Ronnie Reed
Encyclopedia
Ronald Thomas "Ronnie" Reed (8 October 1916, St. Pancras, London – 22 January 1995, Dulwich, London) was a BBC
radio engineer who became an MI5
officer in 1940, and ran double agents during World War II
.
, close to St Pancras Station. Early on he was interested in radio, and built himself an early form of citizen's band radio. He attended Thanet Street Junior School in St Pancras, and from there gained a scholarship to the Regent Street Polytechnic, where he qualified as an electronic engineer. At around that time he also built himself an early form of TV, called a Baird Televisor. In 1938 he was taken on as a peripatetic engineer for the BBC, and helped on many outside broadcasts.
prison, which is where MI5 had its headquarters at the beginning of the War. He was taken to a cell in which there was a German spy who had just landed. This was Agent Summer, a Swedish citizen whose real name was Gösta Caroli
. His interrogators wanted Ronnie to help supervise this agent's first broadcast back to Germany, in which he would tell them he had landed safely. Ronnie then supervised other double agents, such as Tate, real name Wolf Schmidt, during the rest of the War. He was permanently seconded to MI5, which deals with countering subversion. He was Case Officer for a number of agents, of whom the most important was Zigzag Eddie Chapman
, whom he supervised from December 1942 till August 1944.
Ronnie’s other claim to fame dates from the time when the stratagem of “The Man Who Never Was
” was being prepared in 1943. Commander Ewan Montagu, who thought up the scheme, needed to produce an identity card for the corpse on which fake invasion plans were to be planted. For the card, he needed a photograph, but he could find no-one who resembled the body. Then, at a meeting to discuss double-agents, he found himself seated opposite Ronnie Reed and realised that “he could have been the twin brother of the corpse”. Ronnie’s photo was therefore used for the Identity Card. See, most recently, Operation Mincemeat
by Ben Macintyre, pub 2010, page 137.
- a radical alternative political party, at a time when all the main parties had joined the Coalition Government. They married in June 1946, and had two sons, Nicholas in 1947 and Adrian in 1949. By the early 1950s Ronnie was a senior officer in MI5, and indeed was the officer to whom William Skardon, Scotland Yard's top interrogator, reported, when Skardon was questioning, and extracting a confession from, the atomic spy Klaus Fuchs
. By then, Ronnie was in charge of the section which dealt with Russian spies, and thus was intimately involved in the investigation of those who spied for Russia, in particular, Kim Philby
, Guy Burgess
and Donald Maclean. Ronnie, like all his fellow officers, had been completely hoodwinked by Philby, and as a result he might have been demoted or moved. However, he did spot that Jenifer Hart, wife of Professor HLA Hart (who had worked at Bletchley Park
), might in fact be spying for Russia. His suspicions were proved correct, and he was kept on at MI5.
In 1957 Ronnie was seconded to the Foreign Office when he, and his wife and sons, went to New Zealand
for a three year posting. Officially First Secretary at the British High Commission, he was actually helping a New Zealander, Bill Gilbert, to set up a New Zealand MI5
, rather than such investigations being run from England in the colonial fashion. In 1960 they returned to England and bought a house at 2 Court Lane Gardens, Dulwich
, South London. Ronnie retired in 1976, at the age of 60, and died in 1995.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio engineer who became an 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...
officer in 1940, and ran double agents 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...
.
Background
Reed's father had been Second Head Waiter at the London Trocadero Restaurant before the First World War but was killed by a stray shell shortly after his arrival in France in 1917 when his son was less than a year old. Reed grew up with his mother Theresa at 9 Leigh Street in the Kings Cross area of London, and was a choirboy at St. Pancras ChurchSt Pancras Old Church
St Pancras Old Church is a Church of England parish church in central London. It is believed to be one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in England, and is dedicated to the Roman martyr Saint Pancras, although the building itself is largely Victorian...
, close to St Pancras Station. Early on he was interested in radio, and built himself an early form of citizen's band radio. He attended Thanet Street Junior School in St Pancras, and from there gained a scholarship to the Regent Street Polytechnic, where he qualified as an electronic engineer. At around that time he also built himself an early form of TV, called a Baird Televisor. In 1938 he was taken on as a peripatetic engineer for the BBC, and helped on many outside broadcasts.
The Second World War
In 1940 he was requested by the BBC to go on an assignment. This turned out to be a visit to Wormwood ScrubsWormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs, is an open space located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the Borough, at 80 ha , and one of the largest areas of common land in London...
prison, which is where MI5 had its headquarters at the beginning of the War. He was taken to a cell in which there was a German spy who had just landed. This was Agent Summer, a Swedish citizen whose real name was Gösta Caroli
Gösta Caroli
Gösta Caroli was a double agent working for MI5 during World War II under the codename SUMMER.- Further reading :...
. His interrogators wanted Ronnie to help supervise this agent's first broadcast back to Germany, in which he would tell them he had landed safely. Ronnie then supervised other double agents, such as Tate, real name Wolf Schmidt, during the rest of the War. He was permanently seconded to MI5, which deals with countering subversion. He was Case Officer for a number of agents, of whom the most important was Zigzag Eddie Chapman
Eddie Chapman
Edward Arnold "Eddie" Chapman was an English pre-war criminal and wartime spy. During the Second World War he offered his services to Nazi Germany as a spy and a traitor whilst intending all along to become a British double agent. His British Secret Service handlers code named him 'ZIGZAG' in...
, whom he supervised from December 1942 till August 1944.
Ronnie’s other claim to fame dates from the time when the stratagem of “The Man Who Never Was
The Man Who Never Was
The Man Who Never Was is a nonfiction 1953 book by Ewen Montagu and a 1956 Second World War war film, based on the book and dramatising actual events...
” was being prepared in 1943. Commander Ewan Montagu, who thought up the scheme, needed to produce an identity card for the corpse on which fake invasion plans were to be planted. For the card, he needed a photograph, but he could find no-one who resembled the body. Then, at a meeting to discuss double-agents, he found himself seated opposite Ronnie Reed and realised that “he could have been the twin brother of the corpse”. Ronnie’s photo was therefore used for the Identity Card. See, most recently, Operation Mincemeat
Operation Mincemeat
Operation Mincemeat was a successful British deception plan during World War II. As part of the widespread deception plan Operation Barclay to cover the intended invasion of Italy from North Africa, Mincemeat helped to convince the German high command that the Allies planned to invade Greece and...
by Ben Macintyre, pub 2010, page 137.
After the Second World War
During the war, Ronnie had met Mary Dyer through the Common Wealth PartyCommon Wealth Party
The Common Wealth Party was a socialist political party in the United Kingdom in the Second World War. Thereafter, it continued in being, essentially as a pressure group, until 1993.-The war years:...
- a radical alternative political party, at a time when all the main parties had joined the Coalition Government. They married in June 1946, and had two sons, Nicholas in 1947 and Adrian in 1949. By the early 1950s Ronnie was a senior officer in MI5, and indeed was the officer to whom William Skardon, Scotland Yard's top interrogator, reported, when Skardon was questioning, and extracting a confession from, the atomic spy Klaus Fuchs
Klaus Fuchs
Klaus Emil Julius Fuchs was a German theoretical physicist and atomic spy who in 1950 was convicted of supplying information from the American, British and Canadian atomic bomb research to the USSR during and shortly after World War II...
. By then, Ronnie was in charge of the section which dealt with Russian spies, and thus was intimately involved in the investigation of those who spied for Russia, in particular, Kim Philby
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
, Guy Burgess
Guy Burgess
Guy Francis De Moncy Burgess was a British-born intelligence officer and double agent, who worked for the Soviet Union. He was part of the Cambridge Five spy ring that betrayed Western secrets to the Soviets before and during the Cold War...
and Donald Maclean. Ronnie, like all his fellow officers, had been completely hoodwinked by Philby, and as a result he might have been demoted or moved. However, he did spot that Jenifer Hart, wife of Professor HLA Hart (who had worked at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
), might in fact be spying for Russia. His suspicions were proved correct, and he was kept on at MI5.
In 1957 Ronnie was seconded to the Foreign Office when he, and his wife and sons, went to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
for a three year posting. Officially First Secretary at the British High Commission, he was actually helping a New Zealander, Bill Gilbert, to set up a New Zealand MI5
New Zealand intelligence agencies
New Zealand's intelligence agencies and units have existed, with some interruption, since World War II. At present, New Zealand's intelligence community has approximately 500 employees, and has a combined budget of around NZ$80 million.-Standalone agencies:...
, rather than such investigations being run from England in the colonial fashion. In 1960 they returned to England and bought a house at 2 Court Lane Gardens, Dulwich
Dulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
, South London. Ronnie retired in 1976, at the age of 60, and died in 1995.