THE STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS OF A WW2 SPY RING...
This movie tells the story of how a German Espionage ring was uncovered in the early 1940s and prior to the outbreak of war between the US and Germany. It is a dramatised version but it is also based on actual events.
It is a fascinating story with many really interesting scenes within it. Some classic clips showed inside scenes of the FBI records office and a statement made that they had 100 million records and yet an ability to find a match within 5 minutes. There are also a number of scenes showing some tradecraft techniques some of which I had heard of but never seen and some that were quite new to me. The technology used by the FBI and shown in this movie was quite astonishing, they had some very smart equipment only matched by some very smart people amongst their ranks.
One particular scene, I won't say just where in the film it appears, I wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone, shows a cleverly concealed message, it had been covered by ink and the method used to recover it was displayed. That should sound familiar to followers of this blog. I knew it was used and had and have shared the documentation that describes it for some years and have demonstrated here and at numerous presentations involving hundreds of people in person and many thousands here on the blog, but I had never seen a film of the actual method being used and especially from the relevant time period.
The movie was produced and filmed with the cooperation of the FBI and in fact, some of the parts played were portrayed by FBI agents who had been involved in the case.
The Movie was named 'The House on 92nd Street' and it first appeared in April 1945, at least US a radio program gave it headline space at that time:
It is a fascinating story with many really interesting scenes within it. Some classic clips showed inside scenes of the FBI records office and a statement made that they had 100 million records and yet an ability to find a match within 5 minutes. There are also a number of scenes showing some tradecraft techniques some of which I had heard of but never seen and some that were quite new to me. The technology used by the FBI and shown in this movie was quite astonishing, they had some very smart equipment only matched by some very smart people amongst their ranks.
One particular scene, I won't say just where in the film it appears, I wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone, shows a cleverly concealed message, it had been covered by ink and the method used to recover it was displayed. That should sound familiar to followers of this blog. I knew it was used and had and have shared the documentation that describes it for some years and have demonstrated here and at numerous presentations involving hundreds of people in person and many thousands here on the blog, but I had never seen a film of the actual method being used and especially from the relevant time period.
The movie was produced and filmed with the cooperation of the FBI and in fact, some of the parts played were portrayed by FBI agents who had been involved in the case.
The Movie was named 'The House on 92nd Street' and it first appeared in April 1945, at least US a radio program gave it headline space at that time:
The movie was based on the Duquesne Spy Ring case, you can read more about that case here:
And here you will find the FBI case records for the case:
FBI Case Records on the Duquesne Spy Ring
This movie will be of interest for the serious researcher and those new to the Somerton Man,TAMAM SHUD mystery. There are many issues within the film that will ring bells for some. I hope you enjoy it.
Pete, Yes, he certainly was taking a risk but I think he enjoyed it and never more publicly than when he had his interview with Stuart Littlemore. But think a little deeper, the whole business was always going to be risky, that kind of work is choc full of risk and then some more. People like Alf would have been constantly getting updates on new tradecraft techniques and always looking for new ways to conceal information. As you know, espionage is 90% about information. Did you watch the House on 92nd Street movie? Its good to get immersed in the times, the fashions and the clothes from the US quickly found their way to Australia. A little aside, if you go to either the FBI or CIA sites and enter Fedosimov, not a file left. Maybe that's a 75 year rule?
ReplyDeletePete,
ReplyDeletePART 1.
The Boxall ROK was proven to used by both Alf and Jestyn, I agree with the late Paul Lawson's view that Alf and Jestyn used to meet up and information was exchanged between them and which quite probably contained details of ship movements in Sydney Harbour and possibly elsewhere. From the outset I have also maintained that Alf and Jestyn played for the 'home team'. I believe that Jestyn played out her role by mingling with the opposing side. Alf took a risk in his discussions with Stuart Littlemore but it was a measured one and ultimately controllable by Alf. In Alf's words, Jestyn was 'Very Courageous, and he knew why. Alf was also courageous but perhaps not quite to the same extent but he was also at risk.
It pays not to be too hasty in jumping to conclusions without first thoroughly researching the circumstances. We know who had the Boxall ROK and we know who had written in it, that's a substantiated fact.
PART 2.
ReplyDeleteMoving on to the letter Q on the code page, there's a picture of it on the right hand side of this page, it contained the hull numbers of two ships. One was the USS New Orleans and the other that of the HMAS Deloraine. There was only one occasion when both of these vessels were together and that was in Sydney Harbour on March 7th 1943. The New Orleans had somewhat miraculously survived the battle of Tassafaronga in which 46 metres of the ships bow had been blown away by a torpedo taking the lives of many of US sailors in the process. The ship was eventually towed into Sydney having made most of its journey in reverse, arriving on Christmas Eve, 1942.
On 29th January 1943, the Scone Advocate published details of the arrival of the New Orleans in Sydney Harbour, it had been broadcast a few days earlier on Berlin Radio. Mark that date. The ship arrived on Christmas Eve 1942 yet it was late January that the radio transmission was heard. READ HERE:
https://tamamshud.blogspot.com/2018/12/somerton-man-uss-new-orleans-proof.html
The New Orleans had a 'stub' bow fitted and that enabled them to eventually depart Sydney Harbour on the morning of March 7th 1943 bound for Puget Sound for a full repair and refit. My initial thoughts were that this movement would have been captured by someone watching the action from Watsons Bay or one of the Heads. On later reflection, the information could have come from a Harbour ship movements record and which I think is more likely.
To the point, whilst we can confirm who had the Boxall Rubaiyat and who wrote in it, we cannot say when the code page was written or who it was that may have written it. My view is that the information on the departure of the New Orleans was provided to someone after the date of departure. Consider the fact that information supplied at the right time would have been high value and would likely have led to disastrous results for the New Orleans and possibly the Deloraine. The information was accurate but delayed which made it interesting for an enemy but of little real value to them and therefore the sort of information that could be safely allowed to be passed to the enemy and thus bolster the credibility of the sender.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating or so it is said and in the case of the New Orleans she sailed on unharmed for the rest of the journey from Sydney to Puget Sound, that's the only proof we need and the only proof we will get.
As an aside but still related, a Wolfgang Wagner was arrested for ship spotting around the time of the New Orleans events. He lived in Rushcutters Bay and interestingly was the cousin of Helmuth Hendon, in fact Wolfgang as I understand it sponsored Helmuth's original journey and arrival in Australia. Another coincidence?
An appropriate time to reflect on the many sailors on the New Orleans and those on other US, Australian and Allied ships who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of Australia. Lest We Forget.
A little surprised that no one has followed up on the skeletal remains of a man found in a cave at North Head overlooking the entrance to the Harbour. He is believed to have been ship spotting in either WW2 or early Cold war years. I wonder who he was?
In closing, I have an extremely full schedule over the coming months with a host of important issues to deal with so here this conversation ends from my perspective. I wish you well.
Trolls are gathering again GC.
ReplyDeleteYes, predictable behaviours of very troubled minds and that is the sadness of it all. Imagine what it would be like to wake up thinking of how you can verbally attack someone, deliberately set out to demean, defame and ridicule another. Those thoughts and notions consume their waking hours and they don’t really know why they do it. In many cases, and this is no slight on those that suffer from debilitating mental illness, it’s because the voices in their brain tell them to. For them the voices are real and they’re not to be questioned. They effectively lose control of many aspects of their daily lives. In those regards I am genuinely sorry for them. Being a target of their disturbed views is no fun either and it gets to the stage where you have no option but to intervene and do something to stop it. Damage is done to their targets, their reputation can be adversely affected, it’s deeply offensive to their friends and families and those directly or indirectly responsible simply do not care. A lack of empathy is a tell tale sign of declining mental health.
DeleteTo the trolls, a simple message. Somewhere inside you there’s another voice and it’s crying out for help. Listen to that voice above the others and get that help.
Yes, noticed and thanks for the advice separately received. There's enough going on in this world without worrying about the attention seeking antics of the usual band of trolls. Hence I cut the current conversation.
ReplyDeleteI think its called a 'distraction attack' Gordon.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think you're right. Its pathetic.
ReplyDeleteHi, have cleaned up the fez a bit, will send soon. Fascinating.
ReplyDeleteGreat! I look forward to that, should be interesting.
DeleteHave to ask what info she was sending back? She must have tapped into some good stuff and wondered whether it would be in the book?
ReplyDeleteHi, Good question! A bit difficult to respond on that. There are three pieces that contain micro code, The Boxall ROK I guess is the one in question. Of the other two, I found that the code written in to the torn slip was a Morbit Cipher, based on the use of morse code and as such it was easily memorised, they didn't need a code book or one time pad to create a coded message.
DeleteThe Information found on the code page is more complex with the HILL cipher showing some results but not consistent and finally the Boxall Rubyatt, there is a mass of micro letters and numbers in the two pages that we have and some I believe are simply done as an exercise, no message or cipher involved some I am still looking at and will post on that when I get some consistent results.
Apologies, missed that. At the moment I don’t honestly know. Thoughts at the time I first found this were that the book were some kind of training manual that focused on concealment techniques. For example we have micro code within handwritten letters, within images, along the edges of the book, in the line drawn at the fold joint between the two pages and a couple of other locations. It’s very cleverly done and perhaps of most interest is that these techniques exactly match those used in the design of the Hay Internment Camp Banknotes designed by George Adams Teltscher. On his release in late 1941, he returned to the UK where he found employment with the British Military some say that he designed propaganda posters but I wonder about that. Whichever he was a very talented artist in the Bauhaus style some of which is seen in works he did whilst interned. For our American audience, George was a descendant of John Adams, second President of the US.
DeleteThe poison/truth drug mentioned in the movie was scopolamine, apparently 50 mg taken orally is the dose that will kill. It stays in the body for 9 hours and then it's gone, not traceable. It's interesting but we need to see what the symptoms of scopolamine poisoning are and see if it was a possible cause of death for the Somerton Man. Apparently it can be detected in the hair for up to 5 weeks but I would be pretty sure that the hair as never checked at the time and would think it highly unlikely that it would leave a trace for 75 years. I have read that its main effect is on the brain and SMs brain was engorged if I recall correctly. Must check that.
ReplyDelete