Arthur Owens
Encyclopedia
Arthur Graham Owens, later known as Arthur Graham White (14 April 1899 – 24 December 1957) was a Welsh
electrical engineer who acted as a mole during World War II
. He was working for MI5
while appearing to the Abwehr
(the German
intelligence agency) to be one of their agents. Owens was known to MI5 by the codename SNOW. He was allocated this codename as it is a partial anagram of 'Owens'.
for ships. As such he was a civilian contractor for the Royal Navy
and also had regular contact with the Kriegsmarine
in Kiel
, and his first contact with espionage occurred in 1936 when he had been briefly employed by the Secret Intelligence Service
to give information on what he had seen in the German shipyards. In 1938, Nikolaus Ritter, operating as an Abwehr agent in Britain under the name 'Dr Rantzau', made contact with him. As a supporter of Welsh nationalism
, Owens was a relatively easy target for turning into an enemy agent as he had little loyalty to the United Kingdom
. His work also provided a cover for any foreign trips he might have to make, and he visited Germany that year where he met the Abwehr and was recruited. While Owens appreciated the payments for his espionage, his real interest was sexual as the Abwehr provided attractive women for him. His codename in the Abwehr was 'Johnny'.
early in 1939 and Owens turned this over. On August 11, 1939, Owens visited his Abwehr controller in Hamburg
; during this visit, his wife and son went to the police to tell them he was a German agent. Despite this information the police failed to pick him up on his return on August 23.
On September 4, Owens made contact with the Special Branch
to volunteer his services. However, he was instead interned in Wandsworth Prison
under Defence Regulation 18B
as someone with hostile associations. MI5 decided that Owens, to whom they gave the codename 'SNOW', could act as a mole. On September 12, MI5 returned the transmitter to Owens in Wandsworth where it was used by a warder to contact the Germans. Owens received a reply inviting him to go to the Low Countries
, then neutral, and he was let out of jail to attend.
and also to test his credibility. At a meeting with the Abwehr in Brussels
, Owens was given some cash and some detonators for use in sabotage
. He had taken along another double agent, also a Welsh nationalist, who was instructed to start a postage stamp
business so that the Germans could communicate through microdot
s on stamps.
From the spring of 1940 the Abwehr sent most of its British-based agents and contacts to see Owens. MI5 tried to make sure that Owens only passed on to the Germans the information that they had given him. One of the most important was supplying false names and ration book numbers for the Abwehr's agents who were parachuted into Britain. MI5 continued to be suspicious of Owens who was known to exaggerate his importance and sent a second double agent, Sam McCarthy (codenamed BISCUIT) to see him. McCarthy reported back that Owens admitted he was also double-crossing MI5, which led MI5 to believe that Owens was primarily interested in making money from both sides and that probably neither trusted him entirely.
to meet their Abwehr controllers. Unexpectedly Dicketts was then taken to Hamburg
for three weeks of interrogation, having aroused the Germans' suspicion, but survived it. The fact that this had not happened to Owens, and that Owens had not warned Dicketts that it might happen, made MI5 suspect him further, and they assumed from then on that SNOW was helping the Germans actively.
Prison until the end of the war. In Dartmoor Owens stayed in the hospital wing, which was termed as Camp 001 for internees. On his release, Owens emigrated to Canada
where he was known as Mr Brown; there he went to the British High Commission in Ottawa
to demand compensation for what he regarded as his wrongful arrest in 1941. When he threatened to publish his memoirs, a secret fund was set up to buy him off. Owens later moved to Ireland
and settled in Harristown, County Dublin
where he died in 1976.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
electrical engineer who acted as a mole during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was working for MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
while appearing to the Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
(the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
intelligence agency) to be one of their agents. Owens was known to MI5 by the codename SNOW. He was allocated this codename as it is a partial anagram of 'Owens'.
Recruitment by the Germans
Owens ran a company that made batteriesBattery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
for ships. As such he was a civilian contractor for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and also had regular contact with the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
in Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, and his first contact with espionage occurred in 1936 when he had been briefly employed by the Secret Intelligence Service
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
to give information on what he had seen in the German shipyards. In 1938, Nikolaus Ritter, operating as an Abwehr agent in Britain under the name 'Dr Rantzau', made contact with him. As a supporter of Welsh nationalism
Welsh nationalism
Welsh nationalism emphasises the distinctiveness of Welsh language, culture, and history, and calls for more self-determination for Wales, which may include more Devolved powers for the Welsh Assembly or full independence from the United Kingdom.-Conquest:...
, Owens was a relatively easy target for turning into an enemy agent as he had little loyalty to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. His work also provided a cover for any foreign trips he might have to make, and he visited Germany that year where he met the Abwehr and was recruited. While Owens appreciated the payments for his espionage, his real interest was sexual as the Abwehr provided attractive women for him. His codename in the Abwehr was 'Johnny'.
Mole
However, on his return to Britain Owens had second thoughts about working for Germany and told the British authorities in September 1938 of his contact and that he was to receive a radio transceiver. The radio arrived via the left luggage office of Victoria StationVictoria station (London)
Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It is named after nearby Victoria Street and not Queen Victoria. It is the second busiest railway terminus in London after Waterloo, and includes an air terminal for passengers...
early in 1939 and Owens turned this over. On August 11, 1939, Owens visited his Abwehr controller in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
; during this visit, his wife and son went to the police to tell them he was a German agent. Despite this information the police failed to pick him up on his return on August 23.
On September 4, Owens made contact with the Special Branch
Special Branch
Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security in British and Commonwealth police forces, as well as in the Royal Thai Police...
to volunteer his services. However, he was instead interned in Wandsworth Prison
Wandsworth (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wandsworth is a Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, south west London, England. It is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service and is the largest prison in London and one of the largest in western Europe, with similar capacity to Liverpool...
under Defence Regulation 18B
Defence Regulation 18B
Defence Regulation 18B, often referred to as simply 18B, was the most famous of the Defence Regulations used by the British Government during World War II. The complete technical reference name for this rule was: Regulation 18B of the Defence Regulations 1939. It allowed for the internment of...
as someone with hostile associations. MI5 decided that Owens, to whom they gave the codename 'SNOW', could act as a mole. On September 12, MI5 returned the transmitter to Owens in Wandsworth where it was used by a warder to contact the Germans. Owens received a reply inviting him to go to the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
, then neutral, and he was let out of jail to attend.
Activities
In the early months of the war the Germans asked for regular weather reports from him for the use of the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
and also to test his credibility. At a meeting with the Abwehr in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Owens was given some cash and some detonators for use in sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
. He had taken along another double agent, also a Welsh nationalist, who was instructed to start a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
business so that the Germans could communicate through microdot
Microdot
A microdot is text or an image substantially reduced in size onto a 1mm disc to prevent detection by unintended recipients. Microdots are normally circular around one millimetre in diameter but can be made into different shapes and sizes and made from various materials such as polyester...
s on stamps.
From the spring of 1940 the Abwehr sent most of its British-based agents and contacts to see Owens. MI5 tried to make sure that Owens only passed on to the Germans the information that they had given him. One of the most important was supplying false names and ration book numbers for the Abwehr's agents who were parachuted into Britain. MI5 continued to be suspicious of Owens who was known to exaggerate his importance and sent a second double agent, Sam McCarthy (codenamed BISCUIT) to see him. McCarthy reported back that Owens admitted he was also double-crossing MI5, which led MI5 to believe that Owens was primarily interested in making money from both sides and that probably neither trusted him entirely.
Suspicion
In March 1941, Owens and another double agent, Walter Dicketts (known to MI5 as CELERY), were summoned to LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
to meet their Abwehr controllers. Unexpectedly Dicketts was then taken to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
for three weeks of interrogation, having aroused the Germans' suspicion, but survived it. The fact that this had not happened to Owens, and that Owens had not warned Dicketts that it might happen, made MI5 suspect him further, and they assumed from then on that SNOW was helping the Germans actively.
Later life
MI5 used Owens' radio to inform the Germans that he was seriously ill while interning Owens in DartmoorDartmoor (HM Prison)
HM Prison Dartmoor is a Category C men's prison, located in Princetown, high on Dartmoor in the English county of Devon. Its high granite walls dominate this area of the moor...
Prison until the end of the war. In Dartmoor Owens stayed in the hospital wing, which was termed as Camp 001 for internees. On his release, Owens emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where he was known as Mr Brown; there he went to the British High Commission in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
to demand compensation for what he regarded as his wrongful arrest in 1941. When he threatened to publish his memoirs, a secret fund was set up to buy him off. Owens later moved to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and settled in Harristown, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
where he died in 1976.