Ethel Gee
Encyclopedia
Ethel Elizabeth Gee nicknamed "Bunty", was an Englishwoman who helped her lover spy on their country for the Soviet Union
. She was a minor member of the Portland Spy Ring
.
, Ethel Gee lived in Portland
, England
. She left school at 15 to go to work. In October 1950 she became a filing clerk at the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment at Portland. She thus handled top secret documents on Britain's underwater warfare
work and HMS Dreadnought
, the Royal Navy
's first nuclear submarine
. A spinster
, Gee had little social life, since her spare time was spent looking after aging relatives, including her mother, aunt and uncle.
, a former sailor who had become a civil service clerk. Houghton was an alcoholic and his marriage was about to collapse. She began an affair with Houghton, and would pose as his wife when they booked into hotels.
Houghton had been supplying military secrets to spies from Poland
and the USSR for some time. Through Gee, he gained access to more classified material. In July 1960, Houghton introduced Gee to a man whom she claimed she only knew as "Alex Johnson", allegedly a commander in the United States Navy
. "Johnson" wanted to know how the British handled confidential information provided them by the Americans.
Houghton and Gee were already under surveillance
by the British Security Service MI5
. A Soviet mole
had warned Western intelligence that information was being leaked from Portland. Houghton's extravagance, which went far beyond his salary, made him an obvious suspect.
MI5 identified "Johnson" as Gordon Lonsdale, a Canadian businessman. (It would only be much later, upon his return to Russia
, that he would be named as Konon Trofimovich Molody, a Soviet KGB
agent.) Gee provided classified material to Houghton, who would photograph it and pass it to Lonsdale in London
. On 6 January 1961, Gee left the naval base with pamphlets that contained details of an ASDIC (sonar)
device used to detect submarines.
The following day Houghton and Gee were arrested in London by Special Branch
detectives. Also arrested were Lonsdale and Peter and Helen Kroger (alias Morris
and Lona Cohen
) — all professional spies working for the Soviets. They were the core members of the Portland Spy Ring
.
Houghton and Gee were both sentenced to 15 years in prison on 22 March 1961. The professional spies were given longer sentences but were exchanged early on for captured British agents and citizens. Gee and Houghton served nine years and were released on 12 May 1970. They married in 1971. Ethel Houghton died in obscurity at Poole
, Dorset
in 1984.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. She was a minor member of the Portland Spy Ring
Portland Spy Ring
The Portland Spy Ring was a Soviet spy ring that operated in England from the late 1950s till 1961 when the core of the network was arrested by the British security services. It is one of the most famous examples of the use of illegal residents — spies who operate in a foreign country but...
.
Early life
The daughter of a blacksmithBlacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, Ethel Gee lived in Portland
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: .-History:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She left school at 15 to go to work. In October 1950 she became a filing clerk at the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment at Portland. She thus handled top secret documents on Britain's underwater warfare
Underwater warfare
Underwater warfare refers to combat conducted underwater such as:*Actions by submarines actions, and anti-submarine warfare, i.e. warfare between submarines, other submarines and surface ships; combat airplanes and helicopters may also be engaged when launching special dive-bombs and...
work and HMS Dreadnought
HMS Dreadnought (S101)
The seventh HMS Dreadnought was the United Kingdom's first nuclear-powered submarine, built by Vickers Armstrongs at Barrow-in-Furness. Launched by Queen Elizabeth II on Trafalgar Day 1960 and commissioned into service with the Royal Navy in April 1963, she continued in service until 1980...
, 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...
's first nuclear submarine
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
. A spinster
Spinster
A spinster, or old maid, is an older, childless woman who has never been married.For a woman to be identified as a spinster, age is critical...
, Gee had little social life, since her spare time was spent looking after aging relatives, including her mother, aunt and uncle.
Life as a spy
In 1958, Gee met Harry HoughtonHarry Houghton
Harry Houghton was a spy for the People's Republic of Poland and the USSR during the Cold War. He was a member of the Portland Spy Ring.-Early life:...
, a former sailor who had become a civil service clerk. Houghton was an alcoholic and his marriage was about to collapse. She began an affair with Houghton, and would pose as his wife when they booked into hotels.
Houghton had been supplying military secrets to spies from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and the USSR for some time. Through Gee, he gained access to more classified material. In July 1960, Houghton introduced Gee to a man whom she claimed she only knew as "Alex Johnson", allegedly a commander in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. "Johnson" wanted to know how the British handled confidential information provided them by the Americans.
Houghton and Gee were already under surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
by the British Security Service 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...
. A Soviet mole
Mole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
had warned Western intelligence that information was being leaked from Portland. Houghton's extravagance, which went far beyond his salary, made him an obvious suspect.
MI5 identified "Johnson" as Gordon Lonsdale, a Canadian businessman. (It would only be much later, upon his return to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, that he would be named as Konon Trofimovich Molody, a Soviet KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
agent.) Gee provided classified material to Houghton, who would photograph it and pass it to Lonsdale in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. On 6 January 1961, Gee left the naval base with pamphlets that contained details of an ASDIC (sonar)
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
device used to detect submarines.
The following day Houghton and Gee were arrested in London by 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...
detectives. Also arrested were Lonsdale and Peter and Helen Kroger (alias Morris
Morris Cohen (Soviet spy)
Morris Cohen also known in London as Peter Kroger was an American convicted of espionage for the Soviet Union. His wife Lona was also an agent.-Birth and education:...
and Lona Cohen
Lona Cohen
Leontine Theresa "Lona" Cohen , also known while she was in London as Helen Kroger, was an American spy for the Soviet Union. She was the wife of another spy, Morris Cohen.-Espionage:...
) — all professional spies working for the Soviets. They were the core members of the Portland Spy Ring
Portland Spy Ring
The Portland Spy Ring was a Soviet spy ring that operated in England from the late 1950s till 1961 when the core of the network was arrested by the British security services. It is one of the most famous examples of the use of illegal residents — spies who operate in a foreign country but...
.
Trial
Gee at first protested her innocence, maintaining her claim that she believed that Lonsdale was an American. In the course of the trial, however, she finally admitted: "In the light of what transpires now, I have done something terribly wrong, but at that time I did not think I had done anything criminal."Houghton and Gee were both sentenced to 15 years in prison on 22 March 1961. The professional spies were given longer sentences but were exchanged early on for captured British agents and citizens. Gee and Houghton served nine years and were released on 12 May 1970. They married in 1971. Ethel Houghton died in obscurity at Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
in 1984.