1938-09-10 — Page 11

EVIDENCE IN CAMERA

Ex-Arms Worker: Said To Have Approached Soviet

Obtained Plan Of Fuse-Setting Machine Part

London, August 13.

Evidence by two expert witnesses was given in camera at Bow-street police court yesterday, when a former employee of Vickers-Armstrong Ltd., the armaments firm, was committed for trial on charges under the Official Secrets Act.

The man is Robinson Walker, 48, a cloth chant, of Brentwood-road, Romford, Essex.

to

more about the plans? arrived there without them?

it and

You had Spitfire. Walker told him that

was at Vickers at Weybridge that he held a diploma of engineering which enabled him to visit any factory, such as Shorts at Rochester.

Cross-examined by Mr. Whiteway, Mr Burch said he knew that Walker had a brother-in-law in the cloth business in Yorkshire,

RUSSIAN DELEGATION Mr. Burch replied: "I said, 'Where do you get the plans photographed?' and he said, "At the Russian Delega- tion in Hatton Garden:' . He said that he could return them to me before L left for work next morning.

"Then I left him after, an arrange- ment had been made to meet him at 12.5 p.m. on Saturday."

He met Walker at 12.10 p.m. on July 23, and said to him, "I have let I cannot get the drawings, as Mr. Lilly was around me. Walker, he said,

you down again.

all the morning."" appeared to be angry.

Mr. Burch continued: "He again

asked me about the rifling of the gun, and explained the instrument to me. I told him that I could not see him until Tuesday, and he agreed to meet

mer-me at 5.30 p.m. on July 26."

HOUSE SEARCHED

:

He had bought cloth from: Walker. For the purposes of delivery Walker had witness's private address. Walker also supplied cloth to othor men Vickers.

}

at

Mr. Burch agreed that before Wal- ker met him on July 21 Walker had called at his house, had a conversa- tion with his wife, and had then set Walker asked him out to meet him. for the address of a man who owed him some money and of another man who had some books of his.

the

Det.-Insp. Charles Buckle, of Mr. Evans: Was any mention made Special Branch, New Scotland Yard, of any money?--Yes, I asked him for said that at 5.25 p.m on July 26 he the money. I did this because of the saw Mr. Burch, accompanied by Wal- instructions that had been given to me.ker, enter an address in Hudson-road.

a small attacho case. He said, "Get the drawings and then At 5.45 Walker left alone, carrying there will be nlenty of money."

The charges are:

earn some money getting a few One every night "That on July 26, 1938, at Hudson-drawings-tor me?

"I WAS WINDY": is sufficient. You can get 10s or road, Bexley Heath, Kent, for a

Mr. Evans handed Mr. Burch some purpose prejudicial to the safety £1 for them." or interests of the State, he ob- Walker also told him, said witness, large linen-backed blue prints, and tained a plan of the main casing that he had just visited Shorts of Ro- asked him whether, still acting on the of a fuse-setting machine which is chester and had been viewing a pre-instructions of Mr. Anderson, he left Vickers Armstrong works on July 26, calculated to be directly or indi- dictor at the Glasgow Exhibition. rectly useful to an enemy; and "I asked him who else was in the taking the plans with him.

"He Mr. Burch went on. "That on July 21, 1988, he endeavour- | affair.”

ed to persuade St. John Frederick said nobody, but that he was an agent Burch, to communicate to him a for three countries, Germany, Italy document calculated to be direct- and Soviet Russia. ly or indirectly useful to an en- emy.

31

An inspector at the Vickers-Arm- strong works at Crayford, Kent, stat- ed that Walker told him he was, an

agent for Germany, Italy and Soviet

Russia.

"After a little gossip about men at Vickers I felt him, saying would get him the drawings."

ROUGH SKETCH

in-

Mr. Burch said that they were the plans of the main casing of a fuse-

and added, "They are setter, valuable to anyone with a knowledge the of engineering."

I

Mr. Vincent Evans: Did he ask for any particular drawing?

main asked for the drawing of the casing on which I was working, Fuse

setter 63.

He met Walker at Pickford-lane, Bexley Heath, and walked with him to witness's home.

was

"On the way, 1 witness continuzi, "I told him that I was windy about this job. He laughed, and said that Mr. Vincent Evans, prosecuting,

windy, too, when I first started and read a statement alleged to have been

it was all right, and added, I

made by Walker in which he said that

thought everybody was looking at nie, he had approached the Trade Delega

but I am used to it after 15 years'

"When we got to my house I said tion of the Union of Soviet Socialist

the Republics, who were considering whe-Mr. Lilly, foreman and inspector em- to him, 'Well, Bob, I have

at drawings, and took them from my ther they should employ him to help in buying various instruments and ma-

Mr. Burch said that it was arranged that he and Walker should meet Next morning he reported to again.

ployed by Vickers-Armstrong

"I stopped him," the inspector con- tinued, and told him that I intended to arrest him for offences against the At Cannon-row Police Station the Official Secrets Act." plans were found in the attache case.

...

89

Walker said "I got these to have a look at for a fuse-setter because I A large notebook and a small book want to see if I can improve on it." were found on Walker, as well some pencilled sketches and notes, what appeared to be a list of expenses, an envelope bearing the name address of a man in Hatton-garden, and ninepence in cash.

"At 9 p.m. the Bame day." Insp. Buckle continued, with other officers I searched Walker's address at Brent- wood-road, Romford, and took posses- sion of certain documents."

and

Mr. Evans said that these notes ap- anti- narently dealt with a new aircraft machine gun, a new fitment to carry four Lewis guns, something to do with a turn indicator, and an-

fications.

chines being made in this country. He. Crayford, and was taken by him to trousers and set them on the table other dealing with the writer's quali- see Mr. Antlerson. Acting on MrI told him there were two drawings Anderson's instructions, he met Wal-in sequence. He picked them off the

table and put them in a case, ker at nine p.m; on July 22.

had given no secrets way

Walker pleaded not guilty and re- served his defence, Bail was reduced to two sureties of £50 each.

I said, 'What about the money? the and he said he would have to take the plans to the Russians, and I could have the drawings and money before went to work the next morning, "attr Mr. Burch said he asked Walker

Witness went on to state in written evidence: "I said, 'I have not

How can I drawing, as it is torn. get it out? It is on the stick. He It replied, "Tear it off the stick. does not matter if it is torn in two where he got the details about the

TALK AFTER WORK.... Mr. St. John Frederick Burch, in- spector at Vickers-Armstrong, at Cray- ford, of Hudson-road, Bexley Heath, Kent, said he knew Walker, a fellow employee. Mr. Burch wrote some of pieces." his evidence owing to an impediment of speech. He stated that on Thurs- day, July 21, he left his work at 8.45 p.m. and met Walker casually on his way home.

Walker said: "How are you getting along? What are you doing working until 8.45 p.m.? How would you like

the

"I gave him a vague idea of working of the fuse-setter and of the predictor after Walker had drawn a further sketch in his book.

"He asked me if I knew an 'instru- ment for trying the rifling of a gun. He thought it was a German name.

Mr. Evans: Did he say anything

7

The Inspector said that after Wal- ker had been before the court he ex- pressed the wish to make a statement

"MY OWN INVENTION": which he wrote down himself.

Mr. Evans read the alleged state- ment as follows:

(Continued on Page 16).

Nig

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