Bowman - The Bedford Triangle: Undercover Operations from England in the Second World War

UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS FROM ENGLAND
IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR

MARTIN W. BOWMAN

Pen & Sword
AVIATION

First published in 1989 by Patrick Stephens Ltd
First published by Sutton Publishing Limited in 1996
First published by The History Press in 2009

This edition first published in 2015 by
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Copyright Martin W. Bowman 1989, 1996, 2003, 2009, 2015

ISBN 978 1 47384 987 7

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CONTENTS

Many people helped in the preparation of this book, none more so than Connie Richards, a Bedford lady who has been researching the intriguing Miller mystery for many years, and who, along with her husband, Gordon, very kindly allowed me to use their home on several occasions as a base for operations. I am also especially indebted to Carl Bartram and many other researchers, contributors, veterans and fellow authors, some of whom very graciously allowed excerpts of their work to be used in this book. Mike Bailey was his customary altruistic self, permitting me to borrow publications and research material to fill in the gaps I could not, alone, fill. I would also especially like to thank the late Dennis Cottam, a life-long researcher into the Miller legend, for allowing me to quote parts from his extensive library of tapes and interviews. This book would be the poorer without them.

Obtaining photos of the top secret Carpetbagger group did not pose a problem because of the generosity of its members, in particular Sebastian Corriere, who started the ball rolling by providing me with a wealth of material, written and photographic. I am also most grateful to Rudy Rudolph, Wilmer Stapel, Colonel Robert J. Fish (USAF Retd) for their immense contribution of photos and to the late Douglas Walker, who despite the incessant organizational demands of the Carpetbagger reunion, always found time to unearth more material and answer my individual questions.

I am no less grateful to:

John Bailey; Joseph Bodenhamer; Warren Borges; Thompson H. Boyd; William J. Carey (USAF Retd); Art Carnot; Elmer Bill Clarey; Forrest S. Clark; Ron Clarke; Lester Cowling; the late Arthur Davies; Bill Dillon; Colonel Peter D. Dustman (USAF Retd); Professor Marcial and Mrs M. Louisa de Echenique; Roy Ellis-Brown; Don Fairbanks; Brigadier-General Richard E. Fisher (USAF Retd); Royal D. Frey; Peter Frost; Michael L. Gibson; Ken Godfrey; Gene Goodbread; Chris Gotts; Paul E. Gourd; John W. Guthrie; Cliff and Wendy Hall; Lady Hastings; Mrs Edmund Walton Hill; Harry Holmes; Julius M. Klinkbeil; George T. Johnson; Dave Mayor; Roxanne M. Merritt, Curator, JFK Special Warfare Museum; Frank McDonald; the late William Miskho; Wiley Noble; Erwin Norwood, Lieutenant-Colonel (USAF Retd); John Page; Andr Pequet; the late Louis Pennow; Nick Pratt; John Reitmeier; Ivon Ressler; Denny Scanlon; Rodman St. Clair; Joseph Staelens; the late Victor Stilwell; Art Talbot; Bernard Tebbutt, Carpetbagger Museum, Harrington; Dale Titler; the late Edgar Townsend; Graham Truscott; Edward J. Twohig; Captain Barney Welch (USAF) and Maurice Whittle.

All of the above, whether they be former Carpetbaggers or English contributors, came forward with rare and exciting photographic material previously tucked away in the recesses of their albums and attic chests. I am most grateful to them all and to the other contributors for their hand of friendship.

In 1989, when this book was first published, many files, particularly those concerned with the OSS, political warfare operations, and SOE agent-dropping missions, remained closed. Many files in Britain are still sealed from public view but others, particularly those in the USA concerning Office of Strategic Services (OSS) operations, have been opened thanks to the US Freedom of Information Act. They give the background to some of the Carpetbagger missions which were described in the first edition. I am indebted to Carl Bartram, an OSS researcher in Wellingborough, for kindly making me aware of this new material, and for his help in tracing former members and providing photos, many of which are published here for the first time. Carls diligent research and correspondence with OSS personnel has led to his appointment as their official UK contact, and in 1995 he hosted the very successful fiftieth anniversary OSS reunion in Northamptonshire. One result was that Carpetbagger and OSS personnel were able to compare notes on their joint operations during the clandestine war, 19425. Thanks to Noel Chaffey, the part played by the RAF in Carpetbagger operations from Harrington is revealed publicly for the first time.

During the Second World War at least sixty-one safe houses were used for agent operations, and there were probably more. Many were located in the immediate vicinity of Harrington and Tempsford. Several, like Holmewood Hall, Gaynes Hall, Farm Hall, Sunnyside House and Brock Hall, were used as holding areas for Special Operations Executive (SOE) and OSS agents. The grounds of some of them were used for storage and training, while the real nature of operations at Finedon Hall can now be revealed. Now, all of these country houses have been added to the Triangle. Some were known as Area E, Area H and Area O, and they were used for American covert operations. Others, like Area B, were actually located in the USA, so where were Areas A, C, D, G, and possibly others, based? It begs the question: was Milton Ernest Hall one of these? What really did go on there and was it connected with the OSS, SOE, Political Warfare Executive (PWE) and codebreaking operations in the Bedford Triangle? The answers to these questions might eventually solve the Glenn Miller mystery too.

In 1992 files released gave details of monitoring operations in 1945 at Farm Hall when ten members of Germanys Uranium Club were guests there. I am most grateful to Professor Marcial and his wife, Mme Louisa de Echenique, for their hospitality and valuable assistance with source material concerning this period in the long history of Farm Hall. Several books published since contain transcripts of the secretly taped Farm Hall recordings, and their nuclear secrets make intriguing reading.