The Hornet's Sting (56 page)

Note 1: Page 136, Line 1 to Page 137, Line 30: “Seymour . . . Mullion.” The inside story on Seymour was kindly given to the author by his widow Hazel between 1998 and 1999.

Note 2: Page 139, Line 29: ‘Kill him.’ In many interviews between 1998 and 2006, Sneum repeatedly insisted to the author that Rabagliati had given him authority to kill Christophersen under extreme circumstances in order to protect security. Tommy described the dialogue with his spymaster precisely as set out here.

Note 1: Page 145, Line 8-31: “Are you in pain . . . with a smile.” Dialogue as told to the author by Tommy Sneum, 1998-2006.

Note 1: Page 153, Lines 12-13: “He might . . . twice his age.” Source: Frihedsmuseet (Museum of Danish Resistance), Copenhagen.

Note 2: Page 155, Lines 18-28: ‘Do you think . . . technical effort.’ This dialogue is based on Heisenberg’s account as detailed in “The Making of the Atom Bomb” by Richard Rhodes.

Note 3: Page 156, Line 3: “ . . . very close.” Just how close Bohr and Heisenberg had been is nicely described in “The Making of the Atom Bomb” by Richard Rhodes.

Note 4: Page 159, Lines 4-10: ‘It would have been rude . . . when you can get them.’ Sneum consistently claimed to have had this affair with the much older Emmy Valentin in interviews with the author between 1998 and 2006.

Note 1: Page 160, Line 19 to Page 161, Line 9. ‘I had to keep . . . I have my family.’ Sneum’s account provided during interviews with the author in the period 1998-2006.

Note 2: Page 162, Lines 4-7: ‘We get running . . . organisation over there.’ Sneum’s claim was made to the author between 1998 and 2006, a consistent feature during various interviews with Mark Ryan during that period.

Note 3: Page 162, Line 35: “ . . . complained to Turnbull ...” According to Sneum, Captain Gyth of the Princes’ group confessed as much to Tommy later in the war.

Note 4: Page 163, Lines 12-20: “ . . . argued their case passionately . . . ” Turnbull explained this carefully to the author on more than one occasion during their interviews between 1999 and 2003.

Note 5: Page 164, Line 25-26: “ . . . The report said” The author still has a copy of this very thorough report, compiled painstakingly by Copenhagen Police Chief Odmar.

Note 6: Page 166, Lines 7-13: ‘For Christ’s sake . . . finish the message.’ This dialogue is reproduced here as told to the author by Sneum during interviews between 1998 and 2006. Sneum’s account is supported by that of Lorens Arne Duus Hansen (see later), who also alluded to Sigfred’s nervous problems and unreliability with regard to security.

Note 7: Page 166, Line 24: “ . . . alternating current at 7.5 watts…” “British Intelligence in the Second World War” by F.H. Hinsley describes the limitations of British radios in Nazi- occupied Europe during the first half of the war, as does the Danish radio expert Duus Hansen in his own account of his wartime experiences. It is widely accepted that Tommy Sneum’s complaints about the British field radios were entirely justified.

Note 8: Page 166, Line 35: ‘Not if you want to live.’ Sneum openly admitted to the author on numerous occasions that he threatened to kill Christophersen. He revealed that he made such threats to his spy-partner’s face. Sneum also admitted to plotting with trusted colleagues such as Kaj Oxlund and Niels-Richard Bertelsen to kill Christophersen. He told the author about such conversations on more than one occasion between 1998 and 2006.

Note 1: Page 171, Line 25 to Page 172, Line 3: ‘We are looking for your husband . . . exactly what had happened.’ The dialogue is set out here as described in some detail on Danish police reports in the author’s possession.

Note 1: Page 173, Lines 19-20: “Since you hate . . . our scientists to thank.” This quote and the surrounding dialogue is reproduced here as told to the author by Sneum on many separate occasions between 1998 and 2006.

Note 2: Page 176, Line 2: “ . . . communications problems . . . ” Sneum admitted to the author that it was Thorbjoern who first mentioned Duus Hansen.

Note 3: Page 176, Lines 21-22: “ . . . returned to Kaj Oxlund’s apartment alone . . . ” Christophersen’s actions are documented in a subsequent Copenhagen police report of March 1942.

Note 4: Page 176, Lines 36-37: “ . . . took a bundle of cash from the funds Sneum had collected ...” This accusation was not contained in the police report but made with great consistency over the years by Sneum.

Note 1: Page 178, Lines 13-14: “ . . . angry young Danes began to March . . . ” Details of this incident are documented in the SOE Files at the National Archives, Kew, London. The subsequent riot was even reported in some Danish newspapers.

Note 2: Page 181, Line 16: “Later Duus Hansen revealed . . . ” Lorens Arne Duus Hansen handed a report to the National Archives (Rigsarkivet) in Copenhagen after the war. Mr Axel Lindvald of the National Archives organised the collection in 1947 and 1948 of such accounts from all the main leaders. The process behind putting together this collection of documents is described in more detail in the “Foreword” to Jorgen Haestrup’s book “Kontakt med England” (Contact with England).

Note 3: Page 183, Lines 8-15: “From his explanation . . . were safe” Source: Duus Hansen’s official account

Note 4: Page 184, Lines 17-22: ‘I recrted Duus Hansen . . . the rest of the war’ Sneum to author, 1998-2006.

Note 5: Page 184, Line 26: “ . . . of the partnership with Sneum.” This suggestion (see Lines 27-33) was made in Haestrup’s book “The Secret Alliance.”

Note 1: Page 186, Lines 1-16: “Else Sneum . . . control over her own destiny.” Else’s thoughts and actions as indicated in subsequent Danish police reports and further interpreted by Tommy Sneum later.

Note 2: Page 187, Lines 13-16: “Hildur Christophersen . . . ever saw Sigfred alive.” The author interviewed Hildur Christophersen in Denmark in 1999.

Note 3: Page 188, Line 10: “conversation . . . ” Dialogue as told to the author by Sneum on several different occasions 1998-2006.

Note 4: Page 190, Line 3: “ . . . Lunding erupted:” Again, this dialogue and the sheer ferocity of the argument was vividly recalled by Sneum—in the finest detail—on several occasions during interviews with the author 1998-2006.

Note 5: Page 191, Lines 28-30: “Later he would gush: ‘Bruhn . . . ” Source: SOE Files, National Archives, Kew, London.

Note 1: Page 194, Line 26 to Page 195, Line 11: “Others blamed a faulty clip mechanism . ..” The details of the investigation into Bruhn’s death and the subsequent German state of alert in Denmark are to be found in the SOE Files, National Archives, Kew, London.

Note 2: Pages 196, Line 34 to Page 197, Line 8: “Tommy explained . . . ” Sneum to author, 1998-2006.

Note 3: Page 198, Line 4: “I fear . . . ” Turnbull’s communication can be found in the SOE Files, National Archives, Kew, London. Turnbull later confirmed to the author (in 1999) that he had sent this message.

Note 1: Page 199, Lines 8-9: “Sneum recalled later:” Sneum’s interviews with Mark Ryan, 1998-2006.

Note 2: Page 204, Line 31: “A police doctor confirmed . . . ” Police reports seen by Sneum’s brother-in-law, Niels-Richard Bertelsen, confirmed that the Copenhagen police had fallen for Tommy’s trick.

Note 3: Page 206, Line 12: “She enrolled . . . ” Danish police reports from 1942 included details of Else Sneum’s career moves.

Note 4: Page 206, Line 26: “ . . . creditors had started knocking . . . ” Again, Danish police reports from March 1942—copies in the author’s possession—included details of the Oxlunds’ marital breakdown and reasons for it.

Note 5: Page 207, Line 18: “Chiewitz continued:” Dialogue as told in detail to the author by Sneum on several separate occasions between 1998 and 2006.

Note 6: Page 209, Line 6: “Duus Hansen later recalled . . . ” Duus Hansen’s post-war report to the Rigsarkivet (National Archives) in Copenhagen.

Note 1: Page 213, 4- Page 214, Line 18: “There’s a message . . . Christophersen we’re talking about.” Dialogues faithfully reconstructed by Sneum in several interviews with the author, 1998-2006.

Note 2: Page 214, Lines 8-9: “Hollingworth . . . later recalled proudly:” Source: SOE Files, National Archives, Kew, London.

Note 3: Page 215, Line 24: “ . . . he could clearly see ...” Source: A detailed report in the SOE Files, National Archives, Kew, London.

Note 4: Page 216, Line 6: “Duus Hansen claimed later . . . ” Source: Duus Hansen’s post- war report to the Rigsarkivet in Copenhagen.

Note 5: Page 217, Lines 6-7: “ . . . Kaj, I want you to go with them . . . ” Dialogue as told to the author by Sneum.

Note 6: Page 217, Line 32: “Duus Hansen’s recollection . . . ” Source: Duus Hansen’s post- war report to the Rigsarkivet, or Danish National Archives.

Note 1: Page 218, Lines 1- 3: “Kaj Oxlund called . . . just outside Copenhagen.” This dialogue has been reconstructed using a detailed Danish police report of March 1942, including a section when Gerda Tapdrup Nielsen, Kaj’s sister, was questioned closely about this conversation.

Note 2: Page 219, Line 28: “The caretaker, Hans Soetje, saw Oxlund and ‘The Russian’ leave ... ” A Copenhagen police interview with Soetje provided all these details and the author has copies of the relevant documents.

Note 3: Page 220, Line 31: “ . . . enough to chill the soul.” In 1999 the author followed in the footsteps of these men as far as the step-off point on their bleak journey.

Note 4: Page 221, Line 26: “ . . . decision taken to press on for Sweden.” This is confirmed in Swedish police reports from March 1942.

Note 5: Page 222, Lines 21-22: “Sigfred saw a small fishing boat . . . ” Christophersen gave his account to Swedish police soon after the tragedy and the author has a copy of the report.

Note 6: Page 224, Line 15: ‘I’ve seen the photographs . . . ” Von Bahr’s photographs (one of which is shown in this book) have featured in several Danish Resistance exhibitions since the war and have been published elsewhere, without the true story of how Oxlund came to be on the ice ever having come to light. Kaj’s last moments, as described here, are taken from the dreadful scenes those photographs show us.

Note 1: Page 228, Line 6: “ . . . inscribed K. OXLUND.˝ We know this from Danish and Swedish police reports.

Note 2: Page 229, Line 15: “ . . . was too much for Gerda.” Again, we know about her reaction from detailed Danish police reports. The author has copies of these reports.

Note 3: Page 230, Lines 1-2: “Odmar now ordered . . . Noerreheden . . . ” Danish police reports tell us the identity of the detective chosen to liaise with the Germans.

Note 4: Page 230 , Line 16: “ . . . ice-cutter from Copenhagen to Malmo.” Lunding’s means of transport is confirmed in the SOE Files, National Archives, Kew, London.

Note 5: Page 230, Line 22: “Later he admitted:” Interviews with the author, Mark Ryan, between 1999 and 2003.

Note 6: Page 231, Lines 5-6: “It continued into the early hours . . . ” Source: SOE Files, National Archives, Kew, London.

Note 7: Page 231, Line 34: “Ralph Hollingworth in London:” Source: SOE Files, National Archives, Kew, London.

Note 1: Page 234, Line 5: “Instead he revealed . . . ” Swedish and Danish police documents describe the interrogation in detail and how much Christophersen gave away.

Note 2: Page 235, Line 25: “ . . . Sneum explained later.” In interviews with the author, 1998-2006.

Note 3: Page 237 Line 36: “ . . . Major Per Winkel.” Winkel was the fourth member of the so-called “Princes,” the members of the Danish General Staff who during the war made up the Danish Intelligence leadership.