| Sir William Samuel Stephenson | |
|---|---|
| January 23, 1897 – January 31, 1989 (aged 92) | |
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| Nickname | Intrepid |
| Place of birth | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Place of death | Puget, Bermuda |
| Allegiance |  Canada/ United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Canadian Expeditionary Force Royal Flying Corps |
| Years of service | 1916-1918 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | No. 73 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Order of Canada Distinguished Service Cross Military Cross |
| Other work | Industrialist, scientist, inventor, businessman, spymaster |
Sir William Samuel Stephenson, CC, MC, DFC, (January 23, 1897 – January 31, 1989) was a Canadian soldier, airman, businessperson, inventor, spymaster, and the senior representative of British intelligence for the entire western hemisphere during World War II. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Winnipeg (ˈwɪnɨpɛg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and 7th largest municipality in Canada with a population Manitoba (English ˌmænɨˈtoʊbə French /manitoba/ is a province of Canada, spanning 647797 square kilometres (250116 sq mi of North America Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Puget is a commune of the Vaucluse département in southern France. Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the group of Canadian military units formed for service overseas in the First World War. The Royal Flying Corps (RFC was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. No 73 Squadron, Royal Air Force was formed on 2 July, 1917 during World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Order of Canada is the highest civilian honour within the Canadian system of honours, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the order's Latin The Distinguished Service Cross ( DSC) is the third level Military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993 ratings of the Royal Navy and formerly The Military Cross ( MC) is the third level Military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993 other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to The Order of Canada is the highest civilian honour within the Canadian system of honours, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the order's Latin The Military Cross ( MC) is the third level Military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993 other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom 's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces. Airman is a term used to refer to any enlisted personnel in the United States Air Force or Other Ranks in the Royal Air Force (in which airwoman A businessperson (also businessman or businesswoman) is someone who is employed at usually a profit-oriented enterprise, or more specifically someone An inventor is a person who creates or discovers a new method form device or other useful means A Spymaster is a Ringleader of a spy ring run by a Secret service. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Stephenson is best-known by his wartime intelligence codename of Intrepid. Some consider him to be one of the real-life inspirations for James Bond. A number of real-life inspirations have been suggested for James Bond, the sophisticated Fictional character and British spy created by Ian Fleming.
"James Bond is a highly romanticized version of a true spy. The real thing is. . . William Stephenson. " --Ian Fleming, The Times, October 21, 1962. Ian Lancaster Fleming ( May 28, 1908 – August 12, 1964) was a British author, Journalist and Second World War The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Contents |
Early life
Stephenson was born on January 11, 1896 in the Point Douglas area of Winnipeg, Manitoba (Other sources say January 23, 1897). Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1896 ( MDCCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year North Point Douglas is a small neighbourhood located in the city of Winnipeg, Canada. Winnipeg (ˈwɪnɨpɛg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and 7th largest municipality in Canada with a population Manitoba (English ˌmænɨˈtoʊbə French /manitoba/ is a province of Canada, spanning 647797 square kilometres (250116 sq mi of North America Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common He left school at a young age. In 1916 he volunteered for the 101st Battalion (Winnipeg Light Infantry), CEF. He earned a field promotion to Sergeant and a medal for battling in the trenches before he turned 21. While recovering from being gassed in 1916, Stephenson learned to fly and then transferred to the British Royal Flying Corps on August 16, 1917. The Royal Flying Corps (RFC was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Posted to 73 Squadron on February 9, 1918, Stephenson flew the British Sopwith Camel fighter biplane and scored twelve victories, among them was Lothar von Richthofen, the younger brother of the famous Red Baron, before he was shot down and captured by the Germans on July 28, 1918. No 73 Squadron, Royal Air Force was formed on 2 July, 1917 during World War I. Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Lothar-Siegfried Freiherr von Richthofen ( 27 September 1894 &ndash 4 July 1922) was a German First World War WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout 1
By the end of World War I he had achieved the rank of Captain and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Military Cross. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom 's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly The Military Cross ( MC) is the third level Military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993 other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to His medal citations perhaps foreshadow his later achievements, and read:
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When flying low and observing an open staff car on a road, he attacked it with such success that later it was seen lying in the ditch upside down. During the same flight he caused a stampede amongst some enemy transport horses on a road. Previous to this he had destroyed a hostile scout and a two-seater plane. His work has been of the highest order, and he has shown the greatest courage and energy in engaging every kind of target.
- Military Cross citation, Supplement to the London Gazette, June 27, 1919. The Military Cross ( MC) is the third level Military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993 other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the UK in which certain Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
This officer has shown conspicuous gallantry and skill in attacking enemy troops and transports from low altitudes, causing heavy casualties. His reports, also, have contained valuable and precise information. He has further proved himself a keen antagonist in the air, having, during recent operations, accounted for six enemy aeroplanes.
- Distinguished Flying Cross citation, Supplement to the London Gazette, September 21, 1928. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Between the Wars
After the war Stephenson returned to Winnipeg and with a friend Wilf Russell he started a hardware business, one largely inspired by a can opener Stephenson had taken from his POW camp. The business was unsuccessful and he left Canada for England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Stephenson became a wealthy industrialist with business contacts in many countries. In 1924 he married American tobacco heiress, Mary French Simmons, of Springfield, Tennessee. Springfield is a city in Robertson County, Tennessee, United States.
As early as April 1936, Stephenson was voluntarily providing confidential information to the British, passing on detailed information to British opposition MP Winston Churchill about how Adolf Hitler's Nazi government was building up its armed forces and hiding military expenditures of eight hundred million pounds sterling. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers This was a clear violation of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and showed the growing Nazi threat to European and international security; Churchill used Stephenson's information in Parliament to warn against the appeasement polices of the government of Neville Chamberlain. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 &ndash 9 November 1940 was a British Conservative Politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
World War II
After World War II began (and over the objections of Sir Stewart Menzies, wartime head of British intelligence) now-Prime Minister Winston Churchill sent Stephenson to the United States on June 21, 1940 to covertly establish and run the British Security Coordination (BSC) in New York City, over a year prior to the U. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Major General Sir Stewart Graham Menzies, KCB, KCMG, DSO, MC (pronounced "mingis" with a hard 'g' ( 30 January The Secret Intelligence Service ( SIS) colloquially known as MI6 is the United Kingdom 's external Intelligence agency. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The British Security Coordination was a cover organization set up in New York City by the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6 in May 1940 upon the The City of New York S. entering the war.
The BSC office, headquartered in room 3603 in Rockefeller Center, became an umbrella organization that by the end of the war represented the British intelligence agencies MI5, MI6 (SIS or Secret Intelligence Service), SOE (Special Operations Executive) and PWE (Political Warfare Executive) throughout North America, South America and the Caribbean. Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres between 48th and 51st streets in New York City. For the fictional company set in the Resident Evil videogame series see Umbrella Corporation. The Secret Intelligence Service ( SIS) colloquially known as MI6 is the United Kingdom 's external Intelligence agency. The Special Operations Executive ( SOE) (sometimes referred to as "the Baker Street Irregulars " after Sherlock Holmes ' fictional group of helpers During World War II, the Political Warfare Executive (PWE was a British clandestine body created to produce and disseminate both white and Black propaganda
Stephenson's initial directives for BSC were 1) to investigate enemy activities, 2) institute security measures against the threat of sabotage to British property, and 3) organize American public opinion in favour of aid to Britain. Later this was expanded to included "the assurance of American participation in secret activities throughout the world in the closest possible collaboration with the British. "
Stephenson's official title was British Passport Control Officer. His unofficial mission was to create a secret British intelligence network throughout the western hemisphere, and to operate covertly and very broadly on behalf of the British government and the Allies in aid of winning the war. In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose He also became Churchill's personal representative to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by
Stephenson was soon a very close advisor to FDR, and suggested to Roosevelt that he put Stephenson's good friend William J. 'Wild Bill' Donovan in charge of all U. "Wild Bill Donovan" redirects here For the Baseball Pitcher and manager see William Edward Donovan. S. intelligence services. Donovan founded the U. S. wartime Office of Strategic Services (OSS) which eventually became the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The Office of Strategic Services ( OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all
In his role as the senior representative of British intelligence in the western hemisphere, Stephenson was one of the few people in the hemisphere authorized to view raw Ultra transcripts from the British Bletchley Park codebreaking of German Enigma ciphers. ULTra ("Urban Light Transport" is a Personal rapid transit system from Advanced Transport Systems Ltd a company based in Cardiff, Wales. Bletchley Park, also known as Station X, is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, and (since 1967 part of Milton Keynes The Enigma machine is any one of a family of related electro-mechanical Rotor machines used to generate Ciphers for the Encryption and decryption of He was trusted by Churchill to decide what Ultra information to pass along to various branches of the U. S. and Canadian governments.
Under Stephenson, the BSC directly influenced U. S. media (including the writing of American newspaper columnists Walter Winchell and Drew Pearson) and other media in the hemisphere towards pro-British and anti-Axis viewpoints. Walter Winchell ( April 7, 1897 &ndash February 20, 1972) was an American newspaper and radio commentator Andrew Russell Pearson ( December 13, 1897 &ndash September 1, 1969) known professionally as Drew Pearson and born in Evanston The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries Once the U. S. had entered the war, BSC then went on to train U. S. propagandists from the United States Office of War Information in Canada from 1941-1944. The United States Office of War Information (OWI was a US government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services BSC covert intelligence and propaganda efforts directly affected wartime developments in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Mexico, the Central American countries, Bermuda, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}}
Stephenson worked for no salary. He hired hundreds of people, mostly Canadian women, to staff his organization and paid for much of the expense out of his own pocket. Among his employees were secretive communications genius Benjamin deForest (Pat) Bayly and future advertising wizard David Ogilvy. David MacKenzie Ogilvy CBE ( June 23, 1911 – July 21, 1999) was a notable advertising executive At the height of the war Bayly, a University of Toronto professor from Moose Jaw, created the Rockex, the fast secure communications system eventually relied on by all the Allies. This article is about the University of Toronto's St George Campus Moose Jaw is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River 71 km (45 miles west of Regina Rockex, or Telekrypton, was an offline one-time tape cipher machine known to have been used by Britain and Canada from 1943.
Not least in Stephenson's accomplishments and contributions to the war effort was the setting up by BSC of Camp X in Whitby, Ontario, the first training school for clandestine wartime operations in Canada, and in North America. Camp X was the unofficial name of a Second World War Paramilitary and Commando training installation on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario Whitby (2006 population 111184 is a Town in Ontario, Canada. Whitby is located east of Toronto Around 2,000 British, Canadian and American covert operators were trained here from 1941 through 1945, including students from the ISO, OSS, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, United States Navy and U.S. Military Intelligence services, and the United States Office of War Information, among them five future directors of what would eventually become the American Central Intelligence Agency. The United States Office of War Information (OWI was a US government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services
Graduates of Camp X operated in Europe in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Balkans as well as in Africa, Australia, India, and the Pacific. They included Ian Fleming, later the author of the popular James Bond books. Ian Lancaster Fleming ( May 28, 1908 – August 12, 1964) was a British author, Journalist and Second World War James Bond 007 is a Fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve Novels and two Short story It has been said Goldfinger's fictional raid on Fort Knox was inspired by a Stephenson plan (never carried out) to steal $2,883,000,000 in Vichy French gold reserves from the French Caribbean colony of Martinique. Auric Goldfinger is a Fictional character and the main Antagonist in the James Bond film and novel Goldfinger. Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km²
BSC purchased a ten-kilowatt transmitter from Philadelphia radio station WCAU and installed the transmitter at Camp X. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə WPHT is a CBS Radio station located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania broadcasting on 1210 kHz By mid-1944, Hydra (the name by which the Camp X transmitter was known) was transmitting 30,000 and receiving 9,000 message groups daily, much of the secret Allied intelligence traffic across the Atlantic.
Recognition and honours
Sir William Stephenson died in Paget, Bermuda at the age of 92. Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. While there has since been at times some dispute over the exact nature and extent of his wartime efforts, there is no doubt his contributions were many, and extraordinary.
For his wartime work, Stephenson was knighted by the British in the 1945 New Year's Honours List. The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery achievement or service to the United Kingdom. In recommending Stephenson for knighthood, Winston Churchill wrote, "This one is dear to my heart. " In 1946 he received the Presidential Medal for Merit, the highest civilian award in the United States at the time. The Presidential Medal for Merit is one of the highest civilian decoration of the United States, awarded by the President of the United States to civilians for exceptionally He was the first non-U. S. citizen to receive the medal. General William J. 'Wild Bill' Donovan presented the award. "Wild Bill Donovan" redirects here For the Baseball Pitcher and manager see William Edward Donovan. The citation paid tribute to Stephenson's "valuable assistance to America in the fields of intelligence and special operations".
"The Quiet Canadian" was formally recognized by his home and native land late in his life; William Stephenson was made a Companion of the Order of Canada on December 17, 1997 and invested in the Order on February 5, 1980. The Order of Canada is the highest civilian honour within the Canadian system of honours, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the order's Latin Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar)
On May 2, 2000 CIA Executive Director David W. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Carey, representing Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet and Deputy Director of Central Intelligence John A. Gordon, accepted a bronze maquette (replica) statuette of Sir William Stephenson, which was given to the CIA by the Intrepid Society of Winnipeg, Manitoba. George John Tenet (born January 5, 1953) was the Director of Central Intelligence for the United States Central Intelligence Agency General John Alexander Gordon (born August 22 1946 in Jefferson City Missouri) was deputy director of central intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency In his remarks, Carey said:
Sir William Stephenson played a key role in the creation of the CIA. He realized early on that America needed a strong intelligence organization and lobbied contacts close to President Roosevelt to appoint a U. S. "coordinator" to oversee FBI and military intelligence. He urged that the job be given to William J. 'Wild Bill' Donovan, who had recently toured British defenses and gained the confidence of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Although Roosevelt didn't establish exactly what Sir William had in mind, the organization created represented a revolutionary step in the history of American intelligence. Donovan's Office of Strategic Services was the first 'central' U. S. intelligence service. OSS worked closely with and learned from Sir William and other Canadian and British officials during the war. A little later, these OSS officers formed the core of the CIA. Intrepid may not have technically been the father of CIA, but he's certainly in our lineage someplace.
In the town of Whitby, Ontario, there is a street named after him, which connects to streets with names such as Intrepid and Overlord. In the city of Oshawa, Ontario, Branch #637 of the Royal Canadian Legion was named in honour of Sir William Stephenson.
Disputed accounts
As befits a true man of mystery, some of Stephenson's published biographical information has been challenged. In 1976, British-born Canadian author William Stevenson (no relation) published a biography of Stephenson, titled A Man Called Intrepid, and some statements in the book have been called into question. William Stevenson (born 1925) is a British-born Canadian author and journalist
(1) In Counterfeit Spies, Rupert Allason reports that no record exists of Stephenson ever receiving the Croix de guerre avec Palmes and the Légion d'honneur awards. Rupert William Simon Allason (born 8 November, 1951) is a military historian and former Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom The Croix de Guerre (sometimes lowercase in French Croix de guerre, meaning "Cross of War" is a military decoration of both France and
(2) Stevenson describes a dinner held at Lord Beaverbrook's house in May or June 1940 which Stephenson purportedly attended. William Maxwell "Max" Aitken 1st Baron Beaverbrook Bt One of Churchill's private secretaries, Jock Colville, casts doubt on Stevenson's account, pointing out that the invitation Churchill reportedly sent Stephenson was clearly an invention. Sir John "Jock" Colville, CB, CVO ( 28 January 1915 - November 1987 The highly punctilious Churchill would never have called Beaverbrook "the beaver", and for obvious reasons would never have signed himself "W. C. " Furthermore, Stevenson reports that Lord Trenchard chatted with Stephenson about his own fighter aircraft. Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard 1st Viscount Trenchard GCB OM GCVO DSO (3 February 1873 - 10 February However, in 1940 Trenchard was over 65 years old and retired from the military. In author William Stevenson's papers at the University of Regina, there is one reference to the Beaverbrook dinner, noting that in later years Stephenson had cabled the author that he did not recall the exact date of the gathering. There is no mention of Stephenson receiving an invitation from Churchill. In his foreword to Richard Dunlop's Donovan, Stephenson writes that he received a telephone invitation to the dinner.
(3) In his 1981 book The Churchillians, Jock Colville took issue with Stevenson's description of Stephenson's relationship with Churchill during the war. Sir John "Jock" Colville, CB, CVO ( 28 January 1915 - November 1987 He pointed out that Stephenson was not Churchill's personal liaison with Roosevelt, that in fact (as is well known) the two leaders corresponded directly. Indeed, Colville contends that he never heard Churchill speak of Stephenson at all. Based on this and other questions, Colville expresed the hope that Stevenson's book would not be "used for the purpose of historical reference. " Meanwhile, numerous other references to a Stephenson-Churchill connection can be found, for example, in Maclean’s magazine December 17, 1952 and The Times October 21, 1962. The relationship is also referenced in Hyde’s biography of Stephenson, The Quiet Canadian (1962). In addition, British/Soviet double agent Kim Philby, in his book My Silent War, refers to Stephenson as a friend of Churchill's. A split album featuring performances by bands The KGB and Alien Spy that was produced in 1997 Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby or HAR Philby ( OBE: 1946-1965 ( 1 January, 1912 – 11 May, 1988) Stephenson’s personal secretary and personal cipher clerks mention Stephenson-Churchill communications in the book The True Intrepid and in the documentary film Secret Secretaries. In CIA historian Thomas Troy's book Wild Bill and Intrepid, there is a chapter on the relationship. Controversial historian David Irving, in Churchill’s War, reveals evidence of a secret communications link between Roosevelt and Churchill that was run by the FBI but controlled through Stephenson’s office. There are references to this link in The True Intrepid.
References
- The Churchillians, by Jock Colville, 1980, ISBN 0-297-77909-5
- The True Intrepid: Sir William Stephenson and the Unknown Agents, by Bill Macdonald, with a foreword by Thomas F. Sir John "Jock" Colville, CB, CVO ( 28 January 1915 - November 1987 Troy, 2002, ISBN 1-55192-418-8
- Inside Camp X, by Lynn Philip Hodgson, with a foreword by Andy Durovecz, 2003, ISBN 0-9687062-0-7
- Counterfeit spies: genuine or bogus?, by Rupert Allason, 1998, ISBN 0-7515-2670-3
- The Quiet Canadian, by H. Montgomery Hyde, 1962, ISBN 0-09-468780-3
- Camp X, by Eric Walters, 2003, ISBN 0-14-131326-5
- A Man Called Intrepid, by William Stevenson, 2000, ISBN 158574154X
- Intrepid's Last Case, by William Stevenson and Richard Rohmer, 2002, ISBN 1585745219 (an account of the Igor Gouzenko case)
- Room 3603, by H. Montgomery Hyde, with a foreword by Ian Fleming, 1962, ISBN 1-58574-318-6
External links
- [1] "The Aerodrome" website, which details Stephenson's WWI flying service
- [2] Article "This One is Dear to My Heart," by Ron Cynewulf Robbins, Finest Hour Issue #67, Second Quarter 1990, published by The Churchill Centre
- [3] The Camp X Students Resource website (a teaching tool)
- [4] Website of Camp X Historical Society
- [5] Website devoted to information about William Stephenson
- [6] Website of The Royal Canadian Legion's Sir William Stephenson Branch (#637)
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