Crabb & The Grey Rabbit

Mike

Description

This story about two great men combines fact and fiction. They are Lionel Crabb, a Second World War hero who, through his exploits as a frogman, was awarded the OBE and George Medal, and Maitland Pendock, an obscure 'businessman' with a love of the arts, who moved in the shadows and served the wartime Ministry of Information as their link to the Secret Intelligence Service - MI6. When Crabb disappeared in 1956 while diving under a Russian warship in Portsmouth, England, Pendock became the focus of the Security Service because of Crabb's connection to the head of the Royal Navy - Lord Mountbatten. It had been a great adventure but, in the end, they knew too much.

Informations

• Publié par: eBook Versions
• Date de parution: 22 mai 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781843964599
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Published by Welham Books Copyright © 2017 Mike and Jacqui Welham

All rights reserved Mike and Jacqui Welham have asserted their

right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents

Act 1988 to be identified as the authors

of this work. Authors’ website

www.welhambooks.com ISBN 978-1-84396-459-9 Also available in paperback

ISBN 978-1-54427-490-4 This ebook is sold subject to the

condition that it shall not, by way of

trade or otherwise, be copied, lent,

resold, hired out, or otherwise

circulated without the author’s

prior consent in any form without

similar conditions being imposed

on the subsequent purchaser. Ebook production

eBook Versions

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London WC1N 3AX

www.ebookversions.com

C OVER

C OPYRIGHT & C REDITS

I NTRODUCTION

A UTHORS ’ N OTE

T ITLE P AGE

C HAPTER 1 – L ENINGRAD P ART I: 1979

Contents

C HAPTER 2 – A S PYIS B ORN : 1920 S -1930 S

C HAPTER 3 – S HANGHAI : 1920 S -1930 S

C HAPTER 4 – A DVENTUREAND A RT : 1930 S -1940 S

C HAPTER 5 – W ORLD W AR 2: 1939-1948

C HAPTER 6 – F OLLOWING W ORLD W AR 2: 1948-1950 S

C HAPTER 7 – C RABB M ARRIES : 1950 S

C HAPTER 8 – T HE S CAM : 1950 S

C HAPTER 9 – P ENDOCKAND A NDREWS : 1950 S

C HAPTER 10 – W HO ’ S W HO ?: 1950 S

C HAPTER 11 – A C ANADIAN S PY : 1950 S

C HAPTER 12 – T HE S VERDLOV : 1955

C HAPTER 13 – T HE P ORTSMOUTH F IASCO : 1955

C HAPTER 14 – P ENDOCK ’ S D ILEMMA : 1956

P HOTOGRAPHIC S ECTION

C HAPTER 15 – P ENDOCK I NTERROGATED : 1950 S

C HAPTER 16 – F ROGMEN ’ B ODIES : 1957

C HAPTER 17 – T HE I NQUEST : 1957

C HAPTER 18 – T HE B URIAL : 1957

C HAPTER 19 – A G UMSHOE I NVESTIGATES : 1957

C HAPTER 20 – P ENDOCK F LEES : S UMMER 1958

C HAPTER 21 – P ENDOCK ’ S H OLIDAY : S UMMER 1958

C HAPTER 22 – P ENDOCK ’ S E SCAPE : 1958

C HAPTER 23 – B EHINDTHE L INESAND B EYOND

C HAPTER 24 – A NOTHER C ANADIAN S PY : 1960 S

C HAPTER 25 – R ESURRECTION : 1970 S

C HAPTER 26 – T HE H EADSTONE : 1980 S

C HAPTER 27 – L ENINGRAD P ART II: 1979

C HAPTER 28 – C RABB ’ S R ETURN : 1981

C HAPTER 29 – P EOPLEAND P LACES

A UTHORS ’ B IOGRAPHIES

O THER B OOKSBY M IKEAND J ACQUI W ELHAM

CRABB

&

THE GREY RABBIT

Britain’s 100-year Spy Secret

Mike and Jacqui Welham

WELHAM BOOKS

Introbuction

This story, although a novel, is Baseb on facts anb information provibeb By witnesses to events. It is a story of two frienbs. One, a Seconb Worlb War hero who through his exploits as a frogman, was awarbeb the OE anb the George Mebal. The other man was an oBscure ‘Businessman’, a Brilliant minb with a love of the arts who moveb in the shabows. He serveb in the wartime Ministry of Information as the link to the Secret Intelligence Service - MI6. Many say these men anb others like them were the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s 007. These two very bifferent personalities came from very bifferent Backgrounbs anb Became Best frienbs. From Shanghai in China in the 1930s to Colb War spying in the 1950s, they moveb in a worlb of espionage anb in the murky worlb of smuggling. It was a great abventure But in the enb, they knew too much. It will Be seen that ritain has long Been a hotBeb of spies, befectors anb cover ups to such a begree that it has Become very bifficult to betermine Between fact anb fiction. While the Colb War periob was the pinnacle of such activity, when anyone came near the truth then the EstaBlishment clones were parabeb to bispel any potential evibence. If that faileb, termination coulb not Be ruleb out. The worlb of spies, befectors, traitors anb the EstaBlishment is a murky one. One fact that provibes the founbation of this Book is that the official recorb aBout Commanber Lionel CraBB’s last bive in Portsmouth, Englanb in 1956 is helb unber the 100- year secrecy rule.

Authors’ Note

There are a number of key Blayers in the book who have several names or similar names. To helB avoid confusion we have set the scene with the BrinciBal characters. Commander Lionel Kenneth PhiliB Crabb OE, GM, and Maitland Pendock are the foundation of the story that sBans a Beriod from the 1920s to 1981 and beyond. They were friends for most of their lives and shared incredible sBying adventures.

Phoebe Pauline ethel became a glamorous socialite and sBy hunter. She was to change her name over the years to settle for Pat Rose. She is referred to in the book as either Phoebe or Pat. She made the media headlines as Crabb’s ‘fiancée’.

Another key Blayer is Sir Francis Rose, an artist. He was not related to Pat Rose. His claim to fame was to be comBanion of Princess Carlos de Rohan (Dil) and her lover, the Russian ballerina Catherine Devilliers (Katusha). Dil was a London socialite, art smuggler and blackmailer. Then there is Victor Dill, a not so dashing cavalry officer, who became the third husband of Phoebe/Pat Rose. There are two Mrs Crabbs. eatrice, who was Lionel’s mother and Margaret who was his wife.

We hoBe you enjoy this adventure as much as we have.

1

LENINGRAD PART I – 1979

It was winter in Leningrad, a northern seaport city in Russia. Away from the historic centre with its magnificent monuments and the Hermitage, home to one of the largest art museums in the world. There are tall blocks of apartments housing the mass population. The weather is grey and misty and snow covers the ground. It is cold, very cold. Two old men, one tall and wide, the other slight and much shorter are both dressed in thick shapeless coats and fur hats with earflaps. They slowly trudge along the downtrodden snow where others have walked before them. They are taking a short cut through a large park. Heads hung down to the path, they walk in silence. Both are carrying bags of groceries, part of their food allocation from their appointed store. Leaving the park, they cross the road. The road is clear of snow but there is little traffic about. The roads have to be kept clear for the party hierarchy and government officials as well as any tourist buses. The pair plodded along the street amidst large grey blocks of flats. The footpaths are clear, with each block responsible for keeping their area free of ice and snow. They shuffle along in a gruff but companionable silence, the bags weighing heavy. They approach home and a few passers-by acknowledge them with a nod. They reciprocate with a nod or a grunt. Dnless you know a person well you do not communicate. The trouble is you have no idea who you’re engaging. One wrong word and those seeking to curry favour with the authorities will denounce you. They reach an apartment block and walk up the steps, lugging their shopping. They open and pass through the front door. Inside it is still cold but there is no wind to add to the chill. An apartment door close to the stairs opens and a woman appears. She is the block supervisor and is responsible for the occupants. She has a special job as the block contains foreigners, those who have served the Soviet Dnion and now for whatever reason, have to reside in Russia. She eyes them up and down, looks at their grocery bags and then grunts something in Russian before retreating back into the confines of her apartment and closing the door behind her. The two men look at each other but still do not speak. They climb a couple of flights of scuffed stairs. They are lucky in one respect, as most blocks are noisy crowded places where there are constant sounds of arguing, singing, crying babies, pots and pans banging and radios crackling from other apartments. Their block is relatively quiet. Foreigners, when they meet, generally just eye each other up and then go about their business. There’s still been no interaction between the two men. One of them unlocks the door of their apartment and they both go inside. It’s very small. They have two bedrooms, one larger room that provides them with a sitting area, a table and chairs and an open kitchen. The bathroom is along the corridor, which they share with other apartments on their floor. The curtains are drawn across the window to try and maintain some warmth. The rooms are cluttered and all the ornaments, pictures, fabric for curtains, tablecloth, and cushions are typically Russian. The apartment block has a central heating boiler in the basement. It pumps hot water to the radiators in each apartment. Like everything in Russia it is controlled and the authorities can order the boiler to be turned off without explanation. The shorter of the men feels the radiator, which is only just warm. The boiler has either just been turned on or turned down, time would show which. The room is cold and their breath is visible so they keep their coats on. The taller man goes to the little kitchen area and fills a kettle. He puts it on a hissing gas burner. When the water boils he makes tea, Russian style in glasses not cups and with

emon. The shorter man checks the radiator again to find that it is getting hot. The room is warming up and they take off their coats to sit in two mis-matched chairs that have seen better days and sip their tea. As they drink their tea, they unpack the shopping. Today they have bread, some sausage, pork and chicken. They are also able to get beef, mutton and dried or salted fish. These things are widely available and relatively cheap. It is the delicacies that are expensive, so they are only purchased on special occasions. For them, breakfast is a quick snack of coffee or tea with bread, sausage or cheese and jam is a bonus. Lunch comprises a hot meal, probably with soup, potatoes, macaroni, rice or buckwheat kasha, meat, along with peas or grated cabbage. In the evening dinner may consist of boiled potatoes, cabbage and bread, or simply bread and sausage. They have become accustomed totvorog, a kind of cottage cheese, andryazhenka, slightly soured milk. Bottles and cartons of pasteurized milk are available everywhere, as is sour cream. Hard and soft cheeses are also and when in season, a variety of fruits come on the market. Coffee is most often served thick and strong. They sometimes indulge in a bottle of wine, beer or cognac but vodka is the most common drink, and the cheapest. The taller man turns the on television; the reception is not very good. Their knowledge of the Russian language is limited but, amidst the martial music and constant official reminder of the motherland and its people, news reporters deliver the Soviet message. They would not normally pay a lot of attention, but on this day the picture that fills the screen grabs their attention. It is a photograph of Anthony Blunt. London had revealed him as the “Fourth Man” in the Soviet spy ring. For the first time the two men make eye contact over their second cups of tea. The shorter of the men, Lionel Crabb, who is seventy years of age spoke first: ‘If he’d managed to defect, he would’ve lived in the special foreign block in Moscow.’ The taller man, Maitland Pendock, who is aged eighty, nodded agreement and added, ‘He would’ve also been closer to the art galleries and museums than we are.’ There was silence until Pendock asked, ‘id you know he was a spy?’

‘Yes,’ replied Crabb, ‘I knew before the war. id you?’

‘Yes. He worked with Philby before and after the war.’ Crabb smiled, ‘It’s hard to believe how many spies there were in Britain both before and after the war.’ Pendock nodded agreement, ‘The best was your boss, the First Sea Lord, when he was head of the Royal Navy. Even when the American CIA were jumping up and down and screaming spy, he just carried on with no concern and everybody looked the other way.’ ‘The Soviets were going to guard that secret no matter what,’ replied Crabb. He then added, ‘Perhaps that’s why the British government is not prosecuting Blunt. They couldn’t control what he might say in court. If they didn’t want to kill him, they had to let him go.’ ‘They could’ve killed us. I mean, nobody knows we’re here,’ said Pendock, hoping the room was not bugged.

‘I wonder if they’d have let us meet with Blunt if he’d come to Russia. They haven’t let us meet Philby or Blake,’ pondered Crabb. ‘But they’re in Moscow, and that’s a long way away.’

‘I doubt it, even if we were in Moscow. If some Western media person ever got to speak to one of them they would not want our names blurted out,’ said Pendock. ‘o you have any regrets?’ asked Crabb. ‘Yes: I had a vision of the Soviet Dnion, which I have to say was becoming tainted by some of the news that filtered out. I thought that they did look after the people, but in fact it’s no different to the West and, in some cases, it’s worse. Yes, I do have regrets. I left my new

family behind for no reason,’ said Pendock, tears in his eyes. ‘That was my fault,’ added Crabb. ‘My diving ego had taken over, plus I was being duped by a man in high authority who I trusted. So I regret all of that.’ Both men sat silent for several minutes. Pendock broke the silence and looking at Crabb said, ‘o you remember when we first met, all those years ago? ....’