True Crime: Spy Stories 2

By Kristen Laurence

This book portrays the greatest spies and the stories behind them. Clandestine HUMINT (human intelligence)operations were on the rise during and after 2nd world war. Few of the greatest espionage took place during those times. Some of them have been unclassified now but never been talked about. Many spies had fallen into the lust of Soviet Union and had betrayed United States. Few fell in love with the prettiest cover girls. This book has it all and more..

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781304829368

Book preview

True Crime: Spy Stories 2

True Crime: Spy Stories 2

Kristen Laurence

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Lulu Edition

Copyrights 2014 Author

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-304-82936-8

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The Real James Bond

Sidney Reilly was undoubtedly the world's most extraordinary British spy and believed to be the inspiration for Ian Fleming's famous fictional secret agent James Bond. Like his literary counterpart, Reilly was a debonair playboy who lived extravagantly, spoke a multitude of languages, and was as charismatic as he was brilliant. Reilly, who many dubbed 'the gentleman spy', was also a master of disguise and deception, talents he employed most earnestly when trying to manipulate the outcome of the Russian Revolution so as to put an end to Bolshevism once and for all. However, there was also a much darker side to him.

Reilly was often described as a shifty character with a grandiose sense of self. Many thought him to be a cunning con artist who shamelessly exploited women and anyone else for his own personal financial and political gain. This behavior carried into his work as a secret agent, which made him unpopular with some of his colleagues.

Yet, much of Reilly's true character remains a mystery. The truth is, so much fiction has been intertwined with the facts concerning his life and exploits that it is almost impossible to discern between the man and the myth. In fact, Reilly played a major role in creating his own mythical persona by exaggerating his own accomplishments, if not outright lying, which he likely did either to protect his real identity or simply boost his public image. Moreover, countless newspaper articles, short stories, books and movies about his life further reinforced the myth leading to his near legendary status. Regardless, Sidney Reilly was undeniably a courageous spy who aided the British government in their desperate struggle to try to put an end to the Bolshevik's ever-growing stronghold on the Eastern Front.

The exact date and location where Reilly was born has been subject to debate, since there is a possibility that such data could have been altered to protect his real identity after his employment with Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (or SIS, which later became the MI6). However, almost all official documents about him stated that he was born Sigmund Georgievich Rosenblum on March 24, 1874 in Odessa, Ukraine. However, Andrew Cook, author of the book Reilly Ace of Spies suggested that his original name was Shlomo Rosenblum and that he was instead more likely born in the Kherson district of the Ukraine.

Reilly was the only son of three children born to his father Grigory, a wealthy Jewish contractor and his wife, Paulina Rosenblum, a talented pianist. There has been some question as to whether Reilly was actually the product of an extramarital affair between Paulina and another man but there is no concrete evidence to substantiate this belief. Michael Kettle, the author of   Sidney Reilly, suggested that the family was very sociable and were actively engaged in the Jewish emancipation movement. Relatively little is know about his relationship with his parents, except that he allegedly fell out with them when he fell in love with his first cousin, Felitsia (or Felicia). Consequently, he left home and moved to Odessa where he purportedly studied chemistry at Novorssiia University. Reilly told many he knew that he also attended university in Vienna but there are no surviving records to substantiate his claim.

According to Richard Spence's book Trust No One: The Secret World of Sidney Reilly, Reilly claimed that he was forced to leave Russia because he became mixed up in a political plot. Yet, Spence said that government records fail to support his story. Regardless, he moved to Paris, France sometime during the mid 1890s and stayed there less than a year before moving to London, England. While there he established his own business, Rosenblum & Company, where he sold patent medicines.

Reilly turned a good profit from his newfound business, whose name changed to Ozone Preparations Company. However, he spent more money than he actually earned, most of which was used to fund his hedonistic lifestyle. Reilly thoroughly enjoyed the trappings of wealth such as traveling to exotic places, high-stakes gambling, fine clothes, food and accommodations. Cook said that money became his primary motivation and the reason he became a Special Branch informer for Scotland Yard, under the direction of Detective Chief Inspector William Melville.

Reilly's new job with Scotland Yard at the close of the 19th century consisted of collecting intelligence on political exiles, immigrants, criminals and anyone else of interest to Melville. Eventually, he got to know almost everything about everyone in the area. There is no doubt that he was also paid to keep quiet about things, so he likely profited substantially from his new occupation. Even though he worked hard as an informer and pharmaceutical salesman, his profits still did not exceed the rate at which he was spending. However, his fortune changed in 1897 when he met Margaret Thomas, then 24, the young Irish wife of British clergyman, Rev. Hugh Thomas, 63.

Rev. Thomas suffered from chronic Bright's disease (a disease of the kidneys), which if left untreated, proved to be deadly, especially during the Victorian era when treatments were very primitive. Rev. Thomas took a variety of medicines to help remedy his condition, most of which Reilly personally supplied. During frequent visits to the Thomases residence, Reilly and Margaret developed a secretive relationship.

Not long into their affair, Rev. Thomas died from heart failure, leaving behind a considerable inheritance for Margaret. Cook said that the circumstances surrounding the Reverend's death were suspicious and suggested that he may have even been poisoned by arsenic (which produces similar symptoms as Bright's disease) in an elaborate scheme concocted by Reilly. If so, it was an ingenious plan that drew little if any police attention.

With Rev. Thomas dead, Margaret was finally free to be with her true love, Reilly. The couple married in August 1898 and afterwards briefly moved to a new house in Hyde Park, London. Within a relatively short period of time, the couple sold the house and traveled abroad. Eventually they settled in Port Arthur in Manchuria, the headquarters of the Russian Far Eastern Fleet, where he (Reilly) worked as a partner in a timber sales company, Jeffery T. Richelson reported in the Washington Post.

Reilly also began working for his friend Moisei Ginsburg's import-export company, which traded all over the world and also provided vast supplies of materials to the Russian Pacific Fleet. Ginsburg and Reilly formed their business relationship at a particularly critical time and place in history. It was immediately prior to the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War and Port Arthur was a vital trading port, which both the Japanese and Russians wanted desperately to control. There were rumors that Ginsburg and Reilly took advantage of their unique situation and played both sides of the field, trading not only materials but also information to the Russians and the Japanese. This eventually earned them the reputation as spies, although there is no substantial proof that they were ever involved in espionage for either country. Reilly made important contacts with officials on both sides that would later assist him in his new occupation with the British government.

In February 1904, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Russian ships anchored in Port Arthur, marking the beginning of war between both nations, as well as Reilly's departure to Paris. While there he met up with Melville, who was at the time working in his new position as chief of special operations for the War Office Intelligence Division. According to Spence, Melville, — code-named 'M' — handled particularly sensitive intelligence gathering that included watching and obtaining information on suspicious foreigners and hiring suitable men to go abroad to obtain information. One such suitable man was Reilly, thus his meeting with Melville that February.

Melville was specifically interested in obtaining information about William Knox D'Arcy's allowance to mine for oil in what is now Iran. Melville wanted Reilly to make sure that the oil didn't fall into the wrong hands, especially since it was about to become one of the biggest money making commodities. Reilly stepped immediately into the job and met up with D'Arcy in France dressed as a priest. Spence said that he was able to convince D'Arcy to keep his allowance to mine oil under British control, leading to the formation of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. It was one of Reilly's first successes as an undercover agent, which would later lead to bigger missions.

Even though things were going well with his new career as a freelance agent, things were not going so well on the home front. Reilly's marriage with Margaret had all but fallen apart by 1904. The problems the couple faced were fueled by his inability to remain monogamous. Cook said that Margaret had already served Reilly's purpose, which was providing her husband with financial backing and the name Reilly, which was a family name he adopted.

Broken hearted and low on funds, Margaret returned to England and Reilly continued with his travels around the world on get-rich-quick scheme business adventures. The two rarely had contact and Reilly had no interest in rekindling their relationship. They never divorced but that didn't stop Reilly from later remarrying.

At some point in between his business travels, Reilly stopped just long enough to attend school in England. Richelson said he completed a course in electrical engineering at the Royal School of Mines and then afterwards spent two years at Trinity College, Cambridge, although there are no records of his graduation. Reilly often exaggerated about his education and said that he attended universities that he never had and even lied about obtaining a PhD from Heidelberg.

Reilly not only told many lies about himself but he actually started to believe them, Richelson said. He further reported that Reilly's delusions of grandeur were so bad that he even believed himself to be Jesus Christ. Reilly might have been delusional and a pathological liar but he managed to make it work to his advantage in many cases, especially when it came to his job. If he didn't believe the role he was playing he might have never succeeded in his career as an undercover agent.

The year 1914 marked the beginning of World War I and Germany's massive campaign against Russia. By the end of the summer, German troops annihilated more than half of the Russian 2nd Army, a catastrophe that provided Reilly with his big chance, not only to make the millions he dreamed of but also to make his mark on history, Cook said. Reilly got his start by acting as a broker between the Russian army and Japanese and American arms and munitions manufacturers, the