[CW] Agent Radio Operation

[Jude DaShiell]

I suspect the Dutch Agents got caught and killed as a result of high level
treason within the S.O.E. and it's what Leo Marx suspected too since most
Dutch Agents in Holland were imprisoned for the duration of the War.  Had
the fire at S.O.E. headquarters not happened at War's end, records might
have exposed that treason.


On Sun, 1 Aug 2021, W4BIN wrote:

> On 8/1/21 5:16 PM, Jude DaShiell wrote:
>
> > What has me puzzled about agent radio equipment is why agents weren't
> > given separate transmitters and receivers. Had that been done maybe more
> > agents would have survived longer. The procedure would be receive in one
> > location and key message on a wire recorder. Then put the spool with the
> > message in the transmitter and be far away from the transmitter whenever
> > the transmitter sends. A timer in the transmitter and maybe some
> > explosive with a keypad in the transmitter where the keypad has a number
> > combination that has to be keyed in to prevent the transmitter from
> > blowing up could maybe have helped. If the enemy comes on the transmitter
> > and the keypad is concealed inside the unit where only if you know where
> > to look counter-intelligence could have been given several ruined days. I
> > don't know that keypads of that type were feasible then either. Termite
> > certainly could have been used as a self-destruct mechanism if quieter
> > results were desired.
>
> I knew such an OSS agent. I attended his presentation at one of our clubs
> here.
>   (I think he was of German extraction.)
>   He was born in Idaho, took four years of German in high school, was
> in the US Army air-core (stationed at McDill AF base) when approached by the
> OSS.  He agreed and was sent to an OSS school where he was taught much German
> and the many German ways.
>
>   He parachuted into central Germany 13 times.  He dropped with his suitcase
> (with a false bottom hiding his transmitter, receiver, batteries & crystals)
> hanging from his belt by a rope. He always jumped alone.  He monitored
> rotating frequencies for messages to him, on specific days and times.  (using
> the same set of quartz crystals)
>   He supervised 13 other such agents.  Two (twins) Dutch agents were caught
> and killed, but all of the rest survived the war.  He was in for a month or so
> and out for six months or so.
>   After he located a war manufacturing facility (or other target like a
> secluded air strip) he would travel a distance then secure lodging on the top,
> (second or third) floor of a tavern.  (a boarding house)
>   He dropped half of the antenna out of the window, the other half he ran
> around the baseboard.  (two spools of thin stranded wire)
>   He prefilled out his message on a pad of paper from a substitution code page
> book, late at night he transmitted his message with the serial number of the
> PAGE at the beginning and the end of the coded message. (four digits)  Once
> sent the page/s were burned.
> (that substitution page only existed with one OSS field agent, and all receive
> sites)
>   His transmitter had a 6G6 final with ~200 Volts. (and a 6AG7 oscillator)
>   He had half a dozen quartz crystals and he changed frequencies about
> three times in each message transmission.
>   I asked him about receive sites and he said: Every American base on earth
> (in almost every country) had operators that were listening for him (during
> his operating period) on all of his crystal frequencies.  He had a constantly
> changing time window for HIS transmission.  (that he could calculate)
>   Various operators at various bases got parts of his transmission which had
> to be pieced together. (after a while an air strike resulted, by then he was
> long gone)
>   His messages were like; ?230 meters SSW of (German City) looking like a
> railway tunnel.?  (or a row of houses on a hill, or in clump of trees)
>   He constantly wandered the country all day long carrying his clandestine
> equipment, and clothes, he was stopped and searched frequently, his stories
> worked.  If his gear were much heavier he would have been worn out, he was
> never separated from it, except for leaving it in his room when he went down
> for meals.
>   He left the country escorting various civilians and downed US & British etc.
> troops) each time.  Always north to Switzerland as I recall.
>   When the war was over (in Europe) he was reassigned to McDill AF base and
> his most beautiful girl friend, becoming his wife. (from: Ruskin, Florida)
>
> He is /SK and in the:  Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame and a county park was
> named after him.  My idol.
>