1949-06-18 — Page 9

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 1949.

Training α British Spy-Saboteur

for the Secret Service

The manor of mystery under the Hog's Back: The school in Scotland and the house in the New Forest

How they were taught to kill, to live,

and tested for their resistance

to the wiles of women

Jerrard Tickell told last week of how "Special Operations Executive" came secretly into being in an office in Baker-street, London, in the autumn of 1940, to select and train in secrecy special agents to be Infiltrated into Occupied Europe, and particularly France.

Their task was to foster underground warfare. direct sabotage, and recruit and organise the armies of resistance.

Hc described how a typical recruit, Lieutenant John Smith, R.A., a French speaker, flat in was mysteriously summoned to Portman-square, given the name "Felix," and Kent to a secret training school.

by JERRARD

AN BOROUGH MANOR stands un- der the Hog's Back, three and a half miles out of Guildford. Firat men tioned in Domesday Book, the house was burned down in 1500 and rebuilt a rest home for pilgrimage.

TICKELL

Sometimes FLY anonymous oficer spent a day at the school asking pointless questions.

Sometimes, too, a student was summoned to the kindly obser- vant de Wesselow and given u warrant back to his unit. The section took only the best.

those

23

011

►

of

In its long history, it is doubt ful if its walls ever sheltered a

band remarkabla pilgrims than those who arrived In the desperate 1940s.

more

After a few days Lieutenant John Smith, R.A., had vanished By the end of into oblivion.

muscles were three weeks his hard, and he spoke, thought, and dreamed in French.

Ho started to learn how to be a civilian again.

Not a civilian with a bowler hat and striped trousers, but a civilian with a price on his head, a transmiiting set under his atm, and a detonator in his walsicont pocket.

The vell, already transparent, was lifted for him at last. Felix was to be. Infiltrated-to carry out a mission of extreme delicacy and danger.

Let him bo under no delusions as to the danger. He was told that one false move, one careless word and the best he could hope for would be a quick, clean death.

How did Felix feel about it? He was still a volunteer-and a married man with a son.

answer,

The given after nighttaught the y of the French anxious of thought, was af reaccustomed simple one. In Fellx Franco would adopt-a new identity and .submerge himselti

utterly in it.

He was told that, whatever name or role he assumed, his first duty was to live inconspicuously.

The Gestapo also had a duly.

they per- and formed

IL

with

A confidential report on his conscious and subconscious lean, Felix and his companions-all Ingsite uncanny Accuracy of British agents in embryo-were which would have caused him welcomed by the school's com- considerable embarrassment had diabolical de he rech 1—was delivered to efficiency. It was mmandant, Major Roger Wesselow, of the Coldstream Baker-street, Guards.

They assembled for dered.

a talk by the security officer.

Because they appeared DOSSCSA certain

MAJOR PROGER WESSELOW-Commandant at the manor of mystery.

DE

FOR THE SERVICES

NEWS FROM HOME

CIVIL DEFENCE CORPS:

NROLMENT of men and

E

women in what in to he called the National Civil Defenco Corps will begin in October. A code of regulations to establish this Corps has been presented to Parliament by Mr Chuter Ede, Homo Becretary, together with como general The professional requintions. These regulations are method of picking the first to be made under the a lock or a pocket Civil Defence Act of 1048 and was taught him in they will apply to England and accordance with the Wales. Others that have also most up-to-dato: 16- heen tabled deol with Scotland. formation gained soon after the Whitsun recess from the residents

they will have to be approved

l Parkhurst and

other of Xis by both Houses of Parliament. Majesty's prisons,

First step is the organisation Ho must know of Local Forces of the Corps how to spread which, broadly, will fill the rumour, how to ex role assigned to the Civil Des change passwords.

the last war.

money,

and

mes-fence Services in suges, develop a Recruitment in peacetime will

skill ccrlain

In be voluntary, no one will be Imitating hand-

paid, and any man of woman writing-expert for-

him will be entitled to resign at any that-how to code tine. A uniform will be worn. and decode, how to No ngo limits have been settled.. kli silently--and to

Kera

taught

dio allently.

One last lest lay

expected

As there is no energency these preparations

are not urgent, and thero will

before Felix. He was not be enough qualified instruc- given a false identity tors for the Corps to get going

Gantner

ALLE DRA

Sola Agents:

and sent to a town before the autumn. Two train U. SPALINGER & CO., LTD.

in the Midlands.

should ng school for instructors aro Thero ho

establish contact nlready functioning-at Falfield with a stranger and Easingwold—and a third by means of is to open at Taymouth Castle, passwords and, Ferthshire. Later there will be -in four days*

fourth. This modern training time, return

to

the school with tales into account the possible a rough sketch effects of Atom Bombs BIKKI plan of the local other up to date weapons. Spitfire compon.

ents factory.

Only as a last

Divisions of the Corps will

be organised by the counells of resource. In caso Counties, County and Metro-

of serious

trouble should politan

somo

And Boroughs County Districts. Complete he produce a

agreement has been asking

reached lelier,

local authorities that A certain between the telephone num- and the Home Office on the ad- of tho service, rung ministration

and when the time comes the Good luck, recruiting will be done by the Felix," said the authorities,

ber up.

WANBOROUGH MANQR-A place of secrets.

and there pon their task to foros the agent to

live conspicuously.

How could they be outplayed

Finally it was given a laconic to O.K. He had passed through the in this lethal game? qualifications, rat and second mesh.

By then five of the original they had been chosen, he ex-

of 12 officers had plained, to undergo special and group

vanished. 'highly secret training.

In

no

circumstances must

The next phose took Felix to the High- -even the slightest hint about the a remote hamlet in nature of that training leak out, lands of Scotland.

even to wives, parents, and.

er.... girl friends, if any,

Identities must vanish:

Chrisilan names only would be used.

WHAT would you do now?

The training, strenuous

French would be spoken at all mcals. Uas of the telephone. Wanborough, now hardened un

either in or out of school,-was-believably and its purpose seem strictly forbidden.

They were volunteers. If at any timo a student felt uncertain, or even unenthusiastic, all he had to do was to have a word with the commandant,

EXPERT in taking morse

ed subtly to change.

"Felix," "Sir?"

The

at

Instructor, an all-in wrestler with a blood-curdling plage-name, seized Felix round the waist from behind and inter- locked his fingers.

PHONE calls

were tapped

The. Gestapo used two measures, preventive detective.

and

To prevent the agent from doing what he wanted to do they had established 'a multi- plicity of controls.

There was a constantly-chong-- ing system of checking identity cards, a ban on travel between certain hours, a censorship of letters, a round-the-clock (op- ping of telephone calls.

The man or woman who broke these rules were automatically and the problem immediately became one of pure

"What would you do now, suspect. if I were a German?"

"I would bend your Angers detection.

There would be no recrimina- back until they broke sir." tions and no harm done He would just go.

"Tut, tut. Felix. You would The transgressor was watched, Early-morning P. T. revealed bend them back until they broke, shadowed, ringed round and You should pull finally Interrogated either the presence of some hitherto would you?

them off, Felix, one by one.. ⚫unsuspected muscles.

Felix learned how to live on pollily or with the aid of a Every student was issued with his own

approach a buzzer, and the land, how to morsc practised until he could receive target unseen, how to cheat the

at. 12 words a minute.

Advanced map-reading, Unarmed combat, revolver-

rubber truncheon.

The Gestapo were determined skyline.

to find out thy M. Gerard Dummy charges complete with Dubois was a telephone addict, --- primer and detonator were laid

and wrote on the local railway line from travelled widely shooting, were followed by dawn to dusk and-In theory- dally letter to hin flancre in training in the use of a variety the solitary and obliging locomo- Annecy-and they were with of weapons until the student tive was blown sky-high by out scruple as to method. learned to handle a German Lueger as dexterously as a Colt. Pull-switch, press-switch, or by

WATCH on his drinks

self-opening initiation.

The weeding-out was inexor- able, two men failed to make

HOW to tell.

a "good' lie

the grade. Five were left, in-- In the peaceful New Forest cluding Felix. Hard as nalis, Fells fearned how to divert confident and alert, they travell

The theory of explosives was, taught indoors, and demonstra tions with plastic hand grenades ed south towards the urban Gestapo suspicion. fle must at and six-inch bricks took place in delights of Manchester,

a chalk quaITY.

all costo avoid the ""hush-hush" attitude:

The following afternoon, they Students were paired for the reported to the Parachute Train-He must be unobtrusive, la night compass march of some 10 ing. School at Ringway and dress, speech, Behaviour; he miles--with members of the looked a little askance at each must be the epitome of the staff lurkinig en route to trap the other.. noisy or careless walker.

normal.

No man in his right

mind Field craft was learned in the wants to entrust trail fish and Ha must know the regulations wido''countryside.. A French. infantry captain Laught the line fragile bone to a canopy of silk. governing work, travel, ration. guista iho routine of the French The Whitley shuddered in a cards and the black

barrack square.

market

roar

"Above the

of the engines, he hened the despatcher shaat Go. He shut his eyes and dropped stẞly through the hole..."

bo

comman-

dant genially.

"See you on Thursday"

Should war come the part- Ulmo volunteers will be supple- By Thursday, the school had mented by a whole time ser- the most detalled evidence as to vice. There may also be re- how Felix would react to two serves organised. These would different sets of circumstances.

cv bo centrally controlled and know the exact degree would They

probably his susceptibility to feminine whole-time people organised in wiles to test him, and how he mobile columns and read for stood up to tough interrogation by sanuinely suspicious con- duty anywhere in the district. stabulary.

Of

Felix, British agent, took train to London.

Colonel Maurice Buckmaster sat on the edge of a desk in the fat in Portman-square, swing- ing his legs. He spoke in French.

Go home for a week's-leave, Fellx. Report back to me here at 11

Friday. All -clear?"

a.m. on

hositatod.!

"Yes," Felix "Should I say goodbye to my wife, sir?"

-"No, no. Say 'au revoir. Buli It may be como time before you see her or your son—again,”

(World Copyright),

NEXT WEEK 'Armand, the itinerant watchmaker, drops

Into France.

London Express Service

THE ABELLS OF BRISTOL" Hajor C. F., Charles, Major G. H.

FAMILY PROVIDE KEY

MEN OF THE AIR

·Company,

In 1933, when Charles was A French chef reaccustomed still wind and the dropping zone prim of eggs in Amiens;, he T Filton, Bristol, where the

great Brabazon airliner will beginning to get on in the fly- looked the size of a stamp. must memorise the four days in palates to the taste of garlic.

soon be tested, and where, in ing business, his father, Major As the Unguists studied the With he mouth dry and fils the week when alcohol was an adjoining hangor BOAC George Henry Abell, joined the curriculum, the staff studied the knees like water, Felix waited. Derved in cafes and the three transatlantic airliners are over: Bristol Aeroplane.

is now genera ilinguists.

Above the roar of the engines he thirsty days; ho must tristantly hauled, there are three key where he

of the Car and Light heard the despatcher shout recognise the ranks, flashes, and position engineers known to all manager

·Engineering Division. Mess bills were meticulously "Go." He shut his eyes and functions of every German who as "The Filton Family Abell." scrutinised for the beguilingly dropped stifly through, the hole, wore a uniform,

Two of them are with the Bix years earlier, Major well stocked bar was n pearch- "One morn hurdly surmounted.

He must be as: sharply con-Bristol Aeroplano Company, the Charles Francis Abell had join

third with BOACH PAR

ed the same concern. He is the younger brother of Major G. H. sclous of being looked at as s a child and aswensitivo to host Mr Charles Abell, 38-year-old Abel, and is now the service interest. He must, be trained to youngest member of the trio, manager of the firm's engine develop an animal awareness of Imperial Airways. The three Abells work within

started in aviation as filter with division, je

He rose from the bench to the job he now holds, manager All throat want to Sherborne

a few blocks of each other The candidate was judged for in the New Forest, Felix com must be taught how and with transatlante Cónitellations and School; all three have e

Interrogation, he of the BOAC line who y the patienter but above all for his now rear British agent, settled what verbal modulations to inter this one will be lying the B labroses or maushindas moving in for the last bliratak ken Fee (elf the convincing Tek**z new Strafverulsors in wellista

tion's... with the staf

analysed- and dissected.

Weru.... Bian-

· light-on' temperance.

Becmingly casuni

conversa→ FALSE move

moant dosth

From Ringway to one of a being followed = chata or country, bouses hidden

By mock

"ners;**habits, emotions,” tastes,

Interests-all came under thỏ, microscope

"resourcefulness, initiative, mando, saboteur, parachullet, and

મા

consist

of

for

Although the regulations must come before Parliament, mobile columns and ready at once to local authorities with guidance about possible provi- sional plans..

York Didg.,

CONT

Tol. 26776,

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