Description
Object description
British schoolchild during Imperial German Navy bombardment of Scarborough, GB, 16/12/1914; officer served with H Section, Special Operations Executive in Portugal, 1941-1942; served as assistant to Sir Charles Hambro at Headquarters, Special Operations Executive, Baker Street, London in GB, 1942-1943; served as assistant to Major-General William Stawell in Egypt and Italy, 1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Scarborough, GB, 1905-1914: father's occupation, family origins; education at Bramcote School; memories of Imperial German Navy bombardment of Scarborough, 16/12/1914; interest in archaeology, choice of career in law. Aspects of recruitment to Special Operations Executive in GB, 1940: hearing of Special Operations Executive organisation through contact with Sir Frank Nelson; recruitment of solicitor partner Hugh Quennell; story of German organised demonstration against British Embassy in Madrid, Spain, 1941; nature of recruitment interview, 11/1940; attempt to find out more about Inter-Services Reseach Bureau (ISRB), the cover name for Special Operations Executive; leaving his Royal Artillery unit. Recollections of period as officer with H Section, Special Operations Executive in Portugal, 1941-1942: importance of H Section; question of foreknowledge of Iberia; flight from GB to Lisbon, Portugal, 1/1941; initial impressions of Lisbon; diplomatic separation of belligerents in Portugal.
REEL 2 Continues: cover as assistant to British military attaché in Lisbon; contact with Russian émigré, Michel Terestchenko; information passed from Michel Terestchenko to penetrate German secret service; German secret service's attempts to gain information from British sailors; duties with H Section; H Section's activities including contingency plans to destroy oil installations in estuary of River Tagus in event of German invasion; liaising with Hugh Quennell in London and with Gibraltar.
REEL 3 Continues: opinion of working with Portuguese personnel; establishment of non-Portuguese regional organisers; passing of money to Belgian agent; contingency plans for Portuguese resistance movement; question of contact with anti-Salazar groups.
REEL 4 Continues: story of lending his office to Special Intelligence Service and repercussions; disclosure of true role to Antonio Salazar; attempt to have H Section's directives updated, Spring 1942; relations with Special Intelligence Service and Section 5; impressions of Antonio Salazar; relations with Special Intelligence Service.
REEL 5 Continues: opinion of work of Special Operations Executive's financial director John Venner; reaction of Special Intelligence Service to penetration of Special Operations Executive operations in Netherlands; background to return to London, 6/1942; liaison between H Section and Office of Strategic Services; attending Special Operations Executive training course at Arisaig, Scotland. Recollections of period as assistant to Sir Charles Hambro at Headquarters, Special Operations Executive, Baker Street, London in GB, 1942-1943: taking up new role, 1942; foreknowledge and opinion of Sir Charles Hambro; observations on growth and development of Special Operations Executive, 1940-1943; relations between Special Operations Executive and conventional forces staff.
REEL 6 Continues: stories illustrating relations between Special Operations Executive and Royal Air Force including Air Marshal Sir Charles Portal and with Foreign Office; friction over Special Operations Executive requests for aircraft supply, improvement in situation after 1943; problems of support for Communist resistance in Balkans.
REEL 7 Continues: relations between Special Operations Executive and Balkan Communist resistance; Sir Charles Hambro's resignation, 1943. Aspects of period as assistant to Major-General William Stawell in Egypt and Italy, 1944: structure of Special Operations Executive in Mediterranean.
REEL 8 Continues: relations with resistance movements.