Table Of Content

250 114·196 The story of MI6 Communications Q ~ 1939-1945 u Whaddon Hall cy_,~ ~ 204 ~ 1·032 '\ Q>~ ~P~·\ The Kennel.a .. £:2> ..... \• f.'jb t;b \ \ cy_,- ; ; :I "~T'.;l .,':1.,' ,", .. :j :: .. :: ... , H !! \l .. t,,. ~... ~ ~ THE SECRET WIRELESS WAR The Secrec Wireless War© Copyrighc 2008 by Geoffrey Pidgeon All righcs reserved. No parr of this work may be reproduced or srored in an information rerrieval sysrem (orher rhan for purposes of review) wirhouc prior wriccen permission by the copyrighc holder. A catalogue record of chis book is available from che Bricish Library Paperback Edicion: Augusc 2008 ISBN: 978-09560515-2-3 To order addicionaJ copies of chis book please visir: hrcp://V\'\'VW.geoffreypidgeon.com Published by: Arw1del Books 3 Arundel House, Courclands, Sheen Road, Riclunond. T\'V'l 0 5AS Email: info@geof&eypidgeon.com Designmby:PrestigePress Web: lmp://www.prescige-press.com The Secret Wireless War _.._ .. ~ by Geoffrey Pidgeon Arundel Books Dedication I dedicate chis book to the many frne men and women who worked in MI6 (Secrion VUI) and irs Special Communicarion Units during World War II, under their founder Brigadier Sir Richard Gambier-Parry, KCMG, Head of SIS Communications (MI6 Section VIII) - from 1938 to 1946. Brigadier Sir Richard Gambier-Pan)' KCMG I should also like to express my deep appreciation here to my wife, Jane, who has been so pacienc and supporcive in my work on rhis book as in every orher sphere of life in our many years rogether. - v - Contents Dedicarion ............... .. .......... . ..... .... ..... ........... . ...... ... . v Contents ...... ....... ... . ............ .... .............. ... .. .... .... .. . . vii Preface .. ..... . ....... . ............ ..... . ....... ................ ..... .... ix Acknowledgements & Bibliography ...... ... .. ... ............ ... ..... . ... ... .... xv Prologue .... ......... .. .. .. ............ ... ... ... ... .............. .. .. . . . xxi Glossary ... . ... ....... . ..... ... .... . .... ...... .. ... . .. ........ . . . ....... xxv Enigma - A brief Outline .... ............... ....... . .... .. ....... .... ... . ... xx.xi Part I The Background Chapter 1: The Hisrorical Background ro SIS ................................ ... ... 3 Chapter 2: Pre-war Communications, Passport Officers, Broadway .................... .. 10 Chapter 3: Enter - Richard Gambier-Parry .. .. ..... ....... ... .................... 14 Chapter 4: The Early Days - Barnes Station X and Funny Neuk. ...... ... . . ........ .. .. 19 Chapter 5: The Cast Assembles .. ...... .... ............... ... ....... ... .... .. .. 28 Part II War Comes to Whaddon Village Chapter 6: Whaddon Village . . .... . . .... ... .. .. .. ..... .... ....... ....... .. . . . . 39 Chapter 7: Whaddon Hall - the House on the Hill ...... ....... . .... .... .. . . .... ... 41 Chapter 8: Blecchley Park - Admiral Sinclair's 'War Starion' .. ..... .. ... .... .... . .... .. 44 Chapter 9: Special Communication Units .. . .. . .. ................... .. ......... . . 55 Chapter I 0: SCU/SLUs - che Mobile Voice of Ultra .................. ... . ....... ... 67 Chapter l I: Whaddon Hall - ics Layout and The Chase ................ .. ... .... . ... 71 Chapter 12: Wireless Scations at Windy Ridge, Main Line, Nash, Weald and Forfar ...... ... 78 Chapter 13: Whaddon's Mulciple Roles . . .... ... ...... ........................ .. . 84 Chapter 14: Clandestine Wireless and Agencs' Secs ...................... ........ .. .. 86 Chapter 15: Box 25, the RSS and Hanslope. ... .. ..................... .... ........ 98 Chapter 16: A Sea of Aerials! ... .. ... .... ................. ................. ... 114 Chapter 17: The Packards of Whaddon ... ... . .............. ..... .......... ... .. 117 Chapter 18: Black Propaganda ... ... .... ... ............ .................. . ... 123 Chapter 19: Mobile Conscruccion ............ ....... .. ..... ...... ... ..... ... .. 143 Chapter 20: Stable Gossip ..... .. .... ........... .. .... ...... . . .... ...... . ... . 149 - Vll - Part III Their story: by some of those involved in the Secret Wireless War 1939-1945 Chapter 21: The Exrraordinary Diary of John Darwin ..... .... ............... . ..... 161 Chapter 22: Bob Hornby - Our Outstanding Wireless Engineer. ...................... 173 Chapter 23: Arthur 'Spuggy' Newton ....... ..... .. ............ ........ ... ..... 179 Chapter 24: Joyce Lilburn and rhe Remru-kable Hill Family .......................... 191 Chaprer 25: Wilf Neal in SCU8 - wirh Patron's Third Army .......... ... ........... . 197 Chapter 26: Marrin Shaw's Story: Ashbys; Gees, and Rockex at Hanslope ................ 211 Chapter 27: Lawson Mann - one of the Fifry Despatch Riders at SCU l ................. 224 Chapter 28: Bill Miller - Tea with the Germans . ......... .... . .................... 227 Chapter 29: Phillip Luck, Operating with Black Propaganda ......................... 248 Chapter 30: Tom Kennerley, Training Agents in China .................... ..... . . ... 256 Chapter 31: Edgar Harrison, Wireless Operator ro Winston Churchill ... ..... ....... . .. 260 Chapter 32: Steve Dorman: the V2 and Ascension ........ ......................... 269 Chapter 33: Jack Whitley's Story- Handling Our Agents' Traffic .......... ... ........ . 283 Chapter 34: Pat Hawker - His Many Roles in the Secrer Wireless War . ................. 288 Chapter 35: Bob King, a VI and Member of RSS .... .. ....... . .. . . . ............... 301 Chapter 36: 'My God They're Shooting ar us' - and Other Srories .... ..... .... ..... ... 304 Chapter 37: With Rommel, the Other Side of Enigma - by Siegfried Maruhn ... ...... ... 316 Chapter 38: Geoffrey Pidgeon - His Own Story .... .. ....... . ...... .. ........ .... 320 Appendix l: Station Code Numbers .... . .... ..... .. ...... .... ..... ... . ... ..... 347 Appendix 2: Station X ... ...... .. ... .... .. ... ........................... ... 349 Appendix 3: Vls Wireless interception and Organisation . ...... .. ................... 352 Appendix 4: Bill Miller's Personal Code ..... .......... ......................... 354 Appendix 5: Call Signs from Peking in rhe 1930s ............ .. ....... .. ....... ... 357 Appendix 6: Agencs' Sers . .. . . ...... . ..... . .. ........... ........... .. ....... 359 Appendix 7: Letter to my Father. ... .. ... .. . ... ... . ...... .... ................. 365 Appendix 8: My Morher at Blerchley Park .... ... ..... ..... ....... . ..... . ..... . . 366 The Epilogue .. . .. ..... . . . ... . . . .... ..... . .. . ..... . ................ .. . . . . 369 INDEX .......... .... ............ . ... . ........ .... .... .... .... ...... .. . 373 - Vlll -