them.’
‘They would probably come to me here.’
‘Who are the people with whom you are in touch?’
‘At least seven or eight different names.’
‘Do you mean just one person with six or seven different names?’
‘Oh no, quite different people.’
‘Do you remember their names? Have you seen them?’
‘Yes.’
‘Don’t answer unless you want to…’ cautioned Hinchley-Cooke, obviously aware of the impact Owen’s incriminating admissions would have at any future criminal trial.
‘I am quite prepared to do everything,’ said Owens. ‘I want you to know that I knew the danger. I want to give help, but I won’t take chances unless I am prepared. I am only trying to explain to you that I have always done everything I could for this country. Probably my system is different from yours but I have always had one object in view and that was to help the country when I could. I can now. I risked my life to get it for you, at least I deserve a little thanks. I am prepared to go on and I will take further chances if you wish it, but I will do no more – it isn’t worth it.’
‘You wish to go on and you know our view?’
‘Of course, and I know what the view on the other side was and I know the danger there was. My duty at that time was to get all I could and be in a position to help this country. And I have taken that risk.’
Later in the interview the police inspector referred to a written report and started to read from it, quoting Owens:
‘I will start from where you stated you were appointed chief operator. “I have been appointed chief operator in England with authority to travel to America with a special German Secret Service code and I am to receive here in England a special secret transmitting set which will enable me to be in direct touch with secret German headquarters in the Rhine district.”’
‘Now, who appointed you actually?’
‘The heads from Hamburg. I am going to give you them.’
‘Well, why not give them now so that I can get the story in correct sequence?’
‘I will give you them in time.’
‘Why not now?’
‘I would like to see the end of these questions… My duties will consist of receiving, coding and sending to Germany, information supplied to me and information which I may obtain in connection with general war activities and political information…’
‘How does this code work?’
‘It is very complicated and after we are through here I will do all that.’
‘All right, Inspector,’ said Hinchley-Cooke, inviting the police officer to continue reading.
‘… and I am also to have sole charge of all secret addresses of German agents in European countries and to be in charge of a bureau in England for the purpose of distributing information.’
‘Where is that bureau supposed to be?’
‘Well, wherever I wish. I could rent a room anywhere.’
‘You haven’t settled on that, have you?’
‘No, as soon as I got all that I came right to you.’
The quality of information that Owens was promising far exceeded anything that he had offered hitherto, and must have been entirely new to the Security Service, despite the mail intercepts and surveillance. Of course, Owens’ motives were far from clear and the reason for his visit to Scotland House at this time was hard to discern, although the deteriorating political situation in Europe made any clues to Nazi intentions a priority. Up until this point it would seem that all Owens really wanted was MI5’s approval for his visits to Germany, holding out the prospect that this would yield more information which presumably he would continue to disclose. Although he had not mentioned the issue of money, a further motive would soon be revealed when Owens asked Hinchley-Cooke why his son had been questioned.
‘Never heard of your boy. I don’t know the first thing you are talking about,’ replied the MI5 officer.
‘You have a boy? A son?’ asked the police officer.
‘Yes. You sent him to a
‘They would probably come to me here.’
‘Who are the people with whom you are in touch?’
‘At least seven or eight different names.’
‘Do you mean just one person with six or seven different names?’
‘Oh no, quite different people.’
‘Do you remember their names? Have you seen them?’
‘Yes.’
‘Don’t answer unless you want to…’ cautioned Hinchley-Cooke, obviously aware of the impact Owen’s incriminating admissions would have at any future criminal trial.
‘I am quite prepared to do everything,’ said Owens. ‘I want you to know that I knew the danger. I want to give help, but I won’t take chances unless I am prepared. I am only trying to explain to you that I have always done everything I could for this country. Probably my system is different from yours but I have always had one object in view and that was to help the country when I could. I can now. I risked my life to get it for you, at least I deserve a little thanks. I am prepared to go on and I will take further chances if you wish it, but I will do no more – it isn’t worth it.’
‘You wish to go on and you know our view?’
‘Of course, and I know what the view on the other side was and I know the danger there was. My duty at that time was to get all I could and be in a position to help this country. And I have taken that risk.’
Later in the interview the police inspector referred to a written report and started to read from it, quoting Owens:
‘I will start from where you stated you were appointed chief operator. “I have been appointed chief operator in England with authority to travel to America with a special German Secret Service code and I am to receive here in England a special secret transmitting set which will enable me to be in direct touch with secret German headquarters in the Rhine district.”’
‘Now, who appointed you actually?’
‘The heads from Hamburg. I am going to give you them.’
‘Well, why not give them now so that I can get the story in correct sequence?’
‘I will give you them in time.’
‘Why not now?’
‘I would like to see the end of these questions… My duties will consist of receiving, coding and sending to Germany, information supplied to me and information which I may obtain in connection with general war activities and political information…’
‘How does this code work?’
‘It is very complicated and after we are through here I will do all that.’
‘All right, Inspector,’ said Hinchley-Cooke, inviting the police officer to continue reading.
‘… and I am also to have sole charge of all secret addresses of German agents in European countries and to be in charge of a bureau in England for the purpose of distributing information.’
‘Where is that bureau supposed to be?’
‘Well, wherever I wish. I could rent a room anywhere.’
‘You haven’t settled on that, have you?’
‘No, as soon as I got all that I came right to you.’
The quality of information that Owens was promising far exceeded anything that he had offered hitherto, and must have been entirely new to the Security Service, despite the mail intercepts and surveillance. Of course, Owens’ motives were far from clear and the reason for his visit to Scotland House at this time was hard to discern, although the deteriorating political situation in Europe made any clues to Nazi intentions a priority. Up until this point it would seem that all Owens really wanted was MI5’s approval for his visits to Germany, holding out the prospect that this would yield more information which presumably he would continue to disclose. Although he had not mentioned the issue of money, a further motive would soon be revealed when Owens asked Hinchley-Cooke why his son had been questioned.
‘Never heard of your boy. I don’t know the first thing you are talking about,’ replied the MI5 officer.
‘You have a boy? A son?’ asked the police officer.
‘Yes. You sent him to a
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