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Fun Trivia: W : World War II

Special Sub-Topic: Double Agent


What was the real name of Britain's first spy against the Nazis?

    Arthur Owens. He was spotted as a likely recruit while he was in Germany in 1936, trying to get orders for his company which produced batteries for ships. Being short of cash, he accepted the offer. On his trial run he brought back details on German ships. Hayward is the author of the book about his life. Robertson was his British 'handler'. Lily Bade was a lover he set up at a house in Surrey.

What was Arthur Owen's first spy mission for Britain during WW2?
    Warships in the Baltic. It was while he was in the Baltic taking pictures of warships at anchor that he had his camera confiscated by customs officials. Despite confessing to being a spy, he wasn't believed. He was only given a small amount for this mission.

What code name did Arthur Owens go by for Britain in WWII?
    Snow. Snow was an anagram based partly on his surname. MI6 failed to realise he bore a grudge against Britain, due to the belief that his father was due more mnoney than he received from the Admiralty for designing a special piece of artillery to use against Zeppelins in the First World War.

What name was Arthur Owens given for his German codename?
    Agent Johnny. In 1937, he supplied information about the airfield being built at Northolt as well as details of a arms factory in the Midlands. His reward for his work was access to call girls at a club in Hamburg.

Who was Arthur Owen's handler in Germany during WWII?
    Major Nikolaus Ritter. Ritter gave him a radio with which to transmit information back to Germany. Using it, he gave news regarding airforce squadron strength, ships at Pembroke Docks, tanks en route to France, key factories and an artificial fuel depot.

How much was Arthur Owens offered to persuade an RAF pilot to deliver a Spitfire to Germany in WWII?
    £50,000. Due to bragging about being a double agent with colleagues, MI5 became highly concerned. They ordered another agent to check up on him. When challenged, he responded by supplying the names of dozens of German spies.

What was the name of the German Secret Service agency that ran Arthur Owens' activities in WW2?
    Abwehr. Although he gave aditional details of radar technology, information which was of great use to Germany, in time Nikolaus Ritter confronted him with his suspicions at a meeting in Lisbon.

How much money did MI5 calculate Arthur Owens had been paid by Germany for his activities during WW2?
    In excess of £13,000. In fact the figure was an estimated £13,850, a sum that in would have been in the region of £700,000 in 2010. Near the end of the war, he was cast off with a sum of £500 and interned in Dartmoor.

What happened to double agent Arthur Owens after the WWII ended?
    He was cut adrift by everyone.. During his career, he considered himself patriotic and a clever man for outwitting his paymasters. He died in Ireland in 1957 after moving there from Canada. His son, Bob, died in that year too. His daughter, With Lily Bade, Patricia, died in 2000.

What happened to Arthur Owen's daughter Patricia after the WWII?
    She became an actress in Hollywood. Among her film credits were roles in 'The Fly' with Vincent Price and a part in 'Lassie'.


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