Love, Lies and the Ring of Spies | True Life Spy Stories
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2023
- In the quaint, unassuming Isle of Portland, Dorset, the late 1950s hummed with the monotony of everyday life. Little did its residents know that their sleepy enclave would soon become the epicentre of an international espionage drama.
At the heart of this tale of betrayal were two love-struck British spies, a KGB operative masquerading as a Canadian businessman, and two American communists posing as antiquarian book dealers.
Operating between 1953 and 1961 from within the United Kingdom’s Underwater Weapons Establishment, the Portland Spy Ring sent highly classified research documents, including on nuclear submarine and sonar technology to the UK’s Cold War adversary the Soviet Union.
If only MI5 had paid more attention to the red flags and heeded the direct warnings, they could have staunched the flow of secrets to the Soviets years earlier.
It would take a tip-off from a Polish intelligence officer and one of the CIA’s most prized agents in place to bring the entire house of cards that was the Portland Spy Ring tumbling down.
This is the story of Harry Houghton, Ethel Gee, the Kroger's and Gordon Lonsdale - the Portland Spy Ring.
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I was on the jury at the O)ld Bailey during this traumatic trial. Being the youngest jurer, I am probably the only one still alive. I had just reached my 29th Birthday a couple of weeks earlier. I was sitting in the notable 10th seat. There was a reason it was regarded in the evening papers as the, Notable 10th seat. It was explained to the jurers during the trial. At the time of writing this article, I am 90yrs and six months old.
Hello Alfred. Thanks so much for sharing your part of the story!
@alfredlomax Such an experienced, Sir! My best to you and yours. Xx
may you have many more birthdays!
KGB 💪👍👍👍🤓🤓
What is the significance of the 10th seat?
My late father, knew Houghton professionally, and was interviewed by personnel from the DNS (Directorate of naval Intelligence. I remember when they knocked on our door, my mother shouted to m father "There's some men from the DNI here." They said; "You are not meant to know that!". She said that they should change their car number plate.
I can watch these spy documentaries all day and night. I wish they would make a series or movies about these lesser known spy rings. So interesting how deep these spies went. Thinking so many moves ahead.
This is a great docudrama. Thanks for posting. It's frightening to consider that this kind of story has occurred 100s of times across history and is probably happening today!
I quite enjoy your work. I happened to be the first view so I thought I'd record this for posterity lol seriously, this channel is awesome, I've listened to each video a few times.
Wow, thank you Brian!
@@PhilipThompson I love your use of art and maps. The art is spectacular! Thx for the great video! ❤
I also watch the videos repeatedly. They are my reserve educational entertainment on days I dont have time to watch long history movies or documentaries.
Cold War has always fascinated me. Great job.
All is well that ends well. The three Russians on stamps, the two British spies in love and married till death. Incredible spy lives. As for the documentary, with hardly any live footage, you made it so captivating. The last two lines, despite being ordinary, sounded so profound due to your voice and dipped tone. I replayed them to check. Thanks for the delightful story-telling.
Lol the voice is AI.
No need to laugh out loud. If you are lucky, you may live to be old one day.@@Dimapur
@@bayadere8308 wut? Lolz
Sorry, I only speak English.@@Dimapur
@@bayadere8308 umm wut yu mean by englsh?
Interesting.
As an American, I do know the story of the Cohens. But did not know this part.
Russia’s greatest spy, who was aware of everything in this saga, was never caught but was suspected to be Roger Hollis , head of MI5. Peter Wright’s book Spycatcher which details the ongoing hunt for a top level MI5 mole.
Very interesting and enjoyable. I was familiar with this story from the movie ‘Ring of Spies’, so it was good to get the actual facts of events and see what the individuals looked like. 🙏🏻
Excellent film in all respects, thank you. I can recall the events becoming known, but was hazy about their linkage. Amazing how pathetic the UK authorities appeared. No wonder the Establishment went to town with George Blake's sentence of 42 years, whilst letting Philby slip away.
And even he escaped
It’s a relief that Houghton only handed over “England’s” secrets. N. Ireland, Scotland and Wales secrets were thankfully safe.
God help us if they got hold of those Irish secrets mate!
The quality of your videos and information has no match! Great work 👏
Very well made. Excellent script. The paintings add a beautiful touch. Thank you.
This is a terrific video - thank you so much. I can still vaguely remember the court case and the disbelief that this Ring had operated for so long , right under the noses of the Intelligences Services . And of course , George Blake and Philby and co. Thank you again , a new Subscriber .
hope your holiday was good, appreciate what you do man
Cheers, it was lovely thanks! The last few days were a staycation and I used the time to edit this video before heading back to work on Monday.
A story gripping and appalling at the same time, and a beautiful production job. Real spy stories often seem so improbable that they'd make poor fiction -- yet the facts are there. This is a good example.
Once enough time elapses, the focus of the Establishment’s concern shifts from the crimes of its enemies to covering their own arses. This is true wherever you find a large organization, whether public or private, with leadership who fear for their budgets and their reputations.
Thanks for not having the usual loud horrid intrusive background music. Some of the stills look very out of place though, but never mind.
Hands down best channel on the tube!
One of those more forgotten spy stories.
I'm fascinated by the fact that the first ad that popped up for me was a 'fitness tracker' - basically your own personal surveillance device.
Great cameo by an MGB GT. The Krogers should have been handed over to the USA for the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg treatment.
I enjoyed that posting. Your narration is very pleasant. Thank you
Very good. Roger Hollis was the Russian mole as claimed by Richard White in his book "to catch a spy«"
I worked for the admiralty in the late 70s on the stealth technology used to hide the submarines.
I'm 1/2 English, 1/4 Scottish, and 1/4 Irish, so I feel loyalty to the UK, but the incompetence of the Security Services in WW2 is astounding! If not for amazing individuals, they would have lost the war. They allowed countless foreign spies to infiltrate every operation except for Mincemeat (as far as I know.) It's inexcusable how they just ignored all their own rules, and countless warning signs.
Espionage is a great intelligence system of the world in which individuals, driven by a host of material and ideological reasons, display some super human traits. I am often awed by the risk-taking ability of the spies. Loyalty and betrayal become secondary to the fascinating scope of human intelligence and courage. I admire spies of all hues as long as they neither commit nor suffer violence.
im half maori and half scottish so half of me wants a beer but the other half doesnt want to pay for it 😉
You sound like a jigsaw mate 🤣
Not so fast there amigo. The British Secret Services pretty much totally shut out the German Abwehr during the war. But yes, the Soviet spies crushed them after the war for decades.
@@daisys8052 Id suggest the blithering incompetence by British 'intelligence' runs for a few decades after WW2 as well. That British 'intelligence' didn't pick up Philby, McLean, Blunt, Burgess a while lot sooner has at times lead me to wonder of they were 'left to get on with it' for other reasons because surely British intelligence wasn't actually that incompetent was it?
Another awesome video, thank you, love watching those sub numbers creeping up higher!
lovely paintings!!!!!
The words British Intelligence appear to be an oxymoron
The russians just took the manhatten info off the usa easy thier most secret of secrets.
😮
Mind you, these are the stories that have been made public. Controlled releases of information such as this is often said to be done as a method to controlling the public's perception of an organization.
But with an intelligence organization being so dumb, how could they possibly do anything game/world changing? How could they be dangerous? How could they ever know what's 'really' going on?
Never assume your enemy is dumb or weak. Doing so will enable them to beat you.
Clearly, they fought on the wrong side in ww1 and 2, look where we are today as a result!
Great Narrator with an engaging story!
10:20 is the root of British spying - a senior worker in the naval establishment being unable to afford a cheap Dauphine !!!!!!!!!!!!!
No wonder a bundle of cash from a Russian was a good lure!
I spent a few days in Portland this summer. It is fascinating and strange .
So interesting as always. Can’t wait for your next one.
You make great content! Keep it up I love it 👏
Fascinating! Thank you.
Thanks, excellent video. I can't recall the title, but there is a BBC Radio play on UA-cam about watching the Krogers from the house opposite. A good play, I've heard it a couple of times. I'll try to find it again.
Stage play in London with Judy Dench and others also filmed with Clare Burstall and under that name on UA-cam well cast and directed .
Title of film and play Pack of Lies
@@christopherdoyle9489 Thanks
Great video. Thankyoy
Very good documentary, thank you.
I love the oil paintings used in this - anyone know where they're from?
We need more stories from you, this channel is very interesting 😅
Great documentary 👍
One Lada car was named "Lonsdale". Now that's what I call taking the Michael.
Me encantan estas historias! Saludos desde Panamá.
Greetings, and thanks for watching!
I was born in 1946 and brought up on Portland, living there until I moved away at the age of 21.
I was 15 when the story broke and of course it was sensational on the island. My father had a shoe repairer's shop not far away from where Ethel Gee lived and she was a regular customer. I could not recall what she looked like and I kept nagging my dad to try and describe her. She did live a supposedly quiet life which is probably why I could not figure out what she looked like and I still do not recognise her from subsequent photographs.
When the film came out there was great anticipation when it came to the local cinema. I don't think any filming was done on Portland. In one of the opening scenes a fictitious entrance to AUWE was shown with a big sign saying "TOP SECRET, KEEP OUT". The whole audience burst out laughing because everyone new how lax the security was there.
Interesting
No greater crime than betraying your country.
Should've checked the books for microdots. At the full-stops or point of exclamation marks, that sort of thing, one would think...
I couldn't help but think of Yes Prime Minister / One of Us and wonder was it incompetence or collusion.
The film Ring of Treason starring Bernard Lee must be based on Harry Houghton? It's not a bad film.
Quite right... the film is also called Ring of Spies in other parts of the world.
THEY´ D BE HANGED! THIS STORY MADE FOR HBO !
They were real heroes fighting for the good side.
blew the whistle for maximum damage and spite
The neighbors of the Coehn’s included the TV presenter Gay Search. She was the kid of Bill and Ruth.
Just read her Wikipedia.
Really high quality film. Btw, any info on the artist who painted the illustrations? They are so good.
Thanks for watching! I used Midjourney (AI) to create them.
Blake deserves a movie
Admirable people . Fine documentary.
adore how true stories&packs ah lies get the
same treatment in spy documentaries
USSR must be laughing at and trash all the marine drawings. They were much in advanced and courageous at that time.
England's naval secrets?? Did they secede from the union, or were the secrets of the rest of the UK somehow kept away from Mr Houghton?
Terrifically interesting stories, nonetheless, and wonderful art work.
England🤨
This occurred a long time ago, and the UK only began being called the UK very recently. My mother was English, from London, and she never once called it the UK.
Until recently it was called England, and we referred to Scotland when being specific about a location or a characteristic of Scotland or it's people. No disrespect was ever intended.
We North Americans thought Scotland was a province of England, because it so very nearly was one, seemingly for a very long time. Even now the status of Scotland is unclear, even in Scotland itself! And equally so in England. So how is the rest of the world supposed to figure it all out?
We were never even told when or why the name had been changed from England to the UK. Roughly 6 or 7 years ago (I think) news outlets started to say "The UK" it looked like it would stick, so we followed suit, but we never knew why it was changed. Those of us who know a little bit of history can guess, but it's still just a guess, right up until today.
Some of those who pay attention know that Scotland came close to voting to seperate not long ago, but the actually circumstances of it all remain as murky as mud. The Scottish people can hardly be blamed for wanting to separate for many reasons, including not wanting be Brexitted. And equally, not wanting to be stuck in the morass of the situation England is now in, being Not Europe, Not Brexit. What a pit of sheer stupidity that is!
So your nitpicking over 1 word is not helpful. In other contexts it may be hugely important! But in this context it serves no purpose at all.
bleeding edge?
In the 1950s, you don't have actual pictures of these people ? GEEEZ ! 😣
If you're able to find some please do pass them on...
I was in Germany during the 80s. Hade no idea that was going on
AND JAMES BOND DIDENT EVEN GET A LOOK IN THATS ALL FOLKS 😮.😊
Not taking ex-wife seriously. Not taking women seriously.
isn't this more interesting than dragons and fairy tales- not Tolkien obviously. his is marvelous
What happened to the people Peggy reported her husband too?
The KGB gained immortal fame because of its efficiency. But the truth is that the work of Soviet spies was greatly facilitated by drunken Americans and Englishmen who liked money more than their countries.
Sounds like todays Democrats
@@lonniemonroe2714 And the Republicans too.
@@fabiodeoliveiraribeiro1602 THEM lot!
I wonder what the British rank of Chief Petty Officer translates to for the vast majority of UA-cam viewers.
@1:25 "The HMS Dreadnought" really? Give me strength! You wouldn't say The her Majesty's Submarine would you?
The makers of this documentary were obviously not aware that Houghton was spotted by MI 5 early on and used as a Sting Operation against the Soviets. All the classified British nuclear submarine papers passed to the KGB were cleverly doctored hence the many Soviet submarine disasters. MI5 did the same with Concorde and we all know what eventually happened to Concordski!
What's your source for this? The many books, articles and reports I studied in making this video don't mention any sting operation. They universally regard the whole debacle as an intelligence coup against Britain.
Trumped up charges when it's Russia arresting western spies.
😂😂😂
Yeah! Cause we all know how soft and fuzzy the kgb always were-are.
A BLACK MI5 officer in the 60's!!!!?????🤣☻️
Harry was my great uncle (but I never met him)!
His brother was my step grandfather!! Up the reds!!!
It's the UK. If you can't get that correct, what else have you got wrong?
your docus are too short.. i need 45min+... and i need original b&w images...not ai'ish stuff
Downvoted because AI voice and images.
The spy camera did not become synonymous for, but rather with. Please educate yourselves on the English language, before making a documentary.
@pe6ek please make and publish a documentary before commenting on another persons grasp of the English language.