Hitler's Lost Spy: The True Story of a Female Spy in Australia
Language: English
Pages: 0
ISBN: B00UUPF3TS
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
This is the remarkable story of the Swiss born Nazi spy, Annette Wagner. Her two years in Australia immersed in intrigue and shielded by a skilfully managed facade of deception. Tracked by Military Intelligence, her outstanding credentials in espionage ensured that exposing her ultimate role would never be easy.
Less than 4 months after arriving in Australia in 1938, she acquired espionage's greatest communication asset - broadcasting her own programs on public radio to nationwide audiences - a secure channel for transmitting coded messages.
This is a captivating narrative from within the global Nazi intelligence machine on the eve of World War ll. It includes the link with Japanese espionage in Australia during the late 1930s and presents new evidence in the continuing debate on The Battle for Australia.
Overlooked in the National Archives for nearly seventy years, the story of the broadcasting spy may now be told.
may, quite unintentionally, impact on those living today who are separated from this lady by only one generation. Had she lived, Annette would have celebrated her 100th birthday in 2012. I have avoided the inducement of passing judgement on Annette. Whatever her motives, objectives and espionage results in Australia and France, she was also a lady who had previously offered her services, for an extended period and in unpretentious conditions, for the benefit of others less fortunate. In all
at varying levels of conviction, doubts as to her bona fides. Her file records ‘third party’ comments ranging from completely unsubstantiated claims or loosely observed acts, incorrectly labelled as ‘suspicious’, to unexplained behaviour that provided serious grounds for doubting her intentions while in Australia. She would in time demonstrate that a security surveillance of her activities was both warranted and in fact necessary. Annette’s social and business life mirrored that of a spy
the female agent who obtained this information had successfully accessed the household. 12 Conclusion Before attempting to gauge the scope of Annette Wagner’s espionage role in Australia, there are five central questions inviting a brief re-examination. Which spy agency specifically was Annette’s employer and who were her controllers – i.e. what organisation did she allegedly spy for and which individuals were her contacts? What was to be her role in Australia? Did the Australian authorities
precisely how and when only depended on suitable military circumstances. Peter Stanley’s statement that ‘no plan’ existed, taken to a literal extreme, is probably correct – but it is very misleading. His mistake has been to omit the reality that had the conditions suited the Japanese, there would have been an invasion. Only the uncertainties of military risk and priorities in other areas of conflict interfered with the opportunity for a finalised and emperor-approved ‘plan’. It is undeniable
rear-guard action. occasionally successful, by distortions, propaganda, money, and the long-term benefits to Australia of increased trade with Japan. Every spy was a potential ambassador. When circumstances allowed – and this may not have been very often – promoting Berlin’s and Tokyo’s policies and ‘peaceful intentions’ was expected to be the standard political fare. In doing this, the basic rules centred on fostering the positive, ‘massaging’ the awkward, and ignoring the unpleasant. Wars are