Sir William Samuel Stephenson
January 23, 1897(1897-01-23) – January 31, 1989 (aged 92)
Nickname	Intrepid
Place of birth	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Place of death	Puget, Bermuda
Allegiance	Canada/  United Kingdom
Service/branch	Canadian Expeditionary Force Royal Flying Corps
Years of service	1916-1918
Rank	Captain
Unit	No. 73 Squadron RAF
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Order of Canada Distinguished Service Cross Military Cross
Other work	Industrialist, scientist, inventor, businessman, spymaster

Sir William Samuel Stephenson, CC, MC, DFC, (January 23, 1897 – January 31, 1989) was a Canadian soldier, airman, businessperson, inventor, spymaster, and the senior representative of British intelligence for the entire western hemisphere during World War II. Stephenson is best-known by his wartime intelligence codename of Intrepid. Some consider him to be one of the real-life inspirations for James Bond. is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Winnipeg (disambiguation). ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Official languages English French (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 14 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 15, 1870 (5th) Area  Ranked 8th Total 647,797... Puget is a commune of the Vaucluse département in southern France. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... 26th Battalion of the Second Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1915 The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the group of Canadian military units formed for service overseas in the First World War. ... The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of World War I. // Formed by Royal Warrant on 13 May 1912, the RFC superseded the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers. ... For other uses, see Captain (disambiguation). ... // No. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Seal of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means (those) desiring a better country (Hebrews 11. ... The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the third level military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) ratings of the Royal Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries. ... The Military Cross (MC) is the third level military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries. ... Seal of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means (those) desiring a better country (Hebrews 11. ... The Military Cross (MC) is the third level military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries. ... The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdoms Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about a military rank. ... Airman is a term used to refer to any enlisted personnel in the United States Air Force or Other Ranks in the Royal Air Force (in which airwoman is also seen). ... A businessperson is a generic term for someone who is employed at a profit-oriented enterprise, or more specifically, someone who is involved in the management (at any level) of a company. ... For other uses, see Inventor (disambiguation). ... A Spymaster is a ringleader of a spy ring, run by a secret service. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A number of real-life inspirations have been suggested for James Bond, the sophisticated fictional character and British spy created by Ian Fleming. ...

Early life

Born William Samuel Clouston Stanger, January 23, 1897 in the Point Douglas area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada, he left school at a young age. In 1916 he volunteered for the 101st Battalion (Winnipeg Light Infantry), CEF. He earned a field promotion to Sergeant and a medal for battling in the trenches before he turned 19. While recovering from being gassed in 1916, Stephenson learned to fly and then transferred to the British Royal Flying Corps on August 16, 1917. Posted to 73 Squadron on February 9, 1918, Stephenson flew the British Sopwith Camel fighter biplane and scored twelve victories, among them was Lothar von Richthofen, the younger brother of the famous Red Baron, before he was shot down and captured by the Germans on July 28, 1918. (See [1] for victory list) is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Located just north of the main CP line (north of downtown) nestled in a peninsula of the Red River sits a little neighbourhood called North Point Douglas, one of the citys oldest neighbourhoods. ... For other uses, see Winnipeg (disambiguation). ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Official languages English French (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 14 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 15, 1870 (5th) Area  Ranked 8th Total 647,797... The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of World War I. // Formed by Royal Warrant on 13 May 1912, the RFC superseded the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... // No. ... is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... The Sopwith Camel Scout is a British First World War single-seat fighter aircraft that was famous for its maneuverability. ... Lothar von Richthofen (right) with elder brother Manfred Lothar-Siegfried Freiherr von Richthofen (27 September 1894 – 4 July 1922) was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 40 victories during the war. ... Red Baron redirects here. ... is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ...

By the end of World War I he had achieved the rank of Captain and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Military Cross. His medal citations perhaps foreshadow his later achievements, and read: “The Great War ” redirects here. ... The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdoms Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy... The Military Cross (MC) is the third level military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries. ...

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When flying low and observing an open staff car on a road, he attacked it with such success that later it was seen lying in the ditch upside down. During the same flight he caused a stampede amongst some enemy transport horses on a road. Previous to this he had destroyed a hostile scout and a two-seater plane. His work has been of the highest order, and he has shown the greatest courage and energy in engaging every kind of target.
  - Military Cross citation, Supplement to the London Gazette, June 27, 1919. The Military Cross (MC) is the third level military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries. ... The London Gazette , front page from Monday 3 - 10 September 1666, reporting on the Great Fire of London. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

This officer has shown conspicuous gallantry and skill in attacking enemy troops and transports from low altitudes, causing heavy casualties. His reports, also, have contained valuable and precise information. He has further proved himself a keen antagonist in the air, having, during recent operations, accounted for six enemy aeroplanes.
  - Distinguished Flying Cross citation, Supplement to the London Gazette, September 21, 1928. is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Between the Wars

After the war Stephenson returned to Winnipeg and with a friend Wilf Russell he started a hardware business - largely inspired by a can opener Stephenson had taken from his POW camp. The business was unsuccessful and he left Canada for England where Stephenson became a wealthy industrialist with business contacts in many countries. In 1924 he married American tobacco heiress, Mary French Simmons, of Springfield, Tennessee. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Springfield is a city located in Robertson County, Tennessee. ...

As early as April 1936, Stephenson was voluntarily providing confidential information to the British, passing on detailed information to British opposition MP Winston Churchill about how Adolf Hitler's Nazi government was building up its armed forces and hiding military expenditures of eight hundred million pounds sterling. This was a clear violation of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and showed the growing Nazi threat to European and international security; Churchill used Stephenson's information in Parliament to warn against the appeasement polices of the government of Neville Chamberlain. Churchill redirects here. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... This article is about the Treaty of Versailles of June 28, 1919, which ended World War I. For other uses, see Treaty of Versailles (disambiguation) . The Treaty of Versailles (1919) was a peace treaty that officially ended World War I between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist... Appeasement is a policy of accepting the imposed conditions of an aggressor in lieu of armed resistance, usually at the sacrifice of principles. ... This article is about the British Prime Minister. ...

World War II

After World War II began (and over the objections of Sir Stewart Menzies, wartime head of British intelligence) now-Prime Minister Winston Churchill sent Stephenson to the United States on June 21, 1940 to covertly establish and run the British Security Coordination (BSC) in New York City, over a year prior to the U.S. entering the war. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Sir Stewart Graham Menzies (January 30, 1890 - May 29, 1968) was the Chief of MI6, British Secret Intelligence Service, during and after the World War II. Stewart Graham Menzies was born in London into a wealthy family. ... The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6). ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... Churchill redirects here. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The British Security Coordination was authorized by Winston Churchill in 1940 as a highly secret organization in New York to supervise the activities of the British intellignece service -- MI5, Special Operations Executive, the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), & the Political Warfare Executive -- in the Western hemisphere. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

The BSC office, headquartered in room 3603 in Rockefeller Center, became an umbrella organization that by the end of the war represented the British intelligence agencies MI5, MI6 (SIS or Secret Intelligence Service), SOE (Special Operations Executive) and PWE (Political Warfare Executive) throughout North America, South America and the Caribbean. Lower Plaza at Rockefeller Center. ... An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. ... MI-5 redirects here. ... The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6). ... The Special Operations Executive (SOE), sometimes referred to as the Baker Street Irregulars after Sherlock Holmess fictional group of spies, was a World War II organization initiated by Winston Churchill and Hugh Dalton in July 1940 as a mechanism for conducting warfare by means other than direct military engagement. ... During World War II, the Political Warfare Executive (PWE) was a British clandestine body created to produce and disseminate both white and black propaganda, with the aim of damaging enemy morale. ...

sir william Stephenson's initial directives for BSC were 1) to investigate enemy activities, 2) institute security measures against the threat of sabotage to British property, and 3) organize American public opinion in favour of aid to Britain. Later this was expanded to included "the assurance of American participation in secret activities throughout the world in the closest possible collaboration with the British."

Stephenson's official title was British Passport Control Officer. His unofficial mission was to create a secret British intelligence network throughout the western hemisphere, and to operate covertly and very broadly on behalf of the British government and the Allies in aid of winning the war. He also became Churchill's personal representative to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... FDR redirects here. ...

Stephenson was soon a very close advisor to FDR, and suggested to Roosevelt that he put Stephenson's good friend William J. 'Wild Bill' Donovan in charge of all U.S. intelligence services. Donovan founded the U.S. wartime Office of Strategic Services (OSS) which eventually became the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). For other uses, see Wild Bill and/or Bill Donovan. ... The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency and was the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency, the Special Forces, and Navy SEALs. ... CIA redirects here. ...

In his role as the senior representative of British intelligence in the western hemisphere, Stephenson was one of the few people in the hemisphere authorized to view raw Ultra transcripts from the British Bletchley Park codebreaking of German Enigma ciphers. He was trusted by Churchill to decide what Ultra information to pass along to various branches of the U.S. and Canadian governments. Ultra (sometimes capitalized ULTRA) was the name used by the British for intelligence resulting from decryption of German communications in World War II. The term eventually became the standard designation in both Britain and the United States for all intelligence from high-level cryptanalytic sources. ... During World War II, codebreakers at Bletchley Park decrypted and interpreted messages from a large number of Axis code and cipher systems, including the German Enigma machine. ... For a discussion of how Enigma-derived intelligence was put to use, see Ultra (WWII intelligence). ...

Under Stephenson, the BSC directly influenced U.S. media (including the writing of American newspaper columnists Walter Winchell and Drew Pearson) and other media in the hemisphere towards pro-British and anti-Axis viewpoints. Once the U.S. had entered the war, BSC then went on to train U.S. propagandists from the United States Office of War Information in Canada from 1941-1944. BSC covert intelligence and propaganda efforts directly affected wartime developments in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Mexico, the Central American countries, Bermuda, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972), an American newspaper and radio commentator, invented the gossip column at the New York Evening Graphic. ... Drew Pearson Drew Pearson (December 13, 1897–September 1, 1969), born in Evanston, Illinois was one of the most prominent American newspaper and radio journalists of his day. ... This article is about the independent states that comprised the Axis powers. ... The United States Office of War Information (OWI) was a U.S. government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ...

Stephenson worked for no salary. He hired hundreds of people, mostly Canadian women, to staff his organization and paid for much of the expense out of his own pocket. Among his employees were secretive communications genius Benjamin deForest (Pat) Bayly and future advertising wizard David Ogilvy. At the height of the war Bayly, a University of Toronto professor from Moose Jaw, created the Rockex, the fast secure communications system eventually relied on by all the Allies. Cover David MacKenzie Ogilvy (June 23, 1911–July 21, 1999), was a notable advertising executive. ... The University of Toronto (U of T) is a public research university in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Moose Jaw is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River 71 km (45 miles) west of Regina. ... Rockex, or Telekrypton, was an offline one-time tape cipher machine known to have been used by Britain and Canada from 1943. ...

Not least in Stephenson's accomplishments and contributions to the war effort was the setting up by BSC of Camp X in Whitby, Ontario, the first training school for clandestine wartime operations in Canada, and in North America. Around 2,000 British, Canadian and American covert operators were trained here from 1941 through 1945, including students from the ISO, OSS, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, United States Navy and U.S. Military Intelligence services, and the United States Office of War Information, among them five future directors of what would eventually become the American Central Intelligence Agency. Camp X was the unofficial name of a World War II paramilitary and commando training installation, on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario between Whitby and Oshawa in Ontario, Canada. ... Whitby (2006 population 111 184) is a town located east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is the seat of Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. ... F.B.I. and FBI redirect here. ... RCMP redirects here. ... USN redirects here. ... Military Intelligence Branch Insignia In the United States Armed Forces, Military Intelligence refers specifically to the intelligence components of the United States Army. ... The United States Office of War Information (OWI) was a U.S. government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services. ...

Graduates of Camp X operated in Europe in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Balkans as well as in Africa, Australia, India, and the Pacific. They included Ian Fleming, later the author of the popular James Bond books. It has been said Goldfinger's fictional raid on Fort Knox was inspired by a Stephenson plan (never carried out) to steal $2,883,000,000 in Vichy French gold reserves from the French Caribbean colony of Martinique. This article is about the author. ... This article is about the spy series. ... Auric Goldfinger is a fictional character in the James Bond film and novel Goldfinger. ... This article is about United States Army post. ... Motto Travail, famille, patrie French: Unoccupied zone of Vichy France (until November 1942) Capital Vichy Capital-in-exile Sigmaringen (1944-1945) Language(s) French Religion Roman Catholic Government Dictatorship Chief of state  - 1940 — 1944 Philippe Pétain President of the Council  - 1940 — 1942 Philippe Pétain  - 1942 — 1944 Pierre Laval...

BSC purchased a ten-kilowatt transmitter from Philadelphia radio station WCAU and installed the transmitter at Camp X. By mid-1944, Hydra (the name by which the Camp X transmitter was known) was transmitting 30,000 and receiving 9,000 message groups daily, much of the secret Allied intelligence traffic across the Atlantic. For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ... WPHT is a CBS Radio station located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania broadcasting on 1210 kHz. ...

Recognition and honours

Sir William Stephenson died in Paget, Bermuda at the age of 92. While there has since been at times some dispute over the exact nature and extent of his wartime efforts, there is no doubt his contributions were many, and extraordinary.

For his wartime work, Stephenson was knighted by the British in the 1945 New Year's Honours List. In 1946 he received the Presidential Medal for Merit, the highest civilian award of the United States at the time, created during the war. He was the first non-U.S. citizen to receive the medal. General Donovan presented Stephenson with the award and the citation paid tribute to his "valuable assistance to America in the fields of intelligence and special operations". The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom. ... The Presidential Medal for Merit is one one of the highest civilian decoration of the United States. ...

"The Quiet Canadian" was formally recognized by his home and native land late in his life; William Stephenson was made a Companion of the Order of Canada on December 17, 1979 and invested in the Order on February 5, 1980. Seal of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means (those) desiring a better country (Hebrews 11. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

On May 2, 2000 CIA Executive Director David W. Carey, representing Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet and Deputy Director of Central Intelligence John A. Gordon, accepted a bronze maquette (replica) statuette of Sir William Stephenson, which was given to the CIA by the Intrepid Society of Winnipeg, Manitoba. In his remarks, Carey said: is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... George John Tenet (born January 5, 1953) was previously the Director of Central Intelligence for the United States Central Intelligence Agency and is Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. ... General John Alexander Gordon (born August 22, 1946, in Jefferson City, Missouri[1]) was deputy director of central intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, D.C. He served as the Presidents Homeland Security advisor from 2003 to 2004. ...

Sir William Stephenson played a key role in the creation of the CIA. He realized early on that America needed a strong intelligence organization and lobbied contacts close to President Roosevelt to appoint a U.S. "coordinator" to oversee FBI and military intelligence. He urged that the job be given to William J. 'Wild Bill' Donovan, who had recently toured British defenses and gained the confidence of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Although Roosevelt didn't establish exactly what Sir William had in mind, the organization created represented a revolutionary step in the history of American intelligence. Donovan's Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the first 'central' U.S. intelligence service. OSS worked closely with and learned from Sir William and other Canadian and British officials during the war. A little later, these OSS officers formed the core of the CIA. Intrepid may not have technically been the father of CIA, but he's certainly in our lineage someplace.

In recommending Stephenson for knighthood, Winston Churchill wrote "This One is Dear to My Heart."

"James Bond is a highly romanticized version of a true spy. The real thing is ...William Stephenson" -- Ian Fleming, The Times, October 21, 1962. This article is about the author. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the town of Whitby, Ontario, Canada there is a street named after him, which connects to streets with names such as Intrepid and Overlord.

In the city of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada a branch (Branch #637) of the Royal Canadian Legion was named in honour of Sir William Stephenson.

A true "man of mystery," much of Stephenson's known biographical information has been proved fictitious. A decade after his death, many new facets of the master spy's life began to be revealed.

Sources

British-born Canadian author William Stevenson (no relation) wrote a 1976 book A Man Called Intrepid about Stephenson. There are doubts about the veracity of much of what he wrote. William Stevenson is a British-born Canadian author and journalist. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Rupert Allason in Counterfeit Spies casts doubt on much of Stevenson's account; the award of the Croix de guerre avec Palmes and the Légion d'honneur -hello every one according to Allason no such record exists of either award. Rupert William Simon Allason (born 8 November 1951) is a military historian and former politician in the United Kingdom. ... William Stevenson is a British-born Canadian author and journalist. ... The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of both Belgium and France which was first created in 1915. ... Chiang Kai-sheks Légion dhonneur. ... Rupert William Simon Allason (born 8 November 1951) is a military historian and former politician in the United Kingdom. ...

Jock Colville (who was one of Churchill's private secretaries) in his 1981 book The Churchillians took issue with Stevenson's description of Stephenson's relationship with Churchill during the war. He pointed out that Stephenson was not Churchill's personal liaison with Roosevelt, that in fact (as is well known) the two men corresponded directly and constantly. Indeed Colville never heard Churchill speak of Stephenson at all. Sir John Jock Colville, CB, CVO, (28 January 1915- November 1987). ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ...

There are however numerous other references to the Stephenson-Churchill connection in, for example, Maclean’s magazine December 1, 1952, The Times October 21, 1962 and many references to the relationship in Hyde’s biography The Quiet Canadian (1962). Churchill was still alive.

British/Soviet double agent Kim Philby refers to Stephenson as a friend of Churchill in his book My Silent War. Stephenson’s personal secretary and personal cipher clerks talk of Stephenson-Churchill communication in the book The True Intrepid and in the documentary Secret Secretaries. There is chapter on the relationship in CIA historian Thomas Troy's Wild Bill and Intrepid. A double agent pretends to spy on a target organization on behalf of a controlling organization, but in fact is loyal to the target organization. ... Kim Philby Harold Adrian Russell Kim Philby or H.A.R. Philby (OBE: 1946-1965), (1 January 1912 – 11 May 1988) was a high-ranking member of British intelligence, a communist, and spy for the Soviet Unions NKVD and KGB. In 1963, Philby was revealed as a member of...

Controversial historian David Irving in Churchill’s War reveals evidence of a secret communications link between Roosevelt and Churchill that was run by the FBI but controlled through Stephenson’s office. There are references to this link in The True Intrepid.

A dinner in Stevenson's book at Lord Beaverbrook's house in May or June 1940 is highly doubtful too. Colville described the printed letter of invitation from Churchill as clearly an invention, since Churchill was punctilious and never called Beaverbrook "the beaver", and for obvious reasons never signed himself W.C. Lord Trenchard is described discussing his fighter aircraft, where in fact it had been 10 years since Trenchard held a RAF post. Colville's conclusion was to hope that Stevenson's book was not ever "used for the purpose of historical reference." William Maxwell Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, PC (May 25, 1879 – June 9, 1964) was a Canadian – British business tycoon and politician. ... Bust depicting Marshal of the Royal Air Force the Viscount Trenchard Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard (February 3, 1873 - February 10, 1956) was the British Chief of the Air Staff during World War I, and was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force...

In the papers of William Stevenson at the University of Regina there is only one reference to the Beaverbrook dinner. Stephenson cables the author that he did not recall the exact date of the gathering decades before, and there is no mention of him receiving a written note invitation. (Macdonald page 372, Troy page 237) In a foreword to Richard Dunlop's Donovan, Stephenson writes he received a telephone invitation to the dinner and he refers to "Boom Trenchard of RAF and Scotland Yard fame."

References

• The Churchillians, Jock Colville, 1980, ISBN 0-297-77909-5, chapter 4, pages 61 to 63.
• Canadian Press review of The True Intrepid at trueintrepid.com

Sir John Jock Colville, CB, CVO, (28 January 1915- November 1987). ...

External links

• Article on Stephenson from Finest Hour, a publication of The Churchill Centre
• Camp X Students Resource
• Camp X Historical Society
• William Stephenson page Revised William Stephenson Information
• [2] The Royal Canadian Legion, Sir William Stephenson Branch #637
• Room 3603, by H. Montgomery Hyde, with a foreword by Ian Fleming (1962) - ISBN 1-58574-318-6
• The True Intrepid - Sir William Stephenson and the Unknown Agents by Bill Macdonald, with a foreword by CIA staff historian Thomas F. Troy (2002) - ISBN 1-55192-418-8
• Inside Camp X by Lynn Philip Hodgson, with a foreword by Secret Agent 'Andy Durovecz (2003) - ISBN 0-9687062-0-7
• Counterfeit spies: genuine or bogus? : an astonishing investigation into secret agents of the Second World War (1998) Rupert Allason - ISBN 0-7515-2670-3
• The Quiet Canadian - Life of Sir William Stephenson by H. Montgomery Hyde (1962) - ISBN 0-09-468780-3
• Camp X by Eric Walters - ISBN 0-14-131326-5
• Intrepid's Last Case, by William Stevenson, 1983. This book is an account of the Igor Gouzenko case.