Not every treasonous spy is a double agent — that is, a spy employed by both sides.
Britain’s Kim Philby was a double agent. America’s Benedict Arnold was not, because he spied for only one side.
What the ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu called a converted spy is always a double agent. In espionage, to get “converted” (or in today’s terminology, “turned”) means the spy has switched sides.
Multiple examples of this occurred during World War II, when the British ran an operation of double-agents through an organization called the 20 Committee.
Yes, you read that right. Who needs trust in a spy?
The British gave him the code-name BRUTUS.
Written in Latin, 20 is spelled XX — the Double-Cross. Cute, huh?
The story goes that Nazi Germany parachuted a bunch of spies into Great Britain. All went well until a number of them got caught. Everybody. How? The British government had alerted its police to “be on the lookout” for single young men in civilian clothes, wearing outfits which “might have a queer cut” (“queer” meaning strange) as well as carrying a radio transmitter and, all too often, foreign chocolate.
The spies simply didn’t look British enough. (Maybe they needed umbrellas?)
Once captured, the spies faced quite a conundrum. After all, getting caught is not the best credential for a spy. But it does open up an interesting career choice when the spy has so much loyalty that he can’t confine it to one side.
“Hello, Chap! Now that you’re in jolly ole England, how about doing something good for the Good Guys? There are a few chaps outside very keen to know. Right now they’re just waiting around, all carrying loaded rifles.”
“Gosh. I wouldn’t want to disappoint them.”
“Then just say no. They’re terribly bored.”
And for the most part that firing squad stayed bored. Mission accomplished, right?
Not when a bureaucracy is involved.
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Nathalie Sergueiew, code-named (isn’t she pretty?) TREASURE.
I’m not making this up.
Once the spy switched sides, his new employer issued him a new identity card, plus food ration books, clothing coupons, a place to live, a “job” for his cover, a radio operator to transmit his messages (and likewise to monitor his messages), guards to watch him, guards to watch over him — day shift, night shift — a housekeeper, a cook, oftentimes a car and sometimes even a chauffeur, and, most importantly, a supervisor known as a case officer. What if there were any German spies in England who hadn’t been captured yet? — their sole purpose in England to make sure their earlier-sent colleagues were actually working? (Yes, spying on the spies.) The British really did worry about this possibility, and so they sent their double-agents out across England on supposed “spy” missions — hanging around ports, airfields, military installations. If any local authorities arrested the guy, his secret British supervisor bailed him out. And wondered why the Germans had hired this guy.
The Double-Cross agents then radioed false information back to Germany, impressing the Germans. So impressed, they awarded the spies German medals. This fact so impressed the British, the British awarded those same spies British medals. Double your spying, double your medals. Talk about a morale booster!
Pampered, protected, pretending to spy for the Bad Guys while really spying for the Good Guys. Lots of medals. For a spy, life doesn’t get any better.
Respectfully (because all my readers deserve respect),
Reginald Dipwipple
Secret Agent Extraordinaire
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Juan Pujol Garcia, code-named GARBO. But which one? Both.
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Juan Pujol Garcia (GARBO) in retirement.
Presumably he preferred his British medal.