INTRODUCTION
This is a multipurpose post. Firstly it's aim is to provide the serious researcher with a list of prominent Communists in South Australia between 1948 and 1953. Secondly, it shows the involvement of Ray Whitrod who had just been recruited into the ranks of the newly formed ASIO. Thirdly, and perhaps less obvious, the document is meant to show the kinds of information that I believe are essential in getting a good handle on the circumstances surrounding and leading up to the finding of the body on the beach at Somerton. Sometimes we need to look outside of the year 1948 to do that.
Whilst reading spy novels is enjoyable and informative, what's needed here is for the serious researcher to immerse themselves in the times, to get to know as much as they can about the then environment. You need a good handle on the networks, the CPA networks, and the Intelligence networks that were very much to the fore in those days. That kind of information is not to be found in novels, you will find it in historical documents and texts that relate to the turbulent days of the early cold war.
The following extracts are from documents related to the Commonwealth Investigation Service and ASIO. The dates cover the period between 1948 and 1953, the aim is to provide as many names and other details of the senior members of the CPA Executive in South Australia at the relevant times. I apologise in advance for the condition of some of the documents.
Document 1.
In the document above we see the names of 3 senior members of the party with address changes noted.
1. Andrew Carruthers
2. George Robertson
3. Charles McCafferty
You'll notice the date of 25th November 1948 and the doc was signed by Deputy Director CIS, E. HATTAM. Also, note the address in the Savings Bank Building on King William Street. Adelaide. Will try and recover the telephone number, as you can see the docs are not all in the best of condition.
Document 2.
The above document shows more names of the Executive Committee of the CPA in South Australia, dated, interestingly enough, 1st April 1949 which was of course right in the middle of the ongoing Police Inquiries into the SM case. The address is as per the previous document and we can now make out the telephone number of Central 7407
The names listed include:
1. Alan Finger
2. Alf Watt (mentioned twice, there are two letters referred to)
3. Eddie Robertson
4. Noel Mclean
5. Newell Carruthers
6. John Sendy
7. Jim Moss
Interesting names, bells may ring.
The document is once more signed by Deputy Director E.HATTAM (Commonwealth Investigation Service)
Document 3.
This document is interesting for a number of reasons, the main one being that it is signed by RAY WHITROD and dated 2/8/49. Ray was at this time just starting his work with the newly formed ASIO, he was in charge of the Adelaide Office. As you can see he was working from the Attorney General's Department and it is headed 'Investigation Service'. No telephone number or street address for this document. It's apparent that Ray got right down to work from the outset.
Names listed as follows:
2. George Logos
3. Newell Carruthers
4. Ralph Maddern
5. H. Giles?
6. John Sendy
7. Alan Finger
8. Mrs. Mitchell
9. Peter Symon
10. Alan Clisey
11. Elliot Johnson
12. Doug Marshall
13. Alan Miller
14. CJ McCaffery
15. Ted Parfitt
16. Doug Fisher
17. Betty Trosser
18. Jim Moss
Document 4.
Still working on this list, it dates to 1951 and seems to have quite a spread of members and executives. I can make quite a few names out but some need to be cleaned up a little.
Document 5.
A few different names in the above list I think, but it needs a little more time to clean it up.
Document 6.
This appears to be the main list of prominent communists, note that Alf Watt lived in Durham Street Glenelg, it runs down to Brighton Road and then into Moseley Street. Several names have already been listed and below are names that are new:
State Committee:
1. Winifred Joyce Mitchell
2. John Bernard Ayles
3. Frederick Slater
Prominent Communists:
1. Joseph Blake (Whyalla)
2. Eric Frank Johnston
3. Peter Dudley Simon
4. CJ McCaffery
5. Neil Mclean
6. James Mitchell
Document 7.
The above is the list of the leading communists in South Australia already noted.
There are a number of names in this document that bear some further investigation as many will know.
Hmmm. Painters and Dockers &
ReplyDeleteCommunist Party of Australia.
It would seem that some wore interchangeable hat's.
We could include the Ironworkers (Whyalla), Building Workers and more according to the documents, there was an extensive network of organisations that were tied in one way or another to the CPA in South Australia and the other States. All up I think there were around 30 such organisations in SA plus a similar number of chapters of the CPA.
ReplyDeleteThese organisations included Housewife groups, scientists, youth and more. It is not hard to see that there would have been a steady flow of information going back firstly to Adelaide HQ where it would have been collated and sorted with the premium, mostly military and political material, finding its way to Sydney and then Canberra alongside similar material from the other States. Very sophisticated for its day.
Now overlay a network of agents some of whom would have been mobile and able to move from one State to another with ease. Tasks would have been allocated to them based on the Premium materials held by Canberra. As we know, these agents may not have been known to each other and even Canberra may not have known the identities of any 'illegals' operating in each State.
A dangerous existence for some.
PeteDavo and others, here's the US pre McCarthy list discussion and archive:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2006/fall/agloso.html