In think there's an unspoken agreement among intelligence officers not to kill each other if it can be avoided, a bit like mafia families who want to avoid all out war in the criminal underworld. In both cases this will cause too much death, disruption and generally make it much harder to do their jobs. It's usually better to run surveillance on enemy agents or even try to turn them. In Ukraine in Russia there is an all-out war going on, so the gloves are off.
OSS Lockpick Pocketknife for Secret Intelligence Operatives. I'd rather see an updated version of this in a Bond movie than 007 using some kind of hacking solution to fix a problem.
During WWII neutral Sweden, and especially Stockholm, was a "nest of spies". All the major countries had a t least one espionage headquarter in the capital. For example the address of the American Legation was Strandvägen7A, fascist Italy had a spy HQ at Strandvägen 7B while one of the German intelligence agencies had its HQ at Strandvägen 7C. Location, location, location. 😁
Here's a helpful map showing the addresses of the various spy agencies in Stockholm during WWII. Part of the charm of European cities is the fact that everywhere you want to vist is within walkable distances. 😊
The Norwegians had to walk a little further because The Norwegian Legation was at Strandvägen 59, two whole blocks away. That's where "Tikken Manus" pretty much the WWII Miss Moneypenny worked and SOE agents were made sure to visit every time they were in the city.
Absolutely. Perhaps a Swedish-Norwegian- Danish- Norwegian mini-series about the Stockholm espionage hub during WWII? Maybe focusing on C-Byrån C- Office, the most secretive Swedish espionage organisation during the war. C-byrån had its HQ on Valhalla street. Second in command had the code name "Uncle" and he preferred recruiting female spies. Yes, really.
Valhalla Street is probably better. If only there were good scriptwriters, directors, actors etc who do high-quality TV in Scandinavia. Oh wait .... there are!
I've mentioned the planned AOE assassination on Hitler and the silenced Luger pistol that was intended for the agents. Even though the pistol wasn't intended to kill Hitler himself, I can't think of much better uses for a gun. 😀
I'm listening to the Empire Podcast, a podcast I can highly recommend. The episode I'm on right now is among other things about the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in 1946. Men from the Jewish terrorist organisation Irgun (not my words. The leader of Irgun, later Israeli prime minster Begin, called them terrorists) got into the basement disguised as milkmen. The bombs were disguised as milk canisters. This was a tragic event (91 dead, 46 injured), but I can't help thinking of Necros and the attack on the Blayden safe house in TLD. It's not unlikely the scene was inspired by the King David bombing.
This story isn't really about intelligence and espionage, but it is "espionage adjacent" and also something I can see James Bond havung done. I'm learning more about the Berlin blockade and the air lift (1948-49) from the podcast Cold War Conversations. The Soviets and the western powers had agreed on flight corridors in and out of Berlin, so the Soviets weren't allowed to shoot the western planes down, but they could make lives harder for the pilots. They used powerfull lights to blind the pilots, they played loud polka music at them (torture!) and flew dangerously close to the planes from the West. The pilots were young, confident men who got drunk and flew planes loaded up with gasoline while smoking all the way to Berlin. One of the US pilots is described as a "crackerjack" and "a ladies man" who had a Polish navigator who for obvious reasons hated the Soviets (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Katyn massacre, Warsaw uprising etc) and they loved harassing the Soviets. Once they got drunk and flew over an air base in the Soviet zone of Germany, going extremely low over the runway. They then "bombed" the runway with champagne bottles! The airway was strewn with broken glass. This is the type of people Fleming (and James Bond) would've loved to spend time with.
One of my younger sister's friends grew up in East Germany (DDR). Magdalena's father was a priest and the family were Christians, something that was only tolerated in theory by the communist state. At school she had to sit next to the daughter of the local Stasi (State Security Organisation) leader. As a Christian she would never be allowed to get any kind of higher education or to travel abroad. The fall of the Berlin wall came just in time for Magdalena because it happened just as she got old enough to study. Now she lives in Norway where she got a good job after finishing a first class higher education.
Comments
A female M. I wonder where they got that idea? 😉
I don't get the joke ....
What joke?
Her previous role was Director General Q…not a position now formerly called Q…as you said.
That's splitting hairs, don't you think? Anyway, the main point is that MI6 got its first female boss. 😀
Not really…she wasn’t Q at all but Director General Q - if I was a Director General I think I’d want my full title 😁
Okay.
An Ukranian intelligence officer is shot dead with a silenced pistol in Kiev.
It's surprising that this doesn't happen more often. Intelligence officers, politicians, senior army staff - all potential targets.
In think there's an unspoken agreement among intelligence officers not to kill each other if it can be avoided, a bit like mafia families who want to avoid all out war in the criminal underworld. In both cases this will cause too much death, disruption and generally make it much harder to do their jobs. It's usually better to run surveillance on enemy agents or even try to turn them. In Ukraine in Russia there is an all-out war going on, so the gloves are off.
Sorry, I wasn't clear- I specifically meant in Ukraine and Russia, not in general.
I see. I think it does happen more often, but this officer was hig-ranking and killed in the capital.
It may not happen that often because Russia doesn’t want to force the hand of Europe more…?
I guess that’s why there are so many open windows in the region…👀
The two FSB-agents who killed the Ukrainian agent mentioned above were themselves killed by Ukrainians today.
Report on the above-
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj3r7p117l0o
OSS Lockpick Pocketknife for Secret Intelligence Operatives. I'd rather see an updated version of this in a Bond movie than 007 using some kind of hacking solution to fix a problem.
During WWII neutral Sweden, and especially Stockholm, was a "nest of spies". All the major countries had a t least one espionage headquarter in the capital. For example the address of the American Legation was Strandvägen7A, fascist Italy had a spy HQ at Strandvägen 7B while one of the German intelligence agencies had its HQ at Strandvägen 7C. Location, location, location. 😁
Here's a helpful map showing the addresses of the various spy agencies in Stockholm during WWII. Part of the charm of European cities is the fact that everywhere you want to vist is within walkable distances. 😊
The Norwegians had to walk a little further because The Norwegian Legation was at Strandvägen 59, two whole blocks away. That's where "Tikken Manus" pretty much the WWII Miss Moneypenny worked and SOE agents were made sure to visit every time they were in the city.
There's definitely a story worth writing there.
Absolutely. Perhaps a Swedish-Norwegian- Danish- Norwegian mini-series about the Stockholm espionage hub during WWII? Maybe focusing on C-Byrån C- Office, the most secretive Swedish espionage organisation during the war. C-byrån had its HQ on Valhalla street. Second in command had the code name "Uncle" and he preferred recruiting female spies. Yes, really.
One of them was Jane Horney. Yes, really.
And there’s the title - "Valhalla Street".
Maybe. The female spirs of C-byrån were called "The Secretary Club". That's a good title too.
It would be a good title for a series where a bunch of middle-aged women solve murders.
"Valhalla Street" has a sense of adventure, and just enough mystery to intrigue the reader.
Anyway, I would have no plans to write this one up so if you want to then it's your call.
Valhalla Street is probably better. If only there were good scriptwriters, directors, actors etc who do high-quality TV in Scandinavia. Oh wait .... there are!
There seems to be a TV show titled "The Valhalla Murders" already.
I've mentioned the planned AOE assassination on Hitler and the silenced Luger pistol that was intended for the agents. Even though the pistol wasn't intended to kill Hitler himself, I can't think of much better uses for a gun. 😀
Interrogation of nazi special forces commander Otto Skorzeny by US Army Personnel with Original Sound; August 2, 1945
Skorzeny is a fascinating real life character. I'm sure he has turned up in many fictional contexts.
He would be a great villain for Bond if someone ever writes novels about his WWII service.
I'm listening to the Empire Podcast, a podcast I can highly recommend. The episode I'm on right now is among other things about the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in 1946. Men from the Jewish terrorist organisation Irgun (not my words. The leader of Irgun, later Israeli prime minster Begin, called them terrorists) got into the basement disguised as milkmen. The bombs were disguised as milk canisters. This was a tragic event (91 dead, 46 injured), but I can't help thinking of Necros and the attack on the Blayden safe house in TLD. It's not unlikely the scene was inspired by the King David bombing.
This story isn't really about intelligence and espionage, but it is "espionage adjacent" and also something I can see James Bond havung done. I'm learning more about the Berlin blockade and the air lift (1948-49) from the podcast Cold War Conversations. The Soviets and the western powers had agreed on flight corridors in and out of Berlin, so the Soviets weren't allowed to shoot the western planes down, but they could make lives harder for the pilots. They used powerfull lights to blind the pilots, they played loud polka music at them (torture!) and flew dangerously close to the planes from the West. The pilots were young, confident men who got drunk and flew planes loaded up with gasoline while smoking all the way to Berlin. One of the US pilots is described as a "crackerjack" and "a ladies man" who had a Polish navigator who for obvious reasons hated the Soviets (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Katyn massacre, Warsaw uprising etc) and they loved harassing the Soviets. Once they got drunk and flew over an air base in the Soviet zone of Germany, going extremely low over the runway. They then "bombed" the runway with champagne bottles! The airway was strewn with broken glass. This is the type of people Fleming (and James Bond) would've loved to spend time with.
One of my younger sister's friends grew up in East Germany (DDR). Magdalena's father was a priest and the family were Christians, something that was only tolerated in theory by the communist state. At school she had to sit next to the daughter of the local Stasi (State Security Organisation) leader. As a Christian she would never be allowed to get any kind of higher education or to travel abroad. The fall of the Berlin wall came just in time for Magdalena because it happened just as she got old enough to study. Now she lives in Norway where she got a good job after finishing a first class higher education.