SOVIET/CPA SPIES NAMED & A BOMBSHELL? UPDATE 2, 7/09

SOVIET/CPA NETWORKS (1927 to 1950) 

UPDATE AT THE BASE OF THIS POST..

The Soviets and the Communist Party of Australia worked hand in glove, between them they had extensive and sophisticated networks of agents, illegals (operating under false IDs), and handlers. These networks reached into every State and Territory in Australia via a vast array of party chapters and 'satellite' organisations.

In all, it is estimated that there were in excess of 30000 card-carrying members and supporters all feeding back into the one central organisation controlled directly by the Soviets.

You might ask what this has to do with the Somerton Man case. It might be that somewhere amongst these Soviet Intelligence networks we will discover a name that can be associated with either Alf Boxall or Jess.

From that follows, you will see that there was a strong network that had existed in Melbourne, Victoria from the late 1920s. This was Jess's home town. The diagrams only show those at the top of the CPA tree in that State, beneath them lay numerous CPA chapters and satellite organisations. This same structure existed in Sydney and in Adelaide with Sydney being the Headquarters for the CPA and also the location of the Soviet's Intelligence gathering efforts apparatus, the KGB headed by Feodor Nosov.

In an upcoming post will line these Soviet/CPA networks up against the opposing Australian Intelligence networks, and as a result we will get a much clearer picture of what the lived environment was like at the time of the Somerton Man and the probabilities of his being involved in the Espionage field as well as his ultimate death quite possibly at the hands of an assassin.

NB
It is important to note that not all those who had Venona Code names were involved in spying, sometimes they were just people of interest or targets to be worked on.

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The chart above like the ones that follow illustrates the construction of the network. It was known as the Clayton-Nosov-Makarov line, and as you can see its focus was intelligence gathering from the CSIRO. To do that Clayton recruited 'ATHLETES', (Spies who worked in various Australian organisations) these were people who were active in their particular roles and in positions where they had regular access to highly sensitive information and which would be of great value to the Soviets.

It is also a fact that there was a level of communication between networks, an example would be Wilbur Chrstiansan asked to communicate with Ric Throssel (Codenamed FERRO from the External Affairs Network) It was Throssel who handed highly sensitive documents that he had brought to Sydney from Canberra to Nosov during August 1945, coincidentally the same timing for Alf Boxall's meet up with Jestyn at the Clifton Gardens Hotel.

Make no mistake, the Soviet's and the CPA by the mid to late 1940s were highly organised and a force to be reckoned with. The CPA had built an enthusiastic following of some 30000 committed supporters who were willing to help fund their subversive efforts. 

The names involved in this first chart are:

1. Legal resident Semen Ivanovich Makarov (VENONA Code Nems: EFIM or SIMON)

2. TASS representative Feodor Andreevich Nosov (VENONA Code name: TEKNIK)

3. CPA organiser, Walter Seddon Clayton (VENONA Code name: KLOD)

4. Radio Astronomer SIRO, Wilbur N Christiansen (VENONA code name: MASTERCRAFTSMAN)

5. Russian Language Teacher, Nina M. Christiansen (VENONA Code name: EVA)

6. Publisher and Author Clement Byrne Christiansen. Husband to Nina (VENONA Code name: CRAB)

7. Entomologist Professor Serje J Paramonov VENONA Code name: SCORPION)

More information on Nina and Clement Christiansen can be found here...

More information on Professor Paramonov can be found here...

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WALTER SNEDDON CLAYTON

 3 out of the 4 structure diagrams contain the name, Walter Seddon Clayton. Not surprising given that he was the Soviet's 'main man' in the Soviet espionage war against Australia.

Wally had an interesting past, not often spoken of is the fact that prior to taking up his spying and roles associated with the activities of the CPA. He was born in 1906 in Christchurch, New Zealand. His first job was as a shop assistant at a sports store and apparently, he worked there until leaving for Australia in 1931 with his new wife. He became involved with the Communist Party during this time in New Zealand

It is thought that he met his wife, Hilda Mary Lane via meetings of the party in New Zeland. Hilda was a singer and had been brought up in a family of Communist sympathisers and was the niece of William Lane of the New Australia colony in Paraguay, a social experiment in Utopian living which was a short-lived effort. Hilda was in fact born in Paraguay in 1906.

Settling first in Prahran, Victoria where he stayed until 1939, Wally and Hilda moved on to Sydney and became heavily involved with the CPA Headquarters with Waly being appointed secretary of the No.2 branch and a full-time organiser of the CPA.

Somewhat surprisingly, despite having a reputation as a humourless fanatic, Wally had written a musical comedy on 1931/32 entitled 'The Southern Star' presumably the production would have starred Hilda who was a singer. Undeterred, Wally tried again this time with a drama, 'The Beachcomber'. That didn't go anywhere either so he stayed with the CPA.

Wally soon came to the notice of the CIB and Military Intelligence who both referred him to the Commonwealth Security Service as it was then known.

Working hard at his job with the CPA took its toll on the Clayton marriage, they separated in 1944 and divorced in 1945. 

Clayton had gained a reputation as a drinker and a philanderer prompting one party member, Jessie Grant, to report him to the CPA. In an interesting ASIO recording dating to 1960, she made the report to a CPA committee mentioning the Soviet's view in the 1940s that he, Wally, was becoming dangerous and unreliable due to his drinking and immoral involvement with women. They mentioned in particular, the 'unpleasant happenings' with one woman. Just who that woman was is as yet unknown. Something to think about. Is Jess Harkness the woman in the 'unpleasant happenings'?

The story is beginning to unfold, the next post will reveal more incredible information on how vital information was passed from a trusted Australian Intelligence man to the Soviets.

 * Extracts with permission, 'The Official History of Asio', 'Traitors and Spies' Dr. John Fahey, NAA: ASIO and Intelligence files.