
Double Agent Balloon
Dickie Metcalfe's Espionage Career for MI5 and the Nazis
- 240 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
Dickie Metcalfe was not your typical secret agent, but he was larger than life in more ways than one. Unlike many other agents who were part of the Double Cross System during the Second World War, he did not defect; nor was he blackmailed into becoming a spy. Instead, using his father's connection with Sir Vernon Kell, the first Director of MI5, Metcalfe volunteered his services. Recently cashiered from his infantry regiment, he had an ulterior motive â by supplying MI5 with tidbits of information about weapons and arms deals in his newfound profession as an arms dealer, he hoped they would be able to help him get his commission reinstated. Metcalfe became BALLOON, a sub-agent of double agent TRICYCLE's Yugoslav spy ring. Concurrent with his spying activities, he collaborated with the co-inventor of the Bren gun to develop a new submachine gun for British forces. After the war, he was also a celebrated motor racing driver and continued to compete until shortly before his death. His success as a double-cross agent in the eyes of both his masters â British and German â is examined in this book, using official documents as a primary source.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Authorâs Note
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Dramatis Personae
- Foreword, by Nigel West
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 Arms and the Man
- Chapter 2 âThe manâs keen!â
- Chapter 3 Going Dutch
- Chapter 4 BALLOONâs Report on Holland
- Chapter 5 The Air Ministry Leaks
- Chapter 6 âA man of intelligence and resourceâ
- Chapter 7 A Network Evolves
- Chapter 8 Plan MIDAS
- Chapter 9 BALLOONâs Reports
- Chapter 10 Plan STENCH
- Chapter 11 The âmythical Christmas cardâ
- Chapter 12 âGardiner is all rightâ
- Chapter 13 The Scandinavian Connection
- Chapter 14 âA sub-machine gun of outstanding designâ
- Chapter 15 A thorn in BALLOONâs side
- Chapter 16 The Grand, Cliveley and Postnikow Affair
- Chapter 17 âIt is clear that B is in debtâ
- Chapter 18 Correspondence
- Chapter 19 The BALLOON Traffic (Part 1)
- Chapter 20 The TRIBAGE Organisation
- Chapter 21 The BALLOON Traffic (Part 2)
- Chapter 22 âPlan Aâ
- Chapter 23 âI regard this as very naughty of BALLOONâ
- Chapter 24 Cover Addresses
- Chapter 25 Going nowhere
- Chapter 26 âHe continues to provide such information âŚâ
- Chapter 27 âA man of intelligence and resourceâ
- Epilogue
- Afterword
- Bibliography
- Notes
- Plates Section