbeensetup,mannedbytelecomsoperatorCharlieHaines. TheusualeveningtrafficwithMadridwascomingtoaclose.Therehadbeennothingunusualto report – just some messages from Kühlenthal to Garbo’s sub-agent in Canada. There was no indicationfromtheGermansthatthiswasanythingmorethananordinarynight–nosignthatthey knewwhatwastobeunleashedonthenorthernshoresofFranceinjustafewhours’time. Around midnight the German radio operator in Madrid signed off. The agreement was that they wouldbebackonairat0300,whenGarbowouldsendhisD-Daywarning. Forthenextfewhours,thegroupofdeceiverswroteoutandthenencipheredthemessagethatwas tobesent.BritishandUSairbornetroopshadalreadylandedateitherendoftheinvasionbeaches, andavastarmadaofover5,000shipswaspoweringovertheChanneltowardsNormandybythetime PujolandHarrishadfinished. Agent 3(3) was now out of the picture. What Harris and Pujol had to say had nothing to do with troop movements in Scotland. The person – the sub-agent dreamed up from Pujol’s imagination – who would warn the Germans that one of the most momentous occasions in history was about to beginwasnoneotherthantheGibraltarianwaiterFred. GarbohadnothadanycontactwithFredsinceearlierinMay,whentheformerChislehurst-cave digger now working for the army canteen staff had been given twenty-four hours’ leave. After a meetingwithhisspychief,hehadreturnedtohisjobatthemilitary’sHiltingburyCamp,onthesouth coast,towhichallcommunicationswiththeoutsideworldwereclosed. On the night of 5–6 June, however, Fred suddenly and unexpectedly reappeared with vital fresh information.Garbo’smessagetoldtheGermanswhatFredhadsaid,withoutspellingoutwhatexactly itmeant.Theycouldworkthatoutforthemselves. Thetextreadasfollows: Stillnowordfrom3(3)[theGreeksailorinScotland]butmeanwhileFour[Fred]hashastenedtoLondonhavingbrokencamp together with two American deserters who had arrived in the camp last Sunday. Discovering the plans of the two men he decidedtojointheminviewoftheimportantnewswhichhewouldotherwisehavebeenunabletocommunicateinviewof the complete sealing of the camps for the last week. En route he tried to communicate by telephone, using the password prepared in case of emergency, but found that only official calls were being accepted. He therefore continued his journey clandestinelytoLondoninordertoreporttomepersonally.Hearrivedafteradifficultjourneycreatedbythestepshetook to slip through the local vigilance. He states that he wrote to me three days ago announcing anew the distribution of cold rationsandvomitbags,etc.totheThirdCanadianDivision.Thisletterhasnotyetreachedmeduetothedelayinthemail. TodayhesaysthataftertheThirdCanadianDivisionhadleftAmericanscamein,rumourshavingreachedhimthattheThird CanadianDivisionhadembarked.TheAmericantroopswhicharenowinthecampareamixedformationbelongingtothe 1stUSArmy.ThetwoAmericanswhoescapedwithhimthroughfearofembarkingbelongedto926SignalsCorps. Onreadingthis,Kühlenthalcouldhavenodoubt.Thereferencesto‘coldrations’and‘vomitbags’ madeitclearthattheAlliedforcescampedinsouthernEnglandwereonthemoveandalreadysailing forFrance.D-Day,thebeginningoftheSecondFront,wasunderway. By0300BritishandUSairbornetroopswerealreadyfightingGermantroopsinNormandyatthe eastern and western end of the invasion area. Meanwhile, out to sea, minesweepers were clearing a pathforthethousandsofvesselsnowwaitingoverthehorizon. AsAlaric,PujolhadearlierencryptedthemessageandgivenittotheWidowtohandontoAgent 4(1),theRadioOperator,tobetransmittedtotheGermansattheagreedtime.Inreality,Pujol,Harris, TarandHeskethstoodaroundat35CrespignyRoadasCharlieHainestappedoutthecallingsignalto Madrid.Theywereontime,theagreementhadbeenmade.Attheotherend,Kühlenthalandhisradio manwouldbelistening. TheGarboteamwaited,buttherewassilence.Hainestriedagain,butstillnoanswer. ‘Idon’tgetit,’hesaid.‘NormallyFritzyanswersrightaway.’ The five men were puzzled. They had thought the whole thing through so carefully, and had dependedonGermanefficiencyandpunctualitytoallowthemtopassthevitalmessageover. ‘I’lltryagaininfifteenminutes,’Hainessaid. Afteraquarterofanhour,however,therewasstillsilenceattheotherend.Thenafterhalfanhour andanhouraswell.Whatevertheyhadagreed,therewasnooneinMadridtoheartheirmomentous news. Whethertheywereoutdrinkinginthelate-nightbarsoftheSpanishcapitalorhadsimplygoneto bed,theGermanshadlosttheirchancetohearacalculatedpre-warningoftheOverlordinvasion. AsaGermanspy,Garbowasoutraged.Howonearthcouldhisownsidehavelethimdownlike this? As a British double agent, however, Pujol, along with Harris and the others, was delighted. Not onlywouldtheAlliedtroopsnowlandwithtotalsurpriseontheNormandybeaches,butGarbocould stilltellhisGermanmastersthathehadtriedtowarnthem. The element of surprise for Overlord had been protected, Kühlenthal would be shamefaced, and GarbocouldbaskinthegloryofbeingtheonlyGermanagentwhohadknownthetruthaboutD-Day. Kühlenthalwasnotgoingtomissasinglemessageinthefuture. Theset-upforthenextfewdayswasperfect. 24 NorthernFranceandSouthernGermany,6June1944 ASPUJOLANDHarriscaughtafewhours’sleepinHendon,150milestothesouth,‘themostcomplex anddaringmilitaryoperationinthehistoryofmodernwarfare’finallygotunderway. TotheeastofthedesignatedlandingareastheBritish6thAirborneDivisionsuccessfullyattacked andheldbridgesnorthofCaenovertheRiverOrneandCaenCanal,strategicallyvitaltoholdupany German counter-attacks on that flank. The US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions performed a similar, if more chaotic, operation to the west, carrying out a large-scale parachute drop in the Cotentinpeninsula.Then,at0630,cameH-Hour–themomentofthefirstlandings.Amphibiouscraft carried infantrymen of the US 1st Army to the beaches of Utah and Omaha, their arrival timed to avoidGermanminesanddefencesexposedbythelowwatertide.Anhourlater,BritishandCanadian troopsfromtheBritish2ndArmybeganlandingfurthereastatGold,JunoandSwordbeaches. FouryearshadpassedsincetheevacuationfromDunkirk.Inthattimetheseahadhelpedimpede anyGermaninvasionofBritain.Now,however,thesamedefensiveadvantagehadtobeovercometo stageanattackintheotherdirection. Therewasmuchheavyfightingandlossoflifeasover150,000menpouredovertheChannelina vastarmada.Asmanyas3,000Alliedsoldierswerekilled,manyfromthe1stUSInfantryDivision landingat‘bloody’Omaha,andthe3rdCanadianInfantryDivision,whichranintoheavyresistanceat Juno.Elsewhere,onthebeachesofUtah,GoldandSwordthingswentrelativelywellfortheAllies, although the British, pushing inland, were unable to capture the nearby city of Caen – one of their main objectives for the day. That failure would cost them heavily over the coming weeks, but EisenhowerandtheAlliedcommanderscouldbesatisfiedthatbymidnightonthefirstdaythefive invasionbeaches–precioustoeholdsinthesand–hadbeensecured. German casualties were high as well that day – perhaps even double those of the invaders. Yet despiteofferingpocketsofdeterminedresistance,theWehrmachtfailedtolaunchadecisivecounterattackagainsttheAlliesbeforenightfall.Insomecasesitwasdowntoluck,buttheinabilityofthe GermanstocoordinateaproperdefencestrategyowedmuchtoGarboandtheAllieddeceptionplan as a whole, serving to confuse the enemy as to what was actually happening on the day. The vast majorityofAlliedsoldierswereunawareoftheumbrellaofdeceptionthatwaseasingtheirprogress againsttheenemy,butFortitudewasalreadypayingimportantdividends. Rommel, the man whose presence in France could have made a difference, had only arrived in southernGermanytheeveningbefore.Hewasinformedearlyinthemorningthatthelandingshad begun: General Hans Speidel, his deputy, called him once the sightings of the invasion fleet had finallybeenconfirmed.Confusionreignedastowhatexactlywashappening,however.Othersinthe GermanmilitarywerereportingatthatverymomentthattheAllieswereinvadingbutthattheattack wascominginthePas-de-Calaisarea. ‘Howstupidofme.Howstupidofme,’Rommelsaidquietlyintothephone. EndinghiscallwithSpeidel,hequicklyrangthroughtoBerchtesgadentocancelhismeetingwith Hitler,andracedoutside,wherehiscarwaswaitingforhim.Itwouldtakehimmostofthedaytoget backtohiscommandpost.AstremendouseventsunfoldedinNormandy,hehadtositinthebackof anopen-topcar,uninformedandunabletoissueorders. Rommelwasnottheonlycommandercruciallyabsentfromthescene,however.Othershadseen the bad-weather reports and decided it was the right moment to take some leave. The nearest armoureddivisiontotheNormandybeacheswasthe21stPanzer,ledbyGeneralEdgarFeuchtinger. ClosetoHitlerandtheNaziparty,FeuchtingerhadhadnocombatexperiencebeforeD-Dayandowed hispositiontohispoliticalconnections.On5–6Junehewasawayfromhispost,havingtravelledto Paristoentertainamistress.When,crucially,histanksmighthaverattledthenascentinvasionforce, hewasnotinapositiontogiveorders. Problems on the German side went beyond absent commanders. Arguments over strategies for dealingwiththeAlliesmeantthattherewasnocoordinatedplan.GeneralGeyrvonSchweppenburg insisted on allowing the enemy to land and establish a footing, effectively drawing them in, before launchingafull-scalecounter-attack,usingallthearmouredunitsavailable. Meanwhile Rommel countered that they had to be stopped in the first hours or days of landing. Theycouldnotbeallowedtogetatoeholdbecauseoncetheypushedinlandtheircontroloftheskies (what remained of the Luftwaffe at this stage was concentrated in Germany, defending the country against Allied bombing raids) would make it difficult for German armoured units to move about unscathed.ThePanzerformations,withtheirpowerfultanksandsuperiorequipment,hadtobesentin quickly,hesaid,todealwithanythreat. ThatRommelwasconvincedtheearlystagesoftheinvasionwouldbecrucialmadeitparticularly ironic–andfortunatefortheAllies–thathewasawaywhenthelandingactuallybegan. Neither side had won in this dispute: neither Geyr nor Rommel’s reasoning had prevailed. In the end Hitler himself decided to take control of the armoured Panzer divisions – the units that would make the difference in the battle for France. No one could deploy them anywhere without his approval. What with the Germans’ misreading of the weather, disputes over strategy and a confused command structure, the Allies already enjoyed some much-needed advantages on 6 June. The deceptionplanofFortitudeSouth–convincingtheGermansthatthemainattackwasgoingtocome overthePas-de-Calais–wasthecrucialaddedingredient. As reports – often confused and contradictory – flooded into von Rundstedt’s headquarters at St Germain-en-Laye in the early morning hours, the head of the German forces in the west issued an order:thetwoPanzerunitsneartheNormandybeaches,thePanzerLehrandthe12thSSHitlerYouth Division,weretomoveatoncetowardstheinvasionzonetorepeltheAllies. It went against Hitler ’s instructions that only he could order the armoured reserves to move. No matter, von Rundstedt reasoned. Give the order now and later they could get clearance from Hitler andHighCommand,currentlybasedinBerchtesgadenwiththeFührer. VonRundstedtsentamessageexplainingwhathehaddone.‘If[thePanzerLehrand12thSSPanzer divisions]assemblequicklyandgetanearlystarttheycanenterthebattleonthecoastduringtheday.’ It was still early and the Führer was asleep. Not only that, his underlings refused to waken him, despitethefactthathisforceswerenowfightingthelargestamphibiousinvasionforceinthehistory of warfare. Furthermore, from Berchtesgaden, Colonel-General Jodl of High Command, who had wokenbythispointandseenthemessagefromFrance,calledbacktoinsistthatthePanzerreserves could not be moved. Von Rundstedt’s order had to be rescinded immediately and the tanks stopped. JodlevenrangvonRundstedtpersonallytomakesurethathiswordgotthrough. Thefieldmarshaldidashewastold:thearmouredunitswerehalted. OthercommandersinFrancecametothesameconclusionasvonRundstedtandtriedtofreeupthe Panzer divisions over the course of the morning, all with the same result. Adolf Hitler was still sleeping,andno,thearmouredreservescouldnotbedeployed. ‘Why?’camethecall. The word from Berchtesgaden was unequivocal. Those on the ground were in ‘no position to judge’.HighCommandenjoyedaclearerview,couldseethebiggerpicture.Normandywasonlya sideshow. ‘Themainlandingwasgoingtocomeatanentirelydifferentplace.’ Andbesides,onlytheFührercouldmakethedecision. When,finally,hewoke,lateinthemorning,HitlerwasinformedofthedevelopmentsinFrance. Hisfirstreactionwasoneofglee. ‘Itcouldn’tbebetter,’hesaid.‘AslongastheywereinBritainwecouldn’tgetatthem.Nowwe havethemwherewecandestroythem.’ It was time to review the situation and start issuing orders. He was pleased that Jodl had countermandedvonRundstedt’sdecisiontosendinthePanzerLehrandHitlerYouthdivisions. Word from military intelligence assured him even further that the right decision had been made. ColonelAlexisBaronvonRönne,theheadofFremdeHeereWest(FHW),whosejobitwastoassess theAllies’militarycapabilities,sentareportthroughforHitler ’smiddayconference. ‘WhiletheAnglo-SaxonenemylandingontheNormandycoastrepresentsalarge-scaleoperation,’ vonRönnewrote,‘theforcesemployedcompriseonlyarelativelysmallportionofthe[Alliedforces available]. Of the sixty divisions held in southern England only ten to twelve . . . appear to be participatingsofar...NotasingleunitoftheFirstUnitedStatesArmyGroup[FUSAG]...hasso farbeencommitted.’ AsfarastheGermanswereconcerned,Patton,theAlliedgeneraltheymostfeared,wasnottaking partintheeventsinNormandy.HewasstillinDoverwithhissuperiortroopswaitingforhismoment tocrossovertoCalais.OperationFortitudewaspayingimportantdividends. Finally,afterlunchingwiththeHungarianprimeminister,at1500hours,overninehoursafterthe firstAlliedsoldierslandedonthebeaches,Hitlergaveword:thePanzerdivisionsinNormandy–the PanzerLehrand12thSSHitlerYouth–couldmoveinandattacktheinvasionforce.Itwasprecisely whatcommandersinFrancehadbeenpleadingforsincefirstlight. Itwastoolatetoinflictsignificantdamagethatday.ButtheAllieshadonlyjustmadeitontoland andwerestillhighlyvulnerable. Much would depend on how hard the Germans could hit them over the following few days, and howmanyotherPanzerdivisionswouldbesentin. Tens of thousands of Allied soldiers were now pressed into tiny, liberated patches of Normandy. Theyhadartilleryandtanks,aircoverfromtheRAFandUSAAF,andthebackingofthousandsof shipsbehindthemintheChannel.YettheywouldbehelplessiftheGermansrapidlysentintheirbest forcestoengagethem. SuccessnowdependedonthedeceiversbackinLondon,withtheGarboteampoisedtoact.Would themonthsofpreparation,oflyingandhoodwinking,beenough? 25 London,6June1944 PUJOL,HARRISANDHainestookturnstosleepduringthenightof5–6June.AftertheirD-Daymessage hadfailedtogetthrough,oneofthemwouldchecktheradioatregularintervalstoseeiftherewas anysignalcomingbackfromKühlenthalinMadrid.ThesunwasrisingandPujolbegantoreflecton hiswork,onhisfamilybackinSpain,andonthelivesthatwerebeinglostacrosstheChannelatthat verymomentonthebeachesofFrance. The new day was a Tuesday. There was a traditional Spanish saying: Martes – ni te cases ni te embarques.Itwasmeanttobetheworstdayoftheweekforgettingmarriedorsettingsail.Wouldthe AlliedsoldierscrossingtheChannelbefortunateorunfortunatethatday? MomentslaterHarriswokeupandtheyexchangedafewwords.Harriswasasoptimisticasever, andnowhehadtoheadbacktoStJames’sStreet:ithadbeenabusynightbutthedaysaheadwouldbe evenbusier. DespitethefailuretocommunicatewiththeGermansduringthenight,thedeceptionplanwasstill alive.TherehadbeennowordoverthefateofJohnnyJebsen:MI5wereworkingontheassumption that the double-cross system had not been blown, that the Abwehr man had given little, or perhaps nothing,away.Althoughforhowmuchlongerwasnotcertain. Thepersonwhodidputaspannerintheworksatthismostcrucialmoment,however,wastheleast expected–PrimeMinisterWinstonChurchill. AllconcernedknewthattheideabehindFortitudewastoconvincetheGermansthatNormandywas a feint, and that the main thrust of the invasion would come later over the Pas-de-Calais. It was a deceptionaboutadeception.Assuchalleffortshadtobemadetoavoidreferencesinpublictoany possibilityofasecondinvasionforce–otherwisetheGermansmightsuspectthatthiswasjustaruse. Ifnot,whytalkaboutit?Blurtingoutthe‘secret’madeitnosecretatall. ButthatwaspreciselywhatChurchilldidinhismorningspeechtotheHouseofCommonson6 June.Harrishadseenacopythedaybefore,buttherewasnothingMI5coulddotohaveitchanged. Despite knowing everything about the deception plan, and being aware that all ministers and commentators had been asked not to speculate on any other possible landings in France, Churchill wentaheadandeffectivelyletthecatoutofthebag. After talking at some length about recent developments in Italy, and the fall of Rome, the Prime Ministerfinallycommentedontheeventsofthepreviousnight,andthefiercefightingthatwastaking placeonthebeachheadsashespoke. ‘IhavetoannouncetotheHousethatduringthenightandtheearlyhoursofthismorningthefirst oftheseriesoflandingsinforceupontheEuropeancontinenthastakenplace...Therearealready hopes that actual tactical surprise has been attained, and we hope to furnish the enemy with a successionofsurprisesduringthecourseofthefighting...Allthis,althoughaveryvaluablefirst step–avitalandessentialfirststep–givesnoindicationofwhatmaybethecourseofthebattleinthe nextdaysandweeks,becausetheenemywillnowprobablyendeavourtoconcentrateonthisarea,and inthateventheavyfightingwillsoonbeginandwillcontinuewithoutend,aswecanpushtroopsin andhecanbringothertroopsup.’ On hearing this, the Germans might be expected to wonder why, if the Allies were secretly preparing for a second attack, Churchill was openly talking about such a possibility. What if the wholethingwasjustahoax? TheproblemwasexacerbatedbyEisenhower ’sradiobroadcastthatsamemorningtothepeopleof Western Europe, in which he talked of the Normandy landings as an ‘initial assault’. Clearly the implicationwasthatmoreweretocome.Whichagainbeggedthequestion. The Normandy campaign had begun, and Garbo’s most important work was still ahead of him. Now,however,theveryfoundationsofthedeceptionplanwerebeingshaken.HarrisandPujolhadto limitthedamageasquicklyastheycould. IntheoryGarbostilldidnotknowthathismessageofthenightbeforehadnotgonethroughinthe early hours as planned. His reaction on learning of the Germans’ lapse would come later. In the meantime, in preparation for that evening’s reports to Madrid, Harris and Pujol concocted a story aboutGarboheadingoffinthemorningtohisjobattheMinistryofInformation. IarrivedtofindtheDepartmentalreadyinacompletestateofchaos,everyonespeculatingastotheimportanceoftheattack whichhadstartedthismorningagainstFrance. At the Ministry, Garbo received a copy of a special directive issued by the Political Warfare Executive, the British propaganda agency, which he passed on to the Germans. It clearly stated that ‘care must be taken to avoid any reference to further attacks and diversions’, and that ‘speculation regardingalternativeassaultareasmustbeavoided’. Theplanwas,Harrisargued,thattheGermanswouldreadthis‘directive’inreverse,andtherefore come to the conclusions that the Allies wanted them to. The only problem was that Churchill and Eisenhowerwerebusyunderminingthescheme. TheGarbosolutionwastoattackitheadon,andtrytobluffhiswaythrough. Inhismessage,GarbosaidthathebroughtthisverydiscrepancyupwithhisbossattheMinistry– hisunwittingagentJ(3)–pointingoutthatthedirectivewasincompletecontradictiontothePrime MinisterandSupremeCommander ’sspeeches.HehadtoldJ(3): ItwasinevitablethatthesespeecheswouldbequotedandusedasthebasisofpropagandabytheWorldPress. As was often the case with Garbo, the job of explaining away difficult truths was given over to someoneelse,someonewhodidnotreallyexist. J(3)toldGarbothathehadseentheoneflawinthedirectiveplan.Eisenhower,hesaid,wasina bind:heneededtostoppeoplefromrisingtoosoonagainsttheGermansinareaswheretherewasyet tobeanyfighting,buthehadtokeepthatinformationfromtheenemyatthesametime.Hencethe broadcast.AsHarrislaterwrote,theyneededtoconvincetheGermansthatsometimesgreatmenwere boundtotell‘thetruth’totheirpeople,evenifthattruthwentagainstsecurityinterests. Intheend,J(3)triedtoshrugthematteroff. Hesaidhedidnotthinktheenemywouldbeabletodrawanydefiniteconclusionsfromthesespeeches. PujolandHarrishadtoleaveitatthatandhopeforthebest.Atleasttheymightsowsomedoubtin theGermans’mindsaboutthemeaningofthetwospeeches,andwhattheAllies’realintentionswere. In the meantime they had to carry on as normal, and prepare for a more important message to come over the course of the next few days: before finishing and handing over the text to be encipheredandsentovertheairwavestoMadrid,Garbomentionedthathehadcalledallhisactive agentstoLondonforanurgentconference. Therewas,ofcourse,thebusinessofthemessageofthenightbefore–thewarningaboutD-Dayin theearlyhours,whichtheGermanshadfailedtopickupatthescheduledtime. PujolandHarrisknewthatthemessagehadnotfinallybeensentuntil0800,whentheGermanradio operatorinMadridfinallycamebackonair.ButtheGermansdidnotknowthattheyknewthat.So they had to pretend. One can only imagine the smiles on their faces as they wrote out the final paragraphoftheireveningmessage. TheAllies,Garbowrotetriumphantly,hadbeen robbedofthesurprisewhichtheywishedtocreatethroughtheinformationfrom[Agent]Four[FredtheGibraltarian],asfrom thehouratwhichtheassaultissaidtohavestartedIamabletoprovewithsatisfactionthatmymessagesarrivedintimeto preventtheactioncomingasasurprisetoourHighCommand.ThereisnodoubtthatFourhasaccomplishedthroughthis actionaservicewhich,thoughitwillmakeitimpossibletousehiscollaborationinthefuture,hasjustifiedasacrificebyhis lastreport. ExceptthattheGermanshadnotbeenlisteningwhentheyweresupposedto. Continuing with the drama that was put on for Kühlenthal, moments after handing his evening message over to his radio operator, Garbo then hurriedly scribbled down a further text to be sent immediatelyafterwards.Itwasonlynow,hesaid,thattheWidowhadtoldhimthathismessagehad notgoneoutat0300afterall,andwasnotabletobesentuntilmuchlater.Hehadbeenrobbedofhis greatcoup,hismomentofglory. Thismakesmequestionyourseriousnessandyoursenseofresponsibility.Ithereforedemandaclarificationimmediatelyas towhathasoccurred...IamverydisgustedasinthisstruggleforlifeordeathIcannotacceptexcusesornegligence.I cannot masticate the idea of endangering the service without any benefit. Were it not for my ideals and faith I would abandonthisworkashavingprovedmyselfafailure.Iwritethesemessagestosendthisverynightthoughmytirednessand exhaustionduetotheexcessiveworkwhichIhavehadhascompletelybrokenme. Thetirednesswasalmostcertainlyreal–PujolandHarriswereworkingverylonghoursatthis point.Yeteverythingelse–theindignation,thesenseofvictimhood–wasallvintageGarbo.Itwasa trick he had used before: acting like a jilted lover, slapping his supposed masters down until they effectively became his playthings. Harris and others in MI5 laughed out loud when they read what Pujolhadwritten:itwaslikesomethingthatHitlerhimselfmighthavesaid. If anything, it was the best possible outcome. Not only could Garbo claim to have had prior knowledgeoftheD-Daylandings,thusraisinghisstatustoasuper-spyintheGermans’eyes,buthe couldnowalsoberatethemfortheirfailures. Whenitcame,Kühlenthal’sreplywassuitablygrovelling. Ihavereadyourtwomessagesofyesterday,andIperfectlywellunderstandyourstateofmorale...Itwouldbedifficultif notimpossibletofindoutwhoistoblameifaculpritreallyexists,withregardtothedelayinthetransmissionofthemessage ofFour. HewentontosuggestthatperhapsGarbo’sradiooperatorwasatfault.Hewas,afterall,unaware ofwhatGarbo’smessagesreallycontained,believinghimtobeaSpanishRepublicansympathiser.As such,notunderstandingtheimportanceofthatparticularmessageanditsneedtogooutat0300,he mighthavegonetosleepandnotsentituntillateron. Kühlenthal’sattempttocoverupforhimselfwasrisible,asPujol,Harris,TarRobertsonandRoger HeskethhadallbeenstandingoverCharlieHainesatthegivenhourwhenthemessagewassupposed tohavegoneout. Still,theGermanspychiefrecognisedthattherehadbeenamistake,andmadeeffortstosoothehis prizeagent’swoundedpride. Ireiteratetoyou,asresponsiblechiefoftheservice,andtoallyourcollaborators,ourtotalrecognitionofyourperfectand cherished work and I beg of you to continue with us in the supreme and decisive hours of the struggle for the future of Europe. ‘Perfectandcherishedwork’...Kühlenthalwasnowbothrepentantandmalleable–puttyinHarris andPujol’shands. 26 NorthernFrance,SouthernGermanyandBelgium,6–9June1944 THEIRWEATHERMENHADletthemdownandtheirbestcommandershadbeenabsentatthecrucialhour, buttheGermansdidhaveacertainamountofgoodluckontheirsideon6June. As night fell over the western, US sector of the landing area, German infantrymen near Omaha beachmadeadiscovery.FloatinginthewatersoftheRiverVirewasalittleboat.Inside,thesoldiers foundthebodyofaUSofficerwhohadbeenkilledinactionearlierintheday.Andchainedtohis bodywasabriefcase. Itdidnottakelongforthebriefcasetoreachthedivision’soperationsofficer,andwhenheopened ithecouldnotbelievehiseyes.ThereinfrontofhimweretheoperationalordersoftheUSunitsthat had landed at Utah beach. Almost all the details that he could have wanted about which American divisions had landed and their scheme of manoeuvre were laid out for him. It was highly valuable informationforthebattlesinthedaysahead,particularlyasstampedonthecoverofthedocumentsit clearly said, in English, ‘Destroy Before Embarkation’. For whatever reason, the US officer had failedtodoso,bringingthevaluablepiecesofpaperalongwithhim.Andnowtheywereinthehands oftheenemy. Amazinglyenough,thenextday,7June,soldiersfromthesameGermandivisionalsofoundavery similardocument–whichagainshouldneverhavebeenbroughtasfarasthelandingbeaches–on thebodyofanotherdeadUSofficerintheOmahasector,givingsimilardetails. Both sets of papers were soon in the hands of Generalleutnant Max Pemsel, chief of staff of the German7thArmy,whichwastaskedwithdefendingNormandy.Asheporedoverthem,notingthe USdivisionsthatwerenowinvolved,andthevastnumbersofmenandequipmentbeingshippedover the Channel to what had previously been a quiet little corner of France, he came to a chilling conclusion: the Normandy landings that had started the morning before must actually be the real thing. ‘The great expansion of the American bridgehead’, he said, ‘led to the conclusion that this operation required such a large number of American forces that a second landing at another point [e.g.thePas-de-Calais]wasnotlikelyatall.’ OperationFortitude,andthecarefullylaid-outplanstoconvincetheGermansthatNormandywas justafeint,hadbeenrumbled.Thankstoacoupleofofficerswhohaddisobeyedordersandcarried operationalplanswiththemintobattle,notonlyweretensofthousandsofAlliedlivesatstake,butthe futureofOperationOverlordandtheliberationofFrancefromtheNazisnowhunginthebalance. News of the documents, and the intelligence they contained, moved higher up the chain of command and arrived at La Roche-Guyon early on the morning of 8 June. Rommel was delighted. FinallyhehadwhatheneededtogetHitlertoreleasethePanzerdivisionsthathehadbeenholding backthedaybefore.Thiswasit–NormandywastherealSecondFront.Therewasjusttimetohitthe AllieshardwitheverythingtheWehrmachthadavailable. VonRundstedtagreed,andquicklygotonthephonetoHighCommandinBerchtesgaden. There were doubters: General Blumentritt, von Rundstedt’s chief of staff, wondered if the documentsmightnotbeaplant.WhatiftheAllieshaddeliberatelyleftthepapersontheofficersfor theGermanstofind,inordertoconfusethem?Itwouldnothavebeenthefirsttimetheyhadcarried outsuchastunt... Rommelwasadamant,though.TheNormandylandingswerestrategic,nomerediversion.There wasnotamomenttolose. High Command took von Rundstedt’s request to Hitler, who by now had seen copies of the documentsfoundontheUSofficers.Hedidnotreplyimmediately,butwhenthecallcamebackthe newswasgood:theFühreragreed. ThePanzerdivisionswerenowinRommelandvonRundstedt’shands.Theywastednotime. AsAlliedsoldiersonthegroundwerepainfullydiscovering,the21stPanzer,PanzerLehrand12th SS Panzer Hitler Youth divisions were already in Normandy, doing all they could to halt their advance. To their number were now to be added 2nd Panzer, 116 Panzer, and the 2nd SS Panzer Division,drivingupfromtheirbaseinToulouse. Notonlythat,Hitlerhadorderedthathisbestfightingunit,the1stSSPanzerDivisionLeibstandarte AdolfHitler(LAH),whichwasnowstationedinBelgium,shouldattackaswell. Itwasknownas‘CaseThree’–theAllies’nightmarescenarioinwhichalltheGermans’available armouredreservesweresentintoNormandytocrushtheinvasion.Thiswasnowhappening.Almost assoonasithadbegun,OperationOverlordwasindangerofbeingsnuffedout. In Hasselt, northern Flanders, the waiting was over. After months of refitting, training his new recruitsandrebuildinghisPanzerregimentintoafearsomefightingunit,JochenPeiperwasreadyto go.Thenightsspentreadingquietlyinquasi-monasticabstinencewhilehisfellowofficerswentout drinkingandcavortingwiththelocalgirlshadended. TheLAHwasputonalert,andduringthenightof8–9JunetheSSmenpreparedfortheorderto move out at first light, readying their combat and supply vehicles for the journey across northern Francetothebattlezone. The division itself now numbered around 20,000 men, of whom 12,000 were considered to be ‘bayonet’, or combat, forces. Peiper ’s regiment had already been equipped with over sixty tanks – includingthedeadlyPanthers–andmorewereontheway.UnderthecommandofTeddyWisch,the LAHwasacrackforce,battle-hardenedfromitsbrutalexperiencesontheEasternFront. Asdawnbrokeon9June,thefirsttanksandarmouredcarsfiredup,andtheLAHstartedmoving out. JochenPeiperwasonhiswaytoNormandy. PARTSEVEN ‘Wemustbepractical.TheimportantbeetodeceiveistheQueenBee.CanyouseewhichistheQueen Beefromdownthere?’ A.A.Milne,Winnie-the-Pooh 27 London,9June1944 IT WAS HARRIS’S idea to wait until the Germans had actually started sending their armoured reserves intoNormandybeforemakingamove.Thatway,heargued,iftheycouldbemadetoturnaround, German High Command was less likely to change its mind again in a hurry, and as a result they wouldkeepthedangerousSSPanzerdivisionsawayfromtheAlliedtroopsforlonger. Itwasagoodtheory.Butwoulditwork? Some of the deception planners in MI5, SHAEF and the London Controlling Section had their doubts.WhatiftheGermansdidnotfallfortheideaofasecondlandinginthePas-de-Calais?What if,oncethetanksandheavyweaponryhadsetoffontheirjourneytowardsNormandy,theycouldnot bestopped?Surelyitwouldbebettertopreventthemfrommovingoutinthefirstplace? Itwasahugerisk,andeverythinghunginthebalance.SufficientevidencetogiveHarris’splanthe greenlighteventuallycamefromanunusualsource,however. On 27 May, the Japanese Ambassador to Berlin, Baron Hiroshi Ōshima, had met Hitler at Berchtesgaden. A fluent German speaker, Ōshima was a lieutenant-general in the Japanese Imperial ArmyandhadbecomeaconfidantoftheFühreroverthecourseofhispostingstotheThirdReich. Ōshima was an avid supporter of Nazism, and he diligently reported back to Tokyo every conversationandobservationashetouredGermanyandtheoccupiedcountries.Thankstohiskeen militaryeye,theseevenincludedtrooppositionsandmovements.WhatŌshimadidnotknow–and uptohisdeathin1975heremainedignorantofthis–wasthathiscommunicationswiththeJapanese governmentwerebeingtappedanddecipheredbytheAmericansinaprojectknownas‘Magic’.So good was the intelligence that he unwittingly passed over to the enemy that US General George C. Marshall declared after the war that Ōshima had been ‘our main basis of information regarding Hitler ’sintentionsinEurope’. TheUSdecryptswerebeingsharedwiththeBritish,anditwasthankstothereportedconversation thatŌshimahadwithHitlerjustoveraweekbeforetheAlliedinvasionofFrancethatthedeceiversin LondonwereabletoseewiththeirowneyesthatHarris’sideahadachanceofsuccess. TheseedsofFortitude,itappeared,hadfallenonfertileground. SpeakingoftheSecondFront,[ŌshimatoldTokyoinhis27Mayreport]Hitlersaidthathe,himself,thoughtthatsooneror lateroperationsfortheinvasionofEuropewouldbeundertaken.Hethoughtthatabouteightydivisionshadalreadybeen assembledinEngland... Therewereinfactonlyforty-seven. Ōshimacontinued: IthenaskedhiminwhatformhethoughttheSecondFrontwouldmaterialise,andhetoldmethatatthemomentwhathe himselfthoughtwasmostprobablewasthatafterhavingcarriedoutdiversionaryoperationsinNorway,Denmarkandthe southern part of the west coast of France and the French Mediterranean coast, they would establish a bridgehead in NormandyorBrittany,andafterseeinghowthingswentwouldthenembarkupontheestablishmentoftherealSecondFront inthechannel. HitlerwasthinkingwhattheAllieswantedhimtothink.Hehadsuccessfullyfallenintothetrapof assuming that Normandy (or Brittany) would itself be a diversion before a bigger assault at the narroweststretchoftheChannel–fromDovertoCalais. ItwasenoughforHarristobegiventhepermissionheneeded:hecouldgoaheadwithhisplan. TheSStankscouldsetoffforNormandyfirstbeforeGarboattemptedtohavethemsentback. On 8 June, two days after the landings had begun, the news the Allies dreaded came through. German armoured reserves, including the 1st SS Panzer Division LAH, had been ordered to Normandy. ‘Case Three’ was a reality. RAF Typhoons, bombing the German columns as they travelled along French roads by day, could slow them down to some extent, but the Panthers and Tigerscouldmoverelativelyeasilybynight.Itwasaquestionofhours,daysatmost,beforethese hardenedNazitroopswouldbeattackingAlliedsoldiersontheground. Itwasatthisverymoment,asJochenPeiperandhismenbegantomoveoutfromtheirpositionsin Belgium,thatGarbosentKühlenthal‘themostimportantreportofhiscareer ’. The message went out, as usual, from the radio set in Hendon. But just to be certain that the Germanswouldbelistening,Garbosentthematasterearlierintheevening. Ihavehadanextremelyagitateddaytoday.ButIhavethesatisfactionofbeingabletogiveyouthemostimportantreports ofmywork.AsIhavenotgotallthemessagesreadyIhopeyouwillbelisteningtonight. ThelastlinewasaclearreferencetotheGermanno-showofthreenightsbefore.Thistimethere couldbenoexcuses:fortheAllies,thiswasamessagethatKühlenthalabsolutelymustread. Garbocamebackonairwithhisnewsafewhourslater,atsevenminutespastmidnight.Itwasnow 9June. Everything–theoutcomeoftheSecondFront,theoutcomeofthewaritself–dependedonhowthe Germans reacted to what he had to say. The months of preparation, the lessons learned from the mistakes of Operation Cockade, and the painstaking and detailed work that had gone into creating Garbo–fromthefearandanxietyofPujolsweatingoverhisfalsereportsfromLisbon,tothegreat networkoffictionalsub-agentsandcollaboratorsdreamedupwithHarrisfromacrampedofficeoff Piccadilly–nowfocusedonthisonemoment,thisonemessage.Andtobeabsolutelyclear,sothat therecouldbenodoubtintheGermans’mindsaboutwhathewastryingtotellthem,hebrokealmost everyruleinthespy’sguidebook. He began slowly, almost low-key. But then Garbo was not only a master double agent, he was a masterstoryteller.Moveingently,andsavethebestforlast. Therewas,hetoldKühlenthal,anargumentbrewingbetweenneutralembassiesinLondonandthe Britishgovernmentoverliftingthebanondiplomaticcommunicationsthathadbeenimposedinthe run-up to D-Day. The information came from Garbo’s mistress, J(5), with whom he had spent the previous night. Why continue to prevent diplomats from reporting back to their respective governmentsnowthatthelandingshadactuallytakenplace?wenttheargument.Therewasnoneed foranymoresecurity,anyfearthatthedateandplacefortheinvasionmightinadvertentlyleakout nowthatoperationshadbegun.Butthewordfromthetopcamethatthebanhadtoremain.Theonly logicalconclusionwasthatthereweremorelandingstocome... Steppingthingsupalittle,GarbothenreportedthelunchhehadhadthatdaywithafriendofFred theGibraltarian.Agent4(3)wasapro-FrancomemberoftheUSServiceofSupplybasedinLondon whohadbeenrecruitedtotheGarbonetworkinlate1943.Now,justacoupleofdaysafterD-Day,he passedon‘aninterestingbitofinformation’. HetoldmethatFUSAGhadnotenteredintothepresentoperation. General Patton’s First US Army Group (FUSAG) was the large fictional unit which Garbo had helped conjure up in the enemy’s mind. The fact that this powerful force was still in south-east Englandnowthattheinvasionhadbegunwassuspicious. CharlieHaineshadbeentransmittingforhalfanhourbythispoint,buttherealmeatofGarbo’s messagewasstilltocome. Racheting up the tension, Garbo then moved to the detailed information that his sub-agents had brought in from various points on the south-east coast. It was here that the Brothers in the Aryan WorldOrdercameintotheirown:Sub-agent7(2),David,thefounderofthemovement,nowbasedin Dover,knowntotheGermansas‘Donny’;Sub-agent7(4),Rags,theIndianpoetandloverofgroup secretaryTheresaJardine,basedinBrighton,knowntotheGermansas‘Dick’;andSub-agent7(7), group treasurer based in the Harwich and Ipswich area. Garbo never named him, but Kühlenthal referredtohimas‘Dorrick’. These fanatical Nazis had passed on to Pedro, Garbo’s deputy, news about the various Allied divisionsthatwerestillstationedintheirrespectiveareas. Garbobeganforwardinglonglistsfromeachofthesub-agentsdetailingtheseunits. 7(2)reportsthatthefollowingdivisionsaretobefoundinhisareawithoutanyindicationsthattheyaretoembarkforthe moment:the59thDivision,the43rdDivision... 7(4) reports that the following divisions are to be found in his area without indication of embarking at present: South EasternCommand,1stCanadianArmy... 7(7)reportsthattheactivityinhisareahasgreatlyincreased,givingthefollowingdivisionsstationedwithoutindicationof embarkingforthemoment:28thUSDivision,6thUSArmoredDivision...Hefurthermoresaidthathehadlearnedthrough a well-informed channel that there are more than a hundred tank transport barges capable of transporting about five hundredtanks. Garbohadnowbeentransmittingforoveranhourandahalf.IfhehadbeenarealGermanspyhe almost certainly would have been caught by this point, as by staying on air for so long he would easilyhavebeenpickedupbytheRadioSecurityServiceastheyhomedinonunauthorisedsignals and their source. As it was, Kühlenthal did not suspect anything: the information that his Arabal networkwasprovidinghimwasfirstclass. Garbo was about to break another rule, however, as he moved into the final and most important section of his message. Spies were meant to pass on hard information, not speculate or give their opinions.ButGarbowasnoordinaryspy;hewas,intheGermans’eyes,aspymaster,theheadofa valuableandwidespreadringofagentsrunningaroundenemyterritory.Hewasonthegroundand couldgivethemamuch-neededeyewitnessviewofhowthingslookedfromtheotherside.Assuchhe wasamanwhoseopinions,theyhadlearnedovertime,hadtobelistenedtoandrespected. And besides, experience had shown that trying to get the Germans to work things out for themselveswasrarelysuccessful.Thistimeeverythingwouldbespelledoutforthem,inblackand white. Itwas0144hours.Timetomoveinforthekill. CharlieHainestappedoutthemostimportantpartofhismessage. From the reports mentioned it is perfectly clear that the present attack is a large scale operation but diversionary in characterforthepurposesofestablishingastrongbridgeheadinordertodrawthemaximumofourreservestotheareaof operationtoretainthemtheresoastobeabletostriketheblowsomewhereelsewithensuredsuccess. Garboknewthathewascrossingalinehere,sohisnextsentencewascarefullychosen. IneverliketogivemyopinionunlessIhavestrongreasonstojustifymyassurances.Thusthefactthattheseconcentrations whichareintheeastandsoutheastoftheislandarenowinactivemeansthattheymustbeheldinreservetobeemployedin theotherlarge-scaleoperations. Sofarsogood:everythingpointedtoanotherAlliedassaultsubsequenttoNormandy.Thequestion was,where? The constant aerial bombardment which the area of the Pas de Calais has suffered and the strategic disposition of these forcesgivereasontosuspectanattackinthatregionofFrancewhichatthesametimeofferstheshortestrouteforthefinal objectiveoftheirillusions,whichistosay,Berlin. To underline his point, Garbo returned to another piece of information he had gleaned the night beforefromhismistress. FromJ(5)Ilearnedyesterdaythattherewere75Divisionsinthiscountrybeforethepresentassaultcommenced.Supposing they should use a maximum of twenty to twenty-five Divisions they would be left with some fifty Divisions with which to attemptasecondblow. Themessagewasclear,nothingmorecouldbesaid. TheonlythingwastomakesurethattheintelligenceKühlenthalwasnowreceivingwentstraightto GermanHighCommand. Like a puppetmaster, gently pulling strings from faraway Hendon, Garbo urged his supposed spymasterinMadridtoact: ItrustyouwillsubmiturgentlyallthesereportsandstudiestoourHighCommandsincemomentsmaybedecisiveinthese timesandbeforetakingafalsestepthroughlackofknowledgeofthenecessaryfactstheyshouldhaveintheirpossessionall thepresentinformationwhichItransmitwithmyopinionwhichisbasedinthebeliefthatthewholeofthepresentattackis setasatrapfortheenemytomakeusmoveallourreservesinahurriedstrategicaldispositionwhichwewouldlaterregret. Itwasdone.Itwastenpasttwointhemorning.CharlieHainesandtherestoftheGarboteamcould finallygotobed. Wouldthemessagegetthrough?EvenassumingthatGarbo’swordsgotpassedupthroughGerman intelligence to reach High Command, would anyone be listening? Could the Panzer divisions now tearingdowntoNormandybestopped? AllPujolandHarriscoulddowaswait. 28 Madrid,GermanyandthePas-de-Calais,9–10June1944 GARBO’SMESSAGEHADsuccessfullybeenradioedacrosstotheGermanintelligencestationinMadrid– this time they had been listening . . . So far, so good. Everyone in Allied deception now waited on tenterhookstoseeifhiswordswouldfilterthroughtheenemy’ssecretserviceallthewaytoGerman HighCommand.Evenifitmadeitthatfar,however,therewasthequestionofwhetheritwasenough tohalttheenemy’stankreserves. Havingbeenreceivedovernight,Garbo’smessagehadtobedecodedintoclearscriptattheother endbeforeanyonecouldreadit.Itwaslong,andtheprocesstooksometime.Itwouldhavebeenmidmorning on 9 June by the time that Kühlenthal finally read the last lines, and the warning that the Normandylandingswereatrap. Hewastednotime,quicklywritingareportbasedonGarbo’stext–usingwholephrasesverbatim. ThiswasthenencodedonceagainandsentviaEnigmamachinetotheGermansecretserviceHQin Berlin. Kühlenthalhadperformedhispart;hislinkinthechainhadheldfirm.Thisfactalone,however, waslittleshortofremarkable.Onlyashorttimeearlierhisownmentor,AdmiralCanaris,hadbeen deposed by Himmler and the Abwehr had effectively been closed down. Long suspicious of the diminutive spymaster and his true loyalty to the Nazi regime, Himmler had built up a dossier of mistakes and treacherous behaviour by members of the Abwehr, using it to get rid of its chief. Canaris was given an insignificant desk job, and the SD – Himmler ’s parallel Nazi intelligence agency–tookovertherunningoftheAbwehrstationsandmachinery. ItwasapersonalblowtoKühlenthal:themanwhohadmentoredandsafeguardedhispositionwas nowremovedfrompower.Kühlenthalwasworkingdirectlyfortheverypeoplewhowouldpersecute himoverhisJewishblood. Somehow he had managed to survive – not because of any lack of zeal on the part of the Nazi ideologues. The extermination of Jews was accelerating at this stage in the war, unaffected by the militaryreversesoftheWehrmachtonthebattlefields.Hiscertificateof‘Aryanisation’wasalegalfig leaf.Hewasstillvulnerable–nowmorethanever.ThenumberofsecretservicestaffattheGerman EmbassyinMadridwasreducedtoonlyahundredandtwenty-nine.Ofthese,forty-twowereforced out into offices dotted around the city, losing the diplomatic protection that the embassy afforded them. Kühlenthal survived because he was allowed to, because of his worth to the whole German intelligenceandmilitarysystem. WhatsavedhimwasArabal–Garbo. No one was about to remove an intelligence chief with an entire network of agents working for him from inside enemy territory. Take Kühlenthal away, the trusted link and case officer, and the wholeenterprisemightunravel.Kühlenthalmightbequarter-Jewish,buthewasuseful.Withmuchof hisintelligencesystemdismantled,theArabaltrafficwaspracticallyallhehadleft. And now he had just been handed a message from his top man in London that might change the courseofthewar.Hehadtogetittotherightpeopleasquicklyaspossible. TheintelligencemeninBerlinwerethenextlinkinthechain.Withalltherecentchangessincethe SDtakeoveroftheAbwehr,theoperationwasnotrunningassmoothlyasitmight.Itposedadanger atthiscriticalmoment–notonlyfortheGermans,butfortheAllies,whowererelyingontheflowof communicationswithinGermanintelligenceinordertofeedmisinformation. With Canaris gone, the man in charge of foreign intelligence was Walter Schellenberg, a thirtyfour-year-old Nazi and Himmler protégé. Bright, hard-working and ambitious, Schellenberg had masterminded the Venlo Incident that had so out-foxed MI6 at the start of the war. He kept a list of over2,000peoplewhoweretobeimmediatelyarrestedafteraninvasionofBritain,hadadeskinhis officewithmachinegunsbuiltintoitthatcouldbefiredatthepressofabutton,andwasrumouredto havebeentheloverinParisofthefashiondesignerCocoChanel. Busy with his reorganisation of the German secret services after Canaris’s fall, commonly working twenty-hour days, he had removed many Abwehr men from their foreign postings and replaced them with SD members – true believers. The Abwehr itself ceased officially to exist on 1 June, just days before D-Day. Kühlenthal, however, was still in his post. And when his message reporting Garbo’s text came through, Schellenberg’s organisation quickly and unquestioningly passeditontotherelevantbodieswithintheWehrmacht. Miraculously,thenextstephadbeensuccessfullycompleted. The first intelligence man within the armed forces to read Garbo’s message was Colonel von Rönne,theheadofFremdeHeereWest(FHW). Owing to the intensive Allied bombing of Berlin, much of the military command structure had movedtothetownofZossen,justtothesouthofthecapital.ItwasherethatSchellenbergandvon RönnebothhadofficesintheheadquartersoftheGermanHighCommand. VonRönnewasnotaNazi.InfacthewasamemberofthemovementnowplottingtoremoveHitler frompower.ButhecamefromanaristocraticGermanfamilyandwasloyaltotheGermanmilitary. Not only that, he was quick and extremely competent – some of his colleagues regarded him as something of a genius when it came to military and intelligence matters. More importantly, Hitler himself–unawareofvonRönne’spoliticalsympathies–trustedhisjudgement. Tall,slimandwithroundspectaclesperchedonhislargehookednose,vonRönnenowporedover thereportfromMadrid.TheFHW’sjobwastoevaluatetheAllies’strengthinthewest,basingtheir conclusionsonallsourcesofevidenceavailable:interceptedmilitarycommunications,interrogations withPOWs,photographsfromspyplanes,andreportsfromspiesworkingbehindenemylines. Garbo’smessagefellclearlyintothelastcategory:becauseofthedifficultyofflyingoverBritain atthetime,informationfromagentsinthefieldhadnowbecomethemainsourceofinformationfor theFHW’sassessments.Ingeneral,owingtothebadnamethattheAbwehrhadearneditselfoverthe previousyears,therewassuspicioninGermanmilitarycirclesaboutspies’reports.Theyhadshown themselvestoooftentobeunreliable.ButthisparticularagentinLondonhadprovedhisworth–his earliermaterialhadbeengoodandvonRönnehadcomeacrosshisreportsbefore. ThelatestmessagecamecompletewitheyewitnesssightingsofAllieddivisionsbasedinsouth-east Englandfromthreedifferentsub-agents.TheLondonspymaster ’sconclusionswerethereforebacked upbyevidence.Hewassurelyright–Normandywasatrapintowhichtheymustnotfall.Besides,it madebettermilitarysensetoinvadethePas-de-Calais,theclosestpointtotheBritishcoast. VonRönne’simmediateresponsewastocallthetwogeneralsclosesttoHitleratthattime:thehead of German High Command, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel; and his chief of operations Colonel- General Alfred Jodl. Both were in Berchtesgaden with Hitler, and both agreed with von Rönne’s assessmentofthisnew,highlyvaluablereportfromtheLondon-basedspy.Theyhadtoactquickly beforeitwastoolate. Subsequently,andwiththeclearanceofHighCommand,vonRönneissuedaninitialwarningfrom FHWtoallcommandsinthewest: InallprobabilitymajorlandingbyenemyontheBelgiancoastistobeexpectedonJune10.Withdrawalofourforcesfrom 15thArmysector[Pas-de-CalaisandBelgium]untenable. ThesecondlinewasaclearreferencetoHitler ’sorderthepreviousdaythatthePanzerreserves could be sent into Normandy. From that moment the Führer ’s best troops of the 1st SS Panzer DivisionLAHhadbeguntomovefromBelgiumwestwardstowardstheinvasionarea.Andtheywere making steady progress. If this armoured force was allowed to carry on much further it would be difficult to haul them back to Calais in time for the expected second prong of the Allied invasion. Added to the other formations that had been released for Normandy by Hitler ’s order, a total of 50,000soldierswitharound500tankswerefallingintothetrapthattheAllieshadsocarefullylaid, andwhichtheGermans’spynetworkinLondonwasnowwarningthemabout,justintime. Garbo’s message had already worked its way close to the top of the German military hierarchy, unhindered and virtually unchanged from the original words first shaped by Harris and Pujol, encryptedandthentransmittedbyradiobyCharlieHainesinthemiddleofthenightfromamodest, ratherdrabnorthLondonhouse. But von Rönne’s assessment alone was not enough. The Panther tanks of Jochen Peiper ’s Panzer regimentwerestillrumblingalongtheroadsofnorthernFrancetowardstheAlliedinvasionforcein Normandy.Onlyonemancouldstopthemnow,makethemturnaroundandheadbacktheotherway. Already that morning Hitler had ordered the 9th and 10th SS Panzer divisions from their rest posting in Poland to Normandy. Together they numbered 35,000 men and had 350 tanks, but they wouldtakeweekstocrosstheReichfromeasttowestandreachtheirdestination.Rommelandvon RundstedtinFranceneededarmouredreservesimmediatelyiftheyweresuccessfullytosnuffoutthe Allieswhiletheywerestillvulnerable.Hitler ’sorderofthedaybeforehadgiventhemjustwhatthey needed. Butnow,withGarbo’smessageandvonRönne’ssubsequentwarningofanewandimminentAllied attack,therewasadilemma.AllowthePanzerreservestocarryontoNormandyandriskweakening the defences around Calais? Or send them to Calais, and thereby weaken the response to the Normandylandingsthathadalreadytakenplace? VonRönnehadmadeuphismind.ThequestionwaswhethertheFührercouldbemadetochange his. Just before midday von Rönne called the intelligence liaison officer at Berchtesgaden, Colonel Freidrich-Adolf Krummacher. Krummacher was Hitler ’s personal intelligence officer, the link between intelligence and High Command. He was also a former Abwehr man, and as such had a greatertrustforreportssentinbyspies. VonRönneexplainedthesituationquicklytoKrummacher,reiteratingthefactthathehadevidence that suggested a new invasion of France was about to be launched from eastern England, and that thereforethePanzerforceshadtobestoppedatallcostsandsentuptoCalais. Krummacherwasabouttogointothemiddayconference,whereHitlerdiscussedmilitarymatters with his commanders and staff. He told von Rönne that he would pass on the information to the Führerandrangoff. ButHitlerwasnotinthemoodjustthentochangehismind.ListeningtobothvonRönneandJodl make the point, he agreed that an attack on Calais made sense, that it was what he had expected all along.HadhenottoldJapaneseAmbassadorŌshimathatjustsuchaneventualitywouldoccur? Nonetheless,hecouldnotbesure.Hewouldnot,hesaid,changetheorder.Oratleastnotyet.He wouldthinkaboutitandmakeuphismindatthemidnightconferencelateron. Peiper ’stankskeptmovingtowardsNormandy. Beforethemidnightmeetingtookplace,however,theactualtextofGarbo’smessagetoKühlenthal reached Berchtesgaden itself, and Krummacher was able to read almost the exact words of the Germans’topspyinLondon,asreportedbytheheadoftheMadridstation: Afterpersonalconsultationon8thJuneinLondonwithmyagentsJonny[thiswasamisprintfor‘Donny’],DickandDorrick, whosereportsweresenttoday,Iamoftheopinion,intheviewofthestrongtroopconcentrationsinSouth-EastandEastern Englandwhicharenottakingpartinthepresentoperations,thattheseoperationsareadiversionarymanoeuvredesignedto drawofftheenemyreservesinorderthentomakeadecisiveattackinanotherplace.Inviewofthecontinuedairattackson theconcentrationareamentioned,whichisastrategicallyfavourablepositionforthis,itmayveryprobablytakeplaceinthe PasdeCalaisarea,particularlysinceinsuchanattacktheproximityofairbaseswillfacilitatetheoperationbyproviding continuedstrongairsupport. ThetextcamecompletewithanevaluationfromGermanintelligenceinZossen: The report is credible. The reports received in the last week from the Arabal undertaking have been confirmed without exceptionandaretobedescribedasespeciallyvaluable.Themainlineofinvestigationinfutureistobetheenemygroupof forcesinSouth-EasternandEasternEngland. Had Harris and Pujol been able to read the assessment of their message at this moment, and the highesteeminwhichGarbowasnowheldbytheGermans,theymightwellhavedancedforjoy. As it was, Krummacher underlined the passage in the text about a ‘diversionary manoeuvre designed to draw off enemy reserves in order to make a decisive attack in another place’. He then wrotehisowncommentatthebottom:‘Confirmstheviewalreadyheldbyusthatafurtherattackisto beexpectedinanotherplace(Belgium?)’ The midnight conference was approaching. Krummacher showed Garbo’s message to Jodl, who underlinedthewords‘inSouth-EastandEasternEngland’,andthentookitintoshowHitler. ItwaspreciselywhattheFührerneededtosee.ReadingGarbo’sactualwordsputpaidtohisearlier indecisiveness.Therewereotherreportsaswellthataddedtoitsimpact–thatUSGeneralMarshall was soon to be visiting Patton’s FUSAG HQ, while a message to the Belgian resistance had been decryptedonthe8thwhichcalledforguerrillaactiontostartthefollowingday. It all pointed to the Pas-de-Calais area, where Hitler ’s superior fighters – the LAH – had been stationedonlythedaybefore,andfromwhichhehimselfhadorderedthemaway. There was still time. They could be turned back. He needed his best troops in the right place to receivethemostthreateningAlliedforces–PattonandhisFUSAGpoisedjustovertheChannelfora secondassault. Garbo’s message, straight from London, had tipped the balance and given Hitler the evidence he neededtoreachhisdecision.Heissuednewordersimmediately. KeiteltelephonedthroughtovonRundstedtinFrance.Thenextmorning,at0730on10June,von Rundstedtissuedthefollowingmessage: Asaconsequenceofcertain information,C-in-CWesthas declareda‘stateof alarmII’forthe 15thArmyinBelgium and NorthFrance.Themoveof1stSSPanzerDivisionwillthereforebehalted. JochenPeiperandthetanksoftheLAHwereontheroad.Nownewscamethroughthattheyhadto changedirection.NottoNormandyafterall,buttotheareajusteastofBruges,behindtheinfantryof theGerman15thArmy,whereasecond,biggerandmoreimportantAlliedinvasionwasexpectedat anymoment. Followingtheirorderstotheletter,theyhaltedandturnedaroundasquicklyaspossibletoheadto theirnewposting. They were the right men for the job: ruthless vanquishers of the Reds on the Eastern Front, equippedwiththebesttanksintheworld,loversoffightingforitsownsakeandwithacausethey werepreparedtodiefor.TheycouldtakeonthebestthatGeneralPattoncouldthrowatthemandhurl theAlliesbackintotheChannel. Within hours, the new orders had been carried out, and the LAH took up its defensive positions aroundtheScheldtRiver. Settlingdowninhisnewcommandpost,Peiperkepthiseyestrainedonthehorizon,andwaited. 29 London,10June1944 INLONDON,MILITARYcommanders,politiciansanddeceptionplannerswaitednervouslytoseeiftheir greathoaxhadworked.Awholecommunityofmenandwomenworkinginnumerousdepartments nowsatontheirhands,watchingfornewsthattheirtopdoubleagent’sployhadpaidoff. OverthenextfewhourstheBletchleydecryptswouldtellthemwhetherithadbeenasuccessora failure.WouldHitler ’sorderforthePanzerunitstomoveintoNormandy–the‘CaseThree’scenario –remaininforce,orwouldtheFührer ’smindbechanged? RonaldWingateoftheLondonControllingSectionwasthere,aneyewitnessatgovernmentoffices in Whitehall, where US and British chiefs of staff wandered around in an atmosphere ‘heavy with tensionandpipeandcigarettesmokecombinedwithafaintaromaofgoodwhisky’. Their card had been played, yet still, according to their information, the Panzer divisions were movingtowardstheAlliedlandingareas. ‘It was a frightful moment – there were these big red blobs on the war maps moving towards Normandyallthetime...Wouldthe[German]tankshavetocomeroundthroughParis...?Oughtwe nottobombthebridgesovertheSeineinParis?HadGarbooverplayedhishand?’ Atthatmoment,thesecretarywholookedaftertheBletchleyreportsknockedonthedoorandcame in,sayingthatamessagehadjustbeenreceivedthatmightinterestthem.TheBritishandUSchiefsof staff,GeneralSirAlanBrookeandGeneralGeorgeMarshall,werethefirsttogooverandhavea look. ‘Theywereallsmiles,’Wingateremembered.‘WelookedattheUltra–andthereitwas:Hitlerhad cancelledCaseThree.We’dwon,andwhatanastonishingmomentthatwas!Weknewthenthatwe’d won–theremightbeveryheavybattles,butwe’dwon. ‘There was nobody more astonished than Bevan [head of the London Controlling Section], for I don’tthinkhethoughtthatwe’dreallypullitoff.Brooke’sattitudewastheoddest.HesaidifHitler wassuchabloodyfoolwhyhadittakenussolongtobeathim?Thenhestalkedoff. ‘The P.M. came in with [head of MI6] Stewart Menzies and the P.M. said this was the crowning achievementofthelongandglorioushistoryoftheBritishSecretService–orsomethinglikethat.’ HarrisandPujol’sgambleappearedtohaveworked.Frombeingonthebrinkofsufferingaheadon assault from the Führer ’s fiercest troops, the Allied forces had won crucial breathing space in whichtoreinforcetheirpositions.Soontheycouldstartpushingfromthebeachheadsdeeperintothe Normandycountryside.Thebattleofthenumbers–whocouldgetthemostmenandarmourintothe combat zone the quickest – was close to being won. Not only had the 1st SS Panzer Division been turnedaround,butthe116thPanzerDivision,whichhadalsobeenheadingforNormandyfromthe Parisarea,hadalsobeenreroutedtotheSomme.IntotalsevenGermandivisionswhichmighthave descendedontheAlliesweremovedtoorkeptinthePas-de-Calaisinstead. Therewasmuchworkstilltobedone,butnooneontheAlliedsidecouldhavebeenhappier.The mostfulsomepraiseforGarbo’sachievement,however,camefromtheGermansthemselves.Afew dayslaterBletchleyParkinterceptedamessagefromtheFHWassessorsinZussentoKühlenthalin Madrid repeating the endorsement they had written on the back of of the Garbo message that had reachedHitler. Thereportiscredible.ThereportsreceivedinthelastweekfromtheArabalundertakinghavebeenconfirmedalmostwithout exceptionandaretobedescribedasespeciallyvaluable... ThemostimportantsignthattheGermanswerepleasedwithGarbo’sworkcamefromnoneother thanHimmlerhimself.GeorgHansen,nowactingasheadofGermanintelligenceaftertheremoval ofCanaris,sentamessagetoKühlenthalexpressingappreciationinthenameoftheSSchiefforthe workoftheArabalnetworkinEngland,urgingthatfurtherintelligenceshouldtrytoascertainwhen theembarkationofAlliedtroopsinthesouth-eastbeganandwhattheirdestinationwas. Not only had the Germans fallen for Garbo’s trick, they were also applauding his accuracy and usefulness. Everythinghadfallenintoplace.NowallHarrisandPujolhadtodowascontinuetellingthestory thathaddivertedthebestGermantroopsawayfromtheAlliedforcesandkeepthedeceptionrunning foraslongaspossible. They had pulled off a tremendous coup, yet much heavy and bloody fighting through the Normandycountrysidelayahead.Thecasualtyfiguresonbothsideswerebecomingcomparablewith thoseontheEasternFront.ThebattlewasfarfromoverandthePanzerforcesstillhadtobeheldin check. At this very moment, though, when things were going so well, Hitler launched his much-feared secret weapons on London. As a result, the Garbo operation was thrown into a new crisis which threatenedtoblowPujol’scover...anddestroyeverything. 30 London,13June–29July1944 THOSEWHOHEARDitsaiditsoundedlikeamotorbikewiththesilencerremoved,oranoldsteamtrain strugglingtoclimbahill.Itwasearlyinthemorningon13June.Withoutwarningthestrangenoise intheskystoppedandtherewassilence.Afewsecondslatercamealoudexplosion. When the first V-1 flying bomb hit London, crashing into the East End where the Great Eastern Railway crosses over Grove Road, six people were killed, a further nine were wounded, and some twohundredlosttheirhomes. TheGermanscalledthemVergeltungswaffen–‘vengeance’or‘retaliatoryweapons’fortheAllied bombing of their cities. Londoners quickly dubbed them ‘doodlebugs’. Over the course of the summerasmanyasahundredraineddowneverydaycausingover20,000deaths,almostallofthem civilians. TherehadbeenrumoursofanewGermanweaponsincethesummerof1943.InSeptemberofthat year a Swedish journalist wrote an article in the Telegraph about a German ‘rocket gun’ being establishedontheFrenchcoastwithwhichtobombardtheBritishcapital.InthesamemonthTricycle hadbroughtintelligencewarningofthesame.PujolandHarriswereinstructedtotrytofindoutas much as they could from the Germans about the terrifying new weapon, but Kühlenthal remained silent. Then,inmid-December1943,KühlenthaltoldGarbothatheshouldleaveLondon. Circumstancesdictatethatyoushouldcarryoutyourpropositionswithregardtosettingupyourhomeoutsidethecapital. Thiswarningisstrictlyconfidentialforyou... Itwasaclearwarningthatthenewrocketorgun,orwhateveritturnedouttobe,wassoontoenter intooperation. Again,HarrisandPujoltriedtofindoutwhentheattacksmightbegin,tryingtoforceKühlenthal, throughacomplicatedstoryinvolvingtheradiooperatorandsettingupanewtransmitter,togivethe gameaway,buttonoavail. Pujol and Harris were already in Taplow and Earl’s Court. The Pujols stayed at the Amerden Priory Hotel, run by a couple from Valencia, the Terradas. Another guest was the Spanish viceconsul, to whom Pujol repeated his cover story that he was working in the Spanish section of the BBC.ACzechcouplewerealsothere,alongwithaJewishwomanwithredhairwhoaskedPujolto giveherSpanishlessons.Intheeveningstheguestswouldholdsmallparties,withPujolshowingoff hispasodoblesandfoxtrots,ofwhichhewasratherproud. Sincetheshowdownoftheprevioussummer,AracelihadbeencausingfewerproblemsforMI5, butthethreatofanew,unspecifiedGermanweaponabouttotargetLondoncouldplayonheralready fraughtnerves.Still,bythispointHarrisandRobertsontrustedhertokeepherhusband’ssecret;no onevetoedherbeingsoclosetoahigh-rankingmemberoftheSpanishEmbassy,especiallyinthe monthsleadinguptoD-Dayandthegreatdeception.Pujolhimself,oneassumes,gaveassurancesthat shecouldbetrusted. On6January,GarboinformedKühlenthalthathehadmoved.Overtherestofthewinterandinto the spring, Pujol and Harris tried again without success to get Kühlenthal to tell them what was to come–andwhen. InMayBletchleyParkdecipheredamessagefromBerlinreferringtoquestionnairesthatMadrid wasabouttoreceivewiththeprefix‘Stichling’(‘stickleback’).Nooneatthetimeknewexactlywhat thisreferredto,buttheBerlin–MadridtrafficwasputonprioritywatchforanysignofaStichling message. Eventually one came through, on 16 June, three days after the first V-1 bombs had landed on London.FromMadrid,KühlenthalpassedtheBerlinmessageontohistopagent. Itisoftheutmostimportancetoinformusabouttheeffectsofthebombardments.Wearenotinterestedinpartialdetailsbut wishyoutocommunicateresultsasfollows:TakeasyourbasisaplanofLondonbythepublishers‘Pharus’whichIsuppose youhaveinyourpossessionandindicatehowmanytargetsormissileshavefalleninthedeterminedsquaresontheplan, definingthesebytheir‘ordinates’and‘co-ordinates’andtheapproximatehour. Acoupleofdayslater,livinginterrorofthenewunmannedweapons,Pujolstayedincharacterand repliedwithpro-Nazienthusiasm: Iamproudthatyouhavebeenabletotryoutthisfantasticreprisalweapon,thecreationofGermangenius.AlthoughIhave notseentheapparatusinflightpersonally,fromwhatIhavehearditmustbeanobjectofmarvelandwhenthepresenttrials havefinishedandwhenthescaleonwhichitisusedisincreasedIamcertainthatyouwillhavemanagedtoterrifythisvery pusillanimouspeoplewhowillneveradmitthattheyarebeaten. AsaNazispy–Alaric,headoftheArabalnetwork–itwaswhathemightbeexpectedtosay.Asa doubleagentworkingfortheBritish,however,hewasintrouble.Throughthepressreportspicked upvianeutraldiplomaticmissions,theGermanswouldeventuallydiscoverwheretheirflyingbombs werelanding.TheywereclearlyaskingGarbotogivethemasaccurateinformationaspossibleso thattheycouldfine-tunetheirrangeanddirection. IfGarbogavethemwhattheywanted,hewashelpingtheenemyandputtingthelivesofthousands atrisk.YetifhesentbackfalseinformationtheGermanswouldeventuallyrealise,bycross-checking withthenewspapers,thathisreportswerewrongandhencebegintoquestionhimasasource. Itwasparamounttokeepuppretences,nottoblowhiscover.Thesuccessofthecontinuationof Fortitudedependedonit.Buttodosoatthecostofsomanypeople,almostallofthemcivilians? TheGarbooperationwasinafix. For the time being, they tried to stall a little, continuing with reports on troop movements, maintainingthethreattothePas-de-Calaisarea.Therewasarealproblem,however,withtheGerman instructions:noonecouldfindacopyofthePharusmapofLondonanywhere.Eventuallyonewas trackeddownintheBritishLibrary;itturnedouttobefrombeforetheFirstWorldWarandhadbeen out of print in Britain since 1908. German intelligence, it turned out, had been basing all its informationonLondononamapthatwasentirelyoutofdate. GarboeventuallytoldKühlenthalthatitwasunobtainable,askingwhetherhecouldusetheStanford map instead. Kühlenthal agreed, telling Garbo to pinpoint Tower Bridge, Wandsworth Bridge and Gospel Oak station on the Stanford map so as to be able to locate them on the Pharus edition and cross-referbetweenthetwo. It was now 22 June and Garbo had managed to pass a few days without giving over important informationonthedoodlebugs,buthecouldnotstallforever.Onthesamedayhegaveahalf-hearted reportaboutflyingbombslandinginBayswaterRoad,HydeParkandotherareasofthecity,without specifyingatwhattimetheyhadhit. He also wrote a long letter to Kühlenthal marked ‘strictly personal’. In it Garbo questioned the usefulnessofthenewweapon.Thebombswerecausingminimaldamage,hesaid,whilethelowering ofmoralehadonlybeentemporary.Now,almostaweeksincethefirstV-1s,farfrombeingafraidof them,Londonerswereactuallyridiculingthem.Theywereprovingineffectivebothasamilitaryand apropagandaweapon,hesaid. Theletterwassenton26June.InthemeantimeHarrisandPujolmanagedtostallsomemoreby informing Kühlenthal that there were no ‘ordinates’ on the Stanford’s map, so the plan to make it squareupwiththePharusonewouldnotwork.Furthervaguereportsaboutthebombsiteswerealso includedinthemessagestobuymoretime. On27JuneKühlenthalinstructedGarbotogetholdofaBaedecker ’sGuidetoLondon. Idonotthinkitwouldbedangeroustopurchase.Itcanprobablybefoundinsecondhandbookshops. TheGermansthemselvesobviouslyhadacopyofthesameguidebook,withitsownmapsofthe city.Thetimeforstallingwascomingtoanend.Amorepermanentsolutionwasneeded. TheV-1reportswerenottheonlypressureonGarbo.RealAllieddivisionswhichhadsupposedly been part of General Patton’s FUSAG, poised to attack the Pas-de-Calais, were about to arrive in Normandy.OnceGermantroopsencounteredandidentifiedthem,Garbocouldexpecttobeaskedall manner of questions. It was a further potential threat to the Garbo operation, one which, like the flying-bombreports,couldleadtotheGermansbecomingsuspiciousoftheirchiefspyinLondon. Theanswertoboththeseproblemswasneatandingenious–andtypicalofPujol.Gettinghimself arrestedhadworkedtheprevioussummertopacifyAraceli.Nowthesameploywasactedoutforthe benefitofKühlenthal. In early July Garbo sent through a couple of reports about flying-bomb damage based on information which he himself had gathered by travelling to the specific sites. The locations were given along with casualty numbers and time of impact – although the last details were deliberately inaccurate. Then,on4July,therewasnoeveningtransmissiontoMadrid. The following day Pedro, Agent 3 – Garbo’s deputy (the role played by Harris) – signalled to MadridthatGarbohadgonemissing,thathehadnotappearedthepreviousday,norhadhebeenatthe regularmorningmeeting.Hewasworried,hesaid,thathischiefhadbeenhurtina‘bombaccident’. Hewasthereforesending‘theWidow’–MrsGerbers–downtoTaplowtoseeifshecouldshedany lightonthematter. But the word the following day from the Amerden Priory Hotel was even more alarming: Mrs GarbotoldtheWidowthatshedidnotknowanythingaboutthewhereaboutsofherhusband.Shehad thoughthewasinLondonwithPedro. Clearlyanxious,PedroaskedKühlenthalwhatheshoulddo.‘Hiswifeisinaterriblestate.’ Kühlenthal, obviously worried that something untoward had happened to his spy, the man whose valuable information was keeping him safe from Nazi persecution, advised that for the time being Pedroshould‘keepcalmandquiet’. On7JulyPedroradioedagaintoexplainwhathadhappened.Garbohadbeenarrested!TheWidow hadjusttoldhim,havingheardthenewsfromMrsGarbo.Thepolicehadbeenroundtoseeherthat morningtopickupherhusband’sSpanishRepublicanidentitypapers. TheGarbooperation–withPedroatitsheadandpromptedbyKühlenthalinMadrid–wasnowon redalert.Allcontactwiththesub-agentshadtobestopped,whileemergencymeasureshadtobetaken intheeventualityofthenetworkbeingblownbytheBritishauthorities. There was no word about Garbo’s fate, or why he had been arrested, but the implication was clearlythatithadsomethingtodowiththereportsthathepersonallyhadbeenpreparingontheV-1 damage. TheGermansthemselveshadforgedGarbo’sSpanishRepublicanpapers.IftheBritishdiscovered theywerefakestherewaseveryreasontosuspectthathiswholeoperationwouldbegintounravel. TheGarbooperationwentofftheair.Aftertheintenselabourofthepastfewmonths,Harrisand Pujol had bought themselves a much-needed holiday. Harris travelled to the countryside, where he pickeduphiseaselandpaintedatthehouseofSarahBishop’sparents. Radiosilencecouldnotbemaintainedfortoolongaperiod,however.IfGarboweredetainedfor anythingmorethanafewdaystheGermansmightsuspectthathehadconfessedtobeingaspy,or evenworsethathehadturneddoubleagentonthem.Soon12JulyPedrosentamessagereporting thatGarbohadbeenreleasedonthe10thandthathewassafeandwellandbackinhishotel.Despite looking‘wornout’,accordingtotheWidow,hiscoverwasstillsecure,hesaid.Inthelightofevents, however,hehaddecidedtogivetheradiooperatoraten-daybreakandhadorderedPedrobackto Glasgowtokeephisheaddownforawhile. MeanwhilehewouldsendalettertoKühlenthalexplainingwhathadhappened. The letter was duly written on 14 July. Garbo explained that while he was investigating a flyingbombsiteinBethnalGreenapolicemanhadbecomesuspiciousofhimandtakenhimtothestation. Garbohadtriedtoswallowapieceofpaperwithsomeincriminatingnotesontheway,whichonly madethepolicemanevenmoreinquisitive. Garbo had insisted on his innocence the entire time, he told Kühlenthal. Then, when his Spanish Republicanpapersprovedhisidentity,andhisbossattheMinistryofInformationvouchedforhim, hewasabletoclearthematterup. TheHomeSecretaryhimselfintervenedintheaffair,sendingGarboaletterapologisingforwhat hadhappenedandforthezealofthepolicemanwhohadarrestedhim.Thisletterandthedocuments relatingtohisarrest–whichhadbothbeenforgedbyMI5–wereincludedwithGarbo’smissiveas furtherproof. KühlenthalwasdelightedthathismaninLondonwassafe.Notonlythat,hecouldstillfunctionasa spy–despitebeingarrested,hehadmanagedtotalkhiswayoutoftrouble. Itwasclear,however,thatinvestigatingthesitesoftheV-1swastoohazardousatask.Ithadalready broughttheArabalundertakingclosetodisaster.Therewasnoreasontocarryon.Itsownsurvival wasthemostimportantthing.Fromnowonnoagentinthenetworkwastoendangertheoperationby havinganythingtodowithpinpointingthebombsites. Garbohadpulleditoffagain.Nowhecouldcarryonwiththeimportantbusinessoffoolingthe Germanswithouthavingtogetsidetrackedbytheflyingbombs. Therewastobeonemoresurprise,however.On29JulyKühlenthaltoldGarbothatHitlerhimself wasawardinghimtheIronCross.Hepointedoutthatthemedalwasgiven‘withoutexception’onlyto front-linecombatants.‘Forthisreasonweallsendyouourmostsincereandcordialcongratulations.’ Garbo’sreactionwascharacteristicallygrandiloquent: I cannot at this moment, when emotion overcomes me, express in words my gratitude for the decoration conceded by our FührertowhomhumblyandwitheveryrespectIexpressmygratitudeforthehighdistinctionwhichhehasbestowedonme forwhichIfeelmyselfunworthyasIhaveneverdoneanymorethanwhatIhaveconsideredtobethefulfilmentofmyduty. Pujolwasobviouslyveryproud,anditwasproofofthesuccessoftheGarbooperation.Yethewas awarethathehadnotbeenabletoachievethisonhisown.TherewaspraiseaswellforhisGerman spymasterKühlenthal,whomhecalled‘Carlos’. I must state that this prize has been won, not only by me, but also by Carlos and the other comrades, who, through their adviceanddirectives,havemadepossiblemyworkhereandsothecongratulationsaremutual. PerhapssecretlyPujolwasthinkingofHarrisaswellwhenhewrotethesewords,themanwhohad orchestratedtheGarboproject.Hisfinalcomments,however,wereforthoseforwhomallthis–the lying,thedeception,themasterfulstorytelling–wasintended. My desire is to fight with greater ardour to be worthy of this medal which has only been conceded to those heroes, my companionsinhonour,whofightonthebattlefield. ‘Alaric’ referring to the troops of the Wehrmacht? Or Pujol thinking of the Allied soldiers now strugglingtopushondeeperintoNormandy?Itmayhavebeendeliberatelyambiguous. Garbo-Alaric-Pujol–thelinesdividingthevariouscharactersthatheplayedwerebecominggently blurred. PARTEIGHT ‘HistoryhasshownthatthelossofParisalwaysmeansthefallofthewholeofFrance.’ AdolfHitler 31 NormandyandBelgium,8June–18July1944 ‘MONKEY’BLACKERSPENTD-Daywiththe23rdHussarsinAldershotwaitingfororderstomoveout. Histankforce,intendedspecificallytotackletheGermanPanzerdivisions,wouldbeneededinthe subsequentwave,oncethebridgeheadsontheFrenchcoasthadbeenestablished.On8June,D+2,the wordcame–theyweretojointherestofthe11thArmouredDivisionandsetoffforNormandy.The firstAlliedtroopshadlanded.Nowitwastheturnofthereinforcementstosailoverandtakepartin thebreakoutoperations–pushingtheGermansdeeperintoFranceastheareaofliberatedterritory wasexpectedtogrow. TheUStroopswereatthewesternendoftheinvasionfront.TheassaultonUtahbeachhadbeen successfulandAlliedgainshadbeenconsiderable.Omahabeachhadbeenthesceneoftheheaviest fightingandcasualtieson6June,butnow,afewdayslater,theAmericanpositionswereconsolidated andtheywerebeginningtopushinland. British and Canadian troops had landed at the eastern side of the invasion area, on the beaches code-namedGold,JunoandSword.HerethefightinghadbeenrelativelylighteronD-Dayitself,but theynowfacedsomeofthetoughestGermanfightersinNormandy–theboysofthe12thSSPanzer Division‘HitlerYouth’.Oftennoolderthansixteen,thesesoldiershadbeentrained,andwerebeing led,bycommanders transferred from the 1st SS Panzer LAH – Jochen Peiper ’s comrades. Already theBritishandCanadianshadlearnedwhattheseladsandtheirsuperiorweaponrywerecapableof. The name Caen comes from an ancient Gaulish word meaning ‘battlefield’. Montgomery’s objectivehadbeentocapturethecitybytheendofD-Dayitself,butthishadnotbeenachieved.The Germans were putting up tougher resistance than the invasion planners had foreseen. Now, as the Americansgraduallyconqueredmoreterritorytothewest,theBritishwerebecomingstuckaround Caen, trying to encircle and capture it. In return the Germans were throwing some of their best divisionsintoholdthemback. True to its name, Caen, burial place of William the Conqueror, was becoming another killing ground. BlackerlandedonJunobeachon13June.ThefirstthingthathesawwasadestroyedShermantank like his own that had been hit during the first wave on D-Day. There was a large hole where the armourplatingprotectingthedriverwasmeanttobe. ‘They don’t seem very frightened of these, then,’ Blacker ’s own tank driver – Sam English, a formerLondonbusdriver–commented. Thetankcrewspentthefirstfewdayslivingandsleepingasagroup,diggingholesintheground andplacingthetankoverthemasshelteratnightfromtheNormandyrain.Therewerestoriesthata tankcrewsomewherehaddonethisonenightandthenneverwokeupasthetanksankinthesoftearth and crushed them: Blacker ’s men always made sure the ground was hard enough to take the tank’s weight. InBayeux,thefirstNormantowntobecapturedonD-Day,theygorgedthemselvesonbutterand Camembertcheese–unthinkableluxuriesinration-bookBritain–fillingthetankwithmoresupplies totakewiththemastheypushedfurtherinland. Then,on26June,theyproperlyenteredbattleforthefirsttime.‘OperationEpsom’wasthefirst AlliedattempttogoaroundCaenandoutflanktheGermandefenders. Blacker was in command of C Squadron, his Sherman tanks moving in behind in support of the 15thScottishInfantryDivisionasitpushedforwardonthemorningofthebattle.Asthetanksstarted out, they kicked up large amounts of dust and dirt that made for poor visibility, while giving the enemyaclearideaoftheirpositions. ThefirstthingsBlackersawashiscompanymovedforwardswerepilesofdeadbodies:initiallyof Norman cows caught in the crossfire, their legs pointing stiffly towards the sky; later of Scotsmen fromtheinfantrydivisionthathadgoneinaheadofthem,mowndownbyGermanmachineguns. Finally the Shermans came head to head with Tiger tanks, with their formidable 88mm guns. A shellfromoneofthesesoonlandeddirectlyononeofBlacker ’sunitsandtheShermanwentupin smoke.Fourofthefivemeninsidemanagedtogetout,butthedriver,Lance-CorporalHogg,wasthe 23rdHussars’firstfatality. Other tanks were now being hit, and Blacker ’s company retreated. They were learning from experiencewhyShermantankswerereferredtoas‘quickbrewers’.TheGermansweremoredirect, callingthem‘TommyCookers’. TheSherman’sshort75mmgunwaspracticallyineffectiveagainstthethickarmouroftheTiger, particularlyatthefront,wheretheAlliedshellssimplybouncedoff.AfewShermanshadbeenfitted withlarger17-pounderguns,buteventhesewereonlyeffectiveiftheyhittheTigerattheside,orthe turret.Panthertanks,withtheirslopingarmour,wereequallyhardtotakeout. The following days brought more hard lessons. Charging through the village of Mondrainville, Blacker came upon a hill with a small wood growing on the summit. It was clear that whoever controlledthepointwouldhaveacommandofthesurroundingarea.Onhismapitwasreferredtoas Hill112.Blackerwasabouttosuggestthathistankstakethepoint,butinthefogofbattlehisplan couldnotbecarriedout. TheGermanshadalsospottedthehill,however,andbythenextmorningthetanksofthe12thSS PanzerHitlerJugendhadtakenuppositionsthere.ItwouldtakeamonthtoremovethemandHill112 wouldbecomeoneofthebest-knownlandmarksintheentireBattleofNormandy,itsnameetchedin thememoriesofthethousandsofBritishsoldierswhofoughtoverit. On this first day, a detachment of tanks led by Bob Clarke was ordered up to try to dislodge the enemy. ‘Cheerful and likeable’, Clarke was a former corn-merchant who had recently married a racehorse trainer ’s daughter from Newmarket. Now he charged into his first battle operation with unfortunateandinappropriatecourage. ‘Hemotoredupthehillasifonexercise,’Blackerdescribed,‘andinnocentlyallowedhistanksto drivetoofarovertheridgeandexposethemselves.’ The result was a disaster: all the Shermans in Clarke’s squadron were immediately hit and destroyedbytheGermanTigers,sufferingheavycasualties.Afewmomentslater,manoeuvringhis own squadron in an attempt to outflank the SS troops, Blacker caught sight of Clarke lying on the ground.Hisfirstthoughtwasthathisbodylookedshorterthanusual,untilherealisedthatClarke’s legshadbothbeencutoffbelowtheknee.Hediedafewminuteslater. Soonafterwardsthe23rdHussarswererelievedandpulledoutofthebattle.Inthreedaystheyhad sufferedeightycasualties–aroundhalfofthemfatal–afigurethatconstituted20percentoftheir strength. Bloodiedyetexhilaratedatstillbeingalive,Blackerandhismenhadnoideathattheirworstdayin Normandywasyettocome. AlthoughonhighalertforanimminentAlliedinvasionacrossthenarrowestpartoftheChannel,the 1st SS Panzer Division LAH enjoyed its stay in northern Belgium. The city of Bruges offered the usualentertainmentsforfightingmenawayfromthefront,anddespiteabanonleave,theofficersof JochenPeiper ’sarmouredregimentwouldoftenheadoffforquicktripstothebarsandbrothels. The last party was on 16 June. Werner Wolff was Peiper ’s former adjutant and was now an Obersturmführer–equivalenttoseniorlieutenant–incommandofthe7thTankCompany.The16th wasthedatehehadarrangedtogetmarried.Owingtothestateofalert,however,Wolffwasunableto leavehisposttojoinhisbride-to-be,andPeiperhadarrangedforthegirltobebroughtoverfrom herhomeintheBalticstatesandsmuggledovertheBelgianbordertothechateauofKnesselarefor theweddingceremony. The castle was bedecked with a giant black SS flag as well as the Nazi swastika flag. An LAH officer married the couple following the quasi-pagan SS rites, the bride touching bread and salt as symbolsoflife,andthegroomtouchinganSSswordinhisroleasprotectorofthefamily.Aflame burned in an urn while the couple swore oaths of loyalty and exchanged SS rings. A copy of Mein Kampfwasthentakenoutofawoodencasketdecoratedwithrunesandhandedtothegroombefore theypassedoutthroughanarcadeofsalutingSSofficers. At the dinner, Peiper gave a speech at the head table. Then the serious drinking began as the weddingfestivitiescontinuedintothenight. Thenextmorning,however,on17June,theLAHreceivedordersithadnotexpected. Thanks to the intelligence reports from its spy network in Britain, German High Command still consideredthethreattothePas-de-Calaistoberealandimminent,butacrackforcelikethe1stSS PanzerDivisionwouldnotbekeptoutofthefightingforever.OnthecoastfurtherwesttheAllies were establishing a powerful bridgehead which needed to be crushed as quickly as possible. It was timeonceagaintomoveout,towheretheyweremeanttohavegoneaweekbefore. ItwastimetogotoNormandy. Had they gone at the start, the journey would have been much quicker and shorter. In the interveningdays,however,muchhadchangedinnorthernFrance.BridgesovertheSeinehadbeen knockedout,makingthecrossingslowerandmoredifficult.ThentherewastheAlliedairsuperiority to deal with. RAF Typhoons, with ground-attack rockets, were particularly effective at slowing columnsofGermantanksfrommovingaroundinthehoursofdaylight. ButanotherfactorcomplicatedtheLAH’sprogresstoNormandy:alackoftrainstomovemenand supplies. Most of the local engines and wagons had been taken over to the east, where, since the middleofMay,Peiper ’sSScomradeswerebusyroundingupHungarianJewsandtransportingthem to Auschwitz. Racial cleansing, the ‘ideological war ’ of the Nazis, was a greater priority at this crucialstagethanthelogisticsofmovingmenandmaterieltothenewfrontopeningupinFrance. TheresultwasthatPeiperdidnotreachhisassemblypointsouthofCaenuntil5July,amonthafter D-Day. GarbohadslowedtheLAHreinforcementsdown,andcruciallyitstankshadfailedtomakeitto Normandy in the early days of the campaign. But they were still dangerous. The Allied advance of OperationEpsom,boggeddownaroundHill112,hadgroundtoahalt.Thestagewassetforanother BritishattempttoencircleCaen,OperationGoodwood,thistimestrikingaroundtheeastandsouthof thecity. WherePeiperandtheLAHwouldbewaitingforthem. AfewdaysbeforethelaunchofOperationGoodwood,MonkeyBlackerreceivednewsthatdepressed him:hewasbeingrelievedofhiscommandofCSquadronandbeingmadesecond-in-commandof the regiment. No longer in the front line with his tank crew, his job was effectively to act as a replacementforthecolonelincasehebecameacasualtyinbattle.Therewaslittletimetofeelsorry forhimself,though,andheacceptedthedecisionasbesthecould. HisreplacementasCSquadronleaderwasMajorBillShebbeare.AformerpresidentoftheOxford Union and editor of Isis, Shebbeare had been a Labour councillor for Holborn and was a Labour parliamentary candidate. Now an officer in the 23rd Hussars, he had written a short book on his militaryexperiences–amanifestoforademocraticarmywhichhecalledASoldierLooksAhead,and whichhesignedanonymouslyas‘CaptainX’.Witharose-tintedviewoftheSovietUnion,hewasa convincedanti-Naziandsecretly–likehiscontemporaryDenisHealey–amemberoftheCommunist Party. On 8 June Shebbeare had been ordered to stay behind in Aldershot while the rest of the 23rd HussarssetoffforNormandy,butnowhehadmanagedtogethimselfoverandwaskeentoseesome action. ‘Small and slight, with a head that seemed too big for his body, complexion pasty, his full lips could break into a most charming smile which lit up his whole face. He looked very like a garden gnome.’ Despiteholdingdifferentpoliticalviews,BlackerandShebbearehadbecomeclosefriends. NowShebbearewastotakeoverCSquadron,andoneofthefirstthingshedidwastoscribblea notetoBlacker. ‘I do indeed believe C Squadron’, he wrote, ‘to be the best armoured squadron in the army and everythingIhaveseenofthemen’sspirithereconfirmsmeinthis.Itmakesmefeelsuchausurperto havetakenoverready-madeandwithoutanyeffortonmypart,asquadronthatyouhavetakenthree yearstocreate.IfeelthatwhenwegointoactionagainthatIneedhavenoworriesexceptmyown abilitytogivethemtheleadershiptheydeserve.’ Operation Goodwood, the biggest tank battle in the history of the British army, began on the morning of 18 July. At around half-past five over 1,000 Lancasters bombed the German positions. ThesewerefollowedbyAmericanB17sandanartillerybarrage.Thebombardmentlastedforseveral hours,drivingmanyoftheGermansoldiersthatsurviveditmad.Otherscommittedsuicide. Andyetthebombingwasnotwhollyeffective,failingtoreachtheGermantanksfurtherbackthat wouldlaterprovesolethal. The forty-six Panthers and fifty-nine Mark IV’s of Jochen Peiper ’s regiment were practically unscathed.Andnowtheyknewwhatwascoming.Peiper ’scommanderusedatrickhehadpickedup ontheEasternFrontofputtinghiseartothegroundtolistenfortherumblingsofanapproaching tank assault. The dust kicked up by the hundreds of Shermans now moving slowly towards them confirmed that this was the beginning of a major Allied offensive. The German tanks moved into positionandwaited. AheadoftheBritishwereanumberofsmallvillagesandhamletslyinginopen,flatcountryside, whilebeyondwasalowpromontory–theBourguébusridge,quicklyrenamed‘BuggerBus’bythe approachingShermancrews. After long delays caused by traffic jams of tanks stretching for miles as they tried to squeeze through minefields and over bridges, the battle began. The 11th Armoured Division was at the forefrontoftheattack,madeupofthe3rdRoyalTankRegimentandtheFifeandForfarYeomanry, withBlacker ’s23rdHussarscominginreservebehindthem.BillShebbeare,nowwearingthehelmet andgogglesofatankcommander,hadwavedtoBlackerashesetoffattheheadofCSquadron,with Blackertaggingalonginhisowntankalongsidethatoftheregimentalcommander. Astheymovedaheaditbecameclearthatthebombingraidearlierinthemorninghadonlyhada partial effect. While some German defenders emerged from their dugouts looking shaken by the experience and only too willing to surrender, further on Tiger tanks were waiting in some of the villages.The23rdHussarswereorderedtodealwiththemasbesttheycould,beforebeingrelieved by another regiment behind them. By the time they caught up with the Fife and Forfar things were alreadybeginningtoturnfortheworse. On the German side, Jochen Peiper was working closely with the LAH divisional commander, Teddy Wisch, on how to deal with the British advance. Some of Peiper ’s tanks were to take up positions on the Bourguébus ridge, while a battalion was to move down and engage the enemy directlyandpushthembackovertherailwaylinethattheyhadrecentlycrossed. It was Peiper ’s first proper military engagement since Kharkov back on the Eastern Front. Now, finally,afterthedelaysandchangesoforderbyHitlerhimself,hewashereinNormandy,fighting against the British. The Anglo-Americans might enjoy air superiority and have better artillery, but man to man, tank to tank here on the battlefield, their army was no match for the 1st SS Panzer Division.ItwastimetoshowwhatthebestforcesintheWehrmachtwerecapableof. BythetimeBlackerandthe23rdHussarscaughtupwiththevanguardtankregiments,itwastoo late. ‘WecouldsoonseethetailoftheFifeandForfar ’,Blackerwrote,‘sittinginthemiddleofanopen plainwhichgavethemnomorecoverthanapolofield.Butwhywastherenosignofactivityandwhy in any case were they just sitting there? There was something unreal about their stillness. As we motored closer we realised that they were all dead, burnt out. The only sign of life came from blackened,dishevelledpartiesonfoot,tendingwoundedortricklingback.’ TheFifeandForfarhadbecometheday’sfirstvictimsofPeiper ’sPanthers.Inamatterofminutes twenty-nineShermans,includingthatoftheircommandingofficer,hadbeendestroyed. AsurvivorofthemassacrecameupandspoketoBlacker. ‘I don’t think we have more than four tanks left in action,’ he said. ‘Both the 3rd Tanks and ourselveshavebeenstoppedbyarmourandgunsupthereontheridge,andasyoucanseethere’sno cover,soIshouldwatchout.’ It was a desperate situation. Already, as they spoke, tanks of the 23rd Hussars were also being shelled. Spewing out a smokescreen for cover, they hastily beat a retreat behind the railway line, whichprovidedsomeprotection. Butthewordsooncamefromcommand:theyhadtopresson.Therewastoomuchatstake.The Bourguébusridgehadtobetakenbynightfall. BothAandBSquadronshadalreadysufferedlosses.NowitwastimeforCSquadron,Blacker ’s former command, to push ahead. There was no time for thinking about tactics or planning: the situationwasurgent.ItwasonlyearlyafternoononthefirstdayandalreadyOperationGoodwood wasturningintoadisaster.BillShebbearewastoldtohurryforwards,capturingavillagejustahead ofthemcalledFour,andfromthereproceedtowardstheridge. Eagerandexcited,ShebbearesetoffwiththetanksofCSquadron,crossingtherailwaylinesand chargingtowardstheGermanpositions. Thenallatoncethefiringstarted,coming,itseemed,fromalldirections.Blackerhadtositbackas hisformercommandwastornapartbyPeiper ’sguns. The first to go was the tank of Mike Pratt, who had come to the regiment almost straight from school. His Sherman quickly blew up after a direct hit, killing all inside. Next was Jock Addison’s tank.Addison,wholaterinlifebecameanOscar-winningfilmcomposer,managedtogetout,buthis driver,co-driverandgunnerwerealldead.HisoperatorwasonlywoundedandAddisonmanagedto pullhimout. Inside Blacker ’s former tank, the gunner watched in terror as shell after shell targeted his comrades’ Shermans. ‘Our turn next,’ he said. From the turret, however, there were no orders forthcoming.HelookeduptoBillShebbeare,expectinghimtotellthemwhattodo.ButShebbeare had fallen into a state of shock: ‘transfixed, speechless, frozen in a horrified stare at the appalling scenesahead’. Momentslater,Peiper ’smenscoredadirecthitonCSquadron’sleadingtank,theshellsmashing intotheturret.BillShebbearewaskilledinstantly.Thegunner,SamEnglish,thedriverandoneother managedtogetoutofthetank,butcaughtfireastheydidso.Theirfleshburning,theyputtheflames outasbesttheycouldbyrollingfuriouslyonthegrass. CSquadronwasnowleaderless,withmostofitstanksonfire.Manymenweredead,othershad horrificburnsontheirhandsandfaces.Withinminutes,almostalltheremainingShermanshadbeen destroyed by the German onslaught. Those that were still operational offered a minimal fightback, takingoutaGermananti-tankgunandaTigertank,beforeheadingbacktothecoverprovidedbythe railwayline. Inall,CSquadronlosttwentytanksinthefewminutesofthebattleandwaseffectivelywipedout. FirsttheFifeandForfar,nowthis:theLAHhadhadaverysuccessfulday. Operation Goodwood continued for another couple of days, with more tank victories for Peiper andtheotherGermanforces,successfullydefendingtheareasouthofthecityofCaen.Finally,on20 July,theoffensivehadtobecalledoff.TheBritishhadlostaround3,500menandhundredsoftanks. Germanlosses,bycomparison,wereminimal. ItwasclearthatifMonkeyBlackerhadnotbeenpromotedtosecond-in-commandontheeveofthe battle he would probably have suffered the same fate as his friend Bill Shebbeare. In later years BlackerwouldsometimeswonderwhatmighthavebecomeofBill. ‘PersonallyknowntoAttlee,almostcertainlyeventuallyajuniorministerinthepost-warLabour government,hehadabrilliantmindandwouldhavestartedonleveltermswithothersofhisageand with a Service background such as Denis Healey. Too nice, perhaps, for politics, but beneath the charmtherewasatoughstreak.Anyway–itwasnottobe.’ 32 Normandy,July–August1944 JOCHEN PEIPER HAD demonstrated the superior destructive force of his Panzer unit. Yet despite inflictingaheavydefeatontheBritishduringOperationGoodwood,theLAHhadsufferedcasualties ofitsown,andunliketheAllies–whoseemedtohaveanendlesssupplyoftankstoreplacetheones lost on the battlefield – the Germans had to use what they had. Most Panthers or Tigers that were successfully ‘brewed up’ by the enemy constituted a complete loss for the Germans: there were practicallynoneinreservetotaketheirplace. There was little time to rest or recover from battle. Allied troops could be relieved by multiple waves of reserves coming over the Channel. But for German soldiers in the front line this was a luxurytheycouldnotafford.MillionswereinvolvedinthefightingontheEasternFront,whilethe whole 15th Army was still waiting in the Calais region for the Allied assault that must inevitably comefromDoverandsouth-eastEngland.ThemenfightinginNormandywerepracticallytheonly combatantsthattheGermanshadavailable. Then there were the incessant artillery bombardments and attacks from the air. Even hardened officers,likePeiper ’sformercommanderintheLAH,SeppDietrich,foundtheconditionsworsethan whenfightingtheRedArmy. ‘Normandy,inJulyandAugust’44,’Dietrichwrote,‘wastheworsttimeIhavespentinmyfighting years...Itusedtotakemesixhourstomovetenkilometresfrommyheadquarterstothefront.’ Peiper was also suffering. After the flush of victory at the Bourguébus ridge, he found himself underfrequentbombardment.HehadsetuphisregimentalheadquartersatthechateauofGarcellesSecqueville,wherethebasementhadbeenfortifiedandturnedintoashelter.Radiosilencehadtobe maintainedatalltimesforfearofalertingtheAlliestotheirposition.Nonetheless,Britishshipsinthe Channelpinpointedhimandfiredshellaftershell.Therooffellin,andtwoSSmenwerekilled. PeiperhadtwoPanthersparkedoutsidethechateauwithditchesdugunderneathassheltersincase hisHQcameunderbombardment.Hismencoulddiveoutofthewindowsandtakecover,thesteelof thetanksofferingmoreprotectionthanthebricksandmortarofthebuildingitself. Oneday,duringsuchanattack,amemberofthemotorcyclereconnaissanceplatoonfoundhimself lyingnexttoPeiperunderoneofthePanthers: ‘IrememberveryclearlyhowonedayI,too,foundmyselfunderthiscommandtankofPeiper ’s.I had just arrived with a report from Kuhlmann when a formation of enemy bombers “laid down a carpet”.Asecondandthirdwavefollowed,andbombsraineddown.Thebombswereburstingatsuch shortintervalsthatPeiper–inspiteofhisfamouscalmandimperturbability–said,“Now’sit’stime togetoutandunderthetanks!” ‘Welaythereclosetogether–Peiper,HansGruhle,signalscommanderHelmutJahn,andI–and waited.Andthen,inthatdepressingatmosphere,Peipersaid,“They’retryingtofinishusoffhereand now–(pause)–butIbelievewewillwinthiswar,justliketheFirst!” ‘ThesewordsbyPeiperdidnothaveashockingeffectonme.Ihadalsohadseriousdoubtsabout ourchancesofwinningthewarsincethepreviouswinter ’sdifficultbattles...’ After years of heavy fighting, and now at the receiving end of a merciless Allied bombardment, JochenPeiperwasclosetocrackingup. More fighting was to come, however. Caen was finally in the Allies’ hands, but after Operation Goodwood,theyonceagainlaunchedanoffensivedesignedtopushsouthfromthecitytowardsthe townofFalaise–OperationSpring. Peiper ’s tanks, as before, were in their way, and as before, they put up fierce resistance. At the villageofTilly-la-CampagneitwastheturnoftheCanadian3rdInfantryDivisiontoreceivethebrunt oftheLAH’sforce,anditsufferedheavycasualties.Asimilarfateawaitedarmoureddivisionsthat triedtoattacktheLAHnearRocquancourt. As with Operation Goodwood, the Allies had made only small gains and at a high cost. But the bombardment and stress of command had finally taken its toll on Jochen Peiper. He was having a nervous breakdown. By 2 August he was relieved of his post as commander of the 1st SS Panzer Regimentandsentfromthefronttorecover. Itwasclearlyembarrassingforamanofsuchhighmilitaryreputetohaveanervouscondition:it didnotfitwiththeSSideasofawarrior-officerbravelyandcalmlyleadinghistroopsfromthefront. Sotherealreasonwhyhehadbeenrelievedwascoveredup:whenhereachedtheSShospitalhewas officiallydiagnosedassufferingfrom‘jaundicecausedbyaninflammationofthegallbladder ’. Backatthefront,however,thingsweredevelopingquickly.WhiletheLAHhadbeenholdingback theCanadianstakingpartinOperationSpring,furtherwesttheAmericanshadtimedtheirownbig pushsouthtocoincide.SowhiletheBritishandCanadianshadtofightagainstthebestGermanforces inNormandy,includingoversixPanzerdivisions,theUStroopsonlyfacedoneandahalfGerman armoureddivisions. TheresultwasthatGeneralPatton,nowrelievedfromplayingtheheadofFUSAG–theimaginary armygroupdreamedupbythedeceptionplannersinLondon–managedtopushoutoftheCotentin PeninsulaintoBrittanyandfurthersouth. His point of breakthrough, however, was narrow, and there was only a thin corridor of US-held territorylinkingtheCotentinandthenewlyliberatedareas.ItwasherethatHitlerdecidedtolauncha counter-attack.OperationLüttichwasdesignedtobeamastercounter-stroke,splittingtheUSarmyin twoandhaltingitsadvancedeeperintoFrance. Hitler ’sbestforces,whountilthispointhadmostlybeenfightingintheeasternsectoragainstthe British and Canadians, were now ordered west to fight the Americans. The tanks of the LAH, but withouttherespectedandadmiredJochenPeipertoleadthem,movedoutfromtheirpositionssouth ofCaenandheadedtowardstheUSlines. OperationLüttich–whattheAmericanscalledtheMortaincounter-attack–wasadisasterforthe Germans.Mostofthedivisionsinvolved,includingtheLAH,wereunderstrength,andmanyfailedto reach their assembly areas in time for the attack owing to Allied air attacks whenever they tried to moveacrosscountry.Asaresulttheoperationhadtobedelayedbyaday.Whenfinallythingsgot going, during the early hours of 7 August, the Germans enjoyed some success, but once daylight broke, and the tanks could be spotted from the air, RAF Typhoons swarmed over them, causing havoc.InonedaytheLAHalonelostthirty-fourPanthersandtenMarkIVtanks. OperationLüttichwascalledoff.TheGermanarmyinnorth-westFrancewasindisarrayandon therun. Now that the LAH had been moved westwards to fight the Americans, the British and Canadians finallybrokethroughandstartedheadingfromtheareasouthofCaentowardsFalaise.MeanwhileUS forceswerecomingupfromthewestandsouth,encirclingtheGerman7thArmy,alongwithunits fromtheLAHandotherPanzerdivisions,inalethalpocket.TensofthousandsofGermansoldiers racedtogetouttosafetybeforethegapattheeasternendofthepocketwasclosed.Manydidmakeit, butthemajority–over50,000men–weretrapped.Theresultwasabloodbath,andthebiggestdefeat fortheWehrmachtsinceStalingradayearandahalfearlier. The Battle of Normandy was lost: all they could do was fall back. The LAH as such now barely existed.Ithadlostsome5,000men,alongwithallofitstanksandartillery. SomewonderedifeverythingwouldhavegonesowrongduringOperationLüttichifPeiperhad beenwiththem. ‘If Peiper had been there this would not have happened!’ a staff commander remarked. Despite being pulled back from the front, and the near destruction of his regiment, Peiper ’s fame as a commanderofgeniuslivedon. Peiperwasluckierthanmanyofhiscomradesandmanagedtofleetheenemyadvance,eventually recoveringinanUpperBavarianhospital,nearhisfamilyhome.Physicallyandmentallywrecked,he couldonlysitandwatchastheAlliespusheddeepintonorthernFrance. 33 London,NormandyandParis,August1944 IN LONDON, GARBO was drafting a letter to Kühlenthal insisting that FUSAG was still an imminent threat to the Pas-de-Calais, while explaining away the fact that General Patton was now obviously commandingforcesinnorthernFrance.Asever,Kühlenthalacceptedhisagent’sinformationatface value. Meanwhile,onthenightof31Julyto1August,Pujol’scompatriotsinthe2ndArmouredDivision finally reached Normandy, disembarking in choppy waters at Utah beach: Spanish soldiers in a French unit wearing US Army uniforms and driving American tanks. For many in La Nueve, includingLieutenantAmadoGranell,itwasanemotionalmoment,andtheycriedastheybentdown topickuphandfulsofsandfromthebeach.IntheirmindstheconquestofFrancewouldbejustthe beginning.OncetheNazishadbeenpushedbackovertheRhine,Franco’sdaysinMadridwouldbe numbered.TherewouldbeanotherAlliedlandingsoon,theywerecertain,thistimeontheSpanish coast. Numberingsome150menwithShermans,half-tracksandjeeps,thesesoldierswereherenotonly to liberate French soil; they had an ideological hatred of the enemy and scores to settle from their own Civil War. Some were anarchists, others Trotskyites; a handful were communists. Some, like Granell,weresimplysoldierswhohadfought–andlost–ontheRepublicanside. Many in the French 2nd Armoured Division considered them unruly, a difficult bunch to handle. GeneralLeclerchadputCaptainDronne,aSpanishspeaker,inchargeofthem;hemanagedtokeep themundercontrol,moreorless.Buttheyweregoodfighters,amongthebestinLeclerc’sforce,so theywereoftenatthevanguardoftheaction,sometimesasmuchas15kilometresaheadoftherestof thedivision. TheyarrivedintimeforthecollapseoftheGerman7thArmyintheFalaiseGap.Here,inthesmall town of Écouché, they found themselves surrounded by fleeing remnants of the 1st SS Panzer DivisionLAHandthe2ndSSPanzerDivisionDasReich.TheGermanswerebrokenanddefeated,yet pocketswerestillresisting.KnowingthattheenemywasmadeupofmembersoftheSSonlymade thesoldiersofLaNuevefightevenharder.Theysufferedseventeencasualtieson16August,butthe enemy was now on the run, heading westwards towards Paris, chased by the Allies. What would happen in the City of Light itself, though? Would the Germans put up a fight? The city might be destroyed, yet it held the key to the whole country. Whoever was in control of the capital was effectivelyincontrolofFrance. General de Gaulle wanted the Allies to march in and take Paris as quickly as possible. General Eisenhower,theSupremeAlliedCommander,however,wasmorecautious.Hewantedtoengagethe Germansfirsttothenorthofthecityanddefeatthembeforeenteringthepotentialbloodbaththata battle for Paris might turn out to be. Besides, there was a race on for Berlin against the Soviets. A diversiontoemptyParisofGermanscouldprovecostly. Nonetheless,theFrenchdecidedtomoveinthedirectionofParisanyway:on19Augustresistance fightersinthecityhadstartedanuprising.ItwasimperativetoreachthemandbringanendtoNazi rule. Further to the east, in Warsaw, an uprising by the Polish resistance was being mercilessly quashedbytheGermansastheRedArmyhaltedinitstracksandrefusedtomoveinonthecityin support.ThesamethingcouldnotbeallowedtohappeninParis. AftertherapidcollapseoftheGermansinthewakeoftheAlliedbreakoutfromNormandy,itwas timetotakeadvantageofthesituation. Early in the morning of 23 August La Nueve started rolling eastwards. Eisenhower had finally givenintodeGaulle’spressure,andLeclerc’s2ndArmouredDivisionhadpermissiontostrikeon Paris.TheFrenchforceswerenotalone,however:theUS4thInfantryDivisionwerealsomarching towardsthecapital.Therewasacompetitiontobethefirsttoarrive.Bymiddayon24AugustSpanish soldiers reached the Parisian suburb of Antony. The road into Paris, where the resistance fighters werestrugglingtotakethecitywithlittlemorethanhandguns,appearedtobeclear. Butnow,justwhentheprizeappearedtobeinsight,LaNuevereceivedorderstoholdbackand supportotherunitsontheoutskirtsofthecity. Reluctantly they turned around to head to La Croix de Berny, where a German 88mm artillery weaponwascausinghavoc.Beforelong,LaNuevedealtwithitandthegunwasputoutofaction. AtthispointLeclerchimselfarrived,andspoketoGranellandDronne. ‘Whatthehellareyoudoinghere?’hedemanded. ‘Mongénéral,I’mfollowingtheordertopullback,’Dronnereplied. ‘No, Dronne. Head straight for Paris, enter Paris. Don’t allow yourself to be held up. Take whichever route you want. Tell the Parisians and the Resistance not to lose hope, that tomorrow morningthewholedivisionwillbewiththem.’ Leclercwasadamant:theyhadtomoveintosupporttheresistancefighters.Hitlerhadgivenorders todestroythecityintheeventofanAlliedattack:theyhadtomovebeforeitwastoolate.Andthey hadtoreachcentralParisbeforetheAmericans.LaNueveshouldleaveatonce. AndsotheSpanishRepublicantroops,withCaptainDronneattheirhead,pushedintoParisitself. Atfirst,Parisianshidinfearatthesoundoftheirtanks,thinkingthattheymightbeGermans.Once they saw their uniforms, however, they emerged on to the streets again with the cry that ‘the Americans’hadcome.OnlyonlookingcloserdidtheyrealisethattheseweremenoftheFreeFrench forcescometoliberatethem.FewrealisedthattheywereactuallySpanish. By2045thatevening,pushingthroughthecheeringcrowds,LaNuevereachedthePorted’Italie. BeyondlaycentralParisitself.Yetthepaththroughwasnoteasy:GranellandDronnehadlittleidea how much German opposition there might be. And then there were barricades along most of the streets,thrownupbytheFrenchresistancetohamperanymovementofGermantroops. ThearmouredcolumnofLaNuevestartedzigzaggingitswaythroughthestreets.Atonepointthey decided to split into two sections: one under Granell, the other under Dronne, each taking slightly differentroutestotheHôteldeVille. Granelldivertedawayfromtheavenued’Italie,strikingwestbeforereachingtherueNationaleand heading up once again towards the Seine. Dodging the German positions, he then reached the boulevarddel’Hôpital,attheendofwhichhecrossedtotheRightBankbythepontd’Austerlitz.Here hiscolumnturnedleftandmovedalongtheriverbankbeforefinally,withoutfiringashot,at2122he reachedtheHôteldeVille. Granell,aSpaniardfromthesmallMediterraneantownofBurriana,wasthefirstAlliedsoldierto reach the heart of Paris. Soon his tanks and cars were surrounded by euphoric members of the resistance,whohadtakentheHôteldeVillefromtheGermansafewdaysearlier. Granell’sfirstactwastosendamessagetoDronne,sayingthattheyhadmadeit. ‘Sendreinforcements,’hecalled. Wordquicklyspreadofwhathadhappened,andsoonthebellsofNotreDamewereringingover thecity,followedbythoseofotherchurches.Hearingthem,oneoftheGermandefendersstillinthe citywroteinhisdiary:‘Ihavejustheardthebellsofmyownfuneral.’ Granellhimselfdescribedthescene: ‘ItwasverymovingandemotionaltohearthebellsofNotre-Dame.Fightinghadn’thardenedus completely.Therewasshouting,cheeringandsongs–particularlyLaMarseillaise – accompanying the sound of the bells. We all had tears in our eyes and a lump in our throats. I tried to sing La Marseillaise with the others, but I couldn’t . . . Explosions, people firing into the air . . . all that excitementwasfreedomitself,victory.Icouldn’tevenblinkforfearthatIwouldreallystartcrying. Oursensesfeltshornofallimpulse.ThelinesfromtheRubénDaríopoemhadcomealive:“Eventhe mostbeautifulwomansmilesatthemostferociousconqueror.”Theferociousnessoftheconquerors hadbeenwashedawaybytheemotionofthemoment.’ Inthejubilantscenesthatfollowed,thepresidentoftheresistancecommittee,GeorgesBidault,had hisphototakenwithasmiling,iftired-looking,Granell.Onthenextdayitwasonthefrontpageof thenewspaperLibération,withtheheadline:‘Ilssontarrivés!’ On 25 August, when the rest of Leclerc’s forces and the US 4th Infantry arrived, Paris was effectivelyclearedoftheoccupiers.Intheafternoon,afterabriefbattleoutsidehisheadquartersatthe Hôtel Meurice – again involving La Nueve – the German military governor, General Dietrich von Choltitz,officiallysignedtheGermansurrenderinthebilliardroomofthePrefectureofPolice. Pariswasdeliriouswithjoy,andthewarmAugusteveningsoonturnedspontaneouslyintooneof the greatest celebration parties in history. Exhausted French, Spanish and American liberators who hadfoughttheirwaytothecapitalthroughthebloodyfieldsofNormandywerenowembracedbythe city’spopulace.Everywheretheywent,menandwomen–butparticularlywomen–threwthemselves atthem,wantingtokissandtouchthebravemenwhohadendedtheNaziterrorintheircity. Astheeveningworeon,thecelebrationsbecamemoreintense,moreintimate,inwhatSimonede Beauvoir later called the débauche de la fraternité. Few soldiers slept alone that night. Either bivouacked in the Bois de Vincennes or in the gardens behind Notre-Dame, the Spaniards of La Nueve,theFrenchmenofthe2ndArmouredandtheAmericansofthe4thInfantryweremostlyinthe passionate embraces of Parisian girls and women keen to show their gratitude as warmly as they could. IntwoandahalfmonthsthewarhadtakenadecisiveturninfavouroftheAllies.Nowitwasonlya question of time before Germany was defeated. In London, reading more complimentary reports from Kühlenthal congratulating the Arabal network for the quality of its intelligence, Pujol and Harriscouldbesatisfiedthattheirstory-tellingandlieshadhelpedwinthebattleforFrance. PARTNINE ‘Toomuchsanitymaybemadness.Andmaddestofalltoseelifeasitisandnotasitshouldbe.’ Cervantes 34 LondonandMadrid,August1944–May1945 WHILE SPANISH, FRENCH and American soldiers enjoyed the fruits of victory in Paris in late August, Juan Pujol continued his Garbo deception in London, although at a reduced pace. As far as the Germanswereconcerned,hewaskeepingalowprofileafterhisarrestinBethnalGreen.Infacthe wasstillworkingwithHarristoperpetuatethethreattothePas-de-Calais.EvenasPariswasfalling into Allied hands, the German 15th Army was still based firmly in the northern corner of France, waitingforthepromisedsecondwaveoftheinvasiontocome. The Allies had swept out of Normandy and were hurriedly conquering much of the rest of the country;GeneralPattonwasnowclearlyinchargeoftheUS3rdArmy,whichwaspushingdeepinto FranceandhadnothingtodowiththefictitiousFUSAGsupposedlybasedinDover. YetstilltheGermansbelievedthatFUSAGexistedandwasanimminentthreat.MI5concludedthat Hitlernowhad‘analmostmysticconfidence’inhisSpanishspy. On 31 August Garbo finally broke the news to them. Owing to the success of the Normandy campaign, the Allies had decided to dismantle FUSAG and cancel the planned strike over the narroweststretchoftheChannel.TheGerman15thArmyhadbeensuccessfullytrickedintosittingon itshandswhilemuchofFrancefelltotheAllies. The deception of Fortitude was complete, and was more successful than anyone could have imagined. ‘Justkeepthe[German]FifteenthArmyoutofmyhairforthefirsttwodays,’GeneralEisenhower hadaskedthedeceptionplannersinLondonbeforethestartoftheinvasion.‘That’sallIask.’ In the end, through deception and double-cross, the threat had been kept at bay for almost three months. ‘Prior to D Day,’ Harris wrote, ‘the unofficial estimate of our probable success in holding the enemyfromreinforcingtheCherbourgbattlefront[Normandyinvasionbeaches]was,thatifitcould afterwards be proved that we had been instrumental in causing one Division to hesitate 48 hours before proceeding to oppose our landing in the Cherbourg peninsula, we would have been well repaidfortheenergiesexpendedinorganisingthisdeception...Oursuccesswasinfinitelygreater thanwehaddaredtohope...Theclimaxwasreachedwhen,withtheuseofentirelynotionalforces wecontinuedtomaintainthethreattothePasdeCalaisareauntilAlliedForceshadby-passeditand annihilatedtheforceswhichwehadbeeninstrumentalinpersuadingtheGermanstoretainthereuntil aftertheNormandybattlehadbeenwon.’ TheAllieswerecock-a-hoop.Manyinthelatesummerof1944,withthecollapseoftheGerman resistance in much of France, thought that the war itself might be over very shortly. In the end the enemyputupafightback,andvictorycouldnotbecelebrateduntilMayofthefollowingyear,butfor thedeceptionteamsofSHAEF,theLondonControllingSectionandMI5itwasamomentoftriumph. Pujolhimselfwouldreceiveanawardforhisefforts.AftertheIronCrossgrantedbynoneother thanHitlerhimself,HarrisworkedbehindthescenestoensurethattheBritishdidnotfailtodecorate theirSpanishheroinequalmeasure. Beforetheydidso,however,therewasanotherfinalthreattoPujol’ssecrettodealwith. AsPujolwasannouncingtotheGermanstheendofFUSAG,inMadridaSpanishspywithclose tiestotheGermansecretservicewasapproachingtheBritishEmbassyofferingtosellsomehighly valuable information. Roberto Buénaga was an associate of the Dirección General de Seguridad – Franco’s equivalent of MI5 or the FBI – and he put himself in touch with Section V’s man in the capitalatthetime,JackIvens. Fortherightamountofmoney,BuénagatoldIvens,theBritishcouldhavethenameoftheheadof theGermans’bestspyringinLondon. Ivens had been with Bristow and Philby back in early 1942, when news first reached Section V aboutArabel.ItwascleartohimthatBuénaga’sinformationaboutthe‘Nazi’spywasgood,thathe knewthenameandeventheaddressofJuanPujol. Something needed to be done. Pujol might have taken something of a back seat in the Garbo operation by this time – as far as Kühlenthal was concerned his deputy, Pedro, Agent 3, was doing more of the work, meaning that Harris himself, an MI5 officer, now had a direct line of communication with his German counterpart. Yet the whole network could still be blown, endangeringlivesandclosinganychanceofperpetratinganyfuturedeceptionplans. TheproblemwasthatiftheBritishdidnothingwithBuénaga’sinformationandtheGermansfound outthathehadbetrayedthem,itwouldbeobviousthatGarbowasadoubleagent.Butiftheyagreed to do a deal with Buénaga, Kühlenthal would be forced shut Garbo down as a German spy on the assumptionthattheBritishhadnowrumbledhim. Aftersomanyyearsofdealingwiththreatsofthiskind,itmusthavecomealmostassecondnature tohandthingsovertoPujoltosortout.Hissolution,aselegantasever,wastoturntheprobleminto one for the Germans. He had, he told Kühlenthal, learned through his sub-agent J(1) – the courier workingthecivilianflightrouteoutofLisbon–thatsomeonewasmovinginsecretcirclesoffering to sell information about the Germans’ spy ring in Britain. And he named the person as Roberto Buénaga. As a result, he – Garbo – was now going into hiding in Wales with Stanley, Agent 7, who could keephimsafeforthetimebeing. Kühlenthalfellforityetagain.HecongratulatedGarboondiscoveringthethreat,andonhisquick actioninresponse.PedrowasnowfullyinchargeoftheGarbonetwork,havingoccasionalcontact withhischief–Garbo–fromhisWelshhideout. Pujolwas,ofcourse,stillinLondonallthistime.TheBuénagathreatremaineduntiltheendofthe war,yethewassuccessfullystalled,theBritishneveracceptinghisoffertosellhisinformation,the Germans believing that their spy network was safe and that its chief had managed to find a secure hidingplace. Towards Christmas of 1944 Pujol finally received official recognition of his services from the British.Atmiddayon21DecemberhewaspresentedwiththeMBE.Itwasaprivate,secretmoment. NomentionofhisnameappearedintheLondonGazette,yettheceremonywaspresidedoverbythe head of MI5 himself, Sir David Petrie, who made a speech in praise of the little Spaniard who had done so much to help the Allied cause. Among those present were Harris, Tar Robertson, John MastermanandGuyLiddell. AfterwardsthesmallgroupwentforlunchattheSavoy.Atonepoint,andperhapsbolsteredbya fewglassesofwine,Harrisstartedbeatingthetablewithhishand,callingoutPujol’sname.Within momentstheothersweredoingthesame,andPujolstooduptomakeaspeechofhisown,thanking themforhismedal. ‘GarborespondedtothetoastinhaltingbutnottoobadEnglish,’Liddellwroteinhisdiary.‘Ithink hewasextremelypleased.’ This was followed the next day by a second celebration – one to which wives and ladies were invited. Liddell was present again at a dinner at the Dorchester along with Sarah Bishop, Harris, Harris’swife,Hilda,Pujolandperhapsmoreimportantly,Araceli.Foronenightatleast,itseems,the tensions of the past months and years were forgotten in the splendour of the moment. It was what Araceli had always dreamed of back when they were struggling in Madrid and Lisbon – mixing in high circles, the dream of a glamorous and more comfortable life. And in the magnificent surroundingsofoneofthebest–andthenrelativelymodern–hotelsinLondon,sheshined. ‘Mrs Garbo was in tremendous form,’ Liddell wrote, ‘and related to me in animated and broken Englishthepartshehadplayedintheearlydaysofherhusband’sdoubleagentcareer.’ Shetoldhimoftheeventsthreeyearsbefore,whenPujolhadbeenathislowestebbinLisbon,and sheherselfhadtakentheinitiativetotalktotheAmericans,topersuadethemtolistentoherhusband’s story. It was the final move that had brought Pujol to the attention of the British and eventually to Londonastheirtopdoubleagent. Listen,Araceliwassaying,noneofthiswouldhavehappenedwithoutme.Ideservethis–youowe ittome. Pujol himself was more subdued that evening, perhaps wisely allowing his wife to have her moment,tobaskinthegloryofhisMBE.Hehadgrownabeard–allpartofhisnewroleof‘spyin hiding’.Laterhewouldtrytogetsomephotosofhimselfinthis‘disguise’overtoKühlenthalbypost toshowwhatmeasureshewastakingagainstgettingcaught.Liddellthoughtthebeardmadehimlook ratherlikeLenin. Yetdespitethehiddentensionsatthetable–thehostilitybetweenHarrisandAracelineverappeared toabate,whilewecanonlyspeculateaboutthelevelsofintimacybetweenPujolandSarahBishop– the evening was a success, at least as far as Liddell was concerned. Pujol and Araceli were, he concluded,‘verylikeablecharacters’. Intruththemarriagewasstillintrouble.ThewarwasclosetoanendandAracelilongedtobeback inSpain,yetforPujolhisworkremainedunfinished. SomethingofhisfeelingsforAraceli,andtheproblemstheyhadbeenthrough,canbesensedina handfuloflettershewroteintheearlymonthsof1945,partofhisrusetoconvinceKühlenthalthathe washidingfromtheBritish.Hewrotetohiswife,date-liningthelettersfromvariouscitiesinSpain, to where he was pretending he had now successfully escaped. In fact he was sending them from BritaintoMadrid,whereKühlenthalplayedhispartandhadthelettersfrankedinSpainitselfandsent backtoBritain,therebyprovidinghisagentwith‘proof’fortheBritishauthoritiesthathewasoutof thecountry. In the first letter Pujol talked about being back in Madrid, and how the city was a ‘plague of memories’ for him of his previous life there with Araceli, which only made the pain of their separationthatmuchhardertobear. Ihavenoplans;IamlikealittleboatatthemercyofthewavesoftheAtlantic,waitingforarayoflighttoshowthewayin mydarkfuture.Howdifferenteverythingwouldbeifyouwerehere.Idon’twanttosaytoomuchaboutMadrid,becauseI knowitwillonlymakeyouassadasIamasIwalkthestreetsandrealisethatyouaren’tbymyside.Idon’tplantostaylong inthecapital;I’mhopingtoleavenextweekbecauseajourneyisthebestthingformeinmycurrentstateofhealth,whichis inaterriblewaywithmynervesandthewayIfeelrightnow. Inalaterletter,inwhichhetalkedaboutasupposedbusinessventurethathewasgettinginto,he againexpressedhisfeelingsforher: Justremember,dayafterday,howmuchIloveyouandthateverythingIamdoingisforbothofus.Thatwaytheloneliness won’tfeelsobad,andyouwillbeabletostandupstrongagainstanyadversitythatcomesyourway. Iloveyouverymuchandsendyoumillionsofkisses. IfPujol’swishwastorekindlethefondnessoftheirearlyyearstogether,totrytopersuadeAraceli tostaywithhiminLondonforawhilelonger,itfailed.HercallstobesentbacktoSpaincontinued, althoughatthelastminuteshewaveredoverwhethertoreturnwhensheheardthatthenavalofficer shehadbeenhavinganaffairwithearlierinthewarwasbeingrepatriatedfromhisPOWcamp.By now, however, MI5 were tiring of her. Apart from the matter of marital infidelities, Harris commentedthat‘thedomesticsituationintheGarbohouseholdhadbecomeextremelycomplicated’. Araceli struggled to find a servant and was having to look after the two small children and do the houseworkonherown–asituationthatwasbecominguntenableowingtoanunspecifiedillness. On1May1945,onedayafteradefeatedHitlercommittedsuicideintheBerlinbunker,sheandthe childrenfinallyflewbacktoMadrid,atMI5’sinsistence.Themarriagewasnotover–notyet–butit wasstaggeringtowardsaninevitablebreakdown. 35 Britain,theAmericasandSpain,May–September1945 JUST AS HEwassayinggoodbyetohiswife,wonderinghowlonghismarriagecouldsurvive,Pujol was also busy with what would turn out to be the last Garbo messages sent between London and Madrid. Harris and MI5 were keen to keep tabs on the German spy network in Spain after the war. The conflictwascomingtoanend,buttherewerefearsthatdiehardNazismightlingeronandevenstage afightbackatafuturedate.AsaresultitwasdecidedthatGarboshouldmaintaincontactwithMadrid. Therewasanotherreason,morepersonalforPujol,tocarryon,however.Untilthatpointtherehad neverbeenanysuspicionthatKühlenthalhadanyinklingthathistopLondonspyhadbeenworking fortheBritish.YettherewasalwaysthedangerthatonedayPujol’scovermightbeblown,inwhich caseheandhisfamilywouldpotentiallybeunderthreat.Heneededtobecertainthatnooneonthe Germansideknewanythingabouthistrueloyalties. Throughallthis,Pujolhadtokeepupthepretenceofbeinga‘Germanspy’ontherunfromthe Britishauthorities.Assuchhehadtothinkofescaperoutestorelativesafetyoverseas.Heputforward anumberofpossibilitiestoKühlenthal,includingsailingtoCubawithatobaccosmuggler,orgetting toCanadausingFred’s–Agent4’s–IDpapers.IntheendKühlenthalsuggestedtheCubaplanwasthe best. BythistimethewarinEuropewasinitsfinaldaysandFranco,keentoingratiatehimselfwiththe winnersanddistancehimselffromhisformerfriends,wasroundingupGermanofficialsandplacing themunderhousearrest.TheBritishhadlearnedthatFriedrichKnappe,Pujol’sfirstcontactinsidethe defunct Abwehr, was detained in Catalonia, while Kühlenthal had been given permission to live in Ávila.Nonetheless,hewasstillabletorespondtotheGarbomessages. Ontheeveningof1May,justhoursafterAraceliandthechildrenflewoffforSpain,Garbo,ever thefanaticalNazi,offeredtocarryonfightingforthecause. Iamconvincedthat,providingwetakethenecessarystepsinordertoorganiseourselvesadequatelyandefficientlyatthe presenttime,wewillbeabletomaintaincontactwithThreeandFiveaftermydeparture,andtherebycontrolanetwork,the benefitsofwhichmaybeofincalculablevalueforthefuture. Fortheirpart,theGermansthankedhimforhiscontinuingsupportinthefaceof‘therapidcourse of events and the confusion reigning all over the world’. They would organise the necessary documentationtogethimoutofBritainandmakesurehereceivedsomefundstohelphimalong.But itwastimetoclosedownthenetwork.Thesituationwascriticalandhehadtothinkofthesafetyof hiscollaborators. Overthenextfewdaysmoremessagesweresentbackandforthdetailingtheparticularsofshutting downthenetwork,ofgettingfundsacrosstoGarbo,andaboutescapeplans. Then, at nineteen minutes past nine in the evening of 8 May – VE Day, just as the crowds were drinking and celebrating in the streets of London – Pujol and Harris sent their final message to Madrid.GarboinsistedonpressingtheGermansforsomesortofcontactinMadrid,awaythatwould enablehimtostayintouchwiththem.Now,fouryearsafterhefirstpennedhisfakereportsonBritain fromLisbon,delightedattheoutcomeofthewarandperhapsevenundertheinfluenceofaglassof champagneortwofromHarris’swinecellar,itwasasimportantasevertostayincharacter: I understand the present situation and the lack of guidance due to the unexpected death of our dear Chief shocks our profound faith in the destiny which awaits our poor Europe, but his deeds and the story of his sacrifice to save the world fromthedangerofanarchywhichthreatensuswilllastforeverintheheartsofallmenofgoodwill.Hismemory,asyousay, willguideusonourcourseandtodaymorethaneverIaffirmmyconfidenceinmybeliefsandIamcertainthatthedaywill arriveinthenottoodistantfuturewhenthenoblestrugglewillberevivedwhichwasstartedbyhimtosaveusfromaperiod ofchaoticbarbarismwhichisnowapproaching. ThereplyfromMadridwasexactlywhattheywerewaitingfor:detailsabouthowtokeepintouch nowthatthewarhadended: To make contact with the person employed in Madrid we ask you to frequent the Cafe Bar la Moderna, 141 Calle Alcalá, every Monday between 20 hours and 2030 hours, starting June 4th. You should be seated at the end of the Cafe and be carryingthenewspaper“LondonNews”.ApersonwillmeetyouthereoneMondaywhowillsaythathehascomeonbehalf ofFernandoGómez... ItwasthelastmessagetheGermanseversent. PujollaterrememberedthecelebratingcrowdsinPiccadillyonVEDay,drinkingbeeranddancing in the street. Victory had come, and there was an overwhelming sense of joy. Yet in that scene the storyofhowthewarhadendedwassodifferentinthemindsofeachpersonthere.Thesoldiersand servicemen and women had their own experiences to shade and give colour to a momentous occasion,yettheydidnotknowwhatthelittleSpaniardandhisfriendfromMI5knewabouthow–or why–theAllieshadprevailed. Yetifweweretoremovethosetwomenfromthepicture,fromhistoryaltogether,thescenewould collapse.Therewouldbenocelebration,nopartyinPiccadilly.Normandy,theSecondFront,would havefailed,andthingswouldhaveturnedoutverydifferentlyindeed. Nonethelesstheypassedunobservedbythecrowds,happy,yetstillwithworktocomplete.Doing their bit, as so many millions had done. Vital yet invisible. Storytellers who had helped shape an endingthatwasfarfromcertain. PujolnowhadtogettoSpain,buthedidsoinaroundaboutfashion.BytravellingtotheUSAand LatinAmericafirsthewouldbeabletopickupanewpassportfromaSpanishconsulate–pretending tohavelosthisoldone–andtherebydisguiseanytrailsbacktohistimeinLondon. Therewasanotherreasontogo,however.TheheadoftheFBI,J.EdgarHoover,hadheardabout theGarbocase,andhewantedtomeetthemenbehindit. InearlyJunePujolandHarristookoffinaSunderlandflyingboatfromSouthamptonforatwentyfour-hour flight to Baltimore. From there they headed to Washington, where they had dinner with HooverinanundergroundbunkerthattheeverparanoidFBIchiefhadbeneathhisofficialresidence. ‘Hoover showed great interest in my activities as a double agent,’ Pujol remembered, ‘and was mostaffablethroughout,butheneveraskedmetoworkforhim.’ PujolhadalreadyturneddownanofferfromtheBritishtotakeacomfortable,well-paidjobatthe EagleStarinsurancecompany.Hewashappytocontinueworkingfortheminsecret,keepinganeye on any Nazi resurgence movements that he came across, but he was thinking about his own future, about his family, and a chance perhaps to repair things with Araceli. After so many years of difficulties – from his years in hiding during the Spanish Civil War, to his knife-edge existence in MadridandLisbonasafreelancedoubleagent,tothelonghoursandstrainofhisworkforMI5–he owed it to his wife and children to start something new. Besides, he had the feeling that tyranny followed him wherever he went – first the lawlessness of Republican Barcelona, then Franco and finallyHitler:hewantedtosettlesomewheretranquil,withnothreatofrevolutionordictatorship.A freshbeginning.PerhapsnowatlastheandAracelimightenjoythekindoflifethattheyhaddreamed ofallthoseyearsagowhileworkingattheMajesticHotelinMadrid. Therewasonemoretasktoperform,however:re-establishingcontactwiththeGermansinSpain. PujolarrivedinBarcelonabyboaton9August1945,thesamedaythattheAmericansdroppeda second atomic bomb on Japan, over Nagasaki. After an emotional reunion with his mother and family, he travelled to Madrid, where Harris was waiting for him with their old friend from MI6, DesmondBristow. AtfirsttheytriedtocontacttheGermansbyradio,butnosignalcameback.ThenPujolwenttothe CaféBarlaModerna,asinstructedinthelastGermanmessage,butnoonecametomeethim.When hevisitedKnappe’sMadridflat,hefoundthathisformercontactwasnotathome,butKnappe’ssister informedhimthathewasnowlivingsomewhereinCatalonia. ThiswastheinformationthattheBritishalreadyhad–thathewaslivinginCaldesdeMalavella, neartheFrenchborder.NowPujolcouldsatisfactorilyexplaintotheGermanhowheknewthis. ItwaslateAugustbythetimehemadeitthere.Knappebecamenervouswhenhesawhisformer agentstandingathisdoor:theSpanishauthoritiesdidnotallowhimtohavevisitors.Theyagreedto walkaroundtoanearbyforestwheretheycouldtalkmorefreely. Knappewasdepressed.Germanyhadlostthewar,andhisownsituation,nowunderhousearrest, wasuncertain.ToPujolhelookedlost,saddenedandworriedaboutwhatmighthappentohim.Itwas clearthathehadalmostnocontactwithanyoftheothersintheGermansecretservices;hewasonhis own. Hedid,however,haveKühlenthal’saddressinAvila;hegaveittoPujol,suggestingthathegoand seehim. Their conversation lasted some three hours, but by the end Knappe was becoming increasingly nervous and brought things to a conclusion. He was determined, he said, not to be sent back to Germany.HewouldratherliveasafugitivehereinSpain. Pujolneversawhimagain. BackinMadrid,PujoltoldHarrisandBristowwhathehadheardfromKnappe,beforeheadingto AvilatomeethisformerGermanspymaster,Kühlenthal.Ashedrewintothecity,heimaginedthatthe great medieval walls somehow reflected the cool response his arrival would elicit. Instead, he was surprisedtofindKühlenthaldelightedtoseehim. BythistimePujolwassomethingofasupermaninKühlenthal’seyes.Notonlyhadherunahighly successfulNazispyringfromtheheartofenemyterritory,hehadalsomanagedtoescapedetection whentheauthoritieshadcottonedontohim,andnowherehewas,unscathed. Or at least that was how Pujol later recounted his meeting with Kühlenthal to MI5. There are questions about Kühlenthal, however. Was he really duped as comprehensively as the records suggest?DidheneversuspectthatPujolwasactingasadoubleagent?TheGermanhistorianArne MolfenterhasinterviewedmembersofKühlenthal’sfamily.Theyinsistthattheirrelativedidhavehis doubts. Perhaps, in the end, like so many in the Abwehr – even the organisation’s head, Admiral Canarishimself–Kühlenthalwasplayingadoublegameofsorts,neverfullyloyaltotheNaziState, perhaps motivated more by self-preservation owing to his Jewish blood than anything else. Garbo, theGermans’greatestspyinsideBritain,gavehimaget-out-of-jailcard,yetbypassingonhisagent’s supposedintelligenceasgenuinehewasalsohelpingtounderminetheregimethatwasmurderingthe Jews. Itisimpossibletosay.PerhapsKühlenthalwasclevererthananyonerealised,onlyactingthefool. Orperhapshisfamilywanthimtobeperceivedinthatway,inanattempttorecoverthegoodnameof amanwhohaslargelybeenridiculedbyhistory. Whateverthetruthofthesituation,Pujolwasrelievedtosee–inhiseyesatleast–thattherewasno hintofsuspicioninKühlenthal.Evennow,afterallthathadhappened,theGermanintelligenceofficer appeared none the wiser. Pujol suggested establishing contacts with other spies still active, and keeping his network alive. But Kühlenthal refused. It was not possible in the current situation. Nonetheless,hewantedPujoltoseehimas‘acolleagueandbrotherwithwhomhewouldalwayswish tosharewhatevergoodfortunemightcomehiswayinthefuture’. TherewasnothingbutpraiseforPujol.Kühlenthalregrettedthathewasnotabletogivehimhis IronCross.Therehadbeensomebureaucraticcomplicationswhichmeantthatithadneverarrivedin Madrid.Hitlerhimselfhadbeeninvolvedinthematter,andhadinsistedthatthemedalbesent,butthe endofthewarhadintervenedinthemeantime. KühlenthalwaskeentoknowwhatPujolplannedtodonow;perhapshissuper-spycouldhelphim getoutofSpain.LikeKnappe,hewasanxiousnottobesentbacktoGermany.Pujolsaidhewould talktohissub-agentsandseewhattheycoulddo. He,meanwhile,wasgoingtoleaveSpainasquicklyaspossible.HetoldKühlenthalthathethought thatBritishspieswerealreadyontohim,andthatheintendedtocrossintoPortugal. ‘Howareyougoingtodothat?’KühlenthalaskedhimasPujolwasabouttoleave.‘Howareyou goingtogetovertheborder?’ Pujolgavehimanenigmaticlook,andsimplysaid:‘Clandestinely.’ PujoltravelledbacktoMadrid,thenontoLisbon,wherehemetuponcemorewithHarris.Theyflew toLondon,wherePujolwasdebriefedonwhathehadlearnedfrombothhismeetingswithhisformer Germancaseofficers. Histimeasadoubleagenthadcometoanend;itwastimetomakehisgoodbyestothosewhohad beenpartoftheGarbooperation.ToCharlieHainestheradiooperator;toTarRobertsonandJohn Masterman;toHilda,Harris’swife;toSarahBishop,whohadspentsomanyhourswithhimatthe JermynStreetoffice;andtoHarrishimself,theotherhalfofGarbo:overtheyearsthetwomenhad becomethebestoffriends. MI5werenotungenerous.Garbohadbroughtthemsome£31,000infundingfromtheGermans, providingthefinalironythattheenemyhadendeduppayingseveraltimesoverfortheveryservice thathadbeenusedtofoolthem.NowaportionofthatmoneywasgiventoPujoltohelphimstarthis newlife. ItwasSeptember1945.Justas,fouryearspreviously,hehadpoppedupmagicallyoutofnowhere, nowPujol–likehisnamesakeGretaGarbo–simplyvanished. PARTTEN ‘Atale,fictitiousorotherwise,illuminatestruth.’ Rumi 36 Britain,SpainandVenezuela,1945–84 FORTHEMAJORITYofpeopleafterthewarthename‘Garbo’referredtooneperson:theactresswhose filmsthrilledaudienceswithscenesofrumbadancingandskiingwhileGermanbombswerefalling onLondon.Onlyaveryselectnumber–membersoftheintelligencecommunity–hadanyinklingof another,secret‘Garbo’,aSpaniardwhohadplayedacrucialroleindefeatingtheNazis.Andofthese, amerehandfulknewhisrealname. Therewererumours–storiesofadoubleagentwhohaddoneincrediblethings.Itwastoogooda tale to suppress completely. But who was this Garbo? As the years passed, no one could say for certainthathewasevenaliveanymore.SomethingabouthimsuccumbingtomalariainAngola.Or wasitasnakebite?OthersinsistedhehaddiedinthejunglesofMozambique. Then in 1972 the general public was alerted to the existence of this other Garbo when John Masterman,formerheadoftheTwentyCommittee,publishedabookontheAllies’deceptionwork duringthewar.TheDouble-CrossSystemwasabombshell,outliningasitdidforthefirsttimehow thewoolhadbeenpulledovertheGermans’eyes,howtheentireGermanspynetworkinBritainhad beeneitherneutralisedorturnedandcontrolledbytheBritishthemselves,andhowtheAllieshadthen usedthistogreatmilitaryadvantageforD-DayandtheNormandycampaign. It was something of a sop to help bolster the image of the British intelligence services, whose reputation by this point lay in tatters after the scandals of the Profumo Affair and Kim Philby’s defectiontoMoscow.Wearegoodatspywork,Mastermanwantedtosay.TheSovietsmaybegetting thebetterofusnow,butlookatthisgreatsuccessweenjoyedduringthewar. Many players were mentioned in Masterman’s book – the double agents, all referred to by their codenames.Therehadbeenalmostfortydoubleagentsatonetimeoranother.Itwasateameffort, andeverthesportlover,Mastermanrevelledindrawingcomparisonsbetweenhistaskinchargeof the Twenty Committee and running a cricket eleven. But even the most integrated teams have their stars.ForMastermanandtheentiredeceptionoperation,itwasclearwhothatstarplayerhadbeen: Garbo,theSpaniard,amanwho,inMasterman’swords,‘turnedouttobesomethingofagenius’. Masterman’s book came out at around the same time that the journalist Sefton Delmer published TheCounterfeitSpy,anaccountoftheGarbocase.Delmerhadworkedasapropagandistagainstthe Germans,arolewhichhadallowedhimtomeetsomeoftheintelligenceofficerswhocouldtellhim thestoryofthegreatdeceptionthathadhelpedwinthewar. Delmerchangedallthenamesinhisbook,eventhatofGarbo,whichbecame‘Cato’.Neitherdidhe giveawaythedoubleagent’srealname:Pujolwasreferredtothroughoutas‘JorgeAntonio’,while Harrisbecame‘CarlosReid’. Thestorywasnowbecomingpopularlyknown,butthemysteryremained.WhowasGarbo?Was hestillalive?Ifso,wherewashe? Couldanyonefindhim? OnemanwasdeterminedtoseekGarboout.InspiredbyMastermanandDelmer ’saccountsofthe story, the writer and historian Nigel West began a search in the early 1980s to discover his true identity.Thetalesofsnakebitesandmalariadidnotringtrue,hethought.Somewhere,Garbowasout there,andhewasdeterminedtofindhim.AllheknewwasthathewasSpanish. Theproblemwasthatmanyofthosewhomighthavehelpedinhisquestwerenowdead.Westknew that Harris had been Garbo’s case officer during the war, yet Harris was killed in a car crash in Mallorcain1964.Hilda,hiswife,hadbeenwithhimatthetime,andalthoughshewasunharmedin theaccident,shediednotlongafterwithoutrevealingthesecretofGarbo’sidentity. Wheneverhehadthechance,WestaskedformerofficersabouttheSpanishdoubleagent.Theyhad allheardofGarbo,butnoneknewhisrealname.Itseemedasthoughthemanmightneverbefound afterall. But then, in 1981, West was given the opportunity to interview Anthony Blunt. Two years earlier BlunthadbeenpubliclyexposedasthefourthmemberoftheCambridgespyring.Aformermember ofMI5,hehadbeenGuyLiddell’sassistantformuchofthewar,aswellasaclosefriendofHarris. There was much to talk about – his spying for the Soviets, his relationship with the other Cambridgespies,Burgess,MacleanandPhilby–butduringtheinterviews,thesubjectofGarbocame up.WestwassurprisedwhenBlunttoldhimthathehadmettheSpaniardononeoccasion. Itwas1944,andHarrisandGarbohadmetBluntforlunchattheirusualhauntclosetotheoffice onJermynStreet,therestaurantGaribaldi’s.Almostfortyyearshadpassedsincethatday,andnowin hismid-seventiesBlunthadonlyacouplemoreyearstolive.Andyethismemorywasstillgood,and hetoldWestthatGarbo’snamehadbeensomethinglikeJuanorJoséGarcía. Itwasastart,ifnotapromisingone:inSpanishitwasaboutasunusualas‘JohnSmith’.Yetatleast Westhadsomethingtogoon. ThensometimelaterWestmetDesmondBristow,theSectionVofficerwhohadbeenoneofthe firsttodealwithGarboonhisarrivalinLondon. ‘TellmeaboutGarbo,’Westsaid.AndbeforeBristowcouldclamup,Westadded:‘It’sallright,I knowhisname.ItwasJuanorJoséGarcía.’ BristowtookthebaitandcorrectedWest. ‘JuanPUJOLGarcía,’hesaid. WestfinallyhadGarbo’sname. BristowwentontotellhimthatGarbohaddroppedhisfirstsurnameduringhisperiodinLondon to protect his identity. The former MI6 officer had no idea whether Pujol was still alive, but he suggestedtryingintheBarcelonaarea:PujolwasaCatalansurnameandthatwasthecitywherehe hadbeenborn. West hired an assistant to call up all the Pujol García households in the Barcelona phone book, askingthemwhethertherewasamemberofthefamilycalledJuan,andifsowhetherhewasabout seventyyearsoldandhadspenttimeinEnglandduringthewar. Theanswerswereallnegative.Onlyonefamilystoodout–themanwhoansweredthephonehad beendefensive,wonderingwhatthequestionswereabout.Afterfurthercalls,however,heopenedup, finallyadmittingthathisuncleJuanhadspentalotoftimeinLondonduringthewar.Hehadgoneto liveinSouthAmerica,however,andhisnephewhadnotheardfromhimforovertwentyyears.The lasttimetheyhadhadnewsfromhimhewaslivinginVenezuela. West was now convinced that he was on Garbo’s trail, and the focus of his search moved to the othersideoftheAtlantic.AresearcherwashiredinCaracas,andaftertendayssearchingthecountry fora‘JuanPujolGarcía’hecalledWesttellinghimtoringacertainnumberatacertaintime. Whenherang,amanansweredattheotherend.Westhadpreparedanumberofquestions:whether the person answered them correctly or not would tell him if he had found Garbo. It was a nervous moment. The Juan Pujol García at the other end of the line answered West’s questions without hesitation, confirmingthathehadspentagooddealoftimeinLondonduringthewar,andaddingthathehad beeninHendon.HehadalsoknownTommyHarris,andstillkeptamedalthatwasawardedtohimby theBritishgovernmentin1944. ThiswastheproofthatWestneeded.FarfromhavingdiedinAngolaofmalaria,Garbo,henow knew,wasaliveandwell,andlivinginVenezuela.Whatwasmore,theformerdoubleagentagreedto meetWestthefollowingweekinNewOrleans. West dropped everything and caught a plane. The venue was the Hilton Hotel. West was told to showupatacertaintime.Itwas20May1984andthecelebrationsforthefortiethanniversaryofthe Normandylandingswereonlydaysaway. Whenhearrived,Westrealisedwithsomehorrorthatthelobbyofthehotelwasvast.Notonlythat, itwasfullofpeople.HehadnophototohelphimidentifyPujol,andforanhourhewalkedaround, lookinginvainforthemanhehadspentsomanyyearstryingtotrackdown.Givingup,hewentback tohisownhotel,havingconcludedthatPujolhaddecidednottoshowup.Pujolhad,afterall,escaped detection almost his entire life, turning evasion into something of an art form. Perhaps he had had secondthoughtsanddidnotwanttobediscoveredafterall. West’s then wife, however, had travelled to New Orleans with him, and now she – Araceli-like – savedtheday.Goback,shetoldWest.Wehaven’tcomeallthiswayfornothing.Gobackandfind Garbo. SoofftotheHiltonwentWestforasecondtime.Onthisoccasion,ashortbaldmanaccompanied byhiswifecrossedthelobbyandintroducedhimself. Thepreyhadfoundthesearcher. 37 VenezuelaandSpain,1945–84 THEFORTYYEARSsinceleavingBritainhadbeeneventfulforPujol.Afteranintensecareerasadouble agenthemighthavebeenseekingaquieterlife,butsuchwasnottobehisfate.HislifeinVenezuela hadbroughtmuchpainandmanyfailures.LikeOskarSchindler,hisluckappearedtobeconcentrated inonespecificmomentinhislife–thewar–withtheresultthat,inhindsight,fewofhisventures eitherbeforeorafterenjoyedgreatsuccess. Things appeared to start well in Venezuela. Flush with his pay-off from MI5, Pujol took a grand houseonAvenidadeBoliviainCaracas.TherehehousednotonlyAraceliandhistwosons,butalso hisbrother-in-lawandhisfamily,aswellashisownmotherMercedesforawhile.Pujol,itseemed, hadgreatplans. AvisitortotheCaracashomeintheseearlydayswasTomásHarris.Harris,itwillberecalled,as well as being an artist, had directed the Spanish Art Gallery in London, where works by the great Spanishmasterswereexhibitedandsold.Nowthatthewarwasover,hegavethatuptoreturntohis careerasanartistaswellasstartingacollectionofprints,buthewasstilllookingoutforhisfriend Pujol. News about a big art exhibition in Venezuela, including paintings by El Greco, Velázquez and Goya, appeared in the local papers in December 1945. The artworks, the reports said, were being shippedfromLondon,hadavalueofaround£200,000andwerethepropertyofaSpaniardresident in Venezuela by the name of Juan Pujol García. The idea was to try to sell the paintings to the Venezuelangovernment,therebycreatingatastrokethegreatestartcollectioninthewholeofLatin America. ThenewsdidnotgounnoticedbytheSpanishEmbassyinCaracas,andsoonasecretinvestigation was launched. Who was this Juan Pujol, and where had these paintings come from? Were they artworksthathadbeenlootedduringtheSpanishCivilWar? For the following months, the Foreign Ministry in Madrid looked into every document in the possessionoftheSpanishStatereferringtoPujol,tryingtofindoutabouthim.Theydiscoveredalot –abouthistimeasanofficerinFranco’sarmyduringtheCivilWar,histimeattheMajesticHotel, hismovetoLisbonin1941.EventhathehadlivedinLondonformuchofthewar.Buttheynever foundanythingtomakethemsuspectthathehadbeenanMI5doubleagent. Nonetheless, questions about the art collection remained. Araceli, Pujol’s wife, was also investigated.ShewasreportedbytheFrancoistauthoritiesasbeingbackinSpainin1946,travelling withherbrotherinanexpensivecarandattendingthemostselect‘society’parties.Wasthispartofthe artdealingthatherhusbandnowappearedtobeengagedin?Noonecouldsayforcertain. Intheend,however,thedealneverwentahead.Stillkeepingtheireyeonhim,by1947theSpanish authoritiesreachedtheconclusionthatPujolhimselfwasnottheownerofthepaintings,ratherthat they belonged to persons unknown in Britain. Pujol was merely acting as an intermediary, and the SpanishStatehadnolegitimateclaimoverthecollection.TheVenezuelangovernmentdidnotbuythe paintingsintheend;theinvestigationwasdropped. It was the first of the series of failures that now characterised Pujol’s life. But what was really goingon? GiventhecloserelationshipthathehadbuiltupwithHarrisinLondon,Harris’svisitstoVenezuela at the time (at least twice, according to someone who was there), and the art angle to the story, it seemsmorethanlikelythatHarrishadaparttoplayinPujol’sbriefreinventionasamemberofthe artworld. ‘No other source in London could have provided a “collection” of major Spanish works’ at the time,saysarthistorianJulietWilson-Bareau. WasitacoverstoryconcoctedbyHarristogivePujolanewpersonaforhislifeinVenezuela?Itis apossibleexplanation,andHarris’stripstoCaracasmaysimplyhavebeenpartofthenarrativethat wasbeingbuiltuparoundPujolatthetime.Wilson-BareaualsosuggestsalinkwithHarrisclosing downhisSpanishArtGalleryattheendofthewar. ‘It was at that time that he began what must have been a major operation to close the London galleryanddisposeofthestock.’ Soacoverstorywithalargeelementoftruthinit,perhaps,withPujolactingasamiddlemanin VenezuelaforapotentialartdealinvolvingHarris’smerchandise. Nonetheless,allegationshavebeenmadethatsomethingmoresinisterwasafoot.Inthe1980s,back inSpainandlongdivorcedfromPujol,AracelibecamefriendlywithDesmondBristowandhiswife. ShetoldthemthatPujolandHarrishadbeeninvolvedinfakingpaintingsoftheoldmasters.They hadeven,sheclaimed,managedtosellsomeoftheminCaracasbeforealocalartexpertspottedthem and blew the whistle. Bristow believed the story and concluded that Harris’s friend Anthony Blunt wouldhaveactedasauthenticatorofthe‘forgeries’. QuestionsraisedintheCanadianparliamentin1980showedthatHarrisandBlunthadindeedbeen involved in the art business together after the war: the National Gallery of Canada had bought Poussin’sAugustusandCleopatrafromHarrisinthe1950s,withBluntcertifyingitsoriginality(as hedidformanyothermuseumsaroundtheworld).Doubtshavebeenraisedinrecentyearsaboutthis attribution, however, and art historians now believe it was done by an unknown Italian artist. An articleintheLondonDailyTelegraphin2001alsopointedoutthattwootherpaintingsboughtbythe Canadians from Harris around the same time on Blunt’s recommendation – St John the Baptist by JusepeLeonardoandTheThreeAngelsbyBartoloméEstebanMurillo–werelaterfoundtohavebeen lootedduringtheSpanishCivilWar. Araceli’saccusationsagainstherex-husbandandhisformercaseofficer–amanshedidnotgeton with–haveneverbeenproven.TheyweremadetoBristowin1986,twoyearsaftertheGarbostory becamepubliclyknown.Pujol,bythispoint,wasahero,butherex-husbandhadairbrushedher–and theconsiderablerolethatsheplayedinhissuccess–outofhisautobiography.Wasshebitter?Her recollection of what had been going on between Harris and Pujol in Venezuela forty years before would have been uncertain at the least. Perhaps she wanted to pay Pujol and Harris back for the misery of her London life, even after so much time had passed. In Bristow she found a willing audience.HavingbeenmadeheadofstationforSpainandPortugalafterthewar,BristowhadleftMI6 in1954afterbecomingsuspiciousofmanyofhisformercolleaguesinthesecretservicefollowing thedefectionofBurgessandMaclean.ConspiracytheoriesabouthisformerfriendHarrisweregrist tohismill,andthroughhimAracelifoundamouthpieceforherattemptstotarnishtheGarboname. NeitherdoestheCanadianangletothestorydoanymorethanconfirmthatHarrisandBluntwere workingtogetherintheartbusiness.Blunt’sattributionhasbeenquestionedinrecentyearsbutthere isnothingtosuggestthathedidnotbelieveittobeaworkbyPoussinatthetime.Similarly,thattwo of the artworks sold to the Canadians were later proven to have been looted does not incriminate Harris.Thepositiveidentificationoflootedartbeganlateandisstillongoing. Whatever Pujol’s role in the matter – as a bona-fide front man for a real art deal by Harris, or simply pretending to be a collector as part of a new cover story – his first venture in Venezuela fizzledout. His next step was to take the money remaining to him and buy a large farm near the city of Valencia,threehoursfromCaracas.Itwas1947andPujolbroughtinnew,modernmachinery,some ofwhichhadneverbeenseeninthecountrybefore;elaborateirrigationsystemsweresetupandthe farmworkersweregivenmuchbetterwagesandworkconditionsthanonanyoftheotherfarmsin thearea. But again Pujol’s luck had deserted him. In 1948 there was a revolution in Venezuela, and in the ensuing chaos Pujol’s farm was attacked and destroyed. Financially ruined, he returned to Caracas, butthisturnedouttobethefinalstrawforthemarriage.WhetherAracelilefthimorhetoldherto leave is not clear, but she now travelled back to Spain for good, taking their three children (a daughterhadbeenborntotheminVenezuela)withher. It was 1948; Pujol was alone and broke. But news came from an unexpected source: MI5 wanted himtoworkforthemagain.Bristow,stillinMI6,cameupwithaplanforPujoltoinfiltrateagroup of Czech expatriates in Venezuela in the hope of eventually getting inside Soviet spying operations then active inside France. Pujol was keen on the idea, as was Harris, and a meeting was arranged betweenthethreeoftheminSpain. Before the Madrid reunion, however, Pujol visited Harris alone at his home in Mallorca. In the meantime,itseems,HarrishadmentionedBristow’splantoPhilbybackinLondon.Philbywasnow the head of MI6’s anti-Soviet espionage group – irony of ironies – and he, not unnaturally, poured coldwateronthescheme.Asaresult,Harrishadbecomedoubtfulabouttheplan,andsubsequentlyso didPujol.AttheMadridmeetingwithBristowtheytoldhimthattheythoughtitwouldnotwork. Bristow’sschemewasshelved.PujolwentbacktoCaracas,butsoonhehadcausetogetintouch with the British again. A letter from his brother-in-law in Spain mentioned that a German called Knappe had been looking for him. At their final meeting in the woods near the Spanish–French borderattheendofthewar,PujolhadtoldKnappethathewouldtrytohelphimescapeSpain.Now,it appeared,Knappewascallinginthatfavour.PujolimmediatelygotintouchwithMI5,whotoldhim to carry on and make contact with Knappe. But soon afterwards the trail went cold, and the former Germanspydisappeared.Pujolneverheardfromhimagain. The two events – first with Bristow and then with Knappe – made him decide, however, that he neededtocuthislinkswiththeBritish.Hiswifeandfamilyhadgone;hehadlostallhismoney:this wasaperfectopportunitytostartlifeanew. ‘Garbo’hadtodie. ItwasthelastcontacttherewouldeverbebetweenPujolandHarris,thetwomenwhohadcreated thecharactersandnetworkofimaginaryNazispies.Asafinalfavourtohisdoubleagentandclose friend, Harris now spread the rumour that Garbo had passed away in southern Africa. Perhaps through a case of Chinese whispers, different versions of what had actually happened began to emerge. Even the British Ambassador to Spain helped confuse things by telling Araceli that her husbandhaddiedinaMozambiquejungle.StrugglingfinanciallyinMadrid,Aracelididnotbelievea wordofit. ButforPujolitmusthavebeenarelief.Hewasstillonlythirty-sixandhecouldbeginagain. By now he had started a relationship with a Venezuelan woman, Carmen Cilia Alvarez. They opened a newsagent in Maracaibo, but the wealth they had expected to earn from the expanding oil industryintheareafailedtomaterialise,andsoPujolfoundworkasalanguageteacherforShell– givingSpanishlessonstothenewarrivals,andEnglishtothelocals.Puttingsomemoneyasidefrom hisnewjob,heandCarmengotridofthenewsagentandopenedagiftshopintheluxuryLagunillas Hotelinstead. Theirfirstchildrenwerebornintheearly1950s–adaughterandason.AndforawhilePujolwas happywithhislife,forgingnewfriendships,stampcollecting,reading. In the late 1950s Araceli got in touch: she wanted a divorce. She had met an American – an art dealer–calledEdwardKreisler,andtheywantedtogetmarried.Pujolsignedthenecessarypapers and Araceli got her final wish – living the high life that she had dreamed of for so long. Kreisler moved in top circles, and their friends included the US Ambassador as well as celebrities such as Charlton Heston and Sofia Loren. Francoist Spain did not allow divorce, so Araceli and Kreisler weremarriedinGibraltarin1958. Intheearly1960sPujolventuredbacktoSpainforthefirsttimesincehismeetingwithBristowand Harrisin1948,takinghisnewfamilywithhimforaholiday.Hewantedtofulfilapromisehehad madebackin1938,whenhehadjumpedoutofhistrenchonthefrontlinesintheSpanishCivilWar, andcrossedovertotheFrancoists.TheRepublicansearchpartyhadalmostfoundhimhidingatthe bottomofavalley,butacloudhadcoveredthelightofthemoonjustattherightmomentandhehad managedtoescape.HehadattributedhisluckatthetimetotheaidoftheVirgendelPilar–thepatron ofthecityofZaragoza.Now,atlast,hewantedtovisitthecity’scathedralandthankher. ThetriptoSpaingavePujolanewidea,though.Hesawthebeginningsofthemasstourismboom inthecountryandthoughtheshouldtrysomethingsimilarinVenezuela. Soonaftertheyreturned,hepackedinhisteachingjobwithShellandinvestedtheirsavingsina hotel in Choroní, his wife’s beautiful home town on the coast. The Hotel Marisel was created with grandideas:Pujolofferedtouristspackagedeals,drivingpeopleinfromCaracas,givingthemfull board, entertaining them with films shown from a projector at weekends, and generally providing themwitheverythingtheycouldwant. Thelocationwasperfect,andtodayitisaprimeresort.ButPujolwasaheadofhistime.Theroads toCaracasweremudtracksandwereoftenfloodedintherainyseason:aone-wayjourneycouldtake anythinguptothreehours.Likehispreviousplans,thehotelwasdestinedtofail,andwithinafew yearshehadtosellupandreturntotheonlythinghehadleft–thegiftshop.Hiswifeandtheirthree children went to live with relatives while, for the next two years, Pujol worked, ate and slept surroundedbynick-nacks.Thefamilywerenotreuniteduntil1968,whentheycouldfinallyaffordto rentasmallflat. OutsideVenezuela,however,peoplewerebeginningtotalkaboutGarbo,speculatingaboutwhether thismysteriousdoubleagentwasstillalive,andifsowhathistrueidentitywas.Someofthestories wererepeatedbylocaljournalists,andPujolstartedtofeelinsecure.WhentheBritishgotintouch withhimagainin1973,hecouldnotbesureifitwasaset-up,andtookhisson,Carlos,alongwith himforthemeetinginCaracas,tellinghimtowaitoutsideandcallthepoliceifhehadnotcomeout withinhalfanhour.Carloswasnervous–allhisfathertoldhimwasthatithadsomethingtodowith hiswartimeactivities,andheborrowedagunfromafriendtotakewithhimincaseheneededit. IntheendtheBritishapproachturnedouttobelegitimate.Theembassyofficialsmerelywantedto tellPujolthatcertainpapersrelatingtohisworkforMI5werenowgoingtobedeclassified.There was nothing to worry about, however, because the story that he had died had been circulating for some time. It may not be accidental that the meeting coincided with the publication of both Masterman’sandDelmer ’sbooks. Withthethreatofdiscoveryhangingoverhim,Pujolnowpassedthroughsomeofhisunhappiest years. In 1975 his daughter with Carmen Cilia, María Elena, died in childbirth at the age of only twenty-two.ThenewsshockedPujolsomuchthathelosthisCatholicfaithandbecameagnostic. A couple of years later he himself came close to death due to heart problems. His family raised somemoney,andhewasflowntoHoustonwhereaquadrupleheartbypasswasperformed. Intimeherecoveredandwaswellenoughin1979forthefamilytotakeanotherholidaytoEurope, thistimevisitingGermanyandItalyaswellasSpain.ItwastheoneandonlytimethatPujolvisited thecountryhehaddonesomuchtodefeatinthewar.HiringacarinLuxembourg,theycrossedthe border and drove towards Bonn. After only a few kilometres, however, he was pulled over by a policepatrol,whoimmediatelyaskedhimforhisidentitypapers.Pujolnervouslyobliged,andthen throughsignlanguagetheGermanpolicemanindicatedthathewasgivinghimaticketforspeeding. Pujolsimplysmiledtohimselfandhandedoverthemoney. Bytheearly1980s,PujolhadsoldthegiftshopandheandCarmenCiliawerelivinginCaracas with their son. Then, in May 1984, there was a phone call from London: a man named Nigel West wantedtoasksomequestionsaboutthewar... 38 Spain,Germany,France,CanadaandBritain,1945–Present TOMÁSHARRIS’SDEATHinacarcrashinMallorcaon27January1964camejustayearafterhisclose friend Kim Philby disappeared from Beirut and defected to the Soviet Union. Months later, another friend,AnthonyBlunt,admittedtotheBritishauthoritiesthathetoowasaSovietspy. GivenhisconnectionwiththeCambridgeFiveandthetimingofhisdeath,somehavespeculated whetherHarrismightnotalsohavebeenworkinginsomewayfortheSovietUnion.Intheparanoid years of the Cold War, with the growing recognition that respected and leading members of the British intelligence community were secretly working for Moscow, accusations were made against many people. Some of the claims were substantiated, others were not. In Harris’s case, nothing has everbeenproven. Harris’sdetractorsincludedthejournalistMalcolmMuggeridge,whohadworkedinMI6during the war. Muggeridge appears to have been the one who began a rumour that Harris acted as a paymasterfortheCambridgeFive,althoughhedidnotknowHarrisverywellandnoevidencewas forthcomingtobacktheclaim. Forsomehistorians,however,Harris’sartdealingswithBluntafterthewarhelptocastdoubton histrueloyalties.NigelWesthasspeculatedaboutthe‘paymaster ’theory.Onepossibility,hesays,is that the Soviets passed on paintings looted during the Spanish Civil War from Republican-held territory to Harris. He would then have sold them and the money would have been used to pay the Cambridgespies. JulietWilson-Bareau,whoworkedcloselywithHarrisforthelasttenyearsofhislife,rejectsthe ideathathemightwillinglyhavebeeninvolvedinanyartscam,although,shesays,‘hewaspersistent andadeptatfollowingtrails,andtookrisksasacollector.’ Afterthewar,HarriswasawardedanOBEandwroteupareportontheGarbocaseforMI5,which hefinishedinNovember1945.HelefttheSecurityService,soldtheartgallery(hisfatherLionelhad died in 1943) and moved to Spain with his wife Hilda, staying initially in Malaga before, in 1947, moving to a large house in Camp de Mar, Mallorca, where he concentrated on his art – including sculpture, ceramics and designs for stained glass and tapestries, as well as paintings, prints and drawings.HekepthisprintcollectionsinLondonandtravelledbackregularlytothestudiobuilding that he retained at his Earl’s Court addressfn1 (with the large house let to Sotheby’s director Peter Wilson).ButSpainwasnowhishome. NigelWestpointstoafurther‘coincidence’betweenHarrisinthislatterperiodofhislifeandthe story of the Cambridge Five, however. In 1951 Burgess and Maclean defected to Moscow and the storyoftheSovietmolesbegantoemerge.OnfleeingtotheUSSR,Macleanhadbeenforcedtoleave his American wife, Melinda, who was then pregnant with their third child. Sometime later Melinda movedtoGenevatogetawayfromthepubliceye.Thenin1953,supposedlyundersurveillanceby theBritish,shetoovanishedandshowedupsometimelaterintheSovietUnion.Herescaperoutehad beencomplicated,involvinganumberoftrainsandpick-upsbypeoplehelpingherandherchildren gettotheEast.Howhadthedetailsofwhattodobeenpassedontoher? AccordingtoWest,apossiblecluewasspottedinthefactthatonlydaysbeforeleavingGenevashe hadbeenonholidayinMallorca.Theplacewhereshestayedwasattheothersideoftheislandfrom Harris’s home, but he speculates about whether instructions for her escape been given to her while shewasthere.Andifso,whetherHarrishadanythingtodowithit. Tothisdaynoonecansay,butatthetimethecoincidencefurtherfuelledsuspicionsagainstHarris –suspicionsthatwerecompoundedbyPhilby’sdefectionin1963.WasHarris’sdeathinacarcrasha year later also just a coincidence? Or had he been assassinated by the Russians to silence him, as somelatersuggested? DesmondBristowwasoneofthefirsttohearaboutHarris’sdeath.Thephonerangathishomeand Hilda,Harris’swife,toldhimaboutthecarcrash.Bristowimmediatelyflewouttobewithher. HildatoldBristowthatsheandHarrishadbothgonetoPalmaonthedayoftheaccidentsothat Harriscouldvisitanantiquedealer.Hildahadgoneshopping,andafterthemeetingHarrishadmetup withherattheportforlunch.Theyhadafewdrinks,andanargumentbegan. ‘Don’taskmewhatabout,’shetoldBristow.‘Ihaven’taclue:mostprobablyIwasangrywithhim forbeinglate.’ Afterlunchtheysetofftovisitapottery,whereHarriswantedsomeofhisrecentceramicstobe fired. But angry and slightly drunk, he drove his new Citroën DS too fast. Heading down the Lluchmayorroad,theywentoverahumpbackedbridge,Harrislostcontrolofthecar,andtheyhitan almondtree.Hildawasthrownclearbytheimpact,butHarrisdiedinstantly. ‘WhenIcameto,hewasstillinthecar,notmovingorbreathingoranything.’ Bristow checked the police report on the accident and everything tallied with Hilda’s account. Inevitably, though, questions have been asked about it, particularly given its timing. Had someone tamperedwithHarris’scar?Whyelseshouldhecrashonastraightroadthathehaddrivendownso manytimesbefore? Giventhecircumstancesitseemsreasonabletoaccepttheofficialversionofwhathappened.The combinationofalcoholandarowwithhiswifemighthavebeenenoughforhimtolosecontrolof the car in the first place. Add to this the fact that they had just gone over a humpbacked bridge at speed,therebylosingtractionontheroad,andonemightalmostbesurprisedhadtheynotcrashed. Wilson-BareaurecallscommentsthatowingtothebouncysuspensionoftheCitroën,Harrishadhit hisheadontheroof–perhapsgoingoverthebridge–andhadbeenknockedout,thuscausingthe crash.Hewasunderenormousstrainatthetime,sheremembers.Hehadcuratedamajorexhibition ofGoya’sprintsanddrawingsattheBritishMuseum,whichopenedjustafewweeksbeforeon12 December1963.HewasalsoinvolvedinaparallelWinterExhibitionattheRoyalAcademydevoted toGoya,aswellasrushingtofinishthepublicationofhiscatalogueraisonnéofGoya’sprints,which was planned to coincide with the two events. He had returned to Mallorca, intending to go back to LondonfortheendoftheexhibitionsinFebruaryandcontinueworkonthefinalcatalogueproofs (dummy volumes had been provided for display at the British Museum). It finally appeared, posthumously, that autumn – a major work in two volumes. It is still considered the ‘bible’ for the studyofGoyaprints.fn2 At the time of his death Harris was only fifty-five. His wife Hilda returned to England shortly afterwards,whereshediedinDecember1972. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, not all the KGB files have been opened. Some have, however,andthosethatmentionHarrisrefertohimsimplyasanMI5officer.Thereisnothinginthe documentsthathavebeenseenintheWestsofartosuggestthathewaseverworkingfortheSoviets. In her last interview before she died, Harris’s sister Enriqueta, who had collaborated in a minor capacityontheGarbocaseandhadworkedforMI5,insistedthatherbrotherhadneverbetrayedhis country. Wilson-Bareau was introduced to Harris in 1954 when Blunt, her director of studies at the Courtauld,respondedtoHarris’srequestforhelpeditinghisGoyacatalogue.SheworkedasHarris’s assistantandcarriedthecataloguethroughtoitspublicationafterHarris’sdeath.Todaysheremains uncertain,althoughunconvinced,aboutapossibleSovietconnection. ‘It’sstillanopenquestion,’shesays.‘IrememberthatHarriswasaghastwhenPhilbydefected,and IthoughtitwasimpossiblethatHarriscouldhavebeeninvolvedaswell.Butfollowingtheshockand disbeliefwhenBluntwaslaterexposedIfeltthatyoucouldneverbesure.’ Bluntneverforgothisfriend.HewroteanentryonhimfortheDictionaryofNationalBiography, and in 1975 an introduction for an exhibition of Harris’s work, drawn from his three sisters’ collections,attheCourtauldInsitute. Just six months after his withdrawal from the Battle of Normandy, suffering from a nervous breakdown, Jochen Peiper was once more on the front lines with the 1st SS Panzer Division LAH fightingtheAllies.TheBattleoftheBulgewasanaudaciousfightbackbytheGermanstodefeatthe AlliesontheWesternFrontbypushingthroughtheUSlinesintheArdennesareaandsplittingtheir armiesintwo.Peiper ’sroleinthebattlewouldsealhisreputationasoneofthemosteffectiveand ferociouscommandersintheWaffen-SS. Drivingaspearheadofnew‘KingTiger ’tanks–morepowerfulanddangerousthantheiralready feared predecessors, the Panthers and Tigers used in Normandy – Peiper pushed deep into Allied territory using techniques similar to the Blitzkrieg tactics that had won the Germans so many victoriesatthestartofthewar.Itwasmid-December1944,therewasheavysnowontheground,and hismovecaughttheAlliesbysurprise. Bold though the attack was, however, it failed, not least because the King Tigers needed a large amount of fuel and the Third Reich was already running out of supplies to keep them moving. By ChristmasEve,Peiperhadtogiveup,andwasforcedtotrudgeonfootthroughthesnowwith800of hismenbacktotheGermanlines. Whenhewasfinallycaptured,PeiperwasputontrialbytheAlliesforwhatbecamehissinglemost infamous act of the war – the massacre of over eighty American soldiers during the Battle of the BulgeatMalmedy.The‘Malmedymassacretrial’,asitbecameknown,washeldin1946atDachau, wherePeiperhadfirsttrainedtobecomeanSSofficer.Hewasfoundguiltyalongwithseveralothers, andsentencedtodeathbyhanging. Thedeathsentence,however,wascontroversial.Alreadyby1946therewasagrowingsensethat the wounds of the war should be healed, a call for no more executions or retribution. In addition, doubtswereraisedaboutsomeoftheprosecutor ’smethodsduringhisinterrogationofPeiperandthe otherdefendants,withsuggestionsoftortureandmocktrialstogetthemtoconfesstotheircrimes. ThecasewasbroughttotheUSsenate,andacommitteewassetuptoinvestigate–interestingly, oneofthememberswasSenatorJosephMcCarthy,thenarelativelyunknownpolitician.Eventuallyit concluded that improper procedures had been used by the prosecution – although not torture – and thatthishadaffectedthetrialprocess.TherewasnodoubtaboutPeiper ’sguilt,buttheresultwasthat afterseveralpostponementsofhishanging,hissentencewascommutedtolifeimprisonment. Eventually, towards the end of 1956, he was released on parole after serving eleven and a half years. Through an organisation that helped former SS members, Peiper got a job with Porsche and quickly moved up the company hierarchy. He was forced to leave, however, when union members objectedtohisbeinggivenaseniormanagementrole.Helaterwentontobecomeacarsalestrainer. During the 1960s he was called to trial in a number of cases involving his activities in the war, includingoneinwhichSimonWiesenthalbackedclaimsthathehaddeportedJewsfromItaly,buthe wasneverconvicted. In 1972, now in semi-retirement, he bought a home in the town of Traves, in the Haute-Saône departmentofFrance,justeastofDijon.Hestillusedhisgivenname,andwithinacoupleofyears wasidentifiedbyaformerFrenchresistancememberinthearea.ReportsonPeiperwerecirculated amongFrenchCommunists,andin1976theCommunistnewspaperl’Humanité published an article onPeiper ’swhereabouts. Death threats soon followed, and Peiper sent his family back to Germany while he stayed in the house. There,onthenightof13–14Julytherewasashoot-outandthepropertywassetonfire.Peiper ’s burnedbodywaslaterfoundinside,withabulletwoundinhischest.Noonewaseverbroughttotrial forhismurder. Karl-ErichKühlenthalcontinuedtoliveinhidinginSpainuntil1950,whenhereturnedtohisnative Koblenz.HiswifeEllenwastheheiressofaclothesandfashionbusinessinthecity,calledDienz,and husbandandwifetookovertherunningofthecompany. Kühlenthal made a better businessman than he did a spymaster. Dienz flourished, and the Kühlenthalsbecamerespectablemembersofthecommunity.HediedinOctober1975. Did he ever know the true story of ‘Alaric’, his top spy in London, who was really ‘Garbo’, a Britishdoubleagent? Harris, his British opponent in MI5, was damning in his conclusion: ‘His characteristic German lackofsenseofhumour...blindedhimtotheabsurditiesofthestorywewereunfolding.’ Therecordssuggestthathewasfooled;hisfamilyinsistthathewasnot. TodaytheDienzcompanyisownedbyhisson,EdgarKühlenthal. Cecil ‘Monkey’ Blacker won the Military Cross following Operation Goodwood and continued to fightwiththe23rdHussarsacrossnorthernFranceandGermany,beingmaderegimentalcommander in1945. He stayed in the army, rising through the ranks and serving in Northern Ireland and Yemen. Throughout this time he continued his horse racing activities, riding Sir John in the 1948 Grand National.TheyfellatafencebeforetheChair,andBlackerhadtostandatthesideandwatchasthe racewaswonbySheila’sCottage. After becoming Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1970, his final position was that of AdjutantGeneraltotheForces,oneofthehighestofficersintheArmy. Heretiredin1976anddiedin2002.HissonisthewriterandjournalistTerenceBlacker. On the day after the liberation of Paris, Amado Granell and other members of La Nueve escorted CharlesdeGaulleinthevictoryparadedowntheChamps-Elysées.Itwasagreatmomentofpridefor theSpanishlieutenant.SoonallFrancewouldbefreeandtheeyesoftheworldcouldturntodeposing anotherfascistdictator.Franco. ButwhiletheFrenchgavehimhonourssuchastheCroixdeGuerreandtheLégiond’honneur,no onewasinthemoodtostartwagingwarinSpainby1944.InEurope,GermanyandHitlerwerethe target,nowhereandnooneelse. ThepoliticalbattleswithinliberatedFrancenowenvelopedLeclerc’s2ndArmouredDivision,and towardstheendof1944Granelldecidedthathehadhadenough.HewentwiththeconqueringAllied armiesasfarastheRhine,wherehewashedhishandsandfaceinasymbolicgesture,andthenretired frommilitaryservice. He was a great loss to La Nueve. His commanding officer, Captain Dronne, wrote that with Granell’sdeparturehiscompanyhadlost‘partofitssoul’. Granell’sdreamofre-establishingdemocracyinSpaindidnotendthere,however,andhebecame friendlywithanumberofRepublicanpoliticians,includingFranciscoLargoCaballero,theformer Republican prime minister. For a while, in the late 1940s, he provided a line of communication betweenexiledRepublicansandDonJuan,sonofformerKingAlfonsoXIIIandheirtotheSpanish throne, in an attempt at reconciliation. Don Juan, like the Republicans, was also in exile, living in Portugal,forbiddenbyFrancotoreturntoSpain. Franco’sowncontactswithDonJuanin1948,inwhichhepromisedtopasspowertoDonJuan’s son,JuanCarlos,onhisdeath,broughtthediscussionswithGranelltoanend. In 1950 Granell opened a small restaurant in Paris, Los Amigos, where known Spanish Republicansoftengathered.ButwithintwoyearshereturnedclandestinelytohisbelovedSpain.At this stage death sentences were still being carried out against those who had fought against Franco duringtheCivilWar,andGranellwasforcedtolivesecretlyinSantander,BarcelonaandMadrid. In1971heopenedawhite-goodsshopinthetownofOrihuela,tothesouthofAlicante.On12May 1972,whiledrivingtoValenciatotalktotheFrenchconsulabouthiswarpension,hewasinvolvedin acarcrashanddied.HeneverlearnedofthecriticalrolethatanotherSpaniard–JuanPujol–had playedintheAllies’victoryinFrance. Inhisdiary,DronnesuggestedthatanyonecheckingGranell’scar,turnedupsidedownintherice paddies around the town of Sueca, would have found bulletholes. Just as with the crash that killed Harris eight years earlier, there was a suspicion of foul play. No evidence to support this has ever beenfound. At the end of the war, Private Jack Poolton of the Royal Regiment of Canada was liberated by US soldiersmovingintocentralGermanyinApril1945.Hiscaptorsgaveupthefight,refusing,atthe end,tocarryoutanorderbyHimmlertoshootallprisoners. PooltonhadbeeninPOWcampsforalmostthreeyearsafterthedisasteratDieppe,andhishealth was suffering. A troopship took him back to Britain, where, on arriving at Waterloo station, he telegraphedhisparentsbackinCanadatotellthemthathewassafe.Thin,dirtyandlouse-ridden,he spentmuchofhistimeeatingtogethisstrengthback,butstruggledtokeephisfooddown.Helostso muchweightthatfriendsandrelativesdidnotrecognisehim. InJuly1945hesailedbacktoCanada,slowlyrecuperating.Thereturntocivilianlifewaspainful; he suffered from depression and considered committing suicide, unable to cope with the sense of guiltthathehadsurvivedwhilesomanyofhiscomradeshadbeenkilled. Withtime,hebuiltanewlifeforhimself,workingasamechanicuntilhisretirement.Hemarried andhadthreechildren. In1992hereturnedtoDieppeforthefiftiethanniversaryoftheraid.Despitehisshakingthehands ofGermanservicemenwhoalsoattended,acertainbitternessoverwhathappenedthatdayinAugust remained. ‘I am convinced’, he wrote in his memoirs, ‘that the Germans did know of the Dieppe Raid in advance,andthosewhoplanneditwereawareofthis.’ JohnnyJebsenwasheldinGermanconcentrationcampsuntilthelastdaysofthewar.Henevertold hiscaptorswhatheknewabouttheBritishdouble-crosssystem,andthesecretwaskeptsafe. No one knows what happened to him. Was he one of the last victims of the Nazis, who killed as manyoftheirprisonersastheywereabletobeforetheenemycouldliberatethem?Ordidhemanage toescapeandbeginanewlifeunderadifferentname? InFebruary1950acourtinBerlinpronouncedhimofficiallydead,butthequestionhasneverbeen satisfactorilyanswered. MavisBateycontinuedworkingatBletchleyParkuntiltheendofthewar,butleftshortlyafterwards. Shebecameanacademic,teachingatOxfordUniversity’sextra-muralcourses,andwroteextensively ontheroleoftheEnigmacode-breakersinthedefeatofNazism.SheandherhusbandKeithBatey hadthreechildren.Theycontinuedtosharealoveofcrosswordpuzzlesbutneverspoketoeachother abouttheirrespectiveworkwithinthesecretworld. MaviswasmadeanMBEin1987andin2009,Mavis’sbiographyofDillwynKnox,Dilly:TheMan whoBrokeEnigmas,waspublished. She spent her last years in Sussex and often spoke about the code-breaking work at Bletchley duringthewarandtheimportantachievementsofDillyKnox’steam.ShediedinNovember2013at theageof92. fn1LoganPlacewaslaterhometoQueensingerFreddieMercury. fn2 In 1962 Harris had offered to place his Goya collection on permanent loan to the British Museum, and in 1979 the bulk of it was acceptedinlieuoftaxonhisestate. 39 LondonandNormandy,June1984 JUAN PUJOL MIGHT never have allowed himself to be revealed as Garbo had Nigel West not got in touch with him when he did. His second son with Carmen Cilia, Juan Carlos, was studying in New Orleansatthetime,andhadsufferedracialabuseonaccountofthedarkcomplexionthatheinherited from his mother. The revelation that his father was the famous Second World War double agent Garbo,Pujolreasoned,wouldprovethathehadnoreasontofeelinferiortoanyone. Unaware of this, Nigel West had a hook of his own to get Pujol over to London for the fortieth anniversarycelebrationsoftheNormandylandings.Byagreeingtoappearnow,hesaid,hecouldget a publishing deal to tell his story, and would also have an opportunity to meet Prince Philip at BuckinghamPalace. Thelatterwasnotstrictlytrue–WesthadnotyethadanycontactswiththePalaceoverPujol.But hefeltcertainthatPrincePhilip,anamateurspy-buff,wouldjumpatthechancetomeetthefamous Garboinperson. Ineffect,West‘didaGarbo’onGarbo.Pujolacceptedtheinvitation,andWesthurriedlyarranged things.Intheend,thePalacereactedashehadexpectedthemto. Before his audience, however, West arranged a meeting with the surviving members of the deception group who worked on the Garbo operation all those years before. Present at the Special Forces Club were Tar Robertson, Roger Hesketh, Cyril Mills and Desmond Bristow. None of the intelligenceveteransbelievedWest’sclaimthathehadfoundtherealGarbo. When Pujol walked into the room, however, everyone fell silent. Here he was, the man they had workedwithduringthewar,someonewhohadbeenreporteddeadatleastonceoverthepastdecades. CyrilMillswasthefirsttosayanything. ‘Idon’tbelieveit,’hesaid.‘Itcan’tbeyou.You’redead.’ TarRobertsonwassomovedthatheburstintotearsandrushedovertoembracePujol. Otherreunionswereheld:agatheringwithSarahBishop,CharlieHainesandHarris’ssisters,who had also been engaged on the Garbo operation at various stages. Later there was a private lunch betweenSarahBishopandPujoltowhichWestwasnotinvited. TheaudiencewithPrincePhilipfollowedon31May,atwhichPujolwaspubliclyawardedwiththe MBEthathadsecretlybeengiventohimbackin1944.PrincePhilipthankedhimforhishelpduring thewar,askingPujolwhyhehaddecidedtoassistBritain. Pujol looked at him. Prince Philip was Greek, yet had served with the Royal Navy during the conflict. ‘WhydidyouhelptheBritish?’Pujolasked.PrincePhilipsmiled. Photosweretakenofthenewlydiscoveredwarhero,andPujol’sfaceappearedthenextdayonthe frontcoveroftheDailyMail.Fromforcedobscurityhewasfamousovernight. The Spanish press soon caught on to the story, and Pujol agreed to lengthy interviews with a magazineandonCatalantelevision.ThefactthathewasnowknownaboutinSpainopenedupold wounds: he had not been in touch with Araceli or the three children he had with her since they left VenezuelatoreturntoSpaininthe1940s.TothisdayNigelWestfeelsthereisstillsomerancouron theirpartforhishavinguncoveredapastthattheypreferredtoleaveburied. MonthslaterPujolreturnedtohishomeinCaracas,wherehewroteanaccountofhislife.Nigel Westwrotechaptersdealingwiththeinsideworkingsofdouble-cross,whichPujolwasneverfully awareof,andthejointlywrittenbookwaspublishedin1985. Pujolglossedovermanyaspectsofthestory,however.Araceli’srole,hisexactrelationshipwith someoftheothermembersoftheGarboteam,theartdealingafterthewar–allthisandmuchmore wasleftout. Thetruthbehindthegapsinhisownaccountdiedwithhim.Threeyearslater,on10October1988, Pujolsufferedastrokeanddied.HissoncalledtheBritishConsulatetoinformthem,buttheofficial ondutyforgottopassthewordontoLondon.NeitherdidwordreachSpain. Pujol’sdeathwasonlymarkedbyashortannouncementinthelocalnewspaper.Hewasburiedin thecemeteryatChoroní,bythewatersoftheCaribbean. Monthslater,oncethenewshadfinallyspread,hisfamilyreceivedlettersofcondolencefromall overtheworld. It was only after he had appeared publicly that Pujol got a true sense of the scale of his own achievement,oftheimportancethatGarbohadhadduringthewar.Thedouble-crosssystemandthe vast apparatus of deception that the Allies had built and which they used to bolster, back up and complement his work was kept largely secret from him while he was in London. His work was important–thatmuchhewastold.Butnotquitehowmuchdependedonit. AfterthereunionswiththeGarboteammembersinLondon,Pujolwastakenbyplaneon6June 1984totheNormandybeachesforthecommemorationceremoniestakingplacethatdaymarkingthe fortieth anniversary of the landings. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, President Reagan and President Mitterrand were all in attendance, as were thousands of veterans who had taken part. A cameracrewfollowedPujolaroundashevisitedseveralsitesalongthecoastline,andnewsquickly spreadthat‘Garbo’,thedoubleagentwhohaddonesomuchtoensurethecampaign’ssuccess,was present.Elderlymedal-wearingmen,someinuniform,pressedaroundtoshakePujol’shandandhear hisstory. Themostemotionalmoment,however,camewhenPujolwenttotheAmericanmilitarycemeteryat Omaha beach. Thousands of pearl-white crosses and Stars of David stand in arrow-straight rows acrosstheperfectlykeptlawns,withviewsoverthecliffstowheresomanymenwerekilledonthe morningoftheinvasion.Eventoday,solongaftertheevents,itremainsthesinglemostmovingsite alongtheNormandycoastline. Pujol wandered off on his own at one point, pacing gently among the gravestones, with their simpleinscriptionstoeachpersonburiedthere.Oneinparticularseemedtodrawhisattention–the whitecrossofaSergeant.ArthurB.Buschlenofthe16thInfantryRegiment,whowaskilledonDDay at Omaha beach. Pujol was clearly affected by what he saw, and soon began to weep. He knelt downandmadethesignofthecross,beforewalkingbacktoNigelWestandthetelevisioncrew. West asked him if he was all right. They had come here, after all, to celebrate his amazing achievement. ‘Theytoldme,’Pujolsaid,wipingawayhistears,‘thattheworkIdidsavedthousandsoflives.’ Helookedbackattheendlesslinesofthedead. ‘Onlynow,cominghere,IseeIdidn’tdoenough.’ Epilogue WhatIf? To understand the importance of what Juan Pujol and Tomás Harris achieved with Garbo and the storiestheytoldtheGermans,itisessentialtoaskthequestion:‘Whatif?’ Today,historianshailGarboas‘thegreatestdoubleagentintheSecondWorldWar ’.Butwhatif Garbohadbeenafailure,orhadnotexistedatall?Serendipityplayedacrucialroleinhistale,the meetingofspecificpeopleattherighttimeintherightplace.Whatifnoneofthesefactorshadturned outastheydid,andhehadnotbecomeaBritish-rundoubleagent? RogerHesketh,whoworkedinEisenhower ’sdeceptionunit,OpsB,andwhowasakeyfigurein thedouble-crossoperation,wroteabookontheFortitudeplanafterthewar.Initheaskedapertinent question: Of all the elements employed in deception for the Normandy campaign, from the fake runwaysandaircraft,tothedummyairbornetroops,andthedoubleagentsfeedingliestotheenemy, whichonehadthegreatesteffect?WhichpartofFortitudehadactuallyfooledtheGermans? Thereweremanydifferentandimportantpartstotheoverallpuzzle,butonexaminingtheGerman recordsafterthewar,andinterviewingtheircommanders,onekeypiecestoodoutoveralltheothers: Garbo’s message of 9 June 1944 in which he clearly elaborated the theory that the Normandy landings were a trap meant to divert the best German troops away from the Pas-de-Calais. Other factors had helped – the other double agents feeding the Germans the story of FUSAG and the fictionalbuild-upofAlliedtroopsaroundDover.ButitwasGarbo’sD+3messagethatmadeHitler himselfgivethecounter-orderthatstoppedtheGermanreserves–andimportantlythe1stSSPanzer Division LAH – from attacking the Allied soldiers struggling to get a toehold on the Normandy coastlineinthefirstfewdaysoftheinvasion. Keitelhimself,Hitler ’sChiefofStaff,saidasmuch.WhenshownthetextofGarbo’smessagehe agreed that it had been the reason why the Führer ordered his crack reserves to stay close to the narrowestpartoftheChannel. ‘There you have your answer,’ he told his interrogator. ‘If I were writing a history I would say, withninety-ninepercentcertainty,thatthatmessageprovidedthereasonforthechangeofplan.’ No other double agent or factor within the deception set-up had such a dramatic and powerful effect.GarbowasthesinglemostimportantpartofthesuccessofFortitude. ‘Taking the evidence as a whole,’ Hesketh concluded, ‘the reader will probably agree that GARBO’sreportdecidedtheissue.’ AndwouldOperationOverlord,theinvasionofNormandy,havesucceededwithoutthedeception plan?Couldallthosethousandsofsoldiershavemanagedtofighttheirwayoffthebeachesanddeep intoFrancehadFortitudenotbeensetuptoprotectthemfromthebestGermantroopsthenavailable inWesternEurope? SomehistoriansprefertodownplaytheimportanceofFortitude,yetAlliedcommandersatthetime were convinced that it was pivotal. It was the reason why the deception was carried out in the first place. ConsideringthenumbersofGermantroopsavailableinFranceandBelgium,andthespeedwith whichtheAlliescouldgetmenandequipmentashore,thesuccessofFortitudewasnotamerebonus thatwouldhelpkeepcasualtyratesdown,itwascrucialtothesuccessoftheinvasionitself.Deception plannersinLondonhadalreadyenvisagedascenariowherenodeceptionwascarriedout,estimating atimetableshowinghowquicklytheGermanswouldpourmenintotheinvasionareaoncetheassault started. If the enemy correctly assumed that Normandy was it – that there was no second invasion cominginthePas-de-Calais–andasaresultsentthebulkofitsforcesintorepeltheinvaders,then by D+25 they would have some thirty-one divisions in Normandy, including nine Panzer divisions. Thatscaleofbuild-up,EisenhowerandtheotherAlliedcommandersknew,wasimpossibletomatch. TheyhadthefloatingMulberryharbours,whichtheycouldusetoshipsuppliesandmenintoFrance atarapidrate.Butevenwiththeseitwouldnotbesufficienttobringinenoughsoldiersandarmour tocombatsuchimposingnumbers. ‘Inshort,ifFortitudedidnotwork,iftheGermanspulledtheirFifteenthArmyawayfromthePasde-CalaisandhurleditagainstNormandy,Overlordwouldfail.’ In a conflict involving so many millions of people, in which so many died, it seems frivolous, perhaps,toboilitalldowntooneortwomen,amerehandfulwhosewordsanddecisionschanged thecourseofhistory.OtherfactorscouldalsohavehadadecisiveeffectonthesuccessofD-Day– theweatherintheChanneloverthosecrucialfewdaysinearlyJune,forexample.Andothersalso playedtheirpart–notleastthesoldierswholandedonthebeaches,riskingtheirlivestobeginthe slowprocessofliberatingEuropefromtheNazis.Andyettheimportancenotonlyofthedeception operation,butofGarbo’sroleinit,seemsincontrovertible,asEisenhowerhimselfacknowledgedto Harris. ‘Youknow,’hetoldHarrisafterthewar,‘yourworkwithMrPujolmostprobablyamountstothe equivalentofawholearmydivision.Youhavesavedalotoflives.’ So we turn to the even greater question: What if, in the absence of Garbo, Overlord had failed? What if the Allies had been pushed back into the sea, as so many commanders and politicians – includingChurchillhimselfinhisdarkermoods–predicted?WhatwouldthehistoryoftheSecond WorldWarreadliketoday?Whatkindofworld,even,wouldwebelivingin? Wearemovingintotherealmsofextremespeculationhere,butitisusefulinordertounderstand thesignificanceofGarbo,andmoreimportantly,itisfun,anintellectualgame–becauseweknow whatreallyhappened. ThefirstthingtopointoutisthateveninascenariowheretheAlliesfailedsuccessfullytoinvade France,GermanywouldstillhavebeendefeatedintheSecondWorldWar.Itwasalreadytoolatefor theNaziStatetosurviveunlessHitlercouldhavefoundsomewaytoarrangepeaceoranarmisticeof sortswithStalin.ThetwodictatorshadmanagedtofindcommoncausewiththeNazi–SovietPactof August 1939, so there was a precedent. But by this stage, and with so much blood spilled on the Eastern Front, it is hard to imagine Stalin agreeing to anything short of the annihilation of his ideological nemesis. Hitler had duped him once before, breaking their pact by invading the Soviet UnioninJune1941.PragmaticthoughStalincouldbe,hewasunlikelytoletthatonegounavenged. So the Red Army keeps pushing towards Berlin. In the west the Allies have failed to establish a bridgeheadonthebeachesofNormandy,anditwilltakethemalongtimetoprepareanotherassault, sonowHitlercanfocusthevastmajorityofhisforcestofighttheSoviets.Thiswouldhaveslowed themdown,butwouldnothavestoppedthem.ThefallofBerlin,Hitler ’ssuicideinthebunker–these eventsarestilllikelyinaGarbo-lessworld,butperhapsatalaterdate. Andthenwhat?ItseemsprobablethatStalindoesnotstopinGermany,butpushesonintoFrance. ThewholeofEuropemightwellfallintoSoviethands. ‘It should not be forgotten that D-Day began the liberation of the western half of the European continent;aliberationwithoutwhichtheRedArmywouldsurelyhaveappearedonthebanksofthe Rhine – if not the Atlantic Coast – with profound consequences for the post-war world,’ Roger Moorhouseargues. And what are the Allies doing while all this is happening? With a disaster in Normandy, the US mightwellshiftitsfocustothePacific,whereitswarreallystarted.Yetwoulditreallystandby,and watchasEuropefallstoCommunism? ‘Aclimaxwouldhavecomelateinthesummerof1945,’StephenAmbrosesuggests,‘withatomic bombsexplodingoverGermancities.Whatafinishthatwouldhavebeen.’ The Red Army marching over the entire continent, whole areas devastated by terrifying new weapons,perhapsanewwarinvolvingBritainandAmericaagainsttheSoviets.Todaywelookatthe footage from the end of the war of crumbling towns and cities, of piles of corpses and of a world emergingfromaconflictofmythicalproportionsandunimaginablebrutality.Andweshudderatthe unspeakablegrimnessofitall,thankfulthatwehavenothadtolivethroughsuchhorror. Yetitcouldhavebeenmuch,muchworse. Nobody changes the world by sticking to the rules. Through Garbo, Pujol performed a great servicebydrawingonasenseofplayfulnessandmischiefandbyseeingbeyondeverydayideasabout ‘good’ and ‘bad’. In this he drew on a long tradition in Spanish culture of the lovable rogue, the pícarowhodeftlyweaveshiswaythroughtheworld,smart,wilyandslipperylikemercury. IncommonwiththeleadingcharacterinLazarillodeTormes, the classic picaresque novel of the sixteenthcentury,Pujolwasatricksterandanadventurer.Inothercircumstanceshemightwellhave ended up in jail. Certainly the Germans would have killed him without hesitation had they had any inklingofwhathewasreallyupto. Yetbytakingadvantageofthebizarreopportunityprovidedbythewar,andbyjoiningwithHarris tocreateGarbo,healsobecameamagician,aProspero-likecharacter,returningahappyordertothe worldthroughthepowerofwordsandthought.Somehow,thankstohiswitandskill,hemanagedto slipthroughthenetsthatmightotherwisehavecaughthim,andsurvived. Untruthstoldintheserviceofagreatertruth.Weowetheworldthatweliveintodayinlargepart toGarbo’singenuity,imaginationandsenseoffun. Andthat’sthetruth. AppendixI TheFlowofDeceptionMaterialfromtheAlliestotheGermansthrough Garbo(June1944) MostofthecommunicationsontheGermansidearebeingdecryptedbyBletchleyParkandfedback intotheAlliedintelligencesystem,creatingaloop. AppendixII The29Names Below,inCAPS,arelistedthe29namesthatmadeupPujol’snetworkofagents,alongwiththeircode names and numbers as used by MI5, and Pujol’s personal group of informants (known as J’s network). JuanPujol,knownas: 1.GARBObytheBritish 2.ALARICbytheGermans(headoftheArabal/Arabelspynetwork) J’snetwork: 3.J(1)–THECOURIER:officialontheregularLisbon–UKflightduringthewar,carryingGarbo’s letterstoLisbon,therebyavoidingtheBritishcensors.Germancodename:Smith. 4. J(2) – THE AVIATOR: RAF officer who provided Garbo with his first piece of ‘genuine’ intelligencepassedontotheGermansfromLondon. 5. J(3) – THE WORK COLLEAGUE: Garbo’s boss at the Spanish Department of the Ministry of Information. In time the Germans were led to believe that THE WORK COLLEAGUE was W.B. McCann,therealheadofthedepartment.Germancodename:Ameros. 6.J(4)–THECENSOR:employeeattheMinistryofInformationwhopassedon‘Stop’and‘Release’ pressnoticestoGarbo. 7. J(5) – THE MISTRESS: secretary in the Secretariat of the Ministry of War with whom Garbo started an affair in September 1943. Pujol described her as the most important member of the Garbonetwork.Germancodename:Amy. 8. Agent 1 – Senhor CARVALHO, the Portuguese: Pujol’s first invented spy, based in Newport. A ‘commercialtraveller ’,hemostlyreportedonsouth-westEngland. 9.Agent2–WilliamMaximilianGERBERS:German-SwisslivinginBootle,Liverpool;reportedon shippingmovementsintheMersey. 10. 2(1)–MrsGerbersTHEWIDOW:afterherhusband’sdeath,MrsGerbersmovedtoLondon andbecameGarbo’sassistant,firstlyasahousekeeperandlaterasanencriptor. 11. Agent 3 – PEDRO the Venezuelan: last of the spies invented before Pujol left Portugal for England.AnindependentlywealthymanwhohadstudiedattheUniversityofGlasgow.Hebecame Garbo’s deputy and effectively ran the spy ring towards the end of the war, when his role was playedbyTomásHarris. 12. 3(1)–THERAFNCO:drunkardandgamblerbasedinGlasgowwhopassedoninformationto PEDRO. 13. 3(2)–THELIEUTENANTinthe49thInfantryDivision:talkativeofficerwhomPEDROmet onatrain;passedoninformationabouttroopmovementsinScotland. 14. 3(3) – THE GREEK SEAMAN: communist deserter from the Merchant Navy who gave information to PEDRO because he believed he was working for the Soviets. German codename: Ben. 15.Agent4–FREDtheGibraltarian:waiterwhohadbeenevacuatedfromtheRockandresettledin England.HewassenttoworkintheChislehurstCavesforawhilebeforeendingupintheNAAFI onthesouthcoast.Germancodename:Camillus. 16. 4(1) – THE OPERATOR: left-wing wireless technician who sent Garbo’s radio messages to the Germans believing that he was communicating with Spanish Republicans. He was played by MI5radiooperatorCharlieHaines. 17. 4(2) – THE GUARD: working at the Chislehurst Caves, this man passed information on to FREDaboutwhowasallowedinandout. 18. 4(3)–THEAMERICANNCO:Franco-sympathiserwhobefriendedFREDinSohoinorderto practisehisSpanish.UsefullyforGarbo,hewashappytoshowoffhowmuchheknewaboutUS formationsandtheirbattleplans.Germancodename:Castor. 19. Agent 5 – THE BROTHER: PEDRO’s sibling, also of independent means. Initially based in Glasgow, he moved to Toronto, where his role was played by Ciril Mills. German codename: AhornorMoonbeam. 20. 5(1) – CON: Agent 5’s cousin, a commercial traveller based in Buffalo who collected intelligenceontheUS.Germancodename:Prescot. 21.Agent6–DICK:anti-communistSouthAfricanofindependentmeanswhointroducedGarboto J(3)attheMinistryofInformation. 22.Agent7–STANLEY:WelshnationalistintheMerchantNavy,firstintroducedtoGarbobyFRED. Germancodename:Dagobert. 23. 7(1)–THESOLDIER:memberofthe9thArmouredDivision. 24. 7(2)–DAVID:formermerchantseamanandfounderofthepro-NaziWelshnationalistgroup ‘TheBrothersintheAryanWorldOrder ’.Germancodename:Donny. 25. 7(3)–THERESAJARDINE:Englishsecretaryof‘TheBrothersintheAryanWorldOrder ’ and the mistress of RAGS. Her role was eventually played by Peter Fleming in Ceylon. German codename:Javelin. 26. 7(4) – RAGS: Indian poet and lover of THERESA JARDINE, with a fanatical belief in the superiorityoftheAryanrace.Germancodename:Dick. 27. 7(5)–THERELATIVE:memberofDAVID’sfamilyandalsoof‘TheBrothersintheAryan WorldOrder ’.Germancodename:Drake. 28. 7(6) – THE LOW GRADE SPY: office worker in South Wales, also a member of ‘The BrothersintheAryanWorldOrder ’,whoonlyworkedhalf-heartedlyasaspy.Germancodename: Drommond. 29. 7(7)–THETREASURER:leadingmemberof‘TheBrothersintheAryanWorldOrder ’,later stationedintheHarwich-Ipswichareatoreportontroopmovements. PrivateJackPooltonwasluckytosurvivethedisastrousAlliedstrikeagainsttheNormandycoast. JuanPujol,aged21,duringhismilitaryservicein1933.HiscommandingofficerinthelightartilleryregimentusedtobeatPujoluntilhelearnthowtorideahorse. BarcelonawasoneofthefirstEuropeancitiestosuffermajoraerialbombardment.Here,bombsexplodeovertheEixampleandRavaldistrictsduringaCivilWarraidin 1938. PujolandAracelimarriedinApril1940,havingmetintheFrancoistcapitalBurgosduringthefinalweeksoftheSpanishCivilWar. TheGermanEmbassyinMadrid,fromwhichKühlenthalandotherAbwehrofficersusedtooperateduringtheSecondWorldWar. ThecottagesatBletchleyPark,whereDillyKnoxhadhisteam.ThiswaswhereMavisBateyandMargaretRockfirstbrokeintotheAbwehrEnigmainDecember1941. Half-Spanishhalf-Jewish,Tomás(Tommy)HarriswasatalentedartistandMI5officer.HetookovertherunningofPujolasaBritishdoubleagentinthespringof1942and theybecameclosefriends. PujolcollaboratedenthusiasticallywiththeBritish.Bythesummerof1942AracelihadjoinedhiminLondonandtheylivedwiththeirtwoboysinHendon. 35CrespignyRoad,theMI5safehouseinHendonrunbyMrsTitoff,wherePujolwastakentobedebriefed. 55ElliotRoad,atwo-minutewalkfromCrespignyRoad.PujolandAracelilivedhereuntilearly1944. Pujol’shandwritingwasalmostasflamboyantashisprosestyle.ThisisaletterhewrotesupposedlyfromMadridtoAraceliinLondonaspartofhiselaboratecoverstory towardstheendofthewar. AyoungJoachimPeiperonanofficialvisittoSpainasHimmler’sadjutantinOctober1940.PeiperistotheleftofHimmler,glancingovertowardsFranco’sgroup. Joachim(‘Jochen’)Peiperin1943wearingtheKnight’sCrossoftheIronCrossthathewonontheEasternFront. TigerTanksofthe1stSSPanzerDivisionLAHonmanoeuvresthroughnorthernFrance,March1944.AlliedtankcommandersfearedandenviedthePanthersandTigers thattheirinferiormachineshadtoface. ThetextofGarbo’scruciallyimportantD+3message. TheBerghof,Hitler’sAlpinehome.HereHitlerreadtheintelligencereportbasedonGarbo’sdisinformation.HisdecisiontoreroutehisPanzerreserveschangedthecourseof theBattleofNormandy. V-1.ThefirstV-1flyingbombhitLondonon13June1944.Asmoreraineddownonthecapital,Pujol’sGermanhandlersaskedforinformationaboutwheretheywere landing. InMadrid,Kühlenthalwasusingveryout-of-datemapstocharttheV-1strikes.IttookseveraldaysfortheGarbooperationtofindsomethingthatbothsidescoulduse, whichboughtthemvaluabletime. Shermantanksofthe23HussarssetofftoattackenemylinesduringOperationGoodwood,18July1944.Largenumberswere‘brewedup’byPeiper’sforcesandthe operationendedtwodayslaterhavingonlyadvancedsevenmiles. ThefrontpageoftheParisnewspaperLibérationannouncingthearrivalofthefirstAlliedforcesinthecapital.ThesoldierontherightistheSpaniardAmadoGranell. Aspartofhiscoverstory,PujolhadtopretendthathewasinhidingfromtheBritish,andchangedhisappearance.Thisishowheappearedforthesecretceremony awardinghimanMBEinDecember1944.GuyLiddellofMI5thoughtthebeardmadehimlooklikeLenin. OneofTomásHarris’sself-portraitsshowingamysteriousandimaginativesidetoGarbo’scaseofficer.Harriswasasmuchastory-tellerasPujol,and‘Garbo’wasa doubleactwhereeachmanwasasimportantastheother. Afterthewar,HarrismovedtoSpain,wherehereturnedtohisartworkandcollecting.PujolandotherfriendsrememberedHarrisas‘alwayssmiling’. PujoldiedinOctober1988andwasburiedinChoroní,Venezuela. Notes The page references in this notes correspond to the printed edition from which this ebook was created.Tofindaspecificwordorphrasefromthenotes,pleaseusethesearchfeatureofyourebook reader. With the exception of Chapter 13, I have quoted direct speech verbatim wherever possible from the varioussourcesavailable. Prologue pages1–4Poolton’sstoryistoldinDestinedtoSurvive 1.England1941–2 page8‘afacelikeapangofhunger ’:Bateyp.111 page9‘endearinglyeccentric’:ibid.p.111 page9‘We’rebreakingmachines’:ibid.p.110 page9‘Whichwaydothehands’:Sebag-Montefiorep.119 page11‘OnChristmasDay1941’:Trevor-Roper page11Therewererumours:Elliottp.95 page13‘Lackofimagination’:Philbyp.46 page13‘toavoidneedlesstrouble’:ibid.p.43 page14‘Thissoundsveryodd’:Bristowp.19 page16crackinghisswaggerstick:Philbyp.49 page18‘back-roomboy’:Masterman,Chariotp.222 page18Birminghampoliceforce:Elliottp.49 page18‘Atsomepointduringthisperiod’:ibid.p.52 2.Spain,Autumn1941 page23hisgrandmotheronhismother ’sside:ArneMolfenter,conversationwithauthor page24‘Elcar ’:Dienzwebsite:http://www.dienz.de/Inhalt/dasbekleidungsha.html page24ButshortlyafterwardshewasbackinMadrid:KV2/102 page24abrownFrenchcoupé:ibid. page25‘nolegalauthority’:ibid. 3.Lisbon,December1941 page29Shehadcertainairs:Taltysaysthereweremembersofherfamilywhoclaimeddescentfrom AlfonsoXI:Taltyp.22 page30TheodoreRousseau:MarkSeaman,introductiontoHarrisp.15.Seamangiveshisfirstname as‘Edward’. page32‘Hereyouare’:Harrisp.65 page32Later,Bensonpassedtheinformation:PujolandWestp.101 4.SouthernEngland,April1942 page33‘Hewasebullientandvibrant’:JulietWilson-Bareau page34‘Hewasawonderfulraconteur ’:ibid. page34‘Tommywasavery,verystrongpersonality’:DickKingzett,quotedinCarterp.95 page34‘Tomáswasoneofthemostcomplete’:Blunt page34Beforethewarhehadbeen:http://www.circopedia.org/index.php/CyrilMills page35But‘Bovril’hadbeenused:LiddellVol.Ip.243 page38‘slyrabbit’:Interviú439 5.Spain,1912–39 page43Hisbirthcertificate:Juárezp.39 page44whoworkedforthemasacleaninglady:JavierJuarezinterviewedinRNEdocumentary page45hisestrangedwife’sdeath:ArxiuMunicipaldeBarcelona page45on3November1915:ibid. page45‘themosthonest’:PujolandWestp.10 page45‘Hedespisedwar ’:ibid.p.11 page45OneofPujol’searliestmemories:Interviú435 page46privateFrenchclasses:Interviú435 page46deathfromtheflu:Taltyp.8 page47Hissisterandmotherwerearrested:Juárezp.54 page47Pujol’sbrotherJoaquín:Interviú435 page48Elena,Pujol’syoungersister:ibid. page52‘Don’tshoot’:Interviú436 page53liceraces:Juárezp.73 page54oneSpanishwriter:Fraguasp.80 6.SpainandPortugal,1939–41 page57‘Iwasn’tthinkingaboutspying’:TV3interview1984 page58‘fairlyconfused’:PujolandWestp.49 page58Laterhesaidthatthepossibility:TV3interview page59TheGermanwhogreetedhim:Juárezp.99 7.Lisbon,1941 page63theymovedintoanother,largervilla:Interviú437 page66Itwasagoodplan:Harrisp.54 8.EasternFront,SouthernSector,25December1941 page73freeofJewsentirely:Westemeierp.64 page74theHolyGrail:www.lainsignia.org/2004/enero/cul_022.htm 9.London,Spring1942 page77hehadnoteatenbacon:Taltyp.67 page77‘heisobviouslyArabel’:Bristowp.42 page78‘square,bareandcold’:Bristowp.43 10.London,Spring–Summer1942 page80‘HarrisandPujolworked’:SarahBishopinterviewedinRNEdocumentary page81‘Thesenovelsdepictasarule’:Brenanp.174 page81‘Onthecontrary’:Harrisp.77 page82‘Hejealouslyexamined’:ibid.p.77 page82Pujol’stranslator,assistantandclosefriend:Juárezp.211 page84MI5paidPujol£100amonth:Interviú438 page84‘bestfriend’:Interviú438 page84‘themostremarkable’:Masterman,Chariotp.219 page85Itwasneverproperlyexplainedtohim:Harrisp.77 11.Britain,Summer–Autumn1942 page87‘aone-manespionagedisasterarea’:Macintyre,Mincemeatp.160 page88‘oneofthemostcreativeintelligenceoperationsofalltime’:Philbyp.17 page90‘anyspynovel’:Harrisp.313 page91‘Ifanagenthadnotionally’:Masterman,Doublep.19 page93‘Ihaveoftenwondered’:Harrisp.91 12.London,GlasgowandMadrid,March1943 page97‘Insidethecake’:Harrisp.128 13.London,1943 page99‘Itreadlikeascene’:Harrisp.172 page100‘TommyandGarbo’:Montagup.113 page100‘[Harris]“lived”thedeception’:Blunt page101‘Theenemyisstillproud’:Gilbertp.328 14.GermanyandtheEasternFront,July1942–March1943 page110hewasmadecommanderoftheIIIBattalion:Westemeierp.67 page111‘themorewomenwillbeleftforme’:ibid.p.69 15.London,March–June1943 page114alimpbroughtonbypolio:Interviú438 page115‘allGibraltarians’:Harrisp.115 page115‘Wetrust’:Harrisp.132 page115‘themostimportantdevelopment’:Harrisp.132 page116‘hysterical,spoiltandselfish’:Harrisp.327 page117‘Iamtellingyouforthelasttime’:Harrisp.328 page119Harris’swifeHilda:LiddellVol.IIp.80 page120‘noparalleltroublethereafter ’:Harrisp.332 16.Britain,Summer1943 page121‘themostinefficient,credulousgangofidlers’:HughTrevor-Roper,quotedinElliottp.265 page122OperationKremlinfooledtheRedArmy:Ambrose,Ikep.80 page122‘deceivingtheenemy’Masterman,Doublep.58 page123‘averyimportantrole’:KV2/42 page125‘withoutadoubtthemostimportant’:Interviú438 page125‘farfrombeautifulandratherdowdyinherdress’:KV2/67 page125‘Youmustletmeknow’:ibid. page127‘alwaysconstitutedbyfar ’:Harrisp.147 17.London,Early1944 page131‘thegreatestcombinedoperationinhistory’:Hastings,Hellp.533 page132‘theabilityoftheattacker ’:Heskethp.8 page133‘institutionalsuperiority’:Hastings,Hellp.73 page133‘TheywereconvincedofGermany’s’:Beevor,D-Dayp.205 18.Britain,Winter–Spring1944 page136onlythreeweretoplayacriticalrole:Heskethp.186ff. page137‘Garbowasthemanwhodeveloped’:Montagup.110 page137‘Thedoubleagentwhocontributedmost’:Andrewp.297 page137‘themosthighlydevelopedexample’:Masterman,Doublep.114. page138‘Theprocedureatthebeginning’:Harrisp.176 page138afigurethatneverdroppedbelow400,000:GiangrecoandMoorep.15 page141‘anenormousfilmlot’:Ambrose,Ikep.85 page142‘becauseresponsibilitystilllaywithahandfulofmen’:Howardp.110 page142‘withspeedandinformality’:ibid. page142Garbo’sdisinformationwasbeingused:Harrisp.190 19.Britain,SpainandAlgeria,1936–44 page144‘Theperformancewasimpressive’:Blackerp.58 pages145–7Granell’sstoryistoldinMezquida. 20.Britain,FranceandGermany,Spring1944 page148ammunitionproductionhadrisen:Reynolds,Steelp.41 page148‘Atthebest’:quotedinBeevor,D-Dayp.14 page148‘proofthatwecouldrepelanyinvasion’:quotedinibid.p.33 page150‘thesoledecisivefactor ’:Ambrosep.76 page 150 ‘There was, I think, no British tank commander ’: Captain Charles Farrell, quoted in Hastings,Hellp.540 page151reachinganear-capacity:Reynolds,Steelp.30 21.London,LisbonandBerlin,Spring1944 page157AraceliforminganattachmenttoanAlliednavalofficer:Liddell,Vol.IIp.284 page159‘Unlessstepsareimmediatelytaken’:KV2/855,quotedinMacintyre,Doublep.206 page160‘Don’tendangeryourposition’:Liddell,Vol.IIp.192 22.England,NorthernFranceandSouthernGermany,5June1944 page162SheandKeithhadtriedtohidetheirrelationship:MavisBatey,conversationwithauthor page165chauffeur-drivenHorchcar:Beevor,D-Dayp.126 page165‘Themainfront’:CaveBrownp.638 page166Hewasinbadshape:Holtp.567 page166Itwasastarlitnight:Beevor,D-Dayp.140 23.London,1May–5June1944 page167Garbohad‘signed’theOfficialSecretsAct:Harrispp.195–6 page168Enigmatrafficshowed:Ambrose,Ikep.87 page168TheanswercametoHarris:Delmerp.171 page171‘Stillnowordfrom3(3)’:KV2/69 24.NorthernFranceandSouthernGermany,6June1944 page173‘themostcomplex’:d’Estep.12 page174‘Howstupidofme’:CaveBrownp.666 page176‘If[thePanzerLehrand12thSSPanzerdivisions]assemblequickly’:CaveBrownp.659 page176‘Themainlanding’:Beevorp.141 page176‘Itcouldn’tbebetter ’:Irving,Part5 page177‘WhiletheAnglo-Saxonenemy’:CaveBrownp.668 25.London,6June1944 page178‘Pujol,HarrisandHainestookturns’:Juárezp.315 page179‘IhavetoannouncetotheHouse’:http://www.churchill-society-london.org.uk page181‘Hesaidhedidnotthink’:KV2/69 page182HarrisandothersinMI5laughed:Interviú439 26.NorthernFrance,SouthernGermanyandBelgium,6–9June1944 page185‘Thegreatexpansion’:CaveBrownp.680 27.London,9June1944 page192‘ourmainbasisofinformation’:Macintyre,Doublep.308 page192‘SpeakingoftheSecondFront’:Harrisp.199 page193‘Ihavehadanextremelyagitated’:KV2/69 28.Madrid,GermanyandPas-de-Calais,9–10June1944 page200TheAbwehritselfceased:Kahnp.209 page201‘Inallprobabilitymajorlanding’:CaveBrownp.685 page202KrummacherwasHitler ’spersonalintelligenceofficer:Heskethpp.204–5 page203‘Afterpersonalconsultationon8thJune’:KV2/69 page204‘Asaconsequenceofcertaininformation’:Howardp.188 29.London,10June1944 page206‘Itwasafrightfulmoment’:SirRonaldWingate,quotedinCaveBrownp.687 30.London,13June–29July1944 page211‘Itisoftheutmostimportance’:KV2/69 page211‘Iamproud’:ibid. page212‘Idonotthink’:ibid. page215‘Icannotatthismoment’:ibid. 31.NormandyandBelgium,8June–18July1944 page220‘Theydon’tseemveryfrightened’:Blackerp.61 page222‘Hemotoredupthehill’:ibid.p.68 page224‘Smallandslight’:ibid.p.55 page224‘IdoindeedbelieveCSquadron’:ibid.p.70 page226‘Wecouldsoonseethetail’:ibid.p.74 page226‘Idon’tthinkwehave’:ibid.p.74 page227‘transfixed,speechless’:ibid.p.76 page228‘PersonallyknowntoAttlee’:ibid.p.79 32.Normandy,July–August1944 page229‘Normandy,inJuly’:quotedinWestemeierp.99 page230‘Irememberveryclearly’:quotedinibid.p.99 page232‘IfPeiperhadbeenthere’:ibid.p.101 33.London,NormandyandParis,August1944 page235‘Whatthehellareyoudoing’:Beevor,Parisp.44 page236‘Ihavejustheard’:CollinsandLapierrep.69 page236‘Itwasverymoving’:Mesquidap.261 34.LondonandMadrid,August1944–May1945 page241‘analmostmysticconfidence’:KV4/247,quotedinMacintyre,DoubleCrossp.333 page242‘Justkeepthe[German]FifteenthArmy’:Holtp.579 page242‘PriortoDDay’:Harrisp.193 page245‘verylikeablecharacters’:LiddellVol.IIp.253 page245‘Ihavenoplans’:KV2/71 page246‘thedomesticsituation’:Harrisp.269 35.Britain,theAmericasandSpain,May–September1945 page248‘Iamconvinced’:KV2/71 page248‘Iunderstandthepresentsituation’:KV2/71 page249‘Tomakecontact’:KV2/71 page250‘Hoovershowedgreatinterest’:PujolandWestp.212 page251Ashedrewintothecity:Interviú440 page252Theyinsistthattheirrelative:ArneMolfenter,conversationwithauthor page252‘Clandestinely’:Harrisp.288 36.Britain,SpainandVenezuela,1945–84 page259‘TellmeaboutGarbo’:NigelWest,conversationwithauthor page260Whenhearrived’:ibid. 37.VenezuelaandSpain,1945–84 page262AvisitortotheCaracashome:Juárezp.392 page263Thenewsdidnotgounnoticed:ibid.p.384ff. page263‘NoothersourceinLondon’:JulietWilson-Bareau,conversationwithauthor page264QuestionsraisedintheCanadianparliament:Pincherp.502 page264Doubtshavebeenraised:DailyTelegraph4February2001 38.Spain,Germany,France,CanadaandBritain,1945–Present page270Muggeridgeappearstohavebeentheone:Carterp.95 page 270 Nigel West has speculated about the ‘paymaster ’ theory: Nigel West, conversation with author page271‘hewaspersistent’:JulietWilson-Bareau,conversationwithauthor page272Orhadhebeenassassinated:Pincher,p.502 page272‘Don’taskmewhatabout’:Bristowp.279 page272Wilson-Bareaurecallscomments:JulietWilson-Bareau,conversationwithauthor page273Inherlastinterview:Burnsp.378 page273‘It’sstillanopenquestion’:JulietWilson-Bareau,conversationwithauthor page276‘HischaracteristicGermanlack’:Harrispp.69–70 page278‘Iamconvinced’:Pooltonp.141 39.LondonandNormandy,June1984 page281‘Idon’tbelieveit’:Taltyp.246 page281‘WhydidyouhelptheBritish?’:Interviú435 pages 282–3 the white cross of a Sergeant Arthur B. Buschlen: Interviú 435 and http://www.buschlen.ca/getperson.php?personID=I5308&tree=T1 page283‘Theytoldme’:NigelWest,conversationwithauthor Epilogue:WhatIf? page284‘thegreatestdoubleagent’:MarkSeaman,introductiontoHarris,p.1 page285‘Thereyouhaveyouranswer ’:Heskethp.210 page285‘Takingtheevidenceasawhole’:ibid.p.211 page285Somehistorians:Hastings,Overlordp.177 page286‘Inshort,ifFortitude’:Ambrose,Ikep.88 page286‘Youknow’:Bristowp.274 page287‘ItshouldnotbeforgottenthatD-Day’RogerMoorhouse,IndependentonSunday14June 2009 page287‘Aclimaxwouldhavecome’:StephenAmbrose,chapterinCowleyp.347 Index The page references in this index correspond to the printed edition from which this ebook was created.Tofindaspecificwordorphrasefromtheindex,pleaseusethesearchfeatureofyourebook reader. Abwehr(Germanmilitaryintelligence)201,202,248 ‘Alaric’(Garbo)and14,15,19,27,32,35,37,59,61,62,76,78,86,87,88,90,91,93,95,96,97, 99,114,121,124,127,139,146,167seealsoGARBO ‘Artist’and158,159,178 Bletchleydeciphersmessagesof10,11,13,14,15,17,35,71,75,78,97,114,115,127 Canarisasheadof24,97,198 closeddown,effectively198–9 G.W.and17 KühlenthalandseeKühlenthal,Karl-Erich SDand25,198–9 ‘Tricycle’and136–7,158 Addison,Jock227 Admiralty,UK15,32,66,79 ‘Alaric’ (code name given to Juan Pujol by German intelligence) 11, 14, 19, 26–7, 33, 95, 97, 171, 211,216,276,291seealsoGARBO AlfonsoXIII,King277 Algeria90,92,146,147 Alvarez,CarmenCilia266–7,268,269,280 Ambrose,Stephen287 AmerdenPrioryHotel,London210,213 anti-Semitism23–5,105seealsoJews Anzio,Italy132 ‘Arabal/Arabel’network(GermancodenameforfictitiousspynetworkheadedbyJuanPujol)11,13, 14,15,19,19n,20,27,33,36,37–8,64,76,77,88,97,123,195,199,208,211,215,237,243,291 Ardennes,France274 ‘Artist’(double-crossagent)158,159,160seealsoJebsen,Johannes‘Johnny’ Astray,ColonelMillán145–6 AtlanticWall(reinforcedGermancoastalpositions)148–9,164 Attlee,Clement228 Auschwitzconcentrationcamp,Poland109,223 AxisPowers22seealsounderindividualnationname AzovSea71,109 Balkans7,134 Bánky,Vilma18 Barbarossa,Frederick165 Barcelona,Spain8,43–7,50,53,55,74,250,259,260,277 Batey,Keith162,278 Batey,(néeLever),Mavis8,9,10,11,71,79,162,163,278,279 Bayerlein,GeneralleutnantFritz148 Bayeux,France220 BBC28,56,57,84,127,210 Beevor,Antony134 Belgium57,151,152,165,186,193,201,204,222,285 Belgorod,Russia112,113 Benson,CaptainArthur31–2 Berchtesgaden,Germany164,165,174,176,185,191,201,202,203 Berghof,Germany(Hitler ’shome)165–6 BerkeleyHotel,Piccadilly145 Berlin,Germany11,14,15,25,26,62,71,74,76,78,97,127,140,158,159,191,196,198,199,200, 210,211,234,246,278,287 Bevan,ColonelJohnny123,142,207 Bidault,Georges237 Bishop,Sarah80,82,88,99,102,103,104,157,214,244,245,253,281 Blacker,Cecil‘Monkey’143–5,219,220,221,222,224,225,226,227,228,276 Blacker,Terence276 Blau,Operation,1942122 BletchleyParkseeGovernmentCodeandCypherSchool(GC&CS),BletchleyPark Blitz,1940–4184 blitzkriegtactics,German23,132,144,274 BlueGuidetoGreatBritain30,67 Blumentritt,General185 Blunt,Anthony34,36,100,259,264,265,270,273–4 BOAC63–4 Bodyguard,Operation,1943–4133–5 Borges,JorgeLuisvii Bourguébusridge,France225,226,230 Bowlly,Al84 Braun,Eva166 Brazil28,29,68 Brengun151 Bristow,Betty12 Bristow,Desmond: AraceliPujoland264,265 comesupwithplanforJuanPujoltoinfiltrateCzechexpatriatesinVenezuela265–6 discoveryof‘Alaric’and14,15,243 Harrisand272 interviewing/identificationofJuanPujoland75,76,77,78,170 ISOSand13 joinsintelligenceservice13 Philbyand12 onPujol’sdesiretoworkforNazis58 post-warreturnofJuanPujoltoSpainand250,251,267 readsBletchleyintercepts65,71 reunionwithJuanPujol,1984280 revealsJuanPujol’sname259 role/jobinintelligencegathering12 BritishArmyunits: 2ndArmy173 3rdRoyalTankRegiment225,226 6thAirborneDivision166,173 11thArmouredDivision219,225 15thScottishInfantrydivision220,221 23rdHussars143–5,219–20,221,222,224,225,226,276 BritishExpeditionaryForce(BEF)132,142 FifeandForfarYeomanry225,226,228 BritishEmbassy,Lisbon31,57,64–5 BritishEmbassy,Madrid242–3 Brooke,FieldMarshalSirAlan148,207 BrotherhoodintheAryanWorldOrder(fictitious)102–5,139,194 ‘Brutus’(double-crossagent)136,137 Buénaga,Roberto242–4 Bulge,Battleofthe,1944–5274 Burgess,Anthony129 Burgess,Guy33,36,259,265,271 Burgos,Spain53,54,56 Buschlen,ArthurB.283 Byron,Lord69 Caballero,FranciscoLargo277 CabinetWarRooms123,169 Cádiz,Agustín44–5 Caen,France131–2,135,166,173,174,220,223,228,230,231,232 CaféBarlaModerna,Madrid249,250–1 Calais,France124–5,126–7,134,148,177,192,201,202,203,229 Calvo,Luis16,17,19,85 Cambridgespyring259,270,271seealsounderindividualnameofspy Camp020,HamCommon(MI5interrogationcentre)16,85,118,119 Canada90,131,139,140,157,170,247,264,265,277–8,292 Canadianarmedforces1,2,3,131,141,167,171,173,174,219,220,231,232 1stCanadianArmy141,195 3rdInfantryDivision171,231 RoyalRegimentofCanada1,2,3,277–8 Canaris,AdmiralWilhelm24,25,97,198–9,200,208,252 Cascais,Portugal63 ‘CaseThree’(scenarioinwhichallGermanavailablearmouredreservesaresentintoNormandyto crushAlliedinvasion)186,193,206,207 Caucasus71,122 Celedonio(priest)47,53 Cervantes,Migueldevii,80,239 Cherbourg,France4,135,149,165,242 ChesterfieldGardens,London35–6,77 Chestnut,HMS20 ChislehurstCaves,London114–15,125,170,292 Choltitz,GeneralDietrichvon237 Churchilltank133,150 Churchill,Winston9,66,101,115–16,133,155,179,180,286 Clarke,Bob221,222 Clyde,Scotland66,92,138,169 CNTanarchisttradeunion45,47 Cockade,Operation,1943122–8,193 ColdWar270 Colman,Ronald18 CondorLegion23 convoys,shipping2,14,15,19,26,35,37,65,66,78,92 CounterfeitSpy,The(Delmer)258 Cowgill,ColonelFelix12–13,21,36,38 CrespignyRoad,Hendon75,77,84,170,171 Cromwelltank150 Cuba247 Czechoslovakia109,265 Czerniawski,Roman136,137 D-Day, June 6, 1944 7, 126, 131, 136, 137, 140, 144, 147, 148, 150, 160, 161,162–72, 173–83, 184, 192–3,194,200,210,219,220,223,242,257,283,286,287seealsoOverlord,Operation Dachauconcentrationcamp,Germany274 Darling,Donald35 deBeauvoir,Simone237 deGaulle,GeneralCharles234,235,276 Delmer,Sefton169,258,268 Denniston,Alistair9 Dienz275–6 DieppeRaid,19421–4,7,101,122,128,132,134,148,278 Dietrich,GeneralSepp151,229 DirecciónGeneraldeSeguridad242–3 double-crosssystem(Britishintelligenceanti-espionageanddeceptionoperation)16,17–18,20,35, 36–7,78,79,116,117,120,121,123,136,158,159,160,167,169,178,242,257,278,281,282, 284 Double-CrossSystem(Masterman)257 Dover,France125,139,141,177,192,194,229,241,285 Dronne,Captain147,234,235–6,277 Dunkirk,France7,12,101,132,143,148,173 Egypt144,164 Eisenhower,General142,164,168,174,179–80,181,234,235,242,284,286,289 ElAlamein,battleof,1942133,144 English,Sam220,227 Enigmacode/machine9,11,13,78,115,162,168,198,278 Epsom,Operation,1944220,223 Falaise,France230,232,234 Falange,Spanish55 FBI242,250 Feuchtinger,Edgar175 FinalSolution109 FirstWordWar,1914–181,18,24,115,132,144,212 Fleming,Ian137,140 Fleming,Peter140,292 Flight777115–16 Fortitude,Operation,1943–44133–4,137,140–1,158,168,177,179,185,192,211,242,284,285, 286 FortitudeNorth,Operation133,138,169 FortitudeSouth,Operation133,138,175 Fraguas,Rafael54 France1–4,50,57,58,73,74,100,101,104,109,110,122,126,131–5,136,140,144,145,146,147, 148–50,159,163,164–5,166,169,170,171,173–7,178–83,184–7,191–7,201–2,204,206–8,217, 219–37,241–2,265,266,275,276,277,285,286,287seealsounderindividualareaorplacename Franco,General22–3,25,28–9,48,56,74,117,138,145,146,194,233,242,248,250,263,277 Francoistarmy,SpanishCivilWar50,51,52,53,54,55,56,58,59,263,267 FreeFrench147,235 FremdeHeereWest(FHW)(Germanmilitaryintelligence)177,200,201,207,290 FrenchArmyunits146,147,241 2ndArmouredDivision147,233,234,235,237,276 LaNuevecompany145,147,233–4,235–6,237,276,277 FrenchForeignLegion146 GARBO(codenameforJuanPujol): ‘Artist’disappearanceand158–61,178 ‘Alaric’(codenamegivenbyGermans)11,14,19,26–7,33,95,97,171,211,216,276,291 Arabal/Arabelnetwork(Germancodename)11,13,14,15,19,19n,20,27,33,36,37–8,64,76,77, 88,97,123,195,199,208,211,215,237,243,291 arreststories,fake118–20,213–16,241 becomesstarplayerindouble-crosssystem116 Buénagathreattorevealidentityof242–4 bureaucracyinvolvedindrawingupmessages127 Churchill’sannouncementofD-DaylandingsinParliamentendangersvalidityof179 continuesdeceptionafterfallofParis241,247–8 D-Day,suppliesGermanswithinformationonbuildupto137–40 D-Day,warnsGermansofcomingassault167–72,178,181–3 Eisenhower ’sradiobroadcastofD-Dayas‘initialassault’endangersvalidityof179–81 explanationforpauseinlettersonarrivalinLondon85 firstletterfromLondon(firstGarboletter)85–6,87,93 FUSAG,suppliesinformationonfictitiousarmygroup141,168,177,191,192,193,197,202,203, 207,208,241,242,243 Garbocodenamegivento38–9 GermanfailuretoorderreinforcementstoNormandyareaduringAlliedlandings,influenceupon 134,135,137,141,175–7,191,192,193–7,200–5,206–8,241 haltingofattacksoncivilianplanesonLisbonrouteafterKLMFlight777and115–16 Hitler,influenceuponseeHitler,Adolf IronCrossawardedto215,242,252 Knappe,post-warvisitto251seealsoKnappe-Ratey,Friedrich Kühlenthalsendsphotographsofnewcyphertablesto115 Kühlenthal,post-warvisitto251–2seealsoKühlenthal,Karl–Erich lastGermanmessagesentto248–9 lastmessagessentby247 morespecificandsensationalmessagesreceivemoreattention127 needforcoordinationofmessageswithmedia127 networkofagents/sub-agentsseeGARBOnetworkagents neveramemberofMI584–5 OperationCockadeand122–8 OperationFortitudeand137–237 OperationOverlordand131–237 paymentsfromGermans26,29–30,62,65,76,87,91–2,95–6,102,114 paymentsfromMI5253,262 pícaro(lovablerogue)/picaresquenovelcharacter/languageofmischief,useofincommunication 5,8,80–1,288 prosestyle/toneofletterstoGermanintelligence5,8,26–7,66,80–1,82,88,93–4,99–100,114 pseudonymsusedinletters87 Pujol’swife’sunhappiness/marriageproblemsand116–20,122,157,210,213,244,245–6seealso Pujol,Araceli secretarmsdepotinChislehurstCavesstory114–15 sends‘mostimportantreportofhiscareer ’onFUSAGabsencefromNormandylandings193–7, 200–5,206–8 sendsRAFrecognitionhandbooktoGermans95–7 sentGermanAbwehrcyphertable114 timeasdouble-agentcomestoend253 the29names291–2 urgentmessagesreachBerlinwithinanhour127 Vweaponsand157,158,208,209–15 whatif?(counterfactualhistoricalscenario)284–8 wirelesscommunication82,92,93,94,114,119,124,140,169 workload81–2 seealsoPujol,Juan GARBOnetworkagents: J’s(Juan’s)network: AgentJ(1)–thecourier64,243,291 AgentJ(2)–theaviator291 AgentJ(3)–theworkcolleague(knowntoGermansas‘Ameros’.RoleplayedbyW.B.McCann) 65,89,138–9,180,181,291 AgentJ(4)–thecensor291 AgentJ(5)–themistress(knowntotheGermansas‘Amy’)125,139,157,194,196,291 Agent1–SenhorCarvalho(thePortuguese)14,65,88,124,125,291 Agent2–WilliamMaximilianGerbers(theGerman-Swiss)14,65,88,91–2,96,291 2(1)MrsGerbers,TheWidow92,96–7,171,182,213,214,291 Agent3–Pedro(knowntoGermansas‘Benedict’.RoleplayedbyHarris)65,66,88,89,92,95, 96,124,125–6,138,139,140,141,157,194,213,214,243,291,292 3(1)RAFNCO95,96,291 3(2)–theLieutenantinthe49thInfantryDivision292 3(3)–TheGreekSeaman(knowntotheGermansas‘Ben’)138,169,170,171,292 Agent4Fred(knowntotheGermansas‘Camillus’)89,92,114,115,124,138,170–1,181,194, 247,292 4(1)–theOperator(roleplayedbyCharlieHaines)157,171,292 4(2)–theGuardattheChislehurstCaves292 4(3)–theAmericanNCO(knowntotheGermansas‘Castor ’)138,140,194,292 Agent 5 – the Brother (known to the Germans as ‘Ahorn’ or ‘Moonbeam’. Role played by from CanadabyCyrilMills)89–90,139,140,157,292 5(1)–Con,Agent5’scousin(knowntotheGermansas‘Prescot’)292 Agent6–DicktheSouthAfrican90,292 Agent7–Stanley,theWelshnationalist(knowntotheGermansas‘Dagobert’)102,103,124,125, 139,243,292 7(1)–theSoldierinthe9thArmouredDivision103,292 7(2)–David(knowntotheGermansas‘Donny’)103,139,194,195,292 7(3) – Theresa Jardine (known to the Germans as ‘Javelin’. Role played by Peter Fleming in Ceylon)104,139,140,194,292 7(4)–RagstheIndianpoet(knowntotheGermansas‘Dick’)103–4,139,194,195,292 7(5)–theRelativeof7(2)(knowntotheGermansas‘Drake’)139,292 7(6)–theLowGradeSpy(knowntotheGermansas‘Drommond’)139,292 7(7)–theTreasurer(knowntotheGermansas‘Dorrick’)139,194,195,203,292 GarcíaGuijarro,Mercedes(mother)43,44,45,46,47,262 Garibaldi’srestaurant,JermynStreet,London84,259 Gaswagen73,74 GermanArmyunits: 2ndSSPanzerDivision(DasReich)110,186 6thArmy110 7thArmy149,165,185,232,234 7thTankCompany222 9thSSPanzerDivision202 10thSSPanzerDivision202 12thSSPanzerDivisionHitlerYouth149,151,176,177,186,219–20,221 15thArmy149,204,229,241,242,286 21stPanzerDivision175,186 116thPanzerDivision186,207 320thInfantryDivision110–11 ArmyGroupB149,164 Einsatzgruppen(Nazispecialmurdersquads)25 Einsatzkommando10a73 Gestapo25,58,118,122,159 HighCommand88,126,142,176,181,185,186,191,196,197,198,200,201,202,223,290 LeibstandarteAdolfHitler(LAH)(1stSSDivision)72,73,109,110,112,149,151–3,186–7,193, 204,205,207,220,222,223,224,225–6,228,229,231,232,234,274,285 IIIBattallion(BlowtorchBattalion)110,111,112,113 PanzerLehrDivision148,176,177,186 Sicherheitsdienst(SD)25,159,199,200 Totenkopf(Death’sHead)(3rdSSDivision)110 Waffen-SS72,112,133–4,149,152,274 Wehrmacht7,72,110,111,122,126,132–3,144,148,149,161,174,185,199,200,216,226,232 GermanCrossinGold111 GermanEmbassy,Lisbon159 GermanEmbassy,Madrid23,58,61,199 Glasgow,Scotland14,19,65,66,92,95,124,214 Godfrey,Admiral10 Goebbels,Joseph165,166 Goering,Hermann165 Goldbeach,Normandy173,174,219 GonzálezCarballo,Araceli(wife)62,261,281 accusesJuanPujolofinvolvementinfakingoldmasterpaintings264–5 airbrushedoutofJuanPujol’sautobiography57,264–5 approachesU.S.EmbassyinLisbon28–32,57,68 asksJuanPujolforadivorce267,281 Bristowand264,265 celebrationsforJuanPujol’sMBEand244,245 childrenand61,63,82 deliversletterbyhandtoKnappe66–7 formsattachmenttoanAlliednavalofficer157 leavesPortugalforLondon83 marriageproblems157,244,245,246,250 marriesJuanPujol56 meetsJuanPujol54 returnstoSpain248 splitwithJuanPujol265 strugglestosettleinEngland116–17,118,119–20,122,210,213 threatenstogotoSpanishEmbassyinLondonandrevealhusband’sworkforBritish117–20,122 toldherhusbandhaddiedinAfrica266 Venezuela,post-warlifein262,263 Goodwood,Operation,1944224–8,229,230,231,276 GovernmentCodeandCypherSchool(GC&CS),BletchleyPark71,140,278,279,289 Abwehrmessages,decipheringof10–11,114 communityspiritwithin9 ‘CaseThree’scenarioand206–7,210 ‘Cottages’8–9 D-Dayand162,163 deciphermessagesstatingKühlenthal’shappinesswithGarbointelligence127,167 ‘Dilly’sGirls’8–9 discoveryof‘Arabalundertaking’11,15,20,35,36,37 EnigmaCodesandseeEnigmacodes/machine HutSix162 identificationofJuanPujoland78,79 InterceptmessagesdescribingactionsofGarbosub-agents65,97 ISK(‘IllicitServicesKnox’)13 ISOS(IllicitServicesOliverStrachey)13,15 Italiannavalcodes,breakingof9–10 Jebsenarrestand159,160,161 JuanPujolnotallowedtoreadinterceptsfrom84–5 Kühlenthal passing photographs of new Enigma cypher tables to Juan Pujol speeds up code cracking115 ‘rodding’system10 seealsoGARBO Granell,LieutenantAmado145–6,147,233,234,235–6,237,276–7 Gruhle,Hans230 Guernica23 Guerra,MrandMrs116–17 Haines,Charlie114,119,157,169,170,171,172,178,183,194,195–6,197,202,253,281 Hansen,Georg208 Harris,Enriqueta273 Harris,Hilda33,77,119,244,253,258–9,271,272,273 Harris,Lionel33,271 Harris,Tomás(Tommy)114,142,237,251,253,260,284,288,289 allegationsoffakingoldmasterpaintings264–5 appearance34 AraceliPujoland116,117,118,119,120,245,246,264–5 ‘Artist’(Jebsen)and158,159,160–1 awardofIronCrosstoGarboand215 background20,33,77 birthofGarboworkand79,80–1,82,84–5,88 Bluntand34,259,264,265,270,273–4 Bristowand76–7 Burgessasfriendof33 combinationofJuanPujolandinGarbodeception80–1,82,84–5 D-Daymisinformationand168,169–70,171,172,173,178,179,180,181,182,183 dailyroutineduringGarbo84,85, damningassessmentofKühlenthal276 EisenhowercommentsonimportanceofGarboto286 fakearrestofGarboand213,214 firstmeetsJuanPujol38,39,76 Garbo’sfinalmessagetoMadridand248 Garbo’stemperamentand93 interviewingofJuanPujolbyMI5and77–8 joinsMI533 JuanPujolvisitsinMallorca266,267 JuanPujol’sMBEand244 JuanPujol’spost-warinvolvementinartworldand263–4 killed258–9,270,271–3,277 leavessecurityservice271 ‘lives’theGarbodeception100 Mayfairhome35–6,77 movetoMallorca271 movestoLoganPlace157–8 NormandylandingGarbomisinformationand191,192,193,197,202,203,207,208,241,242,243 OBE271 observesGarbomessagesreachingBerlinwithinanhour127 onGermangullibility121 onimportanceofobtainingnewEnigmacyphertables115 onJuanPujol’simagination99 OperationOverlordand131,137–8 Philbyand35–6 planforPujoltoinfiltrateagroupofCzechexpatriatesinVenezuelaand265–6 playsroleofAgent3–Pedro139,140,157,213,243,291 post-warspywork247,248 regardedasoneofthemosttalentedofficersinvolvedindouble-cross167 searchforArabaland34–6,38 asSovietspy270–4,273n SpanishArtGallery,Londonand20,33,264,271 spreadsrumourthatGarbohadpassedaway266 strongcharacter34 sub-agentstoriesand90,101–5 UnitedStates,post-warvisitto250 Vweaponsand157–8,209,210,212 visitsJuanPujolinVenezuela262,263–4 winecellar36,77 Hart,Herbert14,19 Hasselt,Belgium152,186–7 Hastings,Max132–3 Healey,Denis224,228 Heine,Heinrich9 Hendon75,76,77,84,116,117,157,170,173,193,196,260 Herrlingen,Germany164–5,166 Hesketh,Roger142,169,171,183,280,284,285 Heydrich,Reinhard73,74,109 Hill112(BattleforCaen,1944)221,223 Himmler,Heinrich24,25,71,72,73,74,109,152,165,198–9,208,277 Hinrichsen,Sigurd72–3,151 Hitler,Adolf29,56,73,83,101,122,124,163,182,250,276,286–7,290 ‘almostmysticconfidence’inGarbo241 ascenttopower24,72,110 AtlanticWalland148–9,164 awardsGarboIronCross215,242,252 Berchtesgardenand164,165–6,191 commandoverPanzerdivisions149 commitssuicide246,287 D-Dayand166,174,175,176,177,182,185,186 falls for Allied deception that Normandy landings are a diversion for bigger assault elsewhere (OperationFortitude)192,201,202,203,204,206,207,226,285 Frenchregimeand146 LüttichOperation,1944and231,232 meetsŌshima191,192 Norwayinvasionand57 Parisbattleand217,235 Patton,admirationfor141 Peiperand151 plotstoremovefrompower200 SpanishCivilWar22,23 Vweaponsand208 Hogg,Lance-Corporal221 Holocaust109 HomeDefence78 HomeForces78 Hoover,J.Edgar250 Horsfall,Jock34,38 HotelMarisel,Venezuela267 Houssar,Captain3 Howard,Leslie115,116 Interallié136 InternationalBrigades51,55 IronCross73,112,151,215,242,252 IsleofWight90 ItalianNavy9 Italy9,37,56,74,126,132,146,163,166,179,268,275 Ivens,Jack15,243 Jahn,Helmut230 Japan10,31,67,145,191–2,203,250 JapaneseImperialArmy191 Jarvis,Ralph18,21,32 Jebsen,Johannes‘Johnny’158–60,161,178,278 Jews24,25,73,97,102,141,152,199,223,252,275 Jodl,Colonel-General176,177,201,203,204 JuanCarlos,King277 JuanPujolyCompañía43,47 Junobeach,Normandy173,174,219,220 Keitel,FieldMarshalWilhelm201,204,285 Kell,John18 Kell,Vernon18 KGB273 Kharkov,Ukraine110–11,112,134,151,226 KingTigertanks274 KLM26,64,65,85,93,115–16 Knappe-Ratey,Friedrich59,60,61,62,63,66,67,248,251,252,266 Knesselarechateau,Belgium222–3 Knight’sCrossoftheIronCross112,151 Knox,Dillwyn8,9,10,11,13,35,71,79,162,279 Kreisler,Edward267 Kremlin,Operation,1942122 Krummacher,ColonelFreidrich-Adolf202–3,204,290 Kühlenthal,Ellen275 Kühlenthal,Karl-Erich22,27,37,237 appearance23 ‘Artist’informsBritishthatallofKühlenthal’sspiesinBritainaredouble-agents158,160 as‘aone-manespionagedisasterarea’87–8 attemptstohaveagentssendtennisracketto99 awardofIronCrosstoGarboand215,252 becomesheadofMadridAbwehrstation139 becomesincreasinglyhappywithGarbo97,98 becomesincreasinglyreliantonGarbomaterial93–4 Buénagaand242–4 Canarisand24,97,199 connectionwithSpain23,24 createdanAryan25,27 createscodename‘Alaric’26 D-Daymisinformationand137–8,140,169,170,171,172,178,182,183 death276 eccentricitiesofGarboand93–4 encouragedtoregardGarboasquixotic,temperamentalgenius93 fakearrestofGarboand213,214,215 firstmeetsSeñorLópez26 gapinGarbotransmissionsonarrivinginEnglandand85 Garbosendslettertoon2ndanniversaryofspyingfor123 Garbosuggestspost-warsceneriosto247 immediatelyretransmitstoBerlinanyinformationfromGarboonmilitarymatters140 JuanPujolmeetsafterwar251–2 Knappeand59,62 lastwartimemeetingbetweenJuanPujoland62,63 NormandylandingsAllieddeceptionplanand193–4,195,196,198,199,200,203,207,208,233 seealsoD-Day onlocationofsub-agents89,90 OperationCockadeand124,125,126 ordersJuanPujoltobuildupnetworkofsub-agents62,65 persecutionofJews/Jewishbloodand23–4,25,139–40,199,252 post-warlife248,275–6 pseudonyms26,87–8 RAFaircraftrecognitionhandbook,authorizesGarbotopurchase95,96,97 receivesmonthlyaccountsfromGarbo82 SDand25 sendsGarbophotographsofnewEnigmacyphertables115 shootingdownofKLMFlight777and116 Vweaponsand157,209,210,211,212,213 washereallyduped?251–2 wirelesstransmitter,allowsGarbotosendmessagesviaa93,114 LaRoche-Guyon,France164,185 LagunillasHotel,Venezuela267 Lancasterbombers225 Leclerc,GeneralPhilippe147,234,235,237,276 León,EnriquetaRodríguez33 Libération237 Liddell,Guy36,99,118,159,160,244,245,259 Lisbon,Portugal12,18,21,26,28–32,35,36,37,59,60–1,62,63–8,75,78,82,83,85,86,88,92, 93,96,97,115,116,137,140,157,158,159,193,243,244,248,250,253,263 London12,14,16–21,26,27,28,30,32,33,34,35,36,38–9,57,59,60,61,63,64,66,67,71,75–86, 87–8,93,95,96,97,99–105,114–20,123,125–7,131–5,137,138,139,142,144,146,157,158, 161,162,163,164,167–72,177,178–83,191–7,199,201,202,203,204,206–16,220,231,233, 237,241,242,243,244,246,247,248,249,250,253,257,259,260,262,263,264,265,266,269, 271,273,276,280,282,285,289 LondonControllingSection(LCS)123,142,191,206,207,242,289 Luances(poet)60 Luftwaffe115,122,126,163,164,175 Lüttich,Operation,1944231,232 Macintyre,Ben87 Maclean,Melinda271 Maclean,Donald259,265,271 Madrid,Spain11,12,14,15,16,19,21,22–7,28,29,30,31,35,55–6,57,59,60,61,64,65,66–7,74, 76,78,82,87,88,91,93–4,95,96,97,114,124,127,139,140,146,147,158,167,168,169,170, 171,172,178,180,181,196,198,199,200,203,207,210,211,213,233,242,244,245,246,247, 248,249,250–1,252,253,263,266,277,289 ‘Magic’(AmericantappingofJapanesecommunications)192 MajesticHotel,Madrid28,55–6,61,250,263 Malmedymassacretrial,1946274 Malta37,78 MarkIVtank150,151,225,232 MarkVIBlighttank144 Marriot,John78 Marshall,GeneralGeorgeC.192,204,207 Masterman,John17–18,78,79,84,91,104,121,122,124,137,142,159,160,244,253,257,268,289 Matapan,Battleof,19419 McCann,W.B89,291 McCarthy,Joseph275 Melero,Señora55 Menzies,SirStewart79,207 MerchantNavy102,103 MG42‘Spandau’machinegun151 MI533,34,266,270 AraceliPujoland116–20,210,246 ‘Artist’disappearanceand158–61,178 BIAsection16,17–18,20,34,35,78,159 BletchleyParkandseeGovernmentCodeandCypherSchool(GC&CS),BletchleyPark bringsJuanPujoltoEngland33–5 building,58StJames’sStreet82 Cambridgespyringand259,270–4seealsounderindividualspyname Camp020interrogationcentre,HamCommon16,85,118,119 Churchill’sspeechtoHouseofCommonsonD-Dayand179 codenamegiventoGarbo38–9,80 couriernetworkforGarbolettersand86 declassificationofpapersrelatingtoGarbo268 double-crosssystemandseedouble-cross encourageGarbo’swirelesscommunication124,140 firsthearofArabal/Arabelnetwork14–21,34–5 Garboas‘realstar ’ofdouble-crossnetwork137 HarriswritesreportonGarbocasefor271 interviewJuanPujolonarrivalinLondon75–9 JuanPujolneveramemberof84–5 KühlenthalasmouthpieceofwithinGermanintelligence98 LCSandseeLondonControllingSection MBEawardtoJuanPujoland244 Normandylandingsand101 numberofdouble-agents136–7 Pas-de-CalaisAlliedlandingsdeceptionandseeGarbo paymentstoJuanPujol84,253,262 planforJuanPujoltoinfiltrateagroupofCzechexpatriatesinVenezuelaand265–6 post-warsurveillanceofGermanspynetwork247,251 storyofJuanPujol’sfirstcontactwithGermansand57–62 TwentyCommittee18,20,78,79,84,114,142,159,257,258,289 seealsounderindividualagentandmembername MI611,18,21,35,36,37,38,75,76,79,86,121,200,207,250,259,265,SectionV12,13,14,32, 35,36,54,65,77–8,243,259 MI935 MilitaryCross276 Mills,Cyril34,38,39,75,76,77,139,157,280,281,292 Milne,A.A.189 Milne,Tim13–14 MinistryofInformation,UK84,89,90,92,138–9,167,180,214 Molfenter,Arne251–2 Montagu,CommanderEwen15,100,137,167 Montgomery,General143,220 Moorhouse,Roger287 Moscow,SovietUnion10,54,71,73,122,163,258,270,271 Muggeridge,Malcolm270 MulberryHarbours134–5,286 Mussolini,Benito22,126,145 NAAFI125 NationalArchive,Kew99 Nazi-SovietPact,1939287 Normandy, France 1–4, 7, 101, 122, 128, 131–4, 137–42, 148–50, 161, 165, 167, 168, 170, 173–83, 185,186,187,191,192,193,201,202,203,207,208,212,219,221,223,226,229–32,233,241, 257,260,280seealsoOverlord,Operation NorthAfrica91–2,97,133,144,163,164 NorthernIreland90,276 Norway57,74,124,133,138,148,169,192 NurembergLaws,193523–4 OfficialSecretsAct,UK167–8 Omahabeach,Normandy173,174,184,185,219,282–3 OperationTorch,194291–3 Ops(B)(Alliedmilitarydeceptionplanningdepartment)142,284,289 Oran,Algeria146,147 Orne,River,Normandy166,173 Ōshima,BaronHiroshi191–2,203 Overlord,Operation,1944131–5,137–42,161,169,171–2,173–7,185,186,285,286 Alliedairsuperiority151,223,226 AtlanticWall148–9,164 attempt to convince Germans that assault on Normandy is a feint to draw their best forces away fromrealattackonCalaisarea(Garbodeception)133–4,135,141,161,176,177,192,200–5,206–8, 241 casualties173–4 D-DayseeD-Day deceptionasvitalforsuccessof131 geographyandtechnicalitiesofattack132–3 Germanarmedstrengthand132–3,148,149,150–1 Germancommandstructureand149–50,164–6,175 Germanconfidenceofsuccess148–9 GermandiscoveryofoperationalordersofUSunitsand184–6 Germandisputesoverstrategy175,176,177,184–7,193,197 GermanreactiontoGarbomessageonabsenceofFUSAGfromNormandylandings200–5,206–8 HitlerandseeHitler,Adolf Mulberryharboursand134–5 OperationBodyguardandseeBodyguard,Operation OperationEpsomand220–2,223–4 OperationFortitudeandseeFortitude,Operation OperationGoodwoodand224–8,229,231 OperationLüttichand231,232 OperationSpringand230–1 Panzerdivisionsand133–4,135,149,151–3,161,175,176,185–7,193,197,201–2,219–20,221, 222–3,224–8,229–32 Paris,fallof234–7 riskinessof131–2 RommelandVonRundstedtorderPanzerdivisionstoNormandy185–7,193,197 Rommel’sabsenceduringD–Day164–5,174,184 scaleof131 suitabilityofNormandyoverCalaisareaasareaofattack134–5 tankwarfareand133–4,149,150,151,220–28,229–32,233–7 withoutinvolvementofGarboscenario284–8 Owens,Arthur16 Panthertank133,150,151,186,193,202,221,225,226,229,230,232,274 Panzerfaust(Germananti-tankweapon)151 Paris,France149,175,200,206,207,217,234–7,241,276,277 Pas-de-Calais,France125,134,135,141,149,160,161,165,174,175,179,185,191,196,201,203, 204,207,211,212,223,241,285–6 Patton,General141,168,177,194,204,205,212,231,233,241 Paulus,GeneralFriedrich110 PearlHarbor,194110,31,67 Peiper,Jochen71,72–4,109–13,151–3,186–7,193,202,203,204,205,220,222,223,224,225–6, 227,228,229,230–1,232,274–5 Pemsel,GeneralleutnantMax185 Pétain,Marshal146 Petrie,SirDavid244 PharusmapofLondon211,212 Philby,Kim12,13,14,15,35–6,54,65,71,76–7,88,243,258,259,266,270,272,273 Philip,Prince280,281 PIAT151 Poland136,137,152,166,202,234 PoliticalWarfareExecutive180 Poolton,PrivateJack1–2,122,277–8 Popov,Dusan‘Dusko’136–7,158,159,160 Porsche275 Portugal12,18,21,26,28–32,35,36,37,56,59,60–1,62,63–8,75,78,82,83,85,86,88,92,93,96, 97,115,116,137,140,157,158,159,193,243,244,248,250,252,253,263,265,277 Potthast,Hedwig73 Pratt,Mike227 Preuss,Georg111 PrincessesofBorbón56 ProfumoAffair,1963258 Puig,TeresaLlombart44–5 PujolCilia,MaríaElena(daughter),268 PujolGarcía,Elena(sister)48 PujolGarcía,Joaquin(brother)47–8 PujolGarcía,Juan: ‘Alaric’‘firstletterfromLondon’(writteninLisbon)toGermancontrollers63–4 ‘Alaric’,Germanspaymentsto60,61,62,65,76 ‘Alaric’shippingconvoymessages14–15,19,26,35,37–8,78 approachesBritishinLisbon29,35,63,64–5 approachesBritishinMadrid57–8,66,67 approachesGermansinMadrid26,58–60 artdealings,post-war262–5,281–2 background/familyandbirth43–7 becomesNazispy62 ‘Bovril’namegivenbyMI635,37,38,76 Bristowrevealsnameof259 BritishsecurityservicesbringtoLondon37–9 couriersinventedby26,64,65,85,93,116,243,291 dailylifeinBritainduringGarbodeception83–4 death282 deathfaked266 deathofdaughter268 diary82 diplomaticpassport60–1 discoverybyBritish11,13–15,19–21,28–32,34–9 divorce267 dreamer,cheat,liar8,29,58 Englishclasses,takes84 Europe,visits1979268–9 familyseeunderindividualfamilymembername fiancéeMargarita47,48,49 firstmeetingswithGermans26–7,58–60 fortiethanniversaryofNormandylandings,attends260,280–3 GarboworkseeGARBO giftshopinVenezuela,opens267,268,269 asgreatestdoubleagentinhistory8 heartbypass268 hotelbusinessinVenezuela267–8 interviewedbyMI5onarrivalinEngland75–9 Knappe,post-warvisitto251seealsoKnappe-Ratey,Friedrich Kühlenthal,post-warvisitto251–2seealsoKühlenthal,Karl-Erich MajesticHotel,Madrid,managerof28,55–6,250 MBE,awarded244,245,281 MI5payoff253 motivesforspywork57–8 NigelWestsearchfor258–61,269,280–3 OfficialSecretsAct,signs167–8 opensnewsagentinVenezuela266–7 passport57,59 plantoinfiltrateagroupofCzechexpatriatesinVenezuelaand265–6 post-warlife,1945–84257–69,280–3 PrincePhilip,meets280 returntoSpain,post-war249,250–1,267 reunionwithsurvivingmembersofdeceptiongroup,1984280–1 secondwifeand266–7,268 asSovietagent54 SpanishCivilWarand47–54,55,58,138,146,147,233,263,264,267,271,277 startsinventingintelligence65–6 timeasdouble-agentcomestoend253 UnitedStates,visitspost-war249–50 Venezuela,post-warlifein260–1,262–8,269,281 PujolGonzález,Jorge(son)83,116 PujolGonzález,Juan(son)28,31,116 PujolPena,Juan(father)43–5,46–7,55,56,57 RadioSecurityService195 RAF(RoyalAirForce)37,78,88,93,95–7,124,126,127,177,193,223,232,291 Reagan,Ronald282 RealMadrid22 RedArmy10,122,151,229,234,287seealsounderindividualbattleorareaofconflictname Robertson,MajorThomasArgyll(‘Tommy’‘Tar ’)16,17,18,19,20,21,78,80,99,104,117,119, 142,159,160,169,171,183,210,244,253,280,281,289 Rock,Margaret10,11 Rohleder,Joachim23 Rome,Italy,fallof166,179 Rommel,FieldMarshalErwin149,150,164–5,166,174–5,185,186,202 Rönne,ColonelAlexisBaronvon177,200,201,202,203,290 Rothschild,Victor36 RousseauJr.,Theodore30,31,32,68 RoyalNavy78,100,127,281 Rumi255 Rundstedt,FieldMarshalGerdvon126,149,150,165,175–6,177,185,186,202,204 Salerno,Italy132 Sardinia37 ScheldtRiver,Belgium165,205 Schellenberg,Walter199–200,289 Schweppenburg,GeneralLeoFreiherrGeyrvon149,175 Scotland88,124,138,169,170,171,220 ScotlandYard15 SecondWorldWar,1939–451–47–39,56–253 birthof56,57 D-DayseeD-Day,6thJune,1944 EasternFront10,71–4,95,109–13,134,151,163,166,187,205,208,225,226,229,287 NormandylandingsseeOverlord,OperationandNormandy NorthAfrica91–2,97,133,144,163,164 SecondFront1,3,115,122,131,163,167,171,185,192,193,249 seealsounderindividualarea,battleandoperationname Seetzen,Heinz73 Seville,Spain33,47,77 Shebbeare,MajorBill224,225,227,228 Shell267 Shermantank133,143,147,150,220,221,222,225,226,227,233 Sicily126,132,141 ‘Snow’(double-crossagent)16,137 SocorroBlanco49,50 SOE(SpecialOperationsExecutive)33,121 Souza,Jaime60–1 Soviet Union 10, 25, 54, 71–4, 109–13, 122, 132, 133, 136, 138, 148, 151, 169, 224, 234, 258, 259, 265,266,270,271,272–3,287 Spain11,12 Abwehrin22–7 CivilWarseeSpanishCivilWar FrancoandseeFranco,General Germanpost-warspynetworkin247–50 post-waryears(LaPosguerra)22–7,28,55–6 Pujol’slifeinseePujol,Juan SecondWorldWarand22–7,56–62,67,97,145 SpanishArtGallery,London20,33,262,264,271 SpanishBlueDivision25 Spanish Civil War, 1936–9 12, 13, 22–3, 24, 28, 47–54, 55, 57, 58–9, 138, 146, 147, 233, 250, 263, 264,267,271,277 SpanishClub,London117 SpanishEmbassy,Caracas263 SpanishEmbassy,London117,118,210 SpanishLegión145–6 SpanishRepublic/Republicans22,23,46,47–53,89,114,125,146,147,182,213,214,234,235,250, 267,271,277seealsoSpanishCivilWar SpecialBranch15 Speer,Albert166 Spring,Operation,1944230–1 StAlbans12–15,21,75,77 Stalin,Joseph122,133,287 Stalingrad,battleof,1942–395,110,112,232 Stanbrook,HMS146 Starkey,Operation,1943124–7 Stephens,‘Tin-eye’16 ‘Stichling’(‘stickleback’)message210–11 SupremeHeadquartersoftheAlliedExpeditionaryForce(SHAEF)142,169,191,242,289 Swordbeach,Normandy173,174,219 TehranConference,1943133 Thatcher,Margaret282 Tigertank112,133,150,193,221,222,225,227,229,274 Times,The12,54 Tindall,Operation,1943124 Titoff,Mrs75,77 Trevor-Roper,Hugh11 ‘Tricycle’(double-crossagent)16,136–7,158,160,209seealsoPopov,DusanDusko’ Twain,Mark107 Typhoonaircraft,RAF193,223,232 U-boats14,24,37,66 UGT(socialisttradeunion)50,146 Ukraine110,151 UnitedStates7,10,24,30,32,56,64,67,68,122,126,131,138,152,163,177,192,244,249–50,275, 287 U.S.Army138,145,147,150,151,152,171,184–5,219,220,231,232,233,235,237,241,244,274, 282–3 1stArmy171,173 1stInfantryDivision174 First US Army Group (FUSAG) (fictitious army group) 141, 168, 177, 194, 204, 212, 231, 233, 241,242,285 3rdArmy341 4thInfantryDivision168,235,237 6thArmoredDivision195 16thInfantryRegiment283 28thDivision195 82ndAirborneDivision173 101stAirborneDivision173 ArmyServiceofSupply138,194 seealsounderindividualbattleandoperationname USEmbassy,Lisbon28–32,68 USAAF177,225,226 Utahbeach,Normandy168,173,174,184,219,233 Vweapons163,208,209–16 Varela(fictitiousSpanishpolicemaninLisbon)61 VEDay,May8,1945248,249 Venezuela260–1,262–8,269,281 VenloIncident,The,1939121,200 Vire,River,Normandy184 Wadham,Operation,1943124 WarOffice,UK139,143,157 Welshnationalism,fictitioussub-agentsand16,102,124,292 West,Nigel258–61,269,270–1,280,281,283 Wiesenthal,Simon275 Wild,Noel142 Wilde,Oscar41 Williams,Gwilym(‘G.W.’)16,17 Wilson-Bareau,Juliet263,264,271,272,273 Wilson,Peter271 Wingate,Ronald142,206,207 Wisch,GeneralTheodor‘Teddy’151,187,225–6 Wolf’sLair(Hitler ’sEasternFrontmilitaryheadquarters)166 Wolff,Werner222–3 Zossen,Germany200,203,207 Acknowledgements ManythankstoMavisBatey,NigelWest,ArneMolfenterandJulietWilson-Bareauforsharingtheir insightsintothiswonderfulstorywithme. Ana Domínguez Rama proved to be an excellent researcher and assistant when delving into the labyrinths of the Barcelona city archives. My thanks to the ever resourceful Enrique Murillo for facilitatingthings. Nigel Jones and Roger Moorhouse gave useful background information and advice on Second WorldWarmatters,forwhichIamverygrateful. Myfather,John,leapedgleefullyoutofretirementtobecomemyresearchassistantformuchofthe writingofthebook.Mythanksforhisinputandadvice. ThanksalsotoLisaAbend,SabineKern,FranciscoCentofanti,WilliamRyan,D.E.Meredith,Mike IveyandGijsvanHensbergen. This book would probably not have been written without the support of Peter Ettedgui, who has shared my fascination with the Garbo story from the start. Many years have passed since our first conversation about it at a terrace café in the Plaça de Catalunya, and now, finally, here we are. Gràcies. Everyone at Random House has been very helpful – and patient. Thanks to all there. Mary Chamberlainremainsthebestcopy-editoronecouldwishfor.AndJennyUglow,asever,gracefully helpedguidethingsalong. MythankstoPeterRobinson,forhisunwaveringsupportandgoodadvice. AndfinallytoSalud,portodo. 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Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a directinfringementoftheauthor ’sandpublisher ’srightsandthoseresponsiblemaybeliableinlaw accordingly. EpubISBN:9781448137886 Version1.0 www.randomhouse.co.uk PublishedbyChatto&Windus2014 24681097531 Copyright©2014byJasonWebster JasonWebsterhasassertedhisrightundertheCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988tobe identifiedastheauthorofthiswork FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2014by Chatto&Windus RandomHouse,20VauxhallBridgeRoad, LondonSW1V2SA www.randomhouse.co.uk AddressesforcompanieswithinTheRandomHouseGroupLimitedcanbefoundat: www.randomhouse.co.uk/offices.htm TheRandomHouseGroupLimitedReg.No.954009 ACIPcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary ISBN9780701187743
