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Secret Intelligence Service
(C-I) Unit
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12 11 2019
Re: Alias – Ben
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The usual question is; what might one learn from this, if anything? – Note that this question applies here
Molodyi Conan Trofimovitch (January 17, 1922 – September 9, 1970) – Illegal Soviet spy-KGB colonel. Operating under the operational alias, Ben.
** Former head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia, Vyacheslav Trubnikov during an interview, typically said of the man, quote; ‘He was a beautiful, amazing illegal, terrific talent. He, a unique personality.’ ** – Note the obvious point of view.
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Molodyi was born in Moscow, into a family of scientists. In the October 1929 came death of his father, who taught at the Moscow State University and the Moscow Energy Institute, and his mother, a professor of the Research Institute of Prosthetics, Evdokia K. Young, continued to raise her two children.
In 1931, from America to Moscow for a few days, came the elder sister of his mother – Anastasia Naumova, who offered to take the children to California. Conon, who was promised a bike, happily agreed. His mother, a surgeon, as it is strange, too. However, with the departure of the United States were problems. No, Soviet Russia somehow freely let go of the child in the care of his American aunt. Visa does not give the United States. Had to intervene to no one else, and the deputy chairman of the OGPU Henry Berry.
He gave the command, and in the church, where he once baptised Conon, rewritten – making an illegitimate son Trofim Young and younger sister of his mother, who lived in Estonia. She, Tartu boy waited for an American visa. Why Berry took a part in the fate of Conon Young, it remains unclear.
When Conon was 16 years old, there was a choice. The aunt insisted he subsequently enroll in an American university, and remain in the United States. However, the young one decided to return to his homeland.
In 1938 Conan Molodyi returned to Moscow and continued his studies at the 36th high school, from which he graduated in 1940. In October of the same year he was drafted into the army.
Molodyi directly participated in WWII, or as termed the ‘Great Patriotic War’. From the first days of the war he was at the front and was engaged in front-line intelligence. In his role as assistant chief of staff of the independent reconnaissance battalion. Young people do not just sneak into the enemy’s rear, they have to learn languages, so to procure the necessary command information.
For their ‘courage and bravery in the performance of assigned tasks during the termed ‘Great Patriotic War’ of 1941-1945′., Conon Molodyi was awarded state awards, notably; the Order of the ‘Patriotic War’ 1st and 2nd degree, Red Star and medals ‘For Courage’ and ‘For Service in Battle’, as well as an honourary badge soldier valour’, Great ‘scout’***. ” ***spy
In 1946 he was demobilised and enrolled in the law faculty of the Institute of Foreign Trade. At the Institute he studied the Chinese language.
In 1951, at the end of the institute, he was asked to teach in Chinese, participating in the creation of the Chinese language textbook.
General-Lieutenant Vitaly Pavlov, who in the early 1950s was the head of the Anglo-American Affairs illegal Soviet foreign intelligence service and the young one studied as a candidate for a job in the public security organs, and wrote in his memoirs; ‘Then Conan Trofimovitch made a strong impression, he remains in the memory. He always stood alone as, to a certain extent, is the pattern of the ideal spy’.
While he was still a student of the third degree, he drew the attention of Soviet intelligence. An examination of his personal and business qualities for two years only confirmed his candidacy of high compliance requirements that apply to the spies who work in illegal conditions.
He caused a lot of sympathy with his optimism, his confidence. He had a clear outstanding abilities applicable to intelligence activities.
In foreign intelligence bodies since 1951. When he was sent to carry out a special mission to Canada, the official version of his absence in the USSR was a business trip to China, on Foreign Trade. Postmarks on the letters to his wife have always been Chinese characters. Even the souvenirs that Conon sent were Chinese. Exploration resident with conspiratorial pseudonym – Ben.
In early 1954, the young man arrived in Canada with false documents, was there for a few months, got the original documents and became Gordon Lonsdale (English. Gordon Lonsdale) (Lonsdale this really existed, but died under supposed ‘mysterious circumstances’ – our version, around 1943).
In an interview with the son of Conan – Trofim told the following; ‘The legend was so. His ‘father’, Canadian Lonsdale really died in the war, ‘mother’ died. Documents available to the intelligence, were genuine. So that year, I think, in 1953 – early 1954, Gordon appeared in Canada. And there in abode for three or four months. Legalized, got quite authentic documents. And he went to America, again according to legend, to get a good education. Then – in London, where, as quite rightly calculated back in Moscow, one’s learning is much cheaper cost to obtain. And in the United States could not stay long anyway.
But he did move to the United States, ostensibly for education. From there, in March 1955, he moved to the UK ostensibly to continue education (to learn the Chinese language).
‘Training’ Conon Trofimovitch helped to identify with the University of London where was a number of Officers of British and American intelligence, who with crammed language were to work in China. One of the companions of Lonsdale on learning even confessed to him at parting; ‘You know, Gordon, of our entire group, only you and I – are not spies.’
Conon had a hard time, it was necessary to pretend that he was an aspiring businessman who did not know Chinese. A classmate once almost made him laugh and disrupt the entire conspiracy. Lonsdale was taught to drink Russian vodka in small glasses.
Lonsdale (his nickname was ‘Ben’) was to infiltrate the British military circles and collect information on the British and American air bases, as well as obtain information on the latest developments in the area of the UK operation of nuclear reactors on submarines and the creation of biological weapons.
Due to his very sociable character, as well as a special flair for acting, Lonsdale soon became a successful businessman with the money of the KGB, he opened a company selling vending machines, then – the plant for the production and marketing of automotive anti-theft devices. Bank accounts were replenished daily, and soon he became a millionaire. An electronic lock, was invented at one of Lonsdale’s establishments, in 1960 at an exhibition in Brussels he received a gold medal.
In London, Lonsdale led a secular way of life, he was known in the top London clubs. Ostensibly for the company, he travelled all over the country and obtained the right connections. Communication with the youth center exercised through their radio operators Maurice and Leontine (Leonello) Cohen (online alias ‘Summer People’), who lived in England, according to the documents of New Zealanders, Peter and Helen Kroger.
For six years residency, Ben (online alias Young KT) extracted highly valuable secret document information, which is highly evaluated by the Centre.
The most successful for Lonsdale acquaintance happened in Portland – Harry Houghton, a clerk at a secret naval base (Department of underwater weapons), nicknamed ‘Shah’. Houghton had access to classified documents. Within a few years he sold Lonsdale secrets which subsequently saved the USSR several billion dollars in their development of weapons systems. Houghton became the principal agent Ben.
A veteran of Foreign Intelligence, Colonel Vasily Dozhdalev, who personally sponsored the periodic contact with Ben and worked with one of the sources in the UK, said, quote approximate; ‘I liked the spy, at the time I was in touch with Harry Houghton – our agent, who worked at the center. But as a diplomat, I could not leave the 25-mile zone to meet with him, but he had not had the opportunity to come often to London. That’s it and I passed on the link Lonsdale. – Moscow what knew about the UK submarine fleet is no less than HM. ‘
And in the archival documents of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia on this issue, in particular, is stated, ‘It was one of the most effective parts of the Foreign Intelligence Service, which has successfully mined secret political, scientific-technical and military-strategic information in the most important institutions of England and the United States military bases located on this territory ‘.
The English naval officer, Harry Houghton and his friend, Elizabeth Gee, worked in the storage of classified information. There were documents relating to projects of submarines, from which were launched nuclear missiles – ‘Polaris’.
A cleaning lady in this department was able to arrange a Soviet intelligence officer, Leonello Cohen, who with her husband Maurice Cohen, settled in the neighbouring village.
Harry Houston and Elizabeth Gee picked drawings, Leonello Cohen in the evening brought them home, Maurice Cohen photographed them in the morning and the papers were returned to the safes. Microfilm soon fell to the owner of the company ‘Lonsdale’, and was then despatched to Moscow.
The failure occurred because of the treachery of the Polish intelligence officer, Michal Golenevskogo, who defected to the United States (codenamed ‘Sniper’), who told the CIA that Houghton was recruited by the Polish intelligence. Investigation of this case was assigned to Peter Wright, an employee of the British counter-espionage (London MI-5), to the same – a talented radio engineer, to apply the new methods he invented in radio intelligence. Wright’s group was able to determine that the ‘contact’ was a Canadian businessman Lonsdale, with a further Foto-tracking it and other “information” was identified as Russian. Wright was for almost two months able to listen to the radio of Lonsdale with Moscow (encoded, which the British decipher).
As later wrote in his book, Wright, quote, ‘Lonsdale, for all his professionalism, there was some very human spy. No, he was not like that of a naval officer, Houghton, a spy for the money. He was not a traitor, he was doing his job – like us.’
Our colleagues MI5 intended to continue spying on Lonsdale. they assumed that he must exist, except Houghton, still had other ‘sources’.
But it confused Golenevsky who, suspecting that the Polish authorities were already aware of his dual role, he decided to flee to the West, then Lonsdale, warned Moscow he could ‘disappear’. It was therefore decided to arrest Lonsdale without delay, and to arrest the couple – Kroger, owners of an antique shop in which he was seen often .
‘It seems that I have to spend the night here, – said quietly Lonsdale when he was taken to jail. – Can you find me a partner in chess? ‘
His request was met. While Lonsdale was detained, among his officers was always someone with a good game of chess.
During a search, Kroger found many cleverly hidden gadgets of spy photography and radio, mostly unknown to us.
In a hiding place beneath the floor in the kitchen was found a transmitter powerful enough to drive the transfer to Moscow, and shortwave radio to listen to radio broadcasts from Moscow in the high frequency range, hidden in flashlights and a disposable lighter, hidden in powder-cases, a Micropoint reader device and accessories for the manufacture of micropitting messages which was magnetic, used when applied to film radiographs for high-speed transmission of Morse code, thousands of uk pounds, dollars, traveler’s cheques and seven passports
During the arrest, interrogation and trial, Molodyi KT, according to the Russians, behaved ‘bravely and courageously’, without giving away any secrets. *********** Of course, they would. Took place in March of the same year the trial of an illegal spy-sentenced him to 25 years in prison. The Court **************** the involvement of Lonsdale to Soviet intelligence. Houghton until the very last thought was selling secrets to the American officer.
Here in the U.K., Lonsdale was owner of cars, a suburban villa, took luxury accommodation in the best hotels in London, taken on permanently. All this he acquired on business earned money. Shortly before his arrest, the Queen of England bestowed Lonsdale with a knightood, ‘for a lot of success in business development for the benefit of the United Kingdom.’ After his arrest, Young was able to sell shares of their company and to transfer money to the account of the company, which was controlled by the KGB.
In prison, Conon wrote about a dozen English books into Russian and – almost two thousand pages of text.
In 1964, a young KT was exchanged for our agent Wynn, who was arrested in Moscow. Greville Wynne, an Intelligence Officer and unmasked in the USSR, was necessary to ours. – We were going to exchange: Gordon Lonsdale – Greville Wynne.
Look at the book, Gordon Lonsdale; ‘My profession – Scout’, because in it, quote, ‘April 9, 1964 I realised that the decision on the exchange is accepted. It was possible to count the days. But did not have long to consider.
Morning of April 21 prisoner number 5399 was taken to the bath. In the waiting room waiting for me clothes in which I was arrested, a dark cloak, gray with a green tint suit, black shoes, white shirt, tie. In the courtyard of the prison, I was seated in the back seat of the car, which rolled right to expect it to military aircraft transport aircraft. We landed at the airbase ready in the British sector of West Berlin. Finally we got on the highway leading to Hamburg. West Berlin, passed a checkpoint without stopping moved into the neutral zone. Exactly 30 seconds before the appointed time on the side of the GDR rose Turnpike. From there, drove the car. A man came out of the car. I recognized him at once – it was my old friend and colleague. He approached the Mercedes and smiled. I smiled in response.
We did not say a word to each other.’
The spy Greville Wynne was a supposed practical man. When he learned that he was being taken to change at Lonsdale and thus return the confiscated Soviet money, Wynn said, quote, ‘Why do I? Buy the entire amount of caviar … ‘Then at home it will be called ‘anchovies’ , which is so profitable Russian exchanged for its ‘shark.’
After returning to the USSR, he worked in the central apparatus of intelligence. In Moscow, Conon with Galina and two children (a second child – a daughter, Galina, which Conon adopted) was isolated two-room apartment. The spy was also the owner of a brand new Volga and a lifelong pension of 400 rubles.
Once at the town picnic, where he loved to travel in his car as a couple, Conan confessed to his wife; ‘I again went to the same trip.’ But, seeing the frightened eyes of Galina, smiled and hastened to reassure; ‘Alas, my fingerprints are now all the police departments of the world.’
From the memories of his son Conon, quote; ‘The only thing he wanted was to work again. I remember overhearing his conversation with his mother, Galyusha, I want to have cosmetic surgery, and leave again. You ready for this?’
Conon Molodyi date of death; September 9, 1970, age of 48 years.
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(C-I) SIS
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Secret Intelligence Service
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